London · Fitzrovia

Kaffeine

The illuminated 'Kaffeine' neon sign on a wood-slat wall, retail coffee bags on a shelf beside it

One of the shops credited with bringing an Antipodean flat white sensibility to London in the early 2000s, still recognizable by its white subway tile, oak paneling, and a neon sign that's become something of a Fitzrovia landmark in its own right. Fitzrovia sits just north of Oxford Street and has long been a base for advertising agencies, publishers, and media companies, which shows in the steady stream of laptop and meeting traffic that keeps the tables turning through the day. It runs a full breakfast and lunch kitchen alongside the coffee program, treating the space as a proper daytime restaurant rather than a coffee stop with snacks bolted on.

A second branch on Eastcastle Street covers the overflow when this one's full, which is often, particularly around midday. Open all seven days, unusually for a shop this focused on specialty coffee. Most of its more purist peers close at least one day a week.