Esher, Sandwiches, Cakes, Etc Restaurant Guide

“Great coffee and extremely moreish light snacks” is the simple-but-winning formula at this ethical and sustainable Scandi-style roastery that started life in Richmond six years ago and now has outlets scattered across some of central London’s foodie enclaves.

This pretty and professionally run tea shop close to the Thames in Barnes excels for its cakes and afternoon teas (for which booking is essential at busy times), although it no longer generates the copious feedback of earlier years.

“Brilliant vinyl in the background” – you can choose the records, and in the evenings listen to live music while sipping drinks from the licensed bar – sets the tone at this “wonderful and very relaxed neighbourhood café” not far from Turnham Green church. The coffee is notably good, staff are “lovely” and they “serve the best breakfast – complete with edible flowers!”.

Superb in-house roasted coffee and scrumptious pastries (speciality Portuguese Pastel de Nata) – made daily on the premises – make for a superior breakfast at this Chiswick café, just off the main drag.

2023 Review: This “rather sweet little café” in Chiswick from transplanted South African Angie Steele provides “very friendly and quick service for a light menu” of healthy-ish treats from breakfast to 5pm.

“The fish sando of dreams” is one item that comes highly recommended at this “über trendy” Antipodean-inspired café in Balham, known in particular as a key brunch venue. “The menu items regularly contain ingredients you’ve never heard of… doesn’t matter, all of them are delicious!”

2021 Review: With views of Cadogan Place Gardens, this new Caprice Holdings sibling adjacent to the Cadogan Hotel is in the same mould as Richard Caring’s now-defunct Mount Street Deli, and opened in mid-2019. Initially opening is till late-afternoon, but ultimately a wine bar style operation is planned in the evenings.

2021 Review: “A little corner of authenticity in an ever-more-gentrified bit of London”, this Portuguese café in North Kensington’s Golborne Road has been famous for its pastéis de nata for more than 20 years – and, despite increased competition, fans swear they’re “still the best custard tarts in town”.

2021 Review: “Perfect coffee every time” keeps caffeine fiends crawling back to this small and serious chain. “Baking from Fortitude Bakehouse is a good complement”.

2022 Review: Following closure of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and the death of the man himself, this Picadilly café is now one of two London ventures opened in late 2019 by the group he founded. It’s all very chic and continental, but you don’t come here for culinary adventure – but to buy or snack on everyday staples (lots of tempting patisserie and viennoiserie, lasagna, club sandwich, Caesar salad…).

2021 Review: For a posh bun, it’s hard to upstage this new Milanese import: a fashionista favourite for its superlative cakes and also serving some more substantial dishes (such as risotti) alongside cocktails and wine. Too limited feedback for a rating as yet, but all of it enthusiastic.

2023 Review: “Great coffee and an always-buzzy vibe” make it worth remembering this attractive, all-day Marylebone deli/café, which serves a mix of patisserie, cakes, soups, salads and sarnies from breakfast onwards.

2021 Review: “Perfect coffee every time” keeps caffeine fiends crawling back to this small and serious chain. “Baking from Fortitude Bakehouse is a good complement”.

Lady Bamford’s quartet of London ‘rus in urbe’ cafés should have caught the zeitgeist, with their focus on home-produced organic ingredients from her estate. But the offering is variable, with food that’s too often slated as “poor”; or incidents of “staff hanging around not knowing what to do”. The Pimlico branch scores the best of the bunch, but it’s worthy of note that visitors to the Daylesford farm mothership in the Cotswolds report an altogether different and “delightful” experience.

2022 Review: “Still turning out wonderful cinnamon buns and coffee” along with some “excellent Scandi sandwiches”, this Nordic fixture in Soho remains “well worth a visit”.

“Great coffee and extremely moreish light snacks” is the simple-but-winning formula at this ethical and sustainable Scandi-style roastery that started life in Richmond six years ago and now has outlets scattered across some of central London’s foodie enclaves.

This “small, often crowded” independent coffee shop by Soho’s Berwick Street market is a pilgrimage site for caffeine junkies, as the source of Antipodean ‘third wave’ coffee culture in Britain since its 2005 opening. And yes, “the coffee’s very good”.

“One of the original Aussie coffee shops”, founded in 2009 by Melburnian Peter Dore-Smith and now with two branches in Fitzrovia serving “fabulous artisanal brews”. They make a “perfect escape from the chain experience of nearby Oxford Street” with their “great service and vibe”, “fresh sandwiches” and “very good lunchtime salads”.

“One of the original Aussie coffee shops”, founded in 2009 by Melburnian Peter Dore-Smith and now with two branches in Fitzrovia serving “fabulous artisanal brews”. They make a “perfect escape from the chain experience of nearby Oxford Street” with their “great service and vibe”, “fresh sandwiches” and “very good lunchtime salads”.

“One of the few remaining eccentric Soho sites left” – this “long-established fixture” was founded in 1871 by an exile from Paris. “Individual, exceptional and entertaining”, “the food still makes it a destination” – “including wonderful cakes better than any chain”. It is, though, “very busy, clearly on the ’to-do’ list of many tourists”.