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Can you smell that? Rich, warm, maybe slightly smokey: that’s the smell of a city functioning on caffeine. Whether you’re dedicated to your oat flat whites, like to go all out with a skinny-double-salted-caramel-frappé (extra cream) or prefer to keep things trad with a pot of freshly-brewed black, if you’re a Londoner, there’s a high chance you’re a keen coffee drinker.
The stuff is everywhere. There are your run-of-the-mill chain coffee shops; the places you turn to when you need something, anything, to wake you up on the go. There’s a growing selection of more niche places, serving up everything from Vietnamese brews to mushroom blends. And, of course, there’s a plethora of top-quality independent coffee shops and roasters, all specialising in something a little bit different. (Check out Time Out’s edit of the best coffee in the city right here.)
Celeste Wong, AKA The Girl In The Café, moved to the UK capital in the mid 2000s after working as a barista at coffee shops in Melbourne and Dunedin, New Zealand. A previous host of the The London Coffee Festival Coffee Masters competition and crowned one of London’s top five baristas by the Financial Times, she now shares her tips, recipes and caffeinated reccs on Instagram and released her first book on all things coffee just this month.
‘I got so passionate, super nerdy, and loved the creative process – but also loved the culture of it,’ she says, speaking about honing her craft down under. ‘Coffee culture in Australia and New Zealand was years ahead, back then. When I moved to the UK, Flat White in Soho heard I was coming over and I ended up working with them for about seven years. At the time, it was one of the only artisan coffee shops in central London, apart from Monmouth, which is quite crazy to think.’
Last year, coffee consumption surpassed tea in the UK for the first time
Things look pretty different now: just last year, coffee consumption surpassed tea consumption in the UK for the first time ever. You’d be hard pressed to walk for five minutes in Zone 1 and not come across a place selling takeaway flat whites for £4.30 a pop. ‘There’s a lot more good coffee out there now,’ Wong says. ‘And coffee culture is a lot more normal in London – and inclusive, which is great.’
As for what’s next? Wong thinks we’ll see more places selling robusta (that’s a type of coffee bean which generally has lower acidity, and tastes more bitter and less fruity than arabica, which is generally the go-to roast). ‘Arabica is getting quite expensive,’ she says. ‘I think that good-quality robusta, roasted well so it doesn’t have that typical bitter, strong aftertaste, will become more of a trend due to rising costs. So far, the coffee industry has been taking the hit and not passing it onto customers.’
She also predicts that we’ll see better quality, tastier decaf, as well as more experimentation with coffee and food beyond your classic tiramisu. ‘You can really use coffee to bring out the flavours in sweet as well as savoury dishes,’ she says. Her book, which was released this month, features 90 coffee-influenced recipes, from espresso butter to coffee-infused margaritas. ‘Tequila is such a classic drink and I don’t usually want to mess with it,’ she says. ‘But I pour cold brew filter coffee on top, which forms a beautiful layer and takes the edge off the sharpness of the spirit.’ Below, she handpicks her favourite indie coffee shops in London.
Celeste Wong’s favourite independent coffee shops in London
Climpson & Sons
‘A really good community place which has a character to it. It’s old school and has been around for a long time. You can always rely on them. They’ve recently moved into a new roastery, so they’re constantly developing their coffee offering and they get involved in a lot of cool, charitable causes, as well as fun events. They’re one of the few, larger cafes that are still independent.’
67 Broadway Market, E8 4PH [pictured]
Perky Blenders
‘I drink a lot of their coffee. They’re really fun and kind of quirky. The staff are really nice and they’re getting involved in community things as well. The unique selling point is their coffee subscription service and their coffee to take home: it’s reasonably priced, their packaging is colourful and vibrant and they change beans up seasonally.’
1 Rosebank Villas, High St, E17 7FT [pictured]
Omotesando
‘It’s in Fitzrovia and very minimalistic, which I find aesthetically pleasing. Everything’s perfect and small, there are not very many seats, it’s quiet. The café is just a nice experience because it has that zen, Japanese vibe going on. When you walk in, there’s someone who greets you behind a counter, then you go through to the minimalist wooden interior where there’s a large bright window and a few seats along the bar.’
8 Newman St, W1T 1FB
Rosslyn
‘A modern place. The one that I go to is in Bank; it’s in an old building with big windows and is always busy. It kind of reminds me of that busy Soho vibe you used to get. The coffee is always really good, it’s very efficient and it’s one of the few places I would rely on, if I was in a hurry, and I needed a coffee that was going to be good and I knew that they weren’t going to stuff up. Good people watching from the seats out the front. It’s my go-to place before I go to the Tate Modern, you can just walk across the Millennium Bridge after.’
78 Queen Victoria St, EC4N 4SJ [pictured]
Crol & Co
‘Crol and Co is down in South Bermondsey and it’s a little bit quirky; I love the retro, vintage vibe. They’ve got a whole wall of framed Belgian royalty photographs – the owners are Belgian and thought it was funny. They have three locations. If I’m in the area I’ll go to their London Bridge one [pictured] which is a little bit more busy, a bit more hip – they have a bar in there now.’
66A Newcomen St, SE1 1YT [pictured]
Ozone
‘Ozone is a really good one for not only the quality of their coffee – they just won awards the European Coffee Symposium – but because they’ve also got a great menu. It’s a good place to go for breakfast and lunch. The vibe is clean and vibrant but not in your face. In the Emma Street one, you can be left to have that proper sit down without feeling cramped. The Shoreditch one has more of a late-night vibe.’
56 Ludgate Hill, EC4M 7AW [pictured]
Coffee Creations: 90 delicious recipes for the perfect cup by Celeste Wong is available from all major retailers for £18.99.
Thirsty for more? These are the 25 best coffee shops in London, according to Time Out