Coffee in London

After spending the semester in London, my friends and I have compiled a list of our favorite coffee shops in the area. Coffee shops have been especially important while in London because our program does not have a designated study space or desks in the dorms. For that reason, we’ve compiled our favorite spots and ranked them in three different categories: quality of coffee, distance from Elon housing and atmosphere. Let's get into it!

Our favorite coffee shop

Chief Coffee in Chiswick

5/5 coffee quality 

3/5 distance from Elon housing

4.5/5 atmosphere

Chief Coffee in Chiswick is 20 minutes from Elon’s London-based housing. The iced lattes are to die for, and the space is comfortable for completing a few hours of work within. There are limited outlets, so make sure you charge your laptop before heading over. This is our favorite coffee spot to date, and we highly recommend putting Chief on your list if you’re studying in London next semester.

Closest to Elon housing

Urban Barista in South Kensington

2/5 coffee quality

5/5 distance from Elon housing

3.5/5 atmosphere

Urban Barista in South Kensington is a five-minute walk from Elon’s London-based housing. The location is unbeatable. There are lots of outlets, comfortable chairs, pillows and benches — and a front door that never seems to close. The coffee does not wow, but we frequent Urban Barista for the atmosphere and location as it is the easiest and closest coffee shop to our housing.

Best Chain

Gails in South Kensington/across London

4/5 coffee quality 

4.5/5 distance from Elon housing

3.5/5 atmosphere 

Gail’s is a reliable coffee and bakery chain across London and a great option for when you need a sweet treat or a coffee. There are two Gail’s in South Kensington, both five to 10 minutes from Elon’s London housing. One has seating large enough to work in, while the other is small and good for takeaway orders. In the larger of the two, there is comfortable seating and a few outlets. But, beware — they can be relatively busy and are quite popular. 

Honorable mentions: Paul;s and Blank St. Coffee are chains in South Kensington/across London. Blank St. Coffee serves a mean cold brew, and Paul’s has good sandwiches and coffee if you ever see one and need a quick pick-me-up.

Any other spots we should try? Let us know by tagging @theedgemag.