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FIFTY BEST: Independent coffee shops
Protein by Dunne Frankowski is one of FIFTY BEST: Independent coffee shops.

1. Protein by Dunne Frankowski

18 Hewett St (at Curtain Rd), London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Hackney · 19 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A coffee concept store from two of the men who know best, Rob Dunne and Vic Frankowski. The coffee is robust and you drink it standing at the bar. Read more.

2. Ozone Coffee Roasters

9.1
11 Leonard St, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Islington · 477 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: This New Zealand newcomer launched its first London roastery and café in Shoreditch a month ago. A huge space and a vast range of breakfast options. Read more.

3. Merito Coffee

6.1
64 Broadway Market (Dericote Street), Hackney, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 4 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Unless you’re a coffee connoisseur, it’s best to ask the baristas for advice as the offering here is enormous. Read more.

4. Prufrock Coffee

Present (140 Shoreditch High St.), Shoreditch, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 8 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Espresso-based coffees are served in little illustrated paper cups and there is a tasting notes chart on the wall to help you describe what you’re drinking. Read more.

5. Foxcroft & Ginger

3 Berwick St, Soho, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Soho, London, Greater London · 148 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: You might sit on an old gym horse to drink yours but it’s served in floral print china cups and arrives prompt-ish (if you don’t get the new barista). Read more.

6. Notes Music & Coffee

8.4
31 St Martins Ln, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · City of Westminster · 165 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Aside from the espresso menu, there’s also a special brew bar here, you can also buy music and DVDs and there’s a private room at the back which you can rent. Read more.

7. Climpson & Sons

8.6
67 Broadway Market, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · London Fields · 103 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: The roastery just around the corner provides coffee for shops all over London but you can sit in with toast and one of their fresh espresso blends with some then buy some beans to use at home. Read more.

8. Exmouth Coffee

8.9
83 Whitechapel High St, Aldgate, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 164 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Still finding its feet having opened a month ago but the flat white we tried was strong and smooth and the brownies nutty. The beans are also roasted in house. Read more.

9. Allpress Espresso Bar

8.4
58 Redchurch St, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Shoreditch · 140 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A clean, well-run operation that has folk in from all over London trying out the coffee menu — all roasted and blended on site. Read more.

10. Fernandez & Wells

73 Beak St (at Great Pulteney St), Soho, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 71 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Come here for a toasted ham sandwich and a cortado — both made with extra care. Read more.

11. Sacred Café

13 Ganton St (Carnaby St), Soho, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 115 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Hidden at the back of Stanfords travel bookshop. Earthy tasting coffee made using its own Sacred House Roast beans. Read more.

12. Full Stop

202 Brick Ln, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Tower Hamlets · 54 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: They bake their own cakes, make their own sandwiches and in the six months it has been open, the coffee has been consistently brilliant. Read more.

13. Monmouth Coffee Company

9.2
27 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Holborn and Covent Garden · 489 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Constantly jammed but good fun — if you can get a seat. Otherwise, perch with a delicious pastry on the bench outside. Read more.

14. Federation Coffee

Unit 77-78, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Ln. (Atlantic Rd.), Brixton, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 82 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Tiny with friendly staff, plates of cakes and coffee roasted and blended nearby — the kind of place you wish you lived next to. Read more.

15. Nude Espresso

8.1
26 Hanbury St, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Spitalfields and Banglatown · 215 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Nude’s beans are roasted and blended at this little gem — they also provide coffee for 10 Greek Street restaurant — and, if you need advice, the baristas really know what they’re talking about. Read more.

16. Bar Italia

8.4
22 Frith St (at Old Compton St), Soho, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Soho, London, Greater London · 125 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A Soho stalwart open all hours of the day and night. Go here to pick up stories and people watch. Read more.

17. Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

14-16 Leather Ln, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Holborn and Covent Garden · 189 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Wooden boards filled with cakes, lots of space to chill out and plenty of smiling staff. Great coffee, obviously. Read more.

18. Melrose & Morgan

8.2
42 Gloucester Av (Primrose Hill), London, Greater London
Grocery Store · Primrose Hill · 17 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Has a faithful north London following each morning who come for the quick espressos and fresh food including the epic chocolate tart. Read more.

19. Damson Cafe

64 St Giles High St (at New Compton St), Greater London, Greater London
Café · Holborn and Covent Garden · 23 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A new cutesy corner cafe with illustrations on the walls, a basic but bright and seating space and carefully brewed cortados and cappuccinos. Read more.

20. Caffettino

8.2
230-232 Battersea Park Rd, Battersea, Greater London
Café · 25 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Very comfortable little spot opened by an Italian family about a year ago. Chat to them, the resident bloggers or whoever you come across over a silky flat white. Read more.

21. Tomtom Coffee House

7.4
114 Ebury St, Belgravia, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 42 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A good range of high quality coffee made well in a kitchen-style cafe. The prices are a little steep but it’s a quiet, quaint place worth noting. Read more.

22. Lantana Cafe

8.6
13 Charlotte Pl (at Goodge St), Fitzrovia, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Fitzrovia · 223 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: As with most Australian coffee stops here, this is laid back and welcoming. The beans are Guatemalan, Brazilian and Ethipoian and the flat whites are always good. Read more.

23. Brew

45 Northcote Rd, Wandsworth, Greater London
Café · 37 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A flat white is the thing to get here and you can drink it under a blanket. Go when you’re hungover and combine it with brunch. Read more.

24. Kaffeine

8.9
66 Great Titchfield St (Riding House St), London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · West End · 317 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A low lit independent café selling Square Mile coffee and long lines of cakes – to long lines of people. Read more.

25. Taylor St Baristas

125 Old Broad St, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · City of London · 106 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A bustling joint that sets the standard for all coffee houses in London for its ability to serve excellent coffee to vast swathes of City workers every day. Read more.

26. Scooter Caffè

8.6
132 Lower Marsh (Leake St), Waterloo, Greater London
Café · 112 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: During the day, cappuccino and cakes are served to those in the know. At night, Scootercaffé transforms into a lovely bar serving beers and cocktails in an area lacking in good watering holes. Read more.

27. Bean About Town

St Katherine Docks, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · St. Katharine's and Wapping · 4 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Somehow these manage always to be open when it’s raining so just when you need warming up, a cup of strong espresso will land in your hand. Read more.

28. Flat White

8.4
17 Berwick St (near Broadwick St), London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Soho · 215 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Sister bars and both Aussie imports using a Square Mile roast. hard wooden benches and slow service but consistent quality of coffee. Read more.

29. Cable Bar & Cafe

8.8
8 Brixton Rd (near Prima Rd), Kennington, Greater London
Café · 30 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: This has created the kind of café culture where there was none. Open in evenings (they also have an alcohol license), but the main business is during the day where the folk with laptops hang out. Read more.

30. Forbes & Hamilton Coffee House

7.8
47 London Wall, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · City of London · 107 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: The tiniest of places – so small it seems like the coffee might come out of the wooden walls. Sneak into a small cranny with a long coffee. Read more.

31. Tina, We Salute You

47 King Henry's Walk (Queen Margaret's Grove), Dalston, Greater London
Coffee Shop · 104 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: It’s always, always busy but if you can’t sit, it’s worth popping in just to grab a coffee and a cake and check out the wall art which changes every month. Read more.

32. National Theatre Espresso Bar

7.6
Upper Ground, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · London · 26 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Not for sitting around in for hours but a good spot for a quick one if you know you need to stay awake before a show. Read more.

33. Le Club Cafe

Café · Queen's Gate · 2 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Chaotic atmosphere but reliably potent coffee. Read more.

34. Black Vanilla

32 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, Greater London
Café · 14 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Spectacular gelateria with Allpress coffee and freshly baked cakes. Read more.

35. Ginger and White

8.3
5 Perrin's Ct (Off Hampstead High St), Hampstead, Greater London
Café · 83 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: They use Square Mile beans and they hate anything overly milky. Here it comes rich and full bodied and you should chase it with a slice of lemon drizzle cake. Read more.

36. Coffee Plant

7.0
180 Portobello Rd, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Kensington and Chelsea · 66 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Been here forever but now has a huge range of organic and Fairtrade coffees to buy inside and the cake selection is superb. Read more.

37. Workshop Coffee Co.

27 Clerkenwell Rd (at St John St), London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Clerkenwell · 270 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Warm and buzzing but don’t expect to get served quickly – they’ll make the coffee when the coffee wants to be made. Eat lemon polenta cake while you wait. Read more.

38. St David Coffee House

8.8
5 David's Rd, Forest Hill, Greater London
Café · 28 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A hectic little place with a book exchange, Square Mile coffee served in mismatched vintage china cups and fresh and reasonably priced salads. Read more.

39. Long White Cloud

7.6
151 Hackney Rd, Hoxton, Greater London
Café · 41 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Monmouth coffee, art to buy from all over the walls, crunchy biscotti and hearty organic muesli. Read more.

40. Browns of Brockley

8.4
5 Coulgate St (opp Brockley Common), London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Brockley · 71 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Very cheery staff who make delicious Square Mile coffee and could talk all day. Read more.

41. The Roastery

789 Wandsworth Rd, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Clapham Town · 24 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A Kiwi-run café where the barista waiters will ask you how you like yours when you order. Expect to wait a wee while, but the Eggs Benedict is a perfect accompaniment. Read more.

42. TAP Coffee No. 26

26 Rathbone Pl (Percy St), Fitzrovia, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Fitzrovia · 157 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: The coffee is strong and so is its fan base. People come to this original rustic Fitzrovia hideaway to hang out and talk about their favourite drink. Read more.

43. Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

8.5
3 Lowndes Ct (Carnaby St), London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Soho · 198 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: For somewhere to rest after shopping on Carnaby Street, the downstairs brew bar is your place. It offers coffee from all over but the latest offering is a special blend by Has Bean. Read more.

44. E5 Bakehouse

9.0
Arch 395, Mentmore Terrace, London, Greater London
Bakery · London Fields · 126 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Coffee roasted by Nude around the corner and sourdough bread to die for. Read more.

45. The Espresso Room

8.2
31-35 Great Ormond St, London, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Holborn and Covent Garden · 61 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A closet-sized hub worth going to for fresh bread and espresso – made using Square Mile coffee. Read more.

46. Caravan Exmouth Market

8.7
11 Exmouth Market, London, Greater London
Breakfast Spot · Clerkenwell · 274 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: A lively spot with coffee roasted downstairs and excellent baked eggs for brunch. Read more.

Princi is one of FIFTY BEST: Independent coffee shops.

47. Princi

135 Wardour St, Soho, Greater London
Bakery · 572 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: The baristas make it look effortless but the coffee is first rate, reaching the right balance of flavour without the bitterness. Read more.

48. look mum no hands!

49 Old St, London, Greater London
Bicycle Store · Islington · 236 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: If you're after something healthy, this trendy cafe-bar boasts an array of salads and specials that change daily depending on the season. If not, best opt for their now-famous Guinness cake. Read more.

49. Shoreditch Grind

8.5
213 Old St, Shoreditch, Greater London
Coffee Shop · Islington · 277 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: Excellent paninis and coffee roasted in house and taken huge trouble over. Read more.

50. The Counter Cafe & Roastery

7 Roach Rd (Stour Space), Greater London, Greater London
Café · Tower Hamlets · 115 tips and reviews

Evening StandardEvening Standard: The eggs benedict are consistently delicious as are its variations – smoked salmon on potato cakes instead of muffins and hollandaise. They also do one of the best flat whites in London. Read more.