Finding a truly great coffee spot seems like a simple enough task, but connoisseurs will know that it’s not always as easy as it seems.
Thankfully, those who’ve travelled far and wide have done the hard work for us and shared the best coffee shops to visit.
Destination expert Chris Moss recently revealed his list of the world’s greatest coffee shops in The Telegraph and coming in third was a small but iconic London establishment.
Bar Italia on Soho’s Frith Streets was given a coveted spot by Chris, following behind Café Américain in Amsterdam, which is known for its arched ceilings, large stained glass windows and Tiffany lighting, and Lisbon’s Pastelaria-Padaria Sao Roque, a hidden gem with huge pink marble columns and gorgeous art nouveau tiles.
Though Bar Italia might not be quite as grand to look at as some of the others on the list, it’s certainly become a must-visit for a cup of coffee in the capital.
Opened in 1949 by Lou and Caterina Polledri, who moved over to London from Northern Italy, the coffee spot is still run by the same family today.
The outside is adorned with bright neon signs, while the inside is somewhat of a time-capsule inside with a ‘beautiful old Gaggia machine’, an old-school red and white Formica bar, ‘wonderfully cluttered ceilings’, football merchandise, and, of course, the Italian flag everywhere.
For Chris, what makes this narrow counter-style café so great is that it reminds people of the West End coffee boom of the 1950s. He adds: ‘It is a shrine to a bohemian Soho that has elsewhere been gentrified into oblivion.’
And you don’t just have to take his word for it. Over the years Bar Italia has garnered a number of famous fans, including David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Kylie Minogue and Rupert Everett.
Most recently, the coffee shop shared a snap on Instagram showing the barista team posing with Hollywood actor, Gerard Butler.
And the Tripadvisor reviews also speak volumes. One recent post by Laurence T says: ‘There is just something about the simplicity and authenticity of this that I love. It’s almost a slight step back in time which fills me with nostalgia. The bar serves amazing coffee and treats for those on the move or have little time.’
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Similarly, a user known as ravinder, wrote: ‘Absolutely the go to place to go to for great coffee, Aperol, Limoncello and light food. This place is an institution and a must in London.’
And Hassen Soltani added: ‘What an amazing Italian spot in the heart of Soho London. The best (until now) Cannoli I’ve ever tasted so far. Coffee was great and the Cafe ambiance unique. To visit again and again.’
One other London coffee spot features on the top 50 ‘greatest’ list, and that’s Algerian Coffee Stores on Old Compton Street.
This is another tiny location, one that only does takeaway coffee, but it stocks around 80 different types of bean.
Opened in 1887 on the very same site, the store has been around for a while, so it’s fair to say they really know their stuff when it comes to coffee.
If you’re looking for even more coffee spots to visit, then you might want to check out the results of the world’s most popular independent coffee shops, which were announced earlier this year.
To compile the list, TikTok views, Instagram hashtags and Google search volume were analysed by Betway. They examined 300 of the hottest spots around the globe, with coffee houses in Manchester and London beating New York to the punch.
Following Onibus Coffee in Tokyo and Panaderia Rosetta in Mexico City, and AMA in New Delhi, Federal in Manchester took fourth place to become the UK’s favourite.
The Aussie-inspired cafe has racked up over a million TikTok views, 11,332 Instagram hashtags and 33,100 average annual searches on Google.
Ozone Coffee in London was fifth on the list, garnering 2.6 million TikTok views and 14,000 Instagram posts under the hashtag, while Feya (various locaitons across London) came in 10th with almost two million views on TikTok and more than 100,000 Google searches per year.
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