Tired of the daily grind? Coffee is the perfect pick-me-up, but it’s not just for 9am meetings. With the London Coffee Festival taking place this weekend, we’ve rounded up a cluster of coffee-based cocktails from London’s restaurant and bar scene – get your hands on them by any beans necessary.
Words: Eamonn Crowe
7 Tales, Clerkenwell
What: Underneath Jason Atherton’s Japanese restaurant Sosharu you’ll find this sexy, low-lit cocktail bar. Its Black To The Future Martini comprises coffee liqueur, vodka and a dash of soy sauce – a thoroughly modern take on the classic Espresso Martini.
Where: 64 Turnmill Street, EC1M 5RR
How much: £12
The Bloomsbury Club Bar, Bloomsbury
What: Before coffee cocktails were even a proper thing, an Irish coffee was the sure-fire way to perk up your blend. The Bloomsbury Club Bar is serving a limited-edition Irish coffee cocktail all next week (10-16 April), created by NYC’s world-renowned bar The Dead Rabbit. Need another reason to visit? £2 from each coffee sale goes to a charity supporting coffee-growing communities around the world.
Where: The Bloomsbury Hotel, 16-22 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NN
How much: £10
Grind, Clerkenwell, Exmouth Market, Holborn, London Grind, Royal Exchange, Shoreditch and Soho
What: This coffee-centric mini-chain has been slowly expanding across London over the last few years, proving that we’re now a city of full-on bean lovers. The Grind Espresso Martini uses the house blend espresso, shaken with ice, vodka and a little sugar syrup. Don’t be a mug, give it a try.
Where: Various locations
How much: £8.50
OXO Tower Bar, South Bank
What: If you like your cocktails to come with an Instagram-friendly view, a trip to the OXO Tower Bar is in order. Its Espresso Martini should bag you a whole latte ‘likes’.
Where: Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, SE1 9PH
How much: £14
If you’re a true lover of the black stuff, make a visit to the London Coffee Festival (6-9 April) at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. There’s plenty there to keep you occupied – see our pick of highlights below…
Lavazza Tierra Origins bar
Italian coffee favourite Lavazza is hosting food-pairing and coffee cocktail masterclasses on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 April, as well as showcasing some of its own creations throughout the festival, including coffee caviar and the Tierra Origins range of sustainable coffee blends. On Friday night, they’re even serving up coffee in ice-cream cones… the wonders of modern science, eh?
Coffee Masters competition
Some of the world’s best baristas compete for the prestigious title of Coffee Master. Oh, and a £5,000 cheque
Latte Art live
Creative types will showcase some top-notch milk-based artistry, to help you make your coffee fixes even prettier
The White Label Kitchen
This dining spot is on hand to make sure visitors can feast on a variety of tempting street food throughout the festival
The London Coffee Festival runs from 6-9 April at Brick Lane’s Old Truman Brewery and you can purchase tickets at the London Coffee Festival website.
This article was published 5 April 2017