During my month-long stay in London, I made it my mission to seek out the best coffee shops in the city. But I’m not much of a beans snob. I probably couldn’t tell the difference between a grocery store blend and an indie gourmet roastery. But what is important to me is the atmosphere and environment. I wanted to find places to spend my time that enchanted me. I love nothing more than relaxing with warm coffee, a good book, and a snug spot to people-watch. As a solo traveller in a busy city like London, I am always seeking out these little peaceful places of refuge. Lucky for me, I managed to discover so many absolutely stunning London coffee shops. These cozy and inviting spaces offer delicious coffee and interesting interiors that transport you to another world.
From converted churches to leafy greenhouses, these coffee shops are some of London’s most beautiful places to get a brew. So, whether you’re a local looking for a new spot to relax or a visitor in search of a unique experience, I’ve rounded up some of the most bewitching coffee shops in London. These places are sure to captivate your senses and provide the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Host Cafe
I stumbled upon Host Cafe by complete accident. I was searching for architectural wonders in the area and knew St. Mary Aldermary was home to the most amazing Gothic interiors. But when I stepped inside, I was shocked to find that while the church’s interior had remained the same, a tiny coffee shop was set up at the back. Visitors could enjoy a fancy latte while admiring the beautiful historic architecture inside. They had even set up a series of larger tables behind the nave where people were clacking away on their laptops, and small groups were having hushed meetings. It was official, I thought. I had found my new remote-work home away from home!
I got my coffee and sat in the pews facing the altar. Laughter and excited chatter filled the echoing interior. Church interiors usually tend to be exceptionally silent. Almost eerily so. And it was amazing to find this one filled with such life! Host Cafe is a fantastic example of how modern businesses can blend seamlessly with historic architecture.
The original church was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren, the master builder of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The original church features have been preserved through this readaptation of the space. To ensure they last another lifetime. The soaring vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and wooden pews make even a simple drip coffee break feel like a special event. This was absolutely my favourite spot in the city to come and work or just relax while watching the light stream in through those beautiful stained glass windows. A magical place to be. And the perfect escape on a rainy day.
Location: St Mary Aldermary, Watling St, London EC4M 9BW, UK
Hours: Mon–Fri: 7.30am – 4pm | Sat–Sun: Closed (St. Mary’s is still a functioning church so it is open for services on the weekends)
Prices: Espresso £2.40 | Latte £3.70 | Tea £2.40
Regency Cafe
If you’re looking to step back in time, there is perhaps no better place to visit than the Regency Cafe. This retro diner has been serving classic British breakfasts since 1946. And has become a beloved institution in London’s Westminster neighbourhood. The interior of the Regency Cafe is practically unchanged from the 40s. Bright red linoleum floors, Formica tables, red and white gingham curtains and, of course, photographs of Tottenham Hotspur football players decorate the nostalgic interior.
It’s a place packed with character and charm and always filled with locals and visitors alike. The owner is almost always behind the counter and I was so delighted by how he always remembered everyone’s name after their order. Making it feel like you’ve been there 100 times before, even on your first visit.
To my surprise, the coffee here is much more than diner brew. If you ask for milk with your coffee, they serve it using this amazing retro milk frothing machine. Turning a simple drip coffee into a fancy latte! They even top it with chocolate powder! But what sets the Regency Cafe apart is the food quality – the portions are more than generous, the ingredients are fresh, and the prices are incredibly reasonable. It’s the perfect spot for a hearty breakfast before exploring the city or for a comforting meal after a long day of sightseeing. But don’t worry if you just want to sit and enjoy the loud and bustling atmosphere.
Location: 17-19 Regency St, London
Hours: Mon – Friday: 7:00 – 14:30, 16:00 – 19:15 | Sat: 7:00 – 12:00 | Sun: closed
Prices: Tea – £1.20 | Coffee – £1.50 | Hot chocolate – £1.50
FlatCap Coffee co.
Hidden behind the otherwise stony Victoria Street is a TRUE hidden gem of the London coffee scene; FlatCap Coffee co. FlatCap opened this tiny coffee stall in partnership with Jens Jakobsen. Jakobsen is an inventive florist and floral designer who has created a charming little garden oasis along this hidden pathway.
Jens Jakobsen transformed this previously austere concrete space into an enchanted micro-gardens. He called it “the Onion Garden.” The onion garden was inspired by the Egyptian’s worship of onions. They believed that the onion symbolized eternity as the anatomy of the onions was a circle-within-a-circle. Onions decorate the entire space along with other beautiful flowers and plant life. Everything sold in the flower shop goes to the upkeep of the garden. Visitors can sit inside the micro-garden, enjoying a coffee amongst the flowers and plants all year. They even had blankets to keep you warm in the winter. Jens wanted to help Londoners connect back to nature. And finding this spot was a lifesaver for me whenever I just wanted to zen out after a long day of exploring.
Location: 5 Spenser St, London
Hours: Mon – Friday: 9 am – 5 pm. Closed Weekends
The V&A Cafe
One of the most gorgeous cafe interiors in the entire city can be found inside the Victoria and Albert museum. And getting into the museum (and cafe) is completely free. In fact, it was providing free access to these kinds of architectural works of art that inspired the founding of the V&A. And the V&A museum café was the world’s first of its kind! In 1860, architect Henry Cole wanted to create awe-inspiring spaces to draw the general public out of the Gin Palaces and into a museum where they could study applied art and sciences. After their tour, visitors could get tea and a bun or a hot meal in one of the three elaborately designed refreshment rooms. And today, you can still do the exact same.
Three Refreshment Rooms
Cole created the three styles of “refreshment rooms.” The Gamble room is my favourite, featuring these huge columns covered in fantastical ceramic tiles. The tile also covered the entire room, framing the vibrant stained glass windows arching along the back wall. Newspapers of the time called the room “…richly and gaily-adorned like the cafés of Paris.”
The Poynter Room is inspired by Dutch ceramic art and features blue and white painted tiles. Framed inside rich wooden panels. Female students at the National Art Training School were commissioned to paint these, and it is one of the first female artist commissions ever created in England.
The final room is the Morris Room, named after the famous designer William Morris. Dark green wallpaper covered in olive leaves wraps around the walls, accented by a golden frieze of hounds chasing hares. You can stay in any of these rooms for hours. There is so much turnaround in here; no one notices if you have been there all day. The adjacent museum cafe has a lovely little coffee station where you can get any kind of fancy coffee you desire! While it is loud here, you can’t beat that view!
Location: Cromwell Road, London
Hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
Prices: Americano £3.40 | Latte £3.70 | Flat Whte £3.70 | Tea £3.40
The Pickwick Cafe
On the southern edge of Camden, behind the bright red door at #48 Doughty Street, you’ll find the old family home of famed British writer Charles Dickens. The house is now a museum dedicated to the life of Charles Dickens. It also is a preserved example of Georgian townhomes and their furnishings from the 19th century. But hidden within the museum’s front door, at the back of the home, is a tiny little eatery called the Pickwick Cafe. While guests to the museum are free to visit the cafe at any time, museum admission is not required to enjoy a cup of coffee inside this amazing historic building.
The coffee shop features both an indoor and outdoor eating area. During the wintertime, cozy indoor tables are the perfect spot to enjoy a warm pot of tea. But when the weather is good, the outdoor courtyard is a tranquil oasis. You can just imagine Dickens himself sitting outside, dreaming up the next adventures of Oliver Twist! The Pickwick Cafe also offers delicious and indulgent cakes, warm scones with jam and light lunch options using locally sourced ingredients. I loved coming here to write and was never the only one 🙂
Location: 48 Doughty St, London
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
Prices: Pot of Tea £2.20 | Filtered Coffee £2.20
Attendant Coffee Roasters
Located in the heart of Fitzrovia, the Attendant is a unique and quirky coffee shop unlike any other! To find your way inside, look out for the gorgeous wrought-iron shell that leads underground. You might be shocked to find yourself standing inside an old Victorian public restroom. But don’t let that put you off! The space has been beautifully transformed into a cozy and inviting cafe that will make you want to stay for hours.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you step inside are the original Victorian ceramic urinals decorated with art nouveau-inspired floral motifs. Instead of removing them, they transformed them into a chick bar counter for visitors. Repurposing old into new is the ethos of this cafe. The walls are adorned with vintage green tiles and quirky artwork, and the warm lighting makes the entire space feel so inviting. Making it the perfect spot to catch up with friends or get some work done. The cafe is small, so if you don’t want to wait in line to get inside, try to come during off hours.
Location: 27A Foley St, London
Hours: Monday – Friday 8 am – 4 pm | Saturday – Sunday 9 am – 4pm
Prices: Espresso £2.30 | Filtered Coffee £2.80 | Latte £3.20 | Flat White £3.10
Farm Girl Notting Hill
Farm Girl is a charming and cozy coffee shop located in the trendy neighbourhood of Notting Hill in London. The cafe is situated on Portobello Road, one of the most famous streets in the area known for its vibrant market and eclectic and antique boutiques. The exterior of the cafe is adorned with leafy green plants, with the wisteria blooming bright purple in the Springtime. The interior is just as green featuring floor-to-ceiling handmade tiles framed by a whimsical mural wrapping around the ceiling. There is also a small outdoor seating area for those wanting to soak up the sunshine while sipping their coffee.
The cafe is well known for its signature “super lattes,” including rose matcha, liquid gold (with turmeric and ginger root) and their black latte (with activated charcoal!) The atmosphere inside the cafe is relaxed and welcoming, with a mix of locals and tourists enjoying the cozy ambiance and friendly service.
Location: 59A Portobello Rd, London
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm | Saturday – Sunday 9 am – 6 pm
Prices: Tea £2.50 | Filtered Coffee £3 | Latte £3 | Rose Matcha £4.50
Momo’s Garden Cafe
If you want to feel like you’re sitting outside your cozy English cottage, head to Gordon Square Park in Bloomsbury. Here in the southeast corner of the park will you find this flower-covered cottage known as Momo’s Garden Cafe. This miniature cottage is home to a tiny kiosk serving homemade treats and comforting coffee and tea. Outside the cottage are a series of small tables where you can sit under the trees. Soaking up the sun while watching locals out on the run or walking their dogs. The friendly service here is one of the main reasons I keep coming back! They cater to lots of different diets, including vegan and gluten-free and all their cakes are made fresh!
Location: Gordon Sq, London
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm | Saturday – Sunday 10 am – 4 pm (check their IG for the most up-to-date schedule)
Prices: Flat White £2.90 | Latte £3 | Chai Latte £3.30
Boxcar Baker & Deli
Boxcar Baker & Deli is a charming coffee shop located in Marylebone. Upon entering, customers are greeted by a plethora of plant life emerging from every corner of the cafe. Leafy ivy is hung around the coffee bar like streamers and tendrils of plants hung from the ceiling reach down towards customers below. It’s more like relaxing inside a greenhouse than a coffee shop. The décor is natural and cozy, with wooden accents surrounding the walls. Bringing more of the outdoors in.
One of the standout features of Boxcar Baker & Deli is their commitment to fresh quality food made by baking their pastries and bread onsite! There is no better way to spend a quiet morning that sitting at their front window bar with a coffee and fresh croissant while watching the cute doggos of Marylebone pass by.
Location: 7A Wyndham Pl, London
Hours: Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm | Saturday – Sunday 9 am – 6 pm
Prices: Espresso £2.20 | Flat White £3.80 | Latte £3.60 | Matcha Latte £4.20
Café in the Crypt
Café in the Crypt is one of those spots in London that is quite literally under your feet, in one of the busiest parts of town, but you might never know it’s there! This alluring coffee cafe is just a stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square in the historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields church crypt. Yes, that’s right, you can dine and drink inside an 18th-century crypt. The entrance to the cafe is located just off Charing Cross Road, to the left of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. You’ll see a tall glass column with a winding staircase leading you down into the Crypt. There is also a small accessibility lift to help anyone in the basement which requires it.
As soon as you enter the cafe, you’ll be struck by the dramatic low lighting and spotlights that cast a warm glow to highlight the beautiful old brick vaults. Under your feet, you might be shocked that the old church tombstones are still there, curious memories of the past for you to marvel at. The menu at Café in the Crypt is diverse and offers a range of coffee drinks, teas, and light bites. You can even come here for a luxury afternoon tea at only £18 per person.
One of the special features of the Café in the Crypt is its live music program, called “Crypt Lates,” which features a range of talented musicians performing jazz, classical, and other genres. The acoustics in the Crypt are excellent, and the music adds to the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Check their website for upcoming performances.
Location: St Martin-In-The Fields Church Path, London off Trafalgar Sq
Hours: Monday 11 am – 5 pm | Tuesday 11 am – 7:30 pm | Wednesday 11 am – 5 pm | Thursday Closed | Friday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm | Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
Prices: Espresso £2.15 | Flat White £2.65 | Latte £2.70 | Americano £2.55
And that’s a wrap, folks! We’ve taken a tour of the most enchanting coffee shops in London, and boy, were they stunning! From cozy corners to bustling high streets, each café had its unique charm and brewed up some of the most beautiful cups of coffee in town. Even if you’re not a coffee lover, these coffee shops are worth a visit just for their ambiance and atmosphere. You won’t be disappointed, and you might even discover a new favourite brew!
Happy Travels, Adventurers!
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