A week in London: The top 4 cafes to visit for good coffee and great vibes

Planning a trip to London? Leave some time free so you can nip to one of these gorgeous coffee shops or patisseries. 

In this list, we curated some of the best places with great vibes, beautiful decor as well as quality coffee and food.

We can’t think of better ways to take a break from sight-seeing or shopping than by pausing to enjoy a cuppa and a slice of cake.

Scroll down to view our list!

Bonus tip: If you’ll be in town from 2-5 April, check out the London Coffee Festival 2020. There will be tasting sessions, live latte art, and food samples.

1) PAPER & CUP

This little coffee nook stands out with its bright blue door and framed windows. Inside, you’ll find humble cakes, croissants, scones and more to accompany your brew.

It’s also a social enterprise coffee shop that reduces wastage by selling second-hand books and supports local artists by giving them a place to sell their works.

We think it’s a perfect spot to grab a mid-afternoon tea break and a photo for the ‘gram before you head off to explore the rest of London. 

Address: 18 Calvert Ave, Hackney, London E2 7JP

2) RACHEL'S NAILS AND COFFEE

This is one of the cosiest little places on this list. Rachel’s Nails and Coffee is a nail parlour slash coffee bar located in Fitzrovia, a residential neighbourhood in London full of century-old architecture. 

After enjoying a mani-pedi along with a cup of their speciality brew to energise you, take the chance to admire the olden architecture or drop by one of the neighbourhood’s many galleries or old-school pubs.

Address: 34 Windmill St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2JR

3) ASSOCIATION COFFEE

Association Coffee is an espresso bar where brick walls, wooden floorboards and exposed plumbing all come together to create a hip industrial-chic space.

The selection is constantly being updated every week or so with new guest espressos or single origin coffees.

If you love the coffee there, you can grab a bag of beans from the counter as a souvenir.

While you’re at it, feel free to ask the staff for their recommended brewing methods and tips. 

Address: 10/12 Creechurch Lane, London EC3A 5AY

4) GRIND

While the main feature at Grind is the stellar coffee, you could also get all-day dining or cocktails. It’s the perfect place for an espresso martini.

Cool fact: You can also grab some biodegradable coffee pods for your Nespresso machine that are promised to ‘disappear like magic’ after a couple of weeks in the trash.

There are a bunch of Grind outlets all over London and we love that each outlet is designed uniquely. 

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The outlet in the first picture shows Greenwich outlet, which takes on more of a greenhouse vibe, while the outlet pictured above at Soho makes us think of a racy rock-and-roll club.

And then there’s the outlet at Clerkenwell which blows us away with its Parisian art deco style that looks like it belongs in a boutique hotel. We love that there are all these different spaces to experience. Pick one according to your mood.

Address: Check out the different locations on the Grind website.

This article was first published in Her World Online.