City, Sandwiches, Cakes, Etc Restaurant Guide

“The aroma is breathtaking and you will want to linger longer than one cup”, especially at the original WC2 branch of this renowned coffee chain: “a tiny, friendly place where you always share a table with someone interesting”; and with “an exceptional array of coffees from around the world”. “Yes, you will likely have to queue; and no, it is not somewhere to linger with friends. But for the best coffee served by supremely knowledgeable staff in special surroundings, this is still the benchmark, with outstanding pastries too”.

This legendary 24/7 East End bakery is “worth the hype, and the queue, for top salt beef bagel action”. Ignore the “grumpy service and horrible interior (please don’t gentrify!)” in the knowledge that “one of life’s great pleasures is noshing a fully loaded salt beef bagel outside the shop while it’s still piping hot”. Last summer, the operation made its first foray into pizzas with a residency at the Hoxton. It also endured a social media panic as news spread that its near neighbour the Beigel Shop (both businesses use the traditional European spelling) had closed due to a family dispute.

There’s “a real buzz” around Quality Chop House’s “little sibling next door”, where chef Nick Bramham, working solo, knocks out a “short but enticing menu that changes every week” – “how he does it in the tiny kitchen is baffling!”. “You might need to perch but it’s great food and fun to visit”.

“Smoothly run and charming – the Wolseley’s “grown-up” Theatreland cousin off Aldwych is “another Corbin & King former favourite that seems to be surviving pretty well under a change of management”, a switch that “doesn’t seem to have dented its consistent quality”. The “lovely surroundings are reminiscent of a coffee house in Vienna” and its “well-spaced tables and professional service make it a particularly classy choice for a discreet business lunch”. The Mittel European brasserie fare is “undemanding” and “won’t excite” (“it’s not about the food here”), but the menu provides “a wide choice” and “the overall package is pure quality and not too expensive for what it is”. In particular, “they make breakfast into an occasion” with an excellent selection of choices and coffee. Top Menu Tips – “Fantastic schnitzels”; very pleasant Veal Bratwurst with sauerkraut; or reasonable Chicken soup with spätzle”. At breakfast, “eggs royale is an indulgent choice”; and “you will never taste better kedgeree than theirs!”

Down a cute Covent Garden alley, this tiny Scandi café with a handful of seats outside in summer is sweet in more ways than one: “the renowned Princess Tarta is criminally delicious and can be personalised to order… 100% authentic too!”

“The aroma is breathtaking and you will want to linger longer than one cup”, especially at the original WC2 branch of this renowned coffee chain: “a tiny, friendly place where you always share a table with someone interesting”; and with “an exceptional array of coffees from around the world”. “Yes, you will likely have to queue; and no, it is not somewhere to linger with friends. But for the best coffee served by supremely knowledgeable staff in special surroundings, this is still the benchmark, with outstanding pastries too”.

This “magical place” – “the best patisserie in town, magnifique!” – is a living monument to old Soho, having been founded in 1871 by a Communard exile from Paris. “Great scones, proper clotted cream, and the best cream cakes in London – still cooked on the premises” – reward visitors (but it “gets busy, and is very popular with tourists”).

“Superb coffee” is the name of the game at “one of the original Aussie coffee shops in London” – still providing “exemplary service and high standards” after 15 years under its Melburnian founder, Peter Dore-Smith, and now with two branches in Fitzrovia. There’s also a pretty extensive menu of snacks and light bites to get you through the day. Top Tip – “try the great peanut butter made in-house”.

“Superb coffee” is the name of the game at “one of the original Aussie coffee shops in London” – still providing “exemplary service and high standards” after 15 years under its Melburnian founder, Peter Dore-Smith, and now with two branches in Fitzrovia. There’s also a pretty extensive menu of snacks and light bites to get you through the day. Top Tip – “try the great peanut butter made in-house”.

“Excellent smørrebrød” (open sandwiches) are on display at this Fitzrovia café, “but a lot of people go for the Swedish meatballs” – “this is where I head when homesick”, says an expat reporter. “There also is a little shop downstairs selling Scandi goodies”.

Outstanding and creative sandwiches, “fresh pastries” and “delicious brews” make this social-enterprise (it supports at-risk young East Londoners) one of the capital’s highest-rated café-bakeries. The “wonderful brunches” mean “it can get very busy round midday”, both at HQ in Dalston Junction and at the Green Lanes, Harringay offshoot. At the former, its street cred is enhanced by a grungy location down a side street from off the main drag. The latter is more civilised, with evening service, pizza and wine.

“Is it an expensive sarnie, or cheap fine dining?!” – Either way, fans tip pundit ‘sandwicher’ Max Halley’s Crouch Hill café for its “inventive, premium sandwiches”. And it’s also a “great little place that’s relaxing and a bit different”.

This “cramped and often noisy eatery” is a day-time favourite in Hampstead, serving a superior range of light bites – well-suited to brunch in particular – alongside buns, cakes and “excellent coffee and herbal teas”.

Fans still cross the neighbouring postcodes to brunch at this Antipodean-inspired brunch favourite, in deepest Balham (which has been a trendy local hotspot for over 10 years now). Have your phone ready to look up all the never-before-seen Asian flourishes to the dishes. Top Menu Tip – fish sando.

This “vibey” independent coffee shop off the Chiswick High Road roasts its coffee and bakes its pasteis de nata in-house. With its menu of simple bakes, sarnies and smoothies, it’s a natural choice for a quick bite of brunch. (From their website, you can also stock up on T shirts and baseball caps as they also run an apparel range under the Tamp brand).

“More than a café” – although it functions as a “great local coffee spot” – this Barnes institution is “a delightful sanctuary for tea lovers, with a superb variety of teas from around the globe”. “Treat yourself to their classic afternoon tea, complete with delicate sandwiches, scones and a selection of teas. It’s a quintessentially British experience” without the expense of a West End hotel (but you will still have to book).

“Wonderful breakfasts, tasty coffee and cakes… and with a proper vinyl music background – what’s not to love?”. This pitch-perfect “indie coffee shop” near Turnham Green church “also sells records” and morphs into a mini music venue in the evenings, with live gigs and a licensed bar.

“Unbeatable tastes and friendly staff” are the key attributes of this trio of intensely focused and internationally respected coffee shops, within walking distance of each other in the City. Founders James Hennebry and Mat Russell import from the world’s best roasteries, and model their shops on the best in Melbourne (where Rosslyn Street is found).

In Exmouth Market, a tribute to the North American deli sandwich tradition from Ottawa-born and Detroit-raised Andre Blais (ex-Belgo and Bodeans). The Observer’s Jay Rayner gave it a rave review.

“The aroma is breathtaking and you will want to linger longer than one cup”, especially at the original WC2 branch of this renowned coffee chain: “a tiny, friendly place where you always share a table with someone interesting”; and with “an exceptional array of coffees from around the world”. “Yes, you will likely have to queue; and no, it is not somewhere to linger with friends. But for the best coffee served by supremely knowledgeable staff in special surroundings, this is still the benchmark, with outstanding pastries too”.