Browns of Brockley

Ross Brown opened Browns in October 2009 after visiting Portland, Oregon and seeing how good coffee could be, and wanting to bring that to south east London. It sits directly opposite Brockley Overground station, catching commuters on their way in and a local crowd that has made it something of a hub for the area's creative types.

The house espresso has long come from Square Mile in east London, with guest roasters on filter. The feel is closer to a friendly local pub than a coffee lab, driven by the staff. Browns has since grown into a small family of its own, with a coffee van at Lord's cricket ground and a spin off called Bon in East Dulwich, but this is the original and still the benchmark for the neighbourhood.