The 10 Best Coffee Shops in London (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 10 picks

The best coffee shops in London in 2026 are Monmouth Coffee in Covent Garden, Prufrock on Leather Lane, Workshop in Clerkenwell, Climpson & Sons on Broadway Market, Kaffeine in Fitzrovia and Flat White in Soho, with Soho's Algerian Coffee Stores for beans to take home.

London's specialty coffee scene is one of Europe's strongest: independent roasters and Antipodean-style cafes cluster in Soho, Fitzrovia, Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and Hackney, and many roast their own beans on site. Most places below are small, with limited seating, and serve takeaway; a flat white typically costs roughly £3.50 to £4.50. Weekday mornings are busiest near offices, and weekends near markets. For somewhere to sit down to a meal, see our best brunch spots; for a market stroll, our best markets.

1. Monmouth Coffee Company, Covent Garden — Covent Garden, Soho & the West End

The roaster that helped start London's specialty coffee scene, on a Covent Garden side street.

$ Budget

Monmouth Coffee Company has been roasting since 1978 and is one of the best-known independent roasters in London, with shops in Covent Garden, Borough Market and Bermondsey. The Monmouth Street shop is small, often has a queue, and serves strong filter coffee and espresso with pastries.

Beans are sold by the bag and make a good souvenir. It suits anyone who wants to try a pioneer of the scene before the theatre or a walk through Seven Dials.

Good to know: Expect a queue at midday and weekends; mornings are quieter.

27 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9EU

Google Maps Website

2. Prufrock Coffee — Leather Lane

A Leather Lane cafe serving specialty coffee and food made from scratch since 2011.

$$ Mid-range

Prufrock Coffee has been serving on Leather Lane, near Hatton Garden and Holborn, since 2011, with coffee and food it says is always made from scratch with sustainably sourced ingredients. It also sells beans and merchandise through its webshop.

It opens daily, with food as well as coffee, so it works for a laptop-free breakfast or a catch-up. Pair it with a walk along Leather Lane's street market on weekdays.

Good to know: Open seven days a week; check the website for current opening hours.

23-25 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TE

Google Maps Website

3. Workshop Coffee, Clerkenwell — Clerkenwell

A roaster-run Clerkenwell cafe with single-origin coffee and a loyal local following.

$$ Mid-range

Workshop Coffee roasts its own beans and runs cafes across central London, including on Clerkenwell Road and Mortimer Street in Fitzrovia. The Clerkenwell cafe is a good place to try single-origin filter and espresso.

It suits a morning stop on the way to Smithfield or Exmouth Market. Check the website for each cafe's current opening hours, as they vary by site.

Good to know: Workshop has more than one London cafe; check the website for the one closest to you.

27 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RN

Google Maps Website

4. Climpson & Sons — Broadway Market, Shoreditch & East London

A Hackney roaster with a cafe at the heart of Broadway Market.

$$ Mid-range

Climpson & Sons is a specialty coffee roaster in east London with its cafe on Broadway Market in Hackney, one of the best-loved streets in the area. Coffee is the focus, with simple food to go with it.

Visit on a Saturday when the street market is on and the cafe is at its liveliest, or go on a weekday for a quieter cup. Combine with a stroll along the Regent's Canal. See our <a href="/london/best-markets/">best markets</a> guide for the market itself.

Good to know: Saturdays are very busy; weekday mornings are calm.

67 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH

Google Maps Website

5. Kaffeine — Fitzrovia, Soho & the West End

An Antipodean-style Fitzrovia coffee shop, a long-time favourite with the area's office crowd.

$$ Mid-range

Kaffeine is an Antipodean-influenced coffee shop on Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia, with a second site on Eastcastle Street. It is well regarded for its coffee and its simple food.

It works for a quick coffee on the way to Oxford Street or a catch-up before the West End. It is busy at lunchtime on weekdays.

Good to know: Two sites: Great Titchfield Street and Eastcastle Street; check the website for hours.

66 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia, London W1W 7QJ

Google Maps Website

6. Flat White — Soho

A small Berwick Street cafe that helped put the flat white on the London map.

$ Budget

Flat White is a small Antipodean-style coffee shop on Berwick Street in Soho, opposite the street market, and is often credited with helping to popularise the flat white in London. It is walk-in only.

Seating is limited, so it suits a quick, good coffee between Soho errands. It opens daily; check the site for current hours.

Good to know: Walk-in only, with limited seating; early morning is the quietest time.

17 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0PT

Google Maps Website

7. Algerian Coffee Stores — Soho

A narrow Old Compton Street shop trading coffee and tea since the 1880s.

$ Budget

Algerian Coffee Stores is a narrow shop on Old Compton Street in Soho that dates its trade to 1887, which makes it one of the oldest coffee merchants in London. Shelves are packed with beans, ground coffee and loose-leaf teas.

It is more a shop than a cafe, but you can order an espresso at the counter. A good place to buy beans or a gift to take home.

Good to know: Ask staff to grind beans to suit your brewer.

52 Old Compton Street, Soho, London W1D 4PB

Google Maps Website

8. Allpress Espresso, Dalston Roastery Café — Dalston, Shoreditch & East London

A New Zealand roaster's east London roastery and cafe on Dalston Lane.

$$ Mid-range

Allpress is a New Zealand coffee roaster, and its London roastery and cafe sits on Dalston Lane in Hackney. You can drink coffee roasted on site and buy beans to take away.

It is a roomier alternative to the tiny central London coffee bars and is more suited to settling in with a laptop or a friend. Pair it with Ridley Road Market nearby.

Good to know: Check the Allpress website for opening hours, which vary by cafe.

55 Dalston Lane, London E8 2NG

Google Maps Website

9. Ozone Coffee Roasters — Shoreditch

A big roastery-cafe on Leonard Street, popular for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

$$ Mid-range

Ozone Coffee Roasters is a specialty roaster with its Shoreditch cafe on Leonard Street, a short walk from Old Street. It serves its own coffee with a kitchen menu of breakfast and lunch dishes.

The large room makes it good for groups and meetings, and it is a solid option for a weekday breakfast in the area. Check the website for current hours and kitchen times, as they differ by day.

Good to know: Kitchen hours are shorter than coffee hours; check the site for times.

11 Leonard Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4AQ

Google Maps Website

10. Old Spike Roastery — Peckham

A Peckham Rye cafe and roastery whose profits train and employ people leaving homelessness.

$$ Mid-range

Old Spike is a social enterprise that roasts specialty coffee and runs a barista training and employment programme for people moving out of homelessness. The Peckham Rye cafe is where it started.

You get good coffee and support a worthwhile project in the same cup. It is a good stop before a walk across Peckham Rye Common.

Good to know: Check the website for current opening hours and other sites.

54 Peckham Rye, London SE15 4JR

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best coffee in London?

Monmouth Coffee in Covent Garden is the best-known independent roaster-cafe; Prufrock on Leather Lane, Workshop in Clerkenwell, Climpson & Sons in Hackney and Kaffeine in Fitzrovia are the other names coffee-lovers mention first. Which is best is a matter of taste, so try two or three.

Where can I buy good coffee beans in London?

Monmouth, Prufrock, Climpson & Sons, Allpress, Ozone and Old Spike roast their own and sell beans at the counter or online, and Soho's Algerian Coffee Stores sells a wide range of beans and teas. Ask the barista what's freshly roasted.

How much does a coffee cost in London?

A flat white or cappuccino at an independent specialty cafe typically costs roughly £3.50 to £4.50; filter coffee is often a little cheaper, and prices in the centre run higher than in Hackney or Peckham.

Are London coffee shops good for working on a laptop?

Some are, but many specialty cafes are small and discourage long laptop sessions at peak times. Larger roastery cafes such as Ozone in Shoreditch and Allpress in Dalston are more suited to settling in; ask or check signs on busy days.

Where can I get coffee and a proper breakfast in London?

Prufrock and Ozone both serve food alongside their coffee; for a full sit-down brunch, see our best brunch spots in London.

1. Monmouth Coffee Company, Covent Garden — Covent Garden, Soho & the West End

2. Prufrock Coffee — Leather Lane

3. Workshop Coffee, Clerkenwell — Clerkenwell

4. Climpson & Sons — Broadway Market, Shoreditch & East London

5. Kaffeine — Fitzrovia, Soho & the West End

6. Flat White — Soho

7. Algerian Coffee Stores — Soho

8. Allpress Espresso, Dalston Roastery Café — Dalston, Shoreditch & East London

9. Ozone Coffee Roasters — Shoreditch

10. Old Spike Roastery — Peckham

Frequently asked questions

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