Store Street Espresso

The counter at Store Street Espresso, looking back towards the front window.Store Street Espresso, unsurprisingly located on Store Street, is a wonderful place. It’s been open for about 2½ years and I’ve been aware of it for some time, having walked past several times and given it admiring glances. However, until recently, I’d never had the opportunity to go in. Fortunately for me, Store Street Espresso more than lived up to its external promise.

I like pretty much everything about Store Street, from the layout of the store, through the friendly and knowledgeable staff, right up to the coffee and cake. It’s a place that’s not afraid to experiment, with regularly-rotating guest coffees (including European and American roasters) supplementing the regular offerings from Square Mile. At the same time, it stays true to its core values of serving good food and excellent coffee. It has a pretty decent filter coffee and a mean slice of toast, both of which are pretty rare. That it’s open until seven o’clock in the evening is a huge bonus.

My only regret is that I didn’t know about Store Street when I was a regular visitor to the British Museum, otherwise I would have spent a lot more time in it back then.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

  • Store Street Espresso, unsurprisingly located on Store Street
  • The counter at Store Street, looking a bit bare...
  • ... one of the perils of coming late in the day: all the cakes are gone! Normally this would be heaving with goodies.
  • Another peril is that the staff start putting the tables away. This is the window seat...
  • There is also a small bar next to the counter...
  • However, the bulk of the seating is at the back.
  • The view from the back looking towards the counter (on the right)
  • More of the seating at the back. Normally this cosy nook is always taken: one of the few advantages of arriving late in the day!
  • There are also some little tables at the back.
  • The skylights make the back a light and airy place.
  • The counter, looking towards the windows at the front.
  • Store Street serves (left to right): soup, toasted sandwiches and toast!
  • The espresso machine with some Nude Espresso beans for sale
  • These beans, from guest roaster Nude, are yours to take home with you. I expect Store Street would want paying though!
  • Opposite the espresso machine is a little shelf selling coffee-making equipment and some more beans, this time from Square Mile.
  • The menu. Note the slightly optimistic (given the recent weather) declaration of summer
  • The coffee menu, unobscured this time...
  • For some reason I liked this line of frothing mugs.
  • The staff hard at work making my coffee
  • A sneaky view of the back of the espresso machine
  • And the filter machine which, contrary to my prejudice, produced very fine coffee indeed.
  • The V60 pour-over brew bar, and, a nice, touch, water on tap.
  • A nice, clear sign of the card policy on the till. Naturally I only saw this after I'd asked...
  • For some reason, this little shelf pleased me no end.
  • My espresso, from the first visit...
  • ... and the interesting-looking Nata that went with it.
  • My flat white, complete with art, also from the first visit...
  • ... and the toast I had with it.
  • And finally, the filter coffee from my second visit...
  • ... and the shortbread chocolate cube.
Photo Carousel by WOWSlider.com v4.6

My Store Street story is one of confusion mixed with pleasant surprises. It offers a number of options for its coffee: the usual espresso-based range, a cup of filter or the guest bean as a V60. I started with an espresso, which was commendably short but which was far too sweet for my palette.  Having had this reaction to Square Mile (Store Street’s regular roaster) before, I wasn’t too surprised, thinking it was the famous Sweetshop blend. Undaunted, I had a flat white, figuring that the milk would blend well with the sweetness of the coffee (which it has before). I was rewarded not only with a nice piece of latte art (or should that be flat-white art?) but a lovely, well-balanced drink. Then all was revealed…

I had mis-read the menu, not realising that the guest bean was the default for an espresso, with Square Mile for the other espresso-based drinks. What I’d mistaken for a sweet Square Mile was Nude Espresso’s single origin Rwanda Gisuma. According to the baristas, it was even sweeter than the Sweetshop blend. Well, that figures…

In the interests of balance, I had a filter coffee on my second visit using Square Mile’s Bolivia Caravani. Again, though, I’d mis-understood the menu (it is commendably clear, I just wasn’t paying attention) and thought this was the V60 (in my defence, plenty of places refer to V60 as “filter”). It was, in fact, made in a batch brewer. Had I known this, I doubt I would have ordered it, such is my previous poor experiences with filter, which usually tastes stewed and dull. However, I’m glad of my ignorance, since I got a pleasing cup of coffee, lacking in overly-complex flavour, but strong and smooth. As a sign of my appreciation, I had it black, although Store Street offers milk, either warm or cold, on the side. The owner explained to me afterwards that the filter machine makes relatively small quantities, keeping it fresh. Any unused coffee is thrown away after 45 minutes.

I also felt that the cake range deserved sampling. I had a nata (Portuguese custard tart) with the espresso, some cracking toast with the flat white and a shortbread cube filled with dark chocolate sauce and topped with raspberry with the filter. All were excellent.

Store Street is a lovely place to drink coffee. With a couple of tables on the pavement and a padded seat in the window, the bulk of the seating is at the back, beyond the counter. It’s very relaxed back there since you’re isolated from the stream of people coming in for takeaway coffee and from the bustle of people placing orders.

It’s also bright and airy, with two big sky-lights and a window to supplement the light from the generous windows at the front. The simple, white-washed walls and ceiling also help. There are two- or three-person tables along the left and longer, communal tables on the right. It’s sufficiently busy that you’ll have to share, but not so cramped that it’s a problem.

Store Street also sell beans and some coffee-making equipment, but above all, I like the attitude and the friendly, helpful staff. It’s not afraid to experiment and try different beans, which helps it stand out from the crowd.

40 STORE STREET • LONDON • WC1E 7DB
www.storestespresso.co.uk +44 (0) 20 7637 2623
Monday 07:30 – 19:00 Roaster Square Mile + Guests (espresso + filter)
Tuesday 07:30 – 19:00 Seating Tables with benches, tables outside
Wednesday 07:30 – 19:00 Food Cake, Toast, Lunch
Thursday 07:30 – 19:00 Service Order at counter
Friday 07:30 – 19:00 Payment Cards + Cash
Saturday 09:00 – 18:00 Wifi Free (with code; no wifi 12:00 – 15:00)
Sunday 10:00 – 17:00 Power Yes
Chain Local Visits 11th, 24th April 2013

You can also check out Store Street’s sister cafe, Continental Stores, on Tavistock Place. There was also a branch in an office block near Paddington, but that’s now closed.

For a different perspective, see what fellow coffee-blogger, Audrey Fiodorenko, makes of the original Store Street Espresso.


If you liked this post, please let me know by clicking the “Like” button. If you have a WordPress account and you don’t mind everyone knowing that you liked this post, you can use the “Like this” button right at the bottom instead. [bawlu_buttons]

Don’t forget that you can share this post with your friends using the buttons below.

6 thoughts on “Store Street Espresso

  1. Pingback: Pink Lane Coffee | Brian's Coffee Spot

  2. Pingback: Dunne Frankowski at Sharps | Brian's Coffee Spot

  3. Pingback: 2013 Awards – Best Filter | Brian's Coffee Spot

  4. Pingback: Continental Stores | Brian's Coffee Spot

  5. Pingback: Quarter Horse Coffee Roasters | Brian's Coffee Spot

  6. Pingback: Store Street Espresso, Paddington | Brian's Coffee Spot

Please let me know what you think. Guidelines for comments are in the "Posts" drop-down menu.