Kaffeine — Restaurant in London

The BEST coffee in London! Kaffeine's coffee uses high quality beans that are perfectly roasted and you can really tell. The baristas are really knowledgable about coffee, in addition to being good at their craft. I love that Kaffeine actually cares about their filter coffee (many places don't, but a good filter is firmly my favourite type of coffee); the Thailand filter they have on now is really interesting and unique! I also had a dirty chai here; I had never had a dirty chai before (and it sounded strange?), but it's was fabulous and my be up there with my new favourite drinks; I like that the chai , which is good by itself too, is really cinnamon-y and not overly sweet unlike other places. They have alternative milks here free of charge (as everywhere should), which is appreciated as someone who is lactose intolerant; the oat milk they use is super high quality as well (not oatly) which compliments the excellent coffee well in milky drinks. The baristas do really pretty latte art on the hot drinks as well,, even when it is busy, which is appreciated since the art is lovely and brightens my day. Their food is fantastic as well. Many coffee shops do food "on the side" and don't take it seriously, but Kaffeine clearly takes their food seriously in and of itself. Their quiche is probably the best I've had and served in monolithic slabs, which actually makes it a pretty good lunch deal! Their salad offerings are creative too and everything, like the coffee, is excellent quality. They have a lot of dessert choices as well and it is impossible to choose; I am addicted to the anzac cookies, though, at the moment and eat one (or two) a day. As a UCL student, I'm shocked it took me so long to discover this place, but I am so glad I did; Kaffeine is my new go to coffee and lunch spot..

The place is very small, but they fit in a surprising amount of seating and it is quite comfortable. You get all sorts of people there-- tourists wandering in, shoppers off the high street, employees from the office near by, and uni students like myself; some local employees work there for a couple hours and you see them with their computers, while some people just come in for a quick bite to eat. It's interesting people watching and truly a melting pot for all sorts (I've had some interesting conversations there, actually). It isn't the best for large groups, given the seating, though. They do not have wifi, which some people resent, but I appreciate it honestly and I tihnk it is a nice place to read a book while sipping a drink (or god forbid, talk to people).

Additionally, I appreciate that Kaffeine is not a chain. It's a local business, which makes it feel more authentic. It's clearly run by people who like coffee and for people who like coffee. Quite a few of their competitor boutique coffee shops (cf. WatchHouse, Store Street to some degree) have expanded too much and too quickly in that compromised their quality standards and lost their heart, so I am glad that Kaffeine remains small, high quality, unique, and a community centre.

Oh and get the banana bread! And the Anzac...

Kaffeine is the café I enjoy going the most in London. There is too much to fit in a single review, but I'll share some of the highlights:

The coffee: I'm no connoisseur, but it always smells so good that I end up keeping the cup near my face so that I enjoy it a bit more. It tastes great and more importantly it is super consistent (over many years of visits). I deeply dislike it when the coffee tastes too acidic and luckily I never got a cup from Kaffeine that tasted too acidic (unlike many other high-end coffee shops in London).

The staff: you can really tell Kaffeine staff is different compared to other cafés. They are quick, friendly, don't mix or forget your order. They never try to rush me and they let me enjoy my coffee and food in peace. They are a happy-looking bunch. Most of the staff stick around for a number of years and I witnessed the owner, Peter, to be protective of the staff in a number of occasions which I really appreciate and makes me want to support this business even more.

The ambiance: both Kaffeine cafés look classy (mostly) with high chairs that bring you in line with people standing up. It is a satisfying experience. The furniture is wooden and it has lovely details that I notice every year and appreciate a little more. It is reminiscent of modernist...

This used to be my favourite coffee shop in London. Every time I need to meet up with a friend, I suggest here. But from now on I won’t be visiting this place anymore.

A blond female barista (wearing a white tank top that day) was extremely rude during my last visit. When I ordered my drink, she repeated my order to confirm and then mumbled something afterwards. She has a heavy accent so I didn’t quite catch her. I very politely said ‘I’m sorry?’ so she could repeat her words. Then she just stared at me as if I was a moron or completely out of my mind, and repeated the exact same phrase. I was still confused. She then just continued to stare at me with that are-you-stupid look for the next two seconds, without any explanation for what she just said, until finally I realised that she was telling me the price of the drink I ordered. She made zero attempts to smile during that entire unpleasant interaction.

I definitely don’t need an attitude from a place that is supposed to make me feel good. I hope she was just having a bad day. Or maybe learn some proper manners as someone serving customers. Great coffee shops are great because of the people plus the coffee, not...