Coffee Notes is a small coffee stand at the front of Ravenscourt Park Station on the District Line. A relatively new addition to Hammersmith, Coffee Notes set up shop in the summer of 2020, just as the area was reopening after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unusually for a station coffee stand, Coffee Notes is open seven days a week, serving both locals and commuters alike, although if you want to catch Hari, its charismatic owner, note that Sunday is his day off.

There’s not much to Coffee Notes, just a long, thin coffee stand with fold up sides, which means that the focus is firmly on the coffee, which Hari sources himself before having it toll roasted in London. There’s the usual espresso-based menu, with several iced options, plus tea, but otherwise that’s it. Unsurprisingly, it’s takeaway cups only, so don’t forget to bring your own.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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I visited Coffee Notes as part of my coffee tour of Chiswick. In this regard (and in this regard only), Coffee Notes has the unfortunate distinction of being in Hammersmith, something which I blame on my friend Adele, since she recommended Coffee Notes (and Hari) to me, causing me to stray eastwards from Chiswick and across the boundary into Hammersmith.

Located on the edge of the pavement opposite the entrance to Ravenscourt Park Station, Coffee Notes is literally a coffee stand. Long and thin, it has flaps which open up to provide some shelter from the elements for the customers, who stand on one side, and Hari, who stands on the other side, behind the espresso machine. And what an espresso machine it is, a lovely, three-group Fracino lever machine.

When it comes to the coffee, Hari has his own blend, which is 80% Indonesian and 20% Guatemalan. I had this an espresso in my Kaffeeform cup, and what a treat it was. Lovely, rich and creamy, it had a great body and well-rounded taste. After I got chatting with Hari, he was keen to pull me a shot of the Guatemalan on its own, which he offers as a single-origin option on a second grinder (although you have to know to ask).

Having started my day at Coffee Station, where I’d had a flat white, this would be my third coffee of the morning (and bearing in mind that I don’t normally do mornings). However, how could I refuse? I was rewarded with a second excellent espresso, albeit very different from the first. Much more acidic, it was, nevertheless, an excellent cup of coffee.

While I was taking some photographs I got chatting with one of the customers who told me that Coffee Notes had been a real lifeline to the area as it was reopening after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coffee cart provided a focal point for the local community, offering an opportunity for people to get out of the house and (briefly) meet up in a socially distanced manner. It’s been a firm favourite ever since, even though there are now plenty more options in the area.

September 2021: Coffee Notes now has a second location, just down the District Line at Parson’s Green station (change at Earl’s Court for Wimbledon), so you may have to go there if you want to catch Hari himself!

December 2021: Coffee Notes has won the 2021 Happiest Staff Award.

If you liked this Coffee Spot, then check out the rest of London’s speciality coffee scene with the Coffee Spot Guide to London.

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