Unlike in most cities, it wasn't the arrival of Starbucks that brought coffee to East London. For this, we can thank the Australians who to our advantage shun watery tea in favour of delicious, dark, strong coffee.
There's a decent coffee shop culture going on in East London, and in truth, it has been going on for quite a while. Yet still there seems to be a new coffee shop popping up almost every week. What I've tried to do here is to put together a shortlist of the best coffee shops in Shoreditch, Hackney and Dalston. I understand that choosing your own favourite coffee shop is a very personal thing though, and that is why I'll leave it down to you to decide which of them will became your favourite East London coffee shop.
Here's the list:
Taylor St. Baristas, Shoreditch - This place is a little sanctuary amid the towering greyness of Shoreditch. Sure, Shoreditch is pretty cool, apparently, and not short of coffee shops. It just so happens that Taylor St stands out against the others. The coffee shop itself is little more than a shed and it's tucked up a back land. Just follow your nose though and you'll soon find it.
Prufrock Coffee, Leather Lane - This place is so good that it actually trains new baristas to make perfect coffee. Prufrock Coffee has a whole host of coffee accolades under its belt including having the 2009 UK and World Barista Champion on the staff team, The rest of the team is made up of enthusiastic coffee lovers who would sooner eat their hat than serve up a cup of instant. The biggest downfall is that it doesn't open until 10am so there's no espresso on the way to work.
Climpson & Sons, Broadway Market - With their own roastery and a prime spot on East London's favourite food market, Climpson & Son's was always going to be an East London favourite in the coffee shop stakes. If it's a bit too busy on market day (Saturday) there are plenty of other places close by that use beans from Climpson's roastery but it really is worth the wait to grab a drink here.
Dalston Superstore, Dalston - This one is a bit of a wild card. I choose it not for the level of it's hot drinks, which are fine, but rather for what the place can do with a cold espresso. Dalston Superstore is more of a bar than a coffee shop really, but it serves breakfast and that's a good enough qualifier for me. There's no doubt that they serve the best Espresso Martini that I've ever tried, who cares if it means having a splash of alcohol in your morning coffee?
Taste of Bitter Love, Hackney Road - This one wins on name alone, what better name for a coffee shop that sells perfectly bitter, black, love in a cup? Taste of Bitter Love is about halfway between Broadway Market and Brick Land which makes it a perfect stop off if you're on a one day tour of the best coffee shops in East London.
So, big thanks to the Aussies for introducing us Brits to real coffee. For that I am eternally grateful. You can choose your own top coffee shop in East London, but for me, it's always a Gibraltar +1 from Climpson & Sons. It's close to my home and close to my heart.
Natalie Ashett - I write about the the things that I see and I write about them the the same way as I would say it. I write because I love to share ...
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