The Top 5 East London Coffee Spots
After eating and drinking our way around some of the top independent cafes and eateries London Fields has to offer for our last area guide, photographer and MONC ambassador Oliver Hoosen and I thought we should continue the theme. All in honour of MONC popping- up at the London Coffee Festival on the 12th of April.
At MONC we value things that have been crafted and considered and think good coffee should be just that. We have put together a list of some of our favourite artisan roasters and coffee houses for you to check out.
I WILL KILL AGAIN
51.547538 N, -0.047510 W
@iwillkillagain | @darkartscoffee
Table products: Kreuzberg | Green Crystal | Gradient, Oli wears Kallio | Light Tortoise | Khaki.
Vice magazine described this café as the place that ‘unites mums and metal-heads over coffee’ and they weren’t wrong. Serving their own amazing in-house roasted beans named ‘Dark Arts’, this Kiwi run café attracts a really mixed crowd. Cult coffee aside this speciality establishment also serves up some really delicious vegan food.
What we love: 'Bringing together different parts of the community is what we are all about. We loved the open format of the roasting and bagging the beans within the cafe. You can see the process first hand and then drink your coffee right after.'
Coffee: 9.5
Environment: 8.5
THE PEANUT VENDOR
51.535382 N, -0.034225 W
The Peanut Vendor was born from a Kickstarter campaign and is housed in one of London’s best vintage furniture stores. As we sat down surrounded by some of the greatest selection of early to late 20th century homeware we were feeling truly inspired.
What we love: 'Our barista Kuba had a real wealth of knowledge and shared with us that TPV places a real emphasis on its beans, sourcing only the best from small roasters.'
Coffee: 10
Environment: 9
HOLY SHOT COFFEE
51.525508 N, -0.070586 W
Table products: Kreuzberg | Green Crystal | Gradient ,
Oli wears Kallio | Light Tortoise | Khaki.
This under the radar, East End coffee house is so much more than just another wittily named café. Serving up no-nonsense antipodean food, a great selection of loose leaf teas and some of our favourite cups of coffee of the day.
What we love: 'It's subtle green shop front makes it feel like it's really set back from the busyness of Bethnal Green road. A great place for a cup if you want a bit of tasting time for yourself.'
Coffee: 9
Environment: 7
Origin Coffee Roasters
Winners of multiple awards, Origin Coffee really is at the heart of the coffee community. We have a real soft spot for their Cornish beginnings, although now they have several locations in the capital, including their wonderfully light and airy Shoreditch flagship.
What we love: 'They approach the way they research with intimate transparency and honesty. The folks inside are super hospitable and you can understand why they're so popular. Origin’s is able to provide full traceability of their coffee, thanks to their direct trade practice.
The busy vibe and amazing coffee put it right at the top of our list.'
Coffee: 10
Environment: 9.5
Esters
51.560142 N, -0.078056 W
Ester’s is a hidden gem, based in Stoke Newington and a real favourite amongst locals, Londoners in the know and one of the first cafe's Oli discovered. with a great seasonal menu and café/brunch style staples aplenty. Its homely décor and low key neighbourhood vibe were so warm and welcoming.
What we love: 'Serves the most amazing food, the friends in there know their coffee. There aren't many places that do food and coffee on this level. Everything is well sourced, you can sense that it’s a massive group effort. They also use Has Bean for their coffee which is always fantastic and reliable.'
Remember that we will be popping up at The London Coffee Festival on 12th - 15th April, with our full collection available to purchase.
A special thanks to all the roasters and coffee houses for welcoming us in for coffee and allowing us to take photos for the post. Thanks to Oli for his guidance on the best coffee spots in East London.
