We Londoners love our coffee. We must do, otherwise the plethora of coffee shops that abound wouldn’t be required. Since they all function, since they all exist, the demand for coffee must be extraordinary. The numbers are staggering; in London alone we drink something along the lines of 3.8 million cups of the stuff every day.
Yet not all coffee shops are equal, and some are far better than others when you’re looking for your daily (or even hourly) cup of joe. Our guide to Pimlico coffee shops should give you a good starting point for finding the good ones that are going to satisfy that caffeine buzz you’re craving.
Pimlico Fresh
Location: 85 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1DE
Pimlico Fresh is everything you want from a coffee shop and café. It’s a great little brunch and lunch spot, but it serves excellent breakfasts too. And the coffee you can get here is exceptional – made by baristas who really know what they are doing and put some heart and soul into their work. Alongside the coffees you can grab a freshly squeezed juice or a fun milkshake. With large communal tables, this is the kind of place where you can get to know your neighbours without really trying.
Café Bella Maria
Location: 4 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EJ
Café Bella Maria is something special. It’s family run and owned and therefore entirely independent. It serves both Italian and English cuisine (sometimes a mix of both) a well as excellent homemade cakes. A coffee café wouldn’t be the same without the coffee itself, and the stuff they serve at Café Bella Maria is good indeed. It’s an eclectic, perhaps eccentric kind of place, with its piano, its mis-matched crockery, and its cosy interior, but it does offer a way to appreciate the simple things in life, and it does mean you don’t have to step foot into a chain.
Iris and June
Location: 1 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG
Iris and June… even the name sounds like it’s going to be a comfortable, cosy place to enjoy a good cup of coffee, and that’s lucky because that is exactly what it is. It’s a minimalist kind of place, and the atmosphere is relaxed and laid back, allowing you to revel in your food and drink for as long as you want to – there’s definitely no sense of rushing you out of this place. The coffee is fabulous, and there are lots of options from the good old flat white to iced varieties, perfect for hot days. The beans come from Ozone Coffee Roasters over in Shoreditch.
KEEN
Location: 3 Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RH
KEEN is right at the heart of the hustle and bustle of Pimlico, and as such it’s a great place to slip into to escape the rush and hurry of the outside world. The food is healthy and wholesome, but it’s the coffee that KEEN is particularly well known for. It’s organic, and the beans come from arguably the most eco-friendly coffee roasters on the planet, Origin Coffee Roasters. Not only are you doing your bit for the earth as you sip your cup of java, but you can feel happy about it too, sitting in a gorgeous space, watching the world go by. Don’t forget to try the halloumi and puy lentil hotpot or the delicious chicken and bacon sandwich with plenty of tasty trimmings.
Regency Café
Location: 17-19 Regency Street, London SW1P 4BY
Even without the great food and sublime coffee, the Regency Café would be a cool place to visit. It is so traditional and classic (not to mention classy) that it has been used in a number of TV programmes and films including Judge John Deed and Layer Cake. But that fame hasn’t gone to the café’s head, and the staff are just as friendly and welcoming as always, serving good, hearty food and a choice of drinks (including coffee, of course) to your liking.
No. 11 Pimlico Road
Location: 11 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8NA
This independent bar and restaurant might not be your initial choice when it comes to grabbing a good cup of coffee, but that would be an oversight; the coffee here is actually very good, as is everything else on the menu. It’s all very British, but everything has a unique twist that makes this place different and really rather special. Take the bacon sandwich, for example, which comes with taleggio and roasted portobello mushrooms. They even make their own breakfast mayonnaise which seems to go with just about anything you might like to order off the menu. For later in the day, there is a wide range of cocktails on offer, but for starters there is the coffee, which is good and strong and tastes like it should.
Daylesford
Location: 44B Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8LP
Farm shops and London – are they really something that go together? Perhaps they are few and far between, but Daylesford is a prime example of just how good a farm shop can be, no matter where it happens to be located, and the fact that it has a lovely café attached is no bad thing either. For health conscious foodies, there is plenty of choice including homemade sourdough, natural yoghurt and raw almond milk. The coffee is great, and whether you’re popping in for a quick snack or to grab a drink whilst doing some shopping or you intend to stay a little longer, you’ll be greeted with the same happy welcome and you’ll be made to feel wanted.
Attendant
Location: 27a Foley Street, London W1W 6DY
So the idea of drinking your coffee (and perhaps eating some food) in a men’s toilet may not appeal, but remember this is a former public WC and as such, although the owners do play on the fact, it’s all above board and you don’t need to worry about the smell or the look of the place. In fact, it smells and looks really rather nice. Sit in the old urinals at a small table, or at a larger bench if you prefer – there isn’t much room at Attendant, as might be expected, but it’s worth the squeeze and/or the wait. Plus the baristas really know their stuff, and will talk you through the different blends, offering you a chance to try something new.
