Over Under Coffee, the coffee shop, brunch and cocktails chain specialising in tiny coffee shops, branched out south of the Thames when it took over the old CWTCH site at Wandsworth Town Station in 2019. Currently there are five Over Unders, all associated with stations: the original at Earls Court, its near neighbour at West Brompton and the flagship Over Under at Ladbroke Grove, while Wandsworth Town has since been joined south of the river by Clapham Old Town.

Occupying a large kiosk right outside the station on the quiet Old York Road, you might think that the outdoor setting would cramp Over Under’s style. However, neither this nor the lack of space is a problem for Over Under, which manages to fit in a full kitchen, the only compromise being cocktails, which isn’t that surprising since Over Under closes at one o’clock in the afternoon (two at weekends)!

There’s the usual concise espresso-based menu, along with batch brew filter, the coffee, as ever, coming from Assembly. This is backed up with tea and hot chocolate, while the brunch menu offers a range of fillings in either a sourdough or brioche roll, plus banana bread and a selection of pastries.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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Over Under Coffee is to the left of a large, open, triangular space just south of the elevated railway, with the station on the other side, the Old York Road completing the triangle. It’s a pleasant, tree-shaded spot and, while the road isn’t completely pedestrianised, it’s fairly quiet, the only exception being the occasional Number 28 or 44 bus rumbling by.

Over Under occupies a double-width unit, with coffee on left and the kitchen to the right. The drinks menu is on the back wall, while the brunch menu occupies the central pillar which separates the two sides. A handful of fold-up tables and chairs usually grace the space in front of Over Under, clustered on the left under the shade of one of the trees, while on the right, a permanent circular bench forms a ring around another tree. However, I arrived at (for me, at least) the early hour of 12:40, which is just before closing, so the tables were already folded away. I can confirm, however, that the circular bench is very comfortable and, while Over Under doesn’t have Wifi, you can easily jump on the free station Wifi if you need to.

You order/pay just to the left of the central pillar, where the pastries lie in wait to tempt you, although you can order online with Over Under’s app or, if you want Over Under to come to you, Deliveroo and Uber Eats will oblige, collecting your order at the far end of Over Under, to the left of the espresso machine. Another neat feature at this end of Over Under is a monitor, showing live train departures from the station, useful if you’re catching a train, so you know just how long you’ve got left…

I was sorely tempted by the brunch menu (a brioche bun with egg, cheese and avocado would have gone down very nicely) but I’d already set my heart on lunch at the nearby Story Coffee, so I settled for a flat white in my HuskeeCup (it’s disposable cups only, so don’t forget to bring your own). The house blend (roasted by Assembly using producers in the Santuario, El Aguila and Belén de Umbría regions of Colombia) held no surprises, coffee and milk (from Estate Dairy, with oat and almond providing non-dairy alternatives) combining perfectly to produce a smooth, creamy flat white.

And with that, I was on my way.

December 2021: Over Under Coffee, Wandsworth Town has won the 2021 Best Coffee Spot near a Railway Station Award.

If you enjoyed this Coffee Spot, then take a look at the rest of London’s speciality coffee scene with the Coffee Spot Guide to London.

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