Dining
The 5 Best Coffee Shops in London
Single-origin pours and proper roasters: the best coffee shops in London for a serious cup.
In short: our top picks are Monmouth Coffee, Prufrock Coffee and Kaffeine. 5 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
London takes its coffee seriously now, and the best shops are run by people who treat the bean like a fine wine. From pioneering roasters to tiny neighbourhood spots, these are the places for a genuinely great cup, whether you want a careful pour-over or just the best flat white on your street.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Monmouth Coffee | Covent Garden | ££ |
| Prufrock Coffee | Clerkenwell | ££ |
| Kaffeine | Fitzrovia | ££ |
| Climpson and Sons | London Fields | ££ |
| Workshop Coffee | Marylebone | ££ |
-
Editor’s choice
Monmouth Coffee
Why we pick itThe pioneering roaster that helped start London's coffee revolution; the Borough shop is a pilgrimage.
-
Prufrock Coffee
Why we pick itA coffee-geek institution founded by a barista champion; serious filter and a relaxed room.
-
Kaffeine
Why we pick itAn Antipodean-style cafe that consistently tops London coffee lists; faultless espresso and bakes.
-
Climpson and Sons
Why we pick itA Broadway Market roaster and cafe at the heart of east London coffee; excellent beans and brunch.
-
Workshop Coffee
Why we pick itA respected roaster with polished cafes; the place for a precise, beautifully made cup.
Before you book
The specialists do their best work on filter and espresso, so trust the barista’s house recommendation. Go midweek to actually get a seat. And ask where the beans are from; at the good places, the answer is part of the pleasure.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Monmouth Coffee is our editor's choice: The pioneering roaster that helped start London's coffee revolution; the Borough shop is a pilgrimage. Monmouth Coffee, Prufrock Coffee and Kaffeine lead the guide, with 5 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
Related guides
Dining The Best Breakfast in London
From grand hotel rooms to the perfect greasy spoon: where to start the day well in London.
5 places Read guide →
Afternoon Tea The Best Affordable Afternoon Tea in London
Grand ritual, gentle price: where to take a lovely afternoon tea in London without the five-star bill.
5 places Read guide →From the Journal
Eating
Dinner as the Main Event: The Case for the Tasting Menu
Most great dinners in London are a means to an end. You eat, you talk, you move on to the bar, the show, the rest of the night. The tasting menu refuses to be that. It is not the warm-up. It is the whole event, the curtain up and the curtain down, three hours that […]
13 Jun 2026Read →
Eating
The Enduring Ritual of London Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is not a tourist trap. It is one of the last unhurried things London does on purpose. Lunch is rushed and dinner is a production, but the hours between belong to nobody, and that is precisely the point. You sit. You stay. You let an afternoon become long. In a city that measures […]
2 Jun 2026Read →
Eating
London’s Quiet Obsession with Japanese Food
London does not fall for things loudly. It just keeps showing up. And over the last decade or so, the city has shown up for Japanese food again and again, until it stopped feeling like a special occasion and started feeling like a default. You see it everywhere now. The counter where one chef feeds […]
28 Apr 2026Read →Readers also viewed
Dining The Best Pies in London
From a Bermondsey marble counter pouring parsley liquor to a Mayfair pie room with nine in-house varieties, here are six London places that still treat the pie as a serious thing.
6 places Read guide →
Dining The Best Restaurants With a View in London
Six London restaurants where the skyline or the Thames does real work, from Level 31 of the Shard to a riverside igloo at Tower Bridge. Where the cooking earns the view.
6 places Read guide →
Dining The Best Birthday Restaurants in London
Six London restaurants built for a birthday that people actually remember: pink rooms, jungle grills, Greco-Roman drama and two Big Mamma blockbusters, across budgets.
6 places Read guide →
Dining The Most Quirky Restaurants in London
Six London restaurants where the room is the event, from a pink loo and a champagne button to dinner in pitch dark. Good food first, gimmick second.
6 places Read guide →