Yes, I was back in London last month in July after a family holiday in Morocco and I can’t wait to share with you my London specialty coffee adventures, especially as there were lots of new coffee shops opening and who said that opening coffee shops was a passing trend…. Hmmm! In summary, there appears to be a trend, where coffee brands from overseas like Dubai (previous post), Nairobi (yes, from Kenya, Africa) Asia and Europe are opening branches in London. I also got to revisit some of my faves, especially as they were very convenient on my way to explore London and visit friends.
The Barn Café, 36 Charlotte Street
Recently opened on Charlotte Street, just a few minutes’ walk off Oxford Street (Tottenham court road end and close to Goodge Street), Barn Berlin have decided to open a branch in bustling London – called The Barn Café (not Barn Berlin). A cozy escape, the décor is urban chic with exposed brick, with a natural feel, decked with wooden furniture and flooring to match I guess, their coffee bags too, reminding me of my coffee shop in Cape Town. They sue a La Marzocco two group linea machine with Victoria Arduino grinders. There’s some seating outside, which was perfect for the day I visited, as it was a warm sunny 30C day in London. However, I sat inside because I wanted to take pictures and videos and chat a little with their friendly staff, which I did. As I hadn’t had milk-based coffee that day, I ordered a flat white using their blend.
Well balanced.
They sell lots of their coffees, so you can drink and buy.
Spring Valley, 24 Camden Passage, Islington
I was excited to see this new coffee shop open in London just prior to my visit, but why you may ask. In short, I’ve known about this Kenyan coffee brand since 2018 and the prospect of an African brand opening in one of London’s most prestigious neighbourhood signaled to me two things, that an African F&B company have the bravery to open up in London and that a full on coffee shop will be offering Kenyan coffee on a regular basis. So, I went with my daughter on a very rainy Sunday and I was surprised about how busy the area was. More impressive, was the size of the shop. Decked with all the best gadgets that I had seen in Nairobi, like a La Marzocco Strada and Swan grinder.
I opted for a cappuccino with their dark roast, although I must confess, I would have preferred their medium roast but they had sold out already and that was at 11:30am. They also offer lots of merchandise to buy from Africa, of course and I can see them becoming a hub for the locals and British Africans too.
Frequency Specialty Coffee, 13 Camden Passage Islington
Not far from Spring Valley was what looked like a tiny coffee shop. However, as we entered up the stairs I later found out that Frequency has seating across 4 floors including a garden patio too. However, on a rainy day, we sat on the second floor as I downed my Brazilian cortado – tingling notes of dark chocolate on the outside of my tongue.
So good, that I bought a bag of their espresso beans to take back to Dubai too.
I went back later in the week with my brother and guess what, it was raining again but this time I had a V60, which was good too.
Zero to One, 19 Widegate, near Liverpool Street Station
We know that Vietnam is now the second largest producer of coffee in the World, but I’ve never been nor seen a Vietnamese specialty coffee shop before, until now – a stone throw away from Liverpool Street tube station – the hub of bankers, lawyers and the people who create wealth in London. My daughter actually recommended this spot, so I dropped by with my wife to try it out. Decked with a Kees van der Westen spirit espresso machine, operated by a friendly lady barista, I knew they meant business.
So, I opted for a cortado, using…. Guess what? A medium light roasted Vietnamese specialty robusta natural coffee bean, fermented with kefir (usually used to ferment yoghurt) – yes, a mouthful, but yes, a mouthful of goodness too. Yum!
They roast and sell their beans too, so if you fancy something different, then try them out.
So, where else did I go?
Well, I stopped over at some other tried and tested places, which I have written about before, like.
Kiss the Hippo on Margaret Street, near Oxford Street, which was actually my first specialty coffee stop. I had a well-balanced fruity V60 using Colombian Pink bourbon Arabica beans.
Urban Botanica Kennington to have a cortado, using a Rwanda natural brewed on their Kees van der Westen spirt espresso machine.
WatchHouse (Fitzrovia and Bond Street branches) to have delicious banana bread and batch brew and on another occasion, a flat white. I love the interiors and the attention to detail by the staff at this brand and you can usually can’t go wrong when you visit them. Did I mention that they have a loyalty customer app too?
The Shed at Clapham South underground station, who now use Assembly coffee (previously it was Caravan) for a quick cortado.
2 Love to Coffee House (St Johns Road, Clapham) Two for my last coffee fix, which was a flat white using their espresso blend – a delicious end to my London coffee adventures.
From Coffee With Love 