London isn’t short of great coffee shops, but there are only a few that I would go out of my way to spend time in. Coleman Coffee on Lower Marsh in Waterloo is one such place. I first came across Jack Coleman’s coffee at Spa Terminus in Bermondsey a couple of years ago, and it’s a regular in our bean corner of the kitchen. Considering that he started roasting back in 2010, Jack’s taken his time to open his own café, but it was worth the wait. So many coffee shops, despite their best efforts, end up looking the same and offering little variation on the genre, but Jack has created a uniquely beautiful space with a surprising spread of food and drink.
The converted book store is full of natural light, calming colours and picturesque places to sit (grab a window seat if you can), but the real prize is the sun trap garden out the back. You’ll forget you are in London in minutes. Of course, the coffee is of the highest standard. I could go into more detail, but you are better off reading Brian’s Coffee Spot. Try their “old-fashioned” espresso approach. As for food, alongside some unusual cakes and snacks (think Iranian nougat), they serve up Staffordshire oatcakes (akin to gallettes) with various fillings. Smoked bacon and stewed tomatoes was an excellent choice. And that’s pretty much it – you’ll see what I mean when you get there. Thank me later. P.S. There’s no WiFi there, get over it.
Matt The Tips : For a full caffeine crawl of the area, stop by Four Corners & Love & Scandal too.
Coleman Coffee – www.colemancoffee.com
20 Lower Marsh SE1 7RJ
