Best London Cafes of 2017tikichris

My look at the Best of 2017 continues with a shot of the tastiest coffee and preferred coffee purveyors in London.

With so many Londoners so very much dazzled by latte art and seemingly more in love with milk and sugar in their drinks than with the actual quality of the coffee and with Central London rents going through the roof and with eager EU workers potentially deciding not to make for our city to up the café ante, I worry London’s café culture might begin to see a decline.

At the moment though, there are still plenty of good cafes. Here are six of my faves (along with a few honourable mentions).

Please note, this list merely reflects how I chose to spend my time during the year and is comprised of well established and brand new venues as well as businesses that are somehow related to where work and play took me.

Items appear in alphabetic order, not ranked.

Best London Cafes

Allpress
58 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP
The tiny Redchurch Street outpost for Aussie roastery Allpress is a haven for lovers of exceptional espressos, with far better than usual café snacks and small bites than most cafes offer. On a sunny day, it’s a pleasure to enjoy your drink outside and spy on the parade of Shoreditch passersby.

Bar Termini
7 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JE
Whether you’re passing through Soho in the early morning in need of a quick shot of espresso or you’re looking for a cosy place to sip sophisticated cocktails well into the night this tiny (seats 25) bar brought to you by cocktail mastermind Tony Conigliaro (of The Bar with No Name fame) and extreme espresso geek Marco Arrigo (Head of Quality at illy Coffee) is an ideal setting.
Bar Termini is also listed for the third year in a row in my ‘best of’ list for London bars.

Bar Termini Centrale
31 Duke Street, W1U 1LG
Bar Termini Soho’s kid sister – across the street from Selfridges – and with a pinball machine.

Boki
20 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LG
This bar/café/all day eatery in Seven Dials is an ideal destination for short pit stops or long laidback lunches. Near a number of theatres and Tube stations, keep this one in mind for convening pre or post performance. If looking for an expressly tasty perk, order Boki’s signature coffee negroni. It’s delicious.

Blade Soho
26 Frith Street, W1D 5LD
Blade is actually a hair salon and (as far as I know) London’s only place to go hair clubbing. The downstairs, members only bar is a brilliant refuge for something boozy but the upstairs espresso bar at the front of the shop is ideal for a quick cup of coffee – whether you’re there for a cut or not.

Sacred Cafe
13 Ganton Street, W1F 9BL
My office away from office, this Kiwi coffee spot just off Carnaby Street is a Soho oasis. The upstairs is good for pert socialising. The downstairs is ideal for longer lasting meetups or settling into some offsite work. Service is swift and friendly. And of course the coffee is fantastic.

Honourable Mentions

More of the Best of 2017 to follow!