Due to popular request (2 people) and the fact that I am a self-proclaimed cafe dweller, commonly found with a cappuccino/latte/mocha, huddled in a chair with a book, or uni reading, I have decided to bestow upon you my extremely subjective reviews of some cafes I’ve come across, whether they simply have decent drinks, are actually good places to study, or just aesthetic photo locations. Enjoy!
1.Root25
Anyone who’s ever fleetly glanced at my instagram knows I have a deep-rooted (ba-dum tshhh) obsession with this cafe and everything they stand for. If the gorgeous dark wood, grand pianos, and Persian rugs don’t capture you, the entire wall of second hand books ranging from post-colonial discourse to Romantic poetry to early 2000s cookbooks surely will. The focus on cultural design, across South Asia and the Middle East really gives the cafe an entirely unique feeling of coziness, of homeliness and warmth. It’s then to no one’s surprise that they serve the yummiest mug of chai, kimchi toasties, and Middle Eastern deserts. Bonus points for the free Lotus biscuit they give with every drink.
If I haven’t sold you, the ethos of the cafe, founded by the humanitarian charity Restless Beings will convince you to buy half their menu in one sitting. As an outpost of the charity, doing work for human rights across the globe, all profits go to the charity–so whilst you benefit from that pistachio croissant, someone somewhere also gets the support they need.
Overall, good spot to talk with friends for three hours or more (and to pray Salah in their basement!!!), to speed-type your coursework (from personal experience) or devour a novel in one sitting. Surrounded by people who are also working, talking and reading I give Root25 an overall 10/10
2. Foyles Cafe
Another one of my all time favourites. Think jazz vibes, rustic natural wood loft aesthetic with large windows and a ridiculous selection of pasties, sandwiches and hot toasty drinks. Because it’s on the top floor of the flagship Foyles store, it’s also just fun to go past five whole floors of books, get momentarily distracted by the sprawling poetry selection, look at the prices and keep on walking to the cafe.
Again, jam-packed full of uni students (because UCL is around the corner) buried in laptops, but also a secondary demographic of old people having a chat, looking slightly wealthy and surprisingly stylish. Normally I’m there with my iPad, inevitably doing some reading or studying to my heart’s content. Something about the generic background cafe noises simply hit different here and it’s a 10/10 focus environment.
Probably the only downside is that everything is on the slightly more expensive side (it is a central location after all), but if you have a bag to spend or have the self-control to only get a drink, then its perfect.
3. La Bakerie
One of my favourite things to do when I’m bored is to go to Wanstead High Street, ransack the Oxfam second-hand bookstore and read my new purchases at La Bakerie. It’s almost ritual. The iced vanilla latte (because I’m shamelessly basic) is yum without being so strong it knocks you into the 4th dimension. Its black metal, plants, and exposed brick aesthetic gives it an air of cool-girl snootiness but it’s also so cozy.
They have a really good pastry selection too—they do a mean Pain Au Chocolat but theres also really fancy dainty tarts and cakes that makes it a local favourite. I’ll admit it’s probably not a good study spot, it’s neither big enough or laid-back enough to pull out books and laptop and keyboard, but sit here for with a book for a little while 🙂
4. The Hoxton
Okay I’ve only been here once because TikTok said it was a good study space. But honestly, it’s for the aspiration to study, the aesthetic of studying whilst getting absolutely nothing done. Because all the WFH warriors are out in full force and half the seating is sofas, you’ll probably order the most expensive drink in your life (and pay with tears in your eyes), take a picture in the fancy hotel bathroom, and sit and scroll on your phone. Or do as I did and have a four hour rambling conversation with a friend and ignore the mountain of work yet to complete. If you’re feeling unserious, want to sit somewhere slightly pretentious in a cozy way and do absolute nish then the Hoxton is perfect. And TikTok is an unreliable source.
5. Artful Blend
My local cafe, spitting distance from my house and therefore the most convenient when I’m inevitably gasping to go out. Think neon, cool girl aesthetics in purple and black. Decent selection of pastries and a fridge of fancy health drinks and snacks that look like they’re out of my tax bracket. But they have such a creative and yummy selection of drinks and their toasties really do slap. The cafes owned by an Asian couple so theres a lot of South Asian influenced snacks which is such a bonus. They are also just really nice people, so the cafe does feel like a warm community spot always in reach.
It’s also so quiet and has such comfy seating that you could have a great study sesh, with minimal distractions and massive mug of hot chocolate. I’ve taken a lot of my friends here for study dates be they frantic A-level History revision sessions or lazy reading afternoons.
6. Waterstones Cafe
I’m specifically thinking about the one in Cambridge but let’s assume that the same applies to all Waterstones cafes everywhere. Like Foyles, you have to travel past three floors of books so theres the bonus of poring longingly over the Clothbound Classics selection. I like to think I work better in book cafes by soaking in all the knowledge of the books around me by osmosis but I actually find myself reading things a lot faster when im here.
The stand out for me (surprisingly) is how good the mochas are here—truly an unexpected find—but they don’t taste weirdly burnt like they do literally everywhere else (*pointed look at Costa*). A win for me.
7. Blank Street Coffee
If you like spending your entire life-savings on a pretty good iced pistachio latte from a sage minimalist aesthetic coffee shop with no seating then this is for you. I did it and I don’t necessarily regret it because I got good pictures but I think you could get the same calibre of iced pistachio latte from somewhere else. Feel free to go but once is enough—there’s no compulsion to return. Great to pick up a coffee to go but don’t even consider sticking around let alone reading or journaling.
8. Caffè Nero on King’s Parade
Okay I know this is niche but there is something incredibly aspirational about this Caffè Nero overlooking Kings Chapel. You want to be that studious Cambridge girly. This is my go-to study date spot when I feel like I simply cannot stand working alone. There’s this large wooden table perfect for group working, where once a week my friends and I will inevitably end up to complain about our essays, read some articles and talk about absolutely everything and nothing. A big perk is that I get a free drink a week so I’m probably very biased.
Downsides include it being in the most touristy location so more often than not theres hoards of people queueing for drinks, or literally so many that you cant fit yourself edgeways through the doorway. But very worth it in the early evenings when motivation is lacking.
9. Lucy Cavendish Cafe
Probably the most niche one of all but I had to at least include it because for one I have college pride and for another, Lucy Cav cafe has the cheapest drinks on God’s green Earth. Less than £2 for coffee?And the coffee actually slaps??? Its real. Prime study spot because of the collective peer pressure of being surrounded by highly driven and focused Cambridge students. Hence, one of the only cafes I can probably bang out an essay in with minimal distractions (tried and tested). Also they have really cute coloured mugs, great cake and pastry deals and is literally less than a minute from my uni room. Extra points for being there when I need an early morning latte before a 9am lecture.
Okay anyway if you’ve suffered to the end of this very long and slightly irrelevant post then I salute your dedication to the cause. I hope you at least visit one of these cafes and let me know your thoughts, feelings, and reviews! Cafes are a slightly sacred spot for me and I am a bit too passionate about them. Hope you enjoyed my words! <3
Zaynub x
