For caffeine drinkers, coffee is serious business, and while you’ll likely take your fix wherever you can get it, you’ll still have your favourite places to grab a flat white or latte.
Not all coffee shops are made equally, and as a new ranking has revealed, some are better than others.
A whopping 44 coffee spots across the UK have been revealed as the best of the best, according to the very aptly named The Best Coffee Shops UK.
The winners were selected by an advisory committee of coffee industry experts – everyone from coffee brewers and roasters to latte art artists – and they rated each one against different criteria.
This was broken down into eight categories: ambience/atmosphere, barista experience, consistency, coffee quality, customer service, innovation, sustainable practices, and quality of food and pastries.
All of the establishments are described as the places ‘where you can enjoy high-quality coffee. Did your local make the cut?
Here’s a closer look at the top picks…
The best coffee shops in London
It’ll surprise no one that plenty of London-based spots made it onto the list.
Almost 30% of the winners were coffee shops in London, with a total of 13 featuring in the best of the bunch.
These were located all over the city, from Carbon Kopi in Baron’s Court, to Moonstruck Cafe in Stockwell, and Formative in Westminster.
Other highlights include Calico Coffee at 101 Lower Marsh, which has been praised as an ‘amazing hidden gem’ and ‘impressive’ in reviews on Google.
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Ale M said: ‘Amazing hidden gem just behind Waterloo Station. Truly Japanese-inspired experience, lovely pour-over coffee and amazing lattes. The banana/chocolate bread is a must!’
Similarly, Ali Alshamsi shared: ‘One of the nicest speciality coffee shops I’ve visited in London so far. They have an impressive range of beans to choose from – I tried two different pour-overs, and both were excellent.’
Also on the list is Special Guests Coffee on Aybrook Street, which Google reviewers claim has ‘exceptional coffee’ and ‘genuinely friendly service’.
The full selection of London coffee shops named the best in the UK includes:
- Special Guests, London
- Prufrock, London
- Calico, London
- Moonstruck, London
- Catalyst Café, London
- Curators, London
- Carbon Kopi – Baron’s Court, London
- Zero to One, London
- Formative, London
- Speciality Cafetiere, London
- Nostos, London
- Saint Nine Coffee, London
- Scenery, London
Where are the UK’s best coffee shops?
Outside of London, the UK’s best coffee shops can be found in Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Norwich, Cardiff, Penarth, Portree, Falmouth, Rhayader, Worcester, Dundee, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Leicester, Chichester, Stewarton, Portsmouth, Derry, Kilmarnock and Winchester.
Here’s the full list:
- Ottoman Coffee House, Glasgow
- Cultura, Belfast
- Just Between Friends – Ancoats, Manchester
- Greytone Coffee, Bristol
- Lowdown, Edinburgh
- Sweven, Bristol
- Mec Coffee, Cardiff
- The Life of Reilly Coffee, Penarth
- Zennor – Langside Road, Glasgow
- Through the House, Glasgow
- Atrium, Manchester
- Sale Moon, Manchester
- Birch, Portree
- Dark Pony Coffee, Falmouth
- Wogan, Bristol
- Narrative Coffee, Rhayader
- Method Coffee Arches, Worcester
- Siop Shop, Manchester
- HöFN, Dundee
- Lagom Coffee Bar, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Dareshack, Bristol
- Saints of Mokha, Leicester
- Common Grounds, Chichester
- Fika, Norwich
- Mossgiel Coffee House, Stewarton
- Broadway Coffee Roasters Espresso Bar, Portsmouth
- Rosta Coffee Bar, Derry/Londonderry
- EH9, Dundee
- Titch Coffee, Kilmarnock
- Wayland’s Yard, Worcester
- Kavi, Winchester
All of these places are now shortlisted for an even bigger accolade – a chance to make it onto the list of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026.
The winners for this are set to be announced on February 16.
Did your local coffee shop make it onto the list?
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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