The Best Coffee Houses in the United Kingdom

Edinburgh

Three of the British bars are in Edinburgh. The Source Coffee Roasters in the West End makes its coffee at an open bar with no counter between barista and customer, and serves no sugar, syrups or lattes. The Cobbled Roastery on Thistle Street roasts in the shop and is run by a couple who chat with customers. Lowdown has table service, brings pour-overs in Kinto carafes and offers a coffee flight; staff there discourage long stays.

London

Nostos Coffee and Formative Coffee are both near St James's Park, and both roast their own beans. Nostos adjusts brewer, grind and water minerals for each coffee and makes a freeze-distilled flat white. Formative names its coffees by flavour, such as Peachy, Berry Jam and Choc Nut. Glass Coffee is a takeaway window on the first floor of Boxpark in Camden, and each cup carries a QR code that traces the beans to the farm.

Batch brew

Many British specialty bars keep a batch brew on, filter coffee made a pot at a time and poured straight away, which is the quick way to try a bean. Komodo in The Lanes in Brighton runs two beans on espresso and two on batch brew, plus a hand-brewed option. The Coffee Bar Collective in Birmingham city centre has a house blend, a rotating guest coffee and a long pour-over menu on several brewers.

Seats and cake

Seats are scarce, and at The Source many people take their cup away. Formative has no toilet on site, and Nostos takes cards only and allows no laptops at weekends. Cake is usually home baking: cookies and banana cake at Komodo, cinnamon buns and blondies in Birmingham, a sea salt caramel brownie at Lowdown.