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Our Top 6 Coffee Shops In East London
With such a broad range of coffee shops in the capital, all with high-quality, well-brewed, well-prepared coffee, how do you separate the average from the exceptional? With a Dictionary Blog 6 coffee-shop-stops guide, that’s how!
Look Mum No Hands! has become much more than just a cycling shop café stop. Three cycling coffee enthusiasts own the place, and their ambition was to make an atmosphere that is as inclusive as possible, which they have certainly achieved! Nestled between two fairly nondescript office blocks, Look Mum No Hands! injects life and vivacity into an otherwise drab row of concrete.
Sit outside on the terrace, or head inside and sit beneath rows of bikes and wheels strung up to the ceiling and window. Whether you choose to enjoy their house beans, or opt for one of their guest blends, you will not be disappointed, as these guys pride themselves on doing it right. As they say, the proof is in the pudding (or in this case coffee, pies, smoothies, platters, etc), and this place is constantly packed with happy-looking (often lycra-clad) punters.
The fact that this place is busy dusk till dawn every day is a good indicator of what you can expect. Nude’s coffee is consistently excellent, and their focus clearly lies here. However, that’s not to say that the selection of brunches, lunches and baked goods isn’t worth a try too (it definitely is).
We love going for a stroll to Nude, no matter how busy they are you will always be warmly welcomed, by staff and customer alike, and the coffee stands the test of time.
The smell of roasting coffee hits you before you reach the front door, which in our books is a tantalising smell. Especially as these guys just get it so right. Ozone is owned by two guys from New Zealand, and they roast their coffee in-house. If you check this place out, make sure you go downstairs to the roaster whilst you’re there; their beans are roasted in an industrial roaster which is surrounded by bags of coffee beans, it is an impressive set-up and really looks the business.
Not only that, these guys are as serious about their food suppliers as they are about good coffee. So, head here and can look forward to a fantastic mean to accompany a truly excellent coffee!
If you’re a true coffee snob (no judgements here, we have been known to send a burnt flat white back once or twice…), head to Prufrock Café. These guys really know their stuff.
Not only is Prufrock a super cute café in its own right, with an unusually large seating area for a London coffee shop, these guys also offer barista and coffee brewing training. We would go so far as to say that these guys serve up some of the best coffee in London. Everything from the classic espresso, to guest blend slow-brewed in an aeropress, is simply flawless.
Plus any café that has pork belly on the menu is fine with us!
If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, and queues don’t grind your gears, then head to Climpson & Sons in Hackney for a top-notch café, roasted in-house by the Climpsons from their range of single origin beans. Be prepared though, as café is always busy. It is a regular sight to see queues of eager coffee seekers snaking out the door!!
These guys also provide training in all things coffee, and they boast a plethora of awards, so you can rest assured they know what they’re talking about.
Department of Coffee & Social Affairs
Shopping in Spitalfields Market? Need to rest those weary feet? Make a beeline for the Department of Coffee & Social Affairs. The directors of the company are chairman and founders of various charities all over the world; it is from this inspirational humanitarian work that the coffee shop derives its unusual name. However, it’s not only the directors that get involved in charity work, they also encourage all members of staff to volunteer their time for these organisations.
So, if you fancy a fantastic coffee with a conscience then this is the pitt-stop for you. These guys really set themselves apart from the crowd of coffee shops, we love their ethos and humanitarian work and think it deserves as much support as it can get! The coffee is pretty spectacular, too!
Have you found any hidden gems in the East London area that we should know about? Let us know! Comment below or tweet us @thedictionary
Coffee, Espresso, Food, Foodies, London, Shoreditch, The Dictionary Hostel