London coffee chains: Which is the best?

Whenever coffee comes up in conversation here, I’m frequently asked, “Which is the best coffee chain in London?” For the Melbourne readers, this is an entirely valid question in a city of ‘high street’ shopping where brands dominate everything from retail fashion, packaged sandwiches and ‘Italian’ restaurants and the independent barista is hard to come by. So, I have chosen to review the three most prevalent coffee chains in London: Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero. Which one is the best?

Starbucks: I remember my first experience of Starbucks at 17 years of age with a black filtered coffee on a United Airlines flight to the US. I came back to Australia thinking I was really onto something. After arriving to live in London some years later in 2005, and having developed a taste for coffee from our wonderful cafes in Melbourne, it was the only coffee I could rely on in the high street. The staff are clearly well trained in Starbucks as the quality is consistent with the milk always at the right temperature, there are no lattes with an identity crisis of a cappuccino (too foamy), and the espresso and filtered coffee is never bitter or over extracted. The staff are friendly and efficient and have that “the-customer-is-always-right” attitude about them. Personally I find Starbucks too bland however with no ‘wow’ factor in the taste, and it’s very weak in a latte or cappuccino.

Costa: Costa has to be one of the most variable in terms of quality. At best it is bearable in standard if you keep the take away lid on and try to ignore the giant bubbles that are sometimes synonymous with their ‘lattes’, and on other occasions it has provided notes of dishwater. When I decided to write this review recently, I visited the Costa at Waterloo and there were coffee granules spilt over the work bench, used coffee still sitting in the portafilters and dried milk on the outside of the jugs (a poor indication of cleanliness and general pride). Afterwards I had the sudden urge to brush my teeth to cleanse the aftertaste. I am informed by a friend, however, that the paninis and muffins are the most delicious out of the chains. Costa was set up as a roastery in 1971 by two Italians. My question is: what has happened since?

Caffe Nero: Amongst coffee lovers in London that I have met, this is the chain that we generally seem to agree on. Though not quite as consistent in quality as Starbucks, the coffee is much stronger with a smoky and nutty flavour that tends to hit the spot. I do think the strapline of “The Italian Coffee Company” is a bit of a stretch though – the last time I was in Italy any take away coffee cups weren’t large enough to store a milk pail, and there certainly wasn’t any suggest-selling of muffins or pastries. However, this is the best quality high street coffee I think you will find in London.

There is a place for both small businesses and high street chains, and we all have different tastes in the café experience and style of coffee. I do believe that there are small businesses operating on much lower margins and budgets providing a far higher quality coffee and experience in London (eg. Monmouth, Flat White, Climpson & Sons), however the high street chains do much to provide employment and a product that many UK customers enjoy. And as far as the high street chains go, I believe the pick of the bunch is Caffe Nero.

Climpson & Sons, 67 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH

After receiving a tip from one of our London readers, I visited Climpson & Sons on Saturday during a trip to Broadway Market and have to say it's one of the best coffees I've had in London.

The queue was out the door and the wait was 15 minutes for this coffee, but the two (Australian) baristas took their time at a small machine to prepare each order individually, keeping the focus on quality.

The coffee tasted remarkably like Monmouth Coffee - quite acidic and full bodied. Climpson & Sons operates in partnership with Burgil Coffee, using beans from Peru but roasting the beans locally. The milk was prepared beautifully, at the right temperature and like liquid velvet.

The food in store was fantastic too - brilliant breakfast and light lunch options like smoked salmon on rye toast with wasabe mayonnaise, roasted peppers and coriander.

Perfect coffee and great service and food to go with it. Absolutely worth 3 beans!

Coffee @ Brick Lane, 154 and 157 Brick Lane London

After moving to the Shoreditch area in London a few weeks ago, a local friend introduced me to these two cafes on Brick Lane. I've now been there frequently enough to fill up a loyalty card (10 times) so I feel adequately experienced to contribute to the MCR.

Coffee @ Brick Lane uses a dark roast 100% Arabica coffee from Papua New Guinea, grown on a small plantation in the highlands (along with the majority of Arabica coffee in PNG). The quality of PNG coffee can vary due to the general lack of infrastructure and technology in the country, however Coffee @ Brick Lane have specially sourced their coffee from an organic plantation and under the Fair Trade agreement. The result is a mild but full flavoured coffee with well balanced acidity.

Any decaf drinkers will be pleased to know that the decaf coffee beans are freshly ground for each espresso, which shows that the same pride that goes into making a standard espresso is extended for the minority drinkers (including me).

The coffee really is excellent and very consistent. If the staff smiled from time to time the experience would be a lot more enjoyable, but if you're in the area this is a cafe definitely worth visiting. The quirky menu board listing "chav coffee" as an option and the light shades made from coffee cups also add to the character of this place.

Fernandez and Wells, Beak St Soho, London

I first discovered this place after Flat White shut due to a summer staff party - it's just around the corner on Beak Street. You know you're on the right track when you pass their foodstore along the way with the Spanish hams in the window. Must be getting close!

This is another London cafe which uses Monmouth Coffee beans. It's similar to Flat White in that the coffee is a little more acidic than the Monmouth Coffee store brew, though I have to say I've been here several times now and the standard is not quite as consistently impressive as Flat White. This is a harsh criticism however for what really is excellent coffee. One can still enjoy a fine latte or espresso here that's one hundred times more palatable than anywhere else in London.

The cakes and sandwiches here are exceptional (try a crusty bread roll with rocket, parmesan, parma ham, mortadella and salami, or lemon drizzle cake) and it has become a regular stop for me on a Saturday morning before heading to Carnaby St or shopping in the West End. I just love sitting at the wooden bench by the front window with the paper, and easing myself into the weekend. I usually sip my way through two flat whites and a freshly squeezed orange juice before I'm ready to make my way.

Could I have found my favourite coffee shop in London?

Flat White, Berwick St Soho, London

Flat White is run by a bunch of Kiwis in the heart of Soho. I made my third visit today for a take-away flat white and have to say I've been impressed every time.

They use the Monmouth Coffee espresso blend (see previous post of the Monmouth Coffee store in Covent Garden), though the taste is remarkably different to that produced in the flagship Monmouth Coffee store. The difference, I learned today, is due to the use of a triple basket instead of a double basket - the water is filtered through a greater volume of ground coffee, producing a lovely acidic, lemony taste.

The barista also gently tipped the heated milk back and forth between two small jugs, presumably to thicken the foam and remove any unwanted bubbles. I've not seen this technique (nor care) before to get the milk so creamy. The latte art was equally impressive.

What I really love about this place is that it reminds me of my coffee runs on the way to work in Melbourne. They take your name, scrawl it onto the cup, and as someone with an Australian name I appreciate I don't have to respond to "Carly" when it's ready - these people know how to spell my name!

I digress. Flat White has that casual cafe feel about it that we love. There are all day breakfast items which don't involve sausages, black pudding and beans (we had the waffles with honeycomb butter - delish - and the bagels with ricotta sounded yummy), and good, wholesome meals that don't come pre-packed alongside the promotional Christmas CDs. And the service is friendly.

Ah, if only there was a Flat White on every corner. "Respect" to the owners and staff - thanks for a perfect coffee every time. I'll be coming back.

Monmouth Coffee, Monmouth St Soho and Borough Markets, London

Ask any coffee lover in London where to find a good espresso, and the top of the list will probably be Monmouth. When I moved to London, I was caffeine-deprived for 3 months until I made a weekend shopping trip to the Borough Markets shortly before Christmas 2005 (needless to say, I'd excluded a few bad lattes at the chains from my coffee count). If any of you Melburnians make the trip to London, it should be your first stop after Heathrow.

There are two Monmouth stores in London: Soho (Monmouth St, WC2, and Borough Markets, SE1). Both sell the beans, provide seating to enjoy the coffee in the store, and a few chocolates and savoury pastries for a light lunch.

The barista at Soho (a Sydney-sider coincidentally - us Aussies are taking over the world) explained there are two key things which make Monmouth as legendary as it is: the quality of the beans and the milk.

They have chosen to use organic full cream Jersey milk (much to the disappointment of my friend, who asked for a skim latte, and for myself as a soy drinker - there was no chance). Some purists would argue that full cream milk masks the taste of the coffee, however it adds a distinctive creaminess to their lattes and cappucinos.

The espresso blend uses beans from South/Central America (Brazil, Columbia, Guatemala) for a full body, and India for sweetness. Monmouth also operates directly with co-ops to provide a good deal for farmers in the regions (similar to Fairtrade).

The espresso has a pleasant aftertaste, and for any similarly coffee-deprived souls in London, if you're making the trek to either store I'd recommend getting both an espresso and a latte - take the time to savour the pride that goes into making this cup, because as we know it's hard to come by a coffee this good anywhere within the M25.

Has to be a 3 beaner.

Gails, Hampstead High St, London

To me, Hampstead is the place to be in London for village bakeries, cosy neighbourhood restaurants, 2nd hand bookstores and independent boutiques. It's also the home of the iconic Hampstead Creperie, and the local favourite of Gail's.

The window display of cakes, pastries and rustic breads draws a strong crowd, and is a great place for lunch and a good coffee.

Gail's use the Italian brand of coffee called L'Unico, a spicy, aromatic blend of African arabican beans. The crema of the espresso was dense with a deep, golden colour, indicating a perfect extraction and grind of the beans, though the taste was a little bitter. As a latte however, the coffee was lovely as the milk was prepared to the right temperature and the foam dense and creamy.

After recently moving into the area, this is a local cafe that I'll be visiting again for a reliable latte or cappucino. A solid one-beaner.