From industrial hipster hangouts to cool local spaces and elegantly styled coffee houses, the Notting Hill café scene has come a long way. We’ve lived here for almost 20 years, and here are our tried and tested favourite places for coffee in Notting Hill.
By: Paul Healy | Last Updated:
Being Australian, I find it almost impossible to walk into a café without immediately judging the coffee. It’s a reflex. Years of genuinely exceptional flat whites in Melbourne will do that to you.
The good news for anyone spending time in Notting Hill is that the neighbourhood has quietly become one of the best places in London to get a really good cup. Not just serviceable, not just trendy — actually good.
The kind where the beans have been sourced carefully, the milk is steamed properly, and someone behind the counter actually cares about what ends up in your hands.
We’ve lived here for years, and these are the cafés we actually go to. Some are neighbourhood institutions; others are newer spots that have quickly earned a place in the rotation.
We’ve only listed cafes in this guide that make great coffee and have a nice place to sit and enjoy it. If it’s not on this list, it means we’ve tried it but don’t think it’s good enough to be featured.
Best Coffee in Notting Hill
1. Guillam
Set in a polished space, Guillam is a Notting Hill café with regal stylings and a cosy, neighbourhood vibe.
There’s spacious seating at small tables where you’re welcome to bring a laptop during the week and stools at a bar if you’re just after a quick caffeine fix.
The large windows with a first-floor leafy outlook give the café a bright, open feel, making it a great place to meet friends and colleagues or hang out solo.
The attention to detail in the café is extended to the coffee, where the rotation of ethically sourced beans from all over the world are brewed into a silky-smooth, flavoursome cup.
There are 3 Guillam’s in Notting Hill, but our favourite is the one on St Petersburgh Place.
location – 31 St Petersburgh Place, W2 4LA // website – guillam.co.uk
2. Kuro Coffee
Kuro has built a great reputation in Notting Hill. Inspired by Japanese design elements with clean lines and muted neutral tones, it has grown into three different establishments.
There’s a bagel café, a coffee shop next door, and a bakery around the corner.
The coffee shop is a small space with just a few stools upstairs and a bench outside. The bench is in a lovely part of Notting Hill and a great place to watch the world go by.
The coffee is always excellent. Pair it with something sweet from the bakery, and you are in for a treat.
location – 3 Hillgate Street, W8 7SP // website – kuro-london.com
3. Lift
LIFT is a cool urban space with a minimalist, industrial design split across several levels with interesting architectural features. There are several nooks for enjoying a well-prepared coffee, including a mezzanine and a tiny outdoor courtyard.
The focus is firmly on the coffee with a curated selection of independent roasters put to the test each week. They also sell coffee-related merchandise including beans, filter papers, and mugs.
They have a few pastries on display, but Lift is about a quick catch-up in a cool Notting Hill café with nothing intended to outshine the well-prepared coffee.
location – 133 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LP // instagram – liftcoffee
4. Coffee Project
The Coffee Project is an independent speciality coffee shop in Notting Hill Gate that puts passion into every pour; serving a delicious, silky smooth, and compassionate cup.
They have an in-house roastery using fully traceable beans that change with the season. Each month they feature a different coffee grower from around the globe who they work with in ethical partnerships.
The Coffee Project donates 25p from every cup to Centre Point, a homeless youth charity, and invests in training programs that have a positive impact on the community.
The small, swish café has around 5 stools at a bar and uses only paper cups that are 100% plastic-free. You can bring your own cup for a discount on any of their drinks.
location – 63 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JS // website – nottinghillcoffeeproject.com
5. Flying Horse Coffee
Flying Horse Coffee is a small friendly café in Notting Hill on the vibrant Golborne Road.
There are a few sofas inside around 2 large coffee tables and a couple of tables outside overlooking the Golborne Road market.
They have a mission to deliver the highest quality, sustainably sourced coffee from around the world, which is roasted seasonally in one of their other London locations.
You can expect an expertly crafted brew at Flying Horse and one of the best coffees in Notting Hill. They also sell their beans to take home and use 100% non-plastic takeaway cups.
Flying Horse offers a 50p discount if you bring your own cup.
location – 112 Golborne Road, W10 5PS // website – flyinghorsecoffee.com
6. Beam
Beam is a warm, welcoming Notting Hill coffee shop with modern, elegant furniture in a spacious setting. Exposed brick walls, burnt orange accents and hanging lights create the right atmosphere for a hearty Notting Hill breakfast or an excellent cup of coffee.
The coffee is by All Press and is prepared with expertise, providing a smooth, creamy cup of well-textured goodness.
A few lounge chairs are in the window if you’re just looking for a coffee, or you can order a takeaway from the central bar.
location – 103 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UW // website – cafebeam.co.uk
7. Tab X Tab
Tab X Tab is a cool independent café in Notting Hill that does one of the best coffees on Westbourne Grove. You can expect a Melbourne-quality flat white crafted with style.
With polished concrete, brick, and metal finishes, Tab X Tab has a slick industrial feel with a relaxed yet decidedly cool vibe.
There’s good seating space inside for a catch-up, as well as a counter looking out onto the street, which is a great place to work while you have a coffee.
The beans are from Kiss The Hippo Roasters, whose production is certified as carbon-negative.
location – 14-16 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RH // website – tabxtab.com
8. Farm Girl
Farm Girl is an Australian café with an emphasis on healthy living. The warehouse-style space fills up fast due to their excellent breakfast, but if you can time your visit outside busy periods, it serves some of the best coffee in Notting Hill.
Beans are supplied by the Roasting Party and their well-trained baristas know what they’re doing behind the machine.
In addition to one of the best coffees on Portobello Road, Farm Girl has also innovated a latte made with Rose Water.
location – 50a Portobello Road, W11 3DB // website – thefarmgirl.co.uk
9. The Travel Bookshop Cafe
Spotting a marketing opportunity, the excellent Cable and Co Coffee Shop recently rebranded to The Travel Bookshop Cafe.
It still serves Climpson & Sons Coffee with all the skill and craft you’d expect from a café where the coffee is the priority.
Their flat white is strong and bold without a trace of bitterness and is one of the best you can find in the area. You can also grab a smoothie, shake, tea or juices.
There are just a few stools inside, so it is mostly a takeaway café. But it’s the perfect place to grab a coffee as you stroll around Portobello Road Market and dip into the Travel Bookshop next door.
location – 15b Blenheim Crescent, W11 2EE //
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Thanks for your support // Paul & Mark