Estate Office Coffee, next to Streatham Hill Station in South West London, has built an excellent reputation since first opening in October 2016, championed, in particular, by Bean There At amongst others. A great example of a neighbourhood coffee shop done well, Clark (who I met), along with business partner, Joe have kept things simple but effective. My only disappointment is that it’s taken me this long to visit!

Estate Office Coffee serves the standard Allpress blend (the Redchurch Blend, as was, before Allpress renamed it) and decaf through a concise espresso-based menu. These are joined by a guest roaster on batch-brew through the Moccamaster. This was Margate’s Curve Coffee Roasters during my visit, but since the guest roaster changes every four to six weeks, there should be a different roaster on by now. Estate Office Coffee supports local roasters in the most part, occasionally venturing further afield in the UK.

If you’re hungry, there’s a small breakfast menu and a range of sandwiches, soup and some savouries for lunch. These are supplemented throughout the day by a good selection of cake. The milk, by the way, is from Estate Dairy (no relation), while there are plenty of non-dairy alternatives.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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Estate Office Coffee, on Drewstead Road, is right next to Streatham Hill Station. Indeed, vaulting the fence on the opposite side of the road takes you straight to the platform, albeit after a long fall, the track running through a deep cutting at this point. You’d therefore be better off going around the corner to the entrance on Streatham High Road, a walk of around 75m. Alternatively, if you’re leaving the station, turn right, right again, cross the road and you’re there.

Estate Office Coffee occupies the ground floor of a standalone two-storey brick building constructed as the estate office (hence the name) for the nearby Stonehills Mansions. Effectively a sales office, these were typically wooden in construction and subsequently demolished, but it’s believed that due to the prestige of the Stonehills Mansions, the builders wanted to show off with a more substantial sales building, hence it survived. If you’re interested, you can read more of the history of the building, displayed on the wall near the door, along with the original planning application, dating from 1906.

In keeping with the theme of reuse, most of Estate Office Coffee’s fixtures and fittings are made from reclaimed materials. Meanwhile there’s a strong emphasis on reusable cups, with (retail) offerings from Allpress and Ecoffee Cup.

Estate Office Coffee occupies a simple space, a single window to the right, glass door on the left. A solitary two-person table sits under the window on the busy road, but you’re better off inside, where the coffee shop, long and thin, stretches out ahead of you, counter set back on the right. A wooden bench runs along the right-hand wall between window and counter, with three rectangular two-person tables, each with a small, round stool.

A further three low, stools line the wall opposite the start of the counter, while the remaining seating is at the back, where a narrow, three-person bar runs along the rear portion of the left-hand wall. Finally, a two-person bar runs along the left-hand side of the back wall, stopping at an open doorway leading to the kitchen in the rear.

The simple décor sees plain wooden floorboards, with blue-painted wooden wall planking for the first half metre, then white-washed above. This matches the counter, which is faced with the same planking. This has the cakes and sandwiches to the fore, followed by the till and Moccamaster, with a two-group La Marzocco Linea and its twin grinders at the back.

I was there for a late lunch, by which time all the vegetarian sandwiches and soup had sold out, so instead I went for a veggie roll with a slice of cinnamon bun tray bake. The roll was served hot, excellent fluffy puff pastry wrapped around a spinach filling. My cake very much a tray bake rather than a bun in texture: think coffee and walnut cake, but with a cinnamon flavour. It was, of course, delicious.

Since I know Allpress well, I had the batch-brew. Clark had just finished one brew, so offered me a choice: a washed Peruvian or a natural Rwandan (both from Curve). I was tempted by the Peruvian, since we still don’t see enough Peruvian coffee, but, swayed by the charms of a good natural, I selected the Rwandan, rewarded with a really rich, fruity coffee.

Liked this? Then don’t forget to check out the Coffee Spot Guide to London for more great Coffee Spots.

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