Specialty Cafètiere

Cousins Paolo Giovinazzo and Mauro Laruffa opened Specialty Cafetiere on Hackney Road in 2019, bringing a genuinely Italian frame of reference to London's specialty scene. Paolo had already spent two decades roasting coffee and directs Caffè Cannizzaro, a roasting company in southern Italy, while Mauro's own coffee career started from behind the bar after moving to London in 2015. The shop runs its own water filtration setup to keep brewing water consistent, and holds a free public cupping every Saturday, open to anyone who wants to sit down and taste through what's currently in the hopper.

Alongside the house blend and rotating single origins, which have included a rare liberica lot, the counter turns out Italian pastries, its pistachio cream bomboloni draws its own following separate from the coffee. A public vote run through Time Out and local Hackney press named it among the UK's best coffee shops for 2025 and 2026, unusually fast recognition for a shop that has only been open a few years.