East London is not only famous for graffiti but also for a vibrant coffee scene.
My list of the best coffee shops in Shoreditch area( London)
1 – Origin coffee shop
Located right in the heart of Shoreditch, there’s the first flagship of Origin Coffee Roasters, a leading UK (Cornish) coffee roaster.
The coffee shop is situated in Charlotte Road, a hectic touristic area. The coffee shop mainly works on weekdays with the offices situated around there and mostly with tourist on the weekend.
The company is well-known for being one of the best specialty coffee roaster in the whole UK, serving Shoreditch with delicious coffee since May 2015. I recently popped into the shop to spend a few hours on my day off. I asked for an espresso and the barista made me a washed Colombia “El Tablon”.
Even if I’m not a big fan of Colombia as a single origin espresso, the coffee had a nice complexity with a medium acidity that helped brings up hints of blood orange. The coffee was quite sirupy with a clean and medium finish.
But the best part was when I ordered a pour over. The barista made me a Kalita pour over with “Koke”, a honey process from Ethiopia. Well, that was astonishing! The aroma was intense, with tropical notes like mango.
In the cup, an extraordinary passion fruit, with mango and bubble gum note. The sweetness and the acidity were perfectly balanced with a medium to low finish. Well, I definitely recommend a visit!
2 – Nude coffee roaster
Just ten minutes’ walk from Origin coffee there’s Nude coffee roasters. The shop is located in the middle of Spitafields Market, an area surrounded by shops and restaurants, artists and graffiti.
Nude opened in Spitafields in 2008 and launched its own roastery in 2014 in Hanbury Street, just in front of their second shop, a couple of minutes from the first one. Like Origin Coffee, the company has established a good reputation through the years.
The shop roasts consistently good coffee at all times. Last week I went there and I am served an espresso, a yellow honey process from Costa Rica. The coffee was incredibly clean and tasted dried apricot and sweet caramel.
The body was smooth and perfectly balanced with sweetness and acidity with a long aftertaste. For sure another recommend place to visit!
3 – Climpson and Sons
A bit north, there’s Climpson and Sons. The shop is located in Broadway Market in between the London Fields park and the Regent’s Canal, a heaven where to literally spend an entire day out of the buzzing of the city.
Since opening in 2000s, the shop is being brewing good coffee. The latest and hottest new of the shop is the new baby of La Marzocco, The KB90.
As soon as I entered the shop, the barista gave me a warm welcome. I asked for an espresso (double shot of course) and they suggested me and brewed me “the fields”, a natural process from Brazil.
The espresso had a good crema on top with a nutty aroma. It was well-balanced with a medium sirupy body, sweet like vanilla and with hints of dark chocolate, almond and a slightly berry note. The aftertaste was pleasant with a medium to low finish.
What’s your recommendations? That’s all folks.
I am an Italian coffee lover that pushed for the love of this “amazing drug” decided to come to London to study about coffee and its different extraction procedures and tastes.