The Best Coffee Shops & Cafes in Fitzrovia According to TikTok
The Best Coffee Shops & Cafes in Fitzrovia According to TikTok
We tried the best cafes in Fitzrovia according to TikTok, and here’s what we think
If you’re looking for the best cafes in Fitzrovia, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
This little pocket of central London is absolutely packed with coffee shops. Some specialise in meticulously brewed single-origin coffee. Others lure you in with flaky pastries and impossibly aesthetic interiors. And then there are the hidden gems that somehow never seem to make it onto the usual best coffee in London lists.
Naturally, I decided the only sensible thing to do was spend some time hopping from cafe to cafe.
Here’s where to find the best coffee shops in Fitzrovia, and, more importantly, what you should actually order when you get there.
Map of the best cafes in Fitzrovia
Ready for a caffeine-fuelled wander around central London? Here’s where to find the best coffee shops in Fitzrovia, from Japanese coffee bars and Turkish hidden gems to beautiful bakeries and one very unusual cafe housed inside a Victorian public toilet.
Quick picks on the best cafes in Fitzrovia
Down to business then. Here are the best cafes in Fitzrovia according to TikTok:
- Best coffee: Qima
- Best pistachio pastry: Miel
- Best Danish pastries: Fred
- Best Turkish coffee: Kronotrop
- Best Japanese coffee: Omotesando Koffee
- Best cafe to work: WatchHouse
- Most unique cafe: Attendant
- Best Middle Eastern cafe: Joon
- Prettiest cafe: Oula
1. Qima Cafe
For the best coffee in Fitzrovia
If someone asked me where to find the best coffee in Fitzrovia and I could only recommend one place, it’d be Qima.
Every drink feels carefully considered, from unusual flavour combinations to beans sourced from some of the world’s most exciting coffee-growing regions. It’s the sort of place that reminds you how interesting and complex coffee can be.
Service can be a little slow when it’s busy, but honestly? It’s worth waiting for. If you’re serious about coffee, don’t skip this one.
Read more in our full Qima cafe review:
Qima Cafe in Fitzrovia Is *So Close* To Being Exceptional
Rating – 5/5
2. Miel
For the best pistachio pastry in London
The pastries at Miel are exceptional, but it’s the pistachio swirl that completely stole the show for me.
It’s rich, buttery, beautifully laminated and packed with proper pistachio flavour. Pair it with one of their excellent coffees and you’ve got one of the best breakfast stops in Fitzrovia.
Read more in our full Miel cafe review:
The Best Pistachio Pastry In London Is at Miel Bakery
Rating – 5/5
3. Omotesando Koffee
Japanese precision done brilliantly
Walking into Omotesando Koffee feels less like entering a cafe and more like stepping into a laboratory devoted entirely to coffee.
The baristas work with incredible precision, every pour carefully measured and deliberate. My mochaccino was unbelievably smooth and velvety, and I loved the bubble milk foam on top. And the iced coffee is still one of the best iced coffees I’ve had in London.
Don’t leave without trying a Kashi either – a caramelised baked custard cube that’s somewhere between a canele and creme brulee. They’re tiny, but absolutely delicious.
Rating – 4/5
4. Kronotrop
For proper Turkish coffee in Fitzrovia
This cafe might just be Fitzrovia’s biggest hidden gem.
I’d never even heard of Kronotrop before wandering past, but now I can’t believe more people don’t talk about it. Order the Turkish coffee (listed as Cezve/Ibrik on the menu) and prepare yourself.
It’s incredibly strong, almost molten at first, with gorgeous toffee notes that become thicker towards the bottom of the cup. It’s served alongside Turkish delight, and alternating between the rocket-fuel coffee and soft, nutty jelly is honestly one of the happiest food moments I’ve had all year.
Why don’t more places serve Turkish coffee like this?
Rating – 4/5
5. Fred
For beautiful Danish pastries
Fred Bakery is dangerous if you like pastries.
Everything behind the counter looks like it belongs in a jewellery display, but it’s the fruit-topped Danish pastries that really shine.
Think of glossy berries atop beautifully laminated pastry that gives way silky custard and just the right amount of sweetness. Their coffee more than holds its own too, making this an easy recommendation for one of the best cafes in Fitzrovia.
Read more in our full Fred Bakery review:
What to Order at Fred Bakery, Oxford Circus
Rating – 4.5/5
6. Attendant
For coffee in an old Victorian toilet
Only in London would somebody look at a disused Victorian men’s toilet and think, You know what this needs? A speciality coffee shop.
Somehow, it works.
It’s undeniably atmospheric, though also very dark and quite enclosed, so I wouldn’t plan on spending the afternoon here. My iced Americano with lavender, honey and cinnamon was excellent though, the floral notes softening the coffee while the cinnamon added warmth.
Come for the novelty, get the coffee to go.
Rating – 4/5
7. WatchHouse
For the best cafe to work in Fitzrovia
WatchHouse probably wins on sheer wow factor.
The enormous circular coffee bar sits right in the middle of the room beneath a rotating digital menu, making it one of the most visually striking cafes in Fitzrovia. There’s loads of seating too, with plenty of people happily working away on laptops.
The matcha latte was a little disappointing (milky and rather one-note) but the glossy pain au raisin more than redeemed the visit. Next time I’d be tempted by one of their rare teas instead.
Rating – 3/5
8. Joon
Persian flavours with a sweet twist
Joon is a lovely little Iranian cafe just around the corner from Warren Street station.
I ordered the halva latte, which definitely leans towards the sweeter end of the spectrum. The sesame flavour comes through beautifully, although it does rather overpower the coffee itself. It’s probably one for people who normally prefer flavoured lattes over flat whites.
Even so, I loved seeing something genuinely different on the menu, and I’d happily return to work my way through more of their Iranian inspired food.
Rating – 3.5/5
9. Oula
For a Tunisian cafe in Fitzrovia
Oula is probably the prettiest cafe in Fitzrovia.
The pink marble tabletops and rosy terracotta walls create a gorgeous space, but unfortunately it’s a cafe that looks better than it feels. The metal-backed chairs are surprisingly uncomfortable, making it somewhere you’ll photograph more than linger.
The raspberry flourless cake was pleasantly fudgy with lovely fruit flavour, although the texture wasn’t quite as dense as I’d hoped. Meanwhile, the mint tea arrived slightly over-brewed and bitter, crying out for a little honey to balance everything out.
Pretty? Absolutely. My favourite? Not quite.
Rating – 3/5
So where are the best cafes in Fitzrovia?
If you’re looking for the best cafe in Fitzrovia, Qima comfortably takes the crown. Every cup feels like an experience rather than just a caffeine fix.
Miel is still my favourite stop for pastries, while Kronotrop serves one of the most memorable cups of Turkish coffee I’ve had anywhere in London.
Need somewhere to work? Head to WatchHouse. Fancy something a little different? Omotesando Koffee and Attendant both offer experiences you won’t find in many other London coffee shops.
Overall thoughts on the best coffee shops and cafes in Fitzrovia
I loved putting this cafe crawl together because Fitzrovia has a little bit of everything.
Japanese precision, Persian flavours, Turkish coffee brewed the traditional way, gorgeous French pastries and even coffee served inside an old Victorian toilet. You could spend an entire weekend working your way around the neighbourhood without getting bored.
If you’re searching for the best cafes in Fitzrovia or simply wondering where to find the best coffee shops in Fitzrovia, I’d start with Qima and work outwards from there.
Just make sure you leave room for a pistachio pastry from Miel and a Turkish coffee at Kronotrop: they’re two of the highlights of the entire neighbourhood.
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