BEST COFFEE IN LONDON - LONDON COFFEE MAP EAST SIDE

I've been touring East London recently on the quest for Londons best Flat White, but its not all about fun and coffee, its serious business. I'm helping out a friend who started the London Coffee Map, a website and handy iphone app devoted to locating your nearest antipodean coffee in London.

When I moved to London 6 years ago there were two places I knew of to get a coffee the way I liked it, thats 2 shots of rich, nutty espresso and velvety smooth milk with a rosetta adorning it, they were Monmouth in Borough and Flat White in Soho. Nowadays  I've got up to and probably once I'm done over 90 cafes to check out and review for the London Coffee Map.

On my journey through the coffee map I keep discovering more places popping up and adding them to my list of places to go once Im finished. In the last 2 weeks I've been to 25 cafes in East London and drunk way too much coffee.

Brill Cafe -  Exmouth Market

So if you love coffee particularly the creamy but strong antipodean style of coffee that I do, then you should check out this app or if you're like me and sans iphone check the map on line.  There are so many places now and most of them combine lovely coffee with delicious brunch and lunch menus.  I'm still to find brunch I think rivals our Gourmet Lovers Brunch Club but I bet one will pop up in no time at this rate!

The Counter Cafe  - Hackney Wick

My favourite coffee roasteries in this order are Nude Espresso, Square Mile, Monmouth and Climpsons & Sons. There have been others but I haven't been as fond.  Nude Espresso, a 'micro roastery' off Brick Lane has been by far and away the nicest coffee and Im not just talking about their Flat White I based that on the coffee I drank in other cafes using Nude Espresso beans, Maison d'Etre (French deli/cafe with a kiwi barister of course) or my favourite coffee to date at the E5 Bake House.

Full Stop Cafe and Bar  - Brick Lane

Stand out new East London cafes for me have been Railroad in Hackney, the Vietnamese baguette was tasty! Ray Stitch on Essex Road, the haberdashery and cafe inspired me to buy some knitting needles and wool and I'm now creating a scarf complete with lots of rustic holes by way of dropping every few stitches ( completely on purpose of course! ).

Seems to be that now days if you open a cafe you have to have something else to entice customers as simple coffee and food won't do. To compete with the many emerging rivals you need to be an Art Gallery like The Counter Cafe, a CD store like Brill, a bakery like Violet or have your own Radio station like Wiltons.

Violet  - American Bakery & Cafe

Im quite proud and happy to see so many new places opening, there are now more than enough cafes in East London. I saw one in Dalston that I've yet to go to which boast its an indoor Farm and Cafe!

Im hoping one day I'll own my own cafe, I want it to be all about brunch, and I will work so hard to make sure its incredible and stands out because I truly believe thats what we're lacking here.

Anyway, off to central London next week. Enjoy your coffees and grab the app for all the Gourmet Lovers tips on the best Cafes and coffee in London

bex
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