Esher, Sandwiches, Cakes, Etc Restaurant Guide

“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.

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).

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.

“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”.

“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”.

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”).

“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”.

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!”

“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!”

“Great coffee and artisanal bakery” again win high ratings from a small but enthusiastic fan club for this bright haunt in a unit at the foot of a newish block, at the north end of the Portobello Road.

“An offshoot of Llewelyn’s” (just next door) – this cute Herne Hill yearling is a “very buzzy” deli/bakery/bar serving “interesting food choices and a wide range of drinks and tipples”. “The emphasis is on small plates (some would say very small!)”

“OMG, out of this world… but very expensive”. This renowned Parisian pâtissier’s first outlet outside of Paris (opened in 2022) is a bright and rather gorgeous bakery space within the famous Knightsbridge five-star hotel. Its contribution to the luxe afternoon tea scene is ‘Goutea’ – a Frenchified take on afternoon tea at £85 which can be booked for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Or, for a mere £135 per person, you can sit at the counter for an even bigger blow-out of six sweet and two savoury courses. Notwithstanding that all the limited feedback we have on it this year is positive, anyone with a sharp sense of value for money should run a mile.

Need a light lunch or coffee and bite in Covent Garden? – You can have one in an elegant, high ceilinged space and boost the life chances of someone with learning difficulties or autism when you visit Bianca Tavella’s excellent fixture, which every year gives 15 young people (aged 18-25 years) with special needs the opportunity for work experience.

“Poshest café with terrific (if rather pricey) pastries” – this “beautifully appointed” Yemeni spot on Warren Street with amazing coffee and Yemeni-inspired patisserie (e.g. their honey croissant) makes for an excellent caffeine-fueled pitstop.

“The best bagels in London”! Self-taught baker Dan Martensen and Caravan head baker Jack Ponting worked on perfecting a New York bagel recipe and opened this bricks-and-mortar place in September 2023 in Primrose Hill. There’s the odd table, but it’s primarily take out.