From industrial hipster hangouts to cool local spaces and elegantly styled coffee houses, the Notting Hill café scene has a welcoming space for everyone and a great coffee to go with it. Here are our favourite Notting Hill cafes.
Being from Australia, it’s hard to visit a café without judging it based on their ability to construct a perfect flat white.
Fortunately for us as long-term residents, there are plenty of Notting Hill cafes that know how to pour the perfect brew, even if we need to overlook the current trend of using weird cups that London cafes seem to be adopting.
But apart from the quality of the coffee, Notting Hill coffee shops also know how to create a desirable space.
Relax in a local joint hidden behind a pastel-hued terrace house, meet up with colleagues in an elegant space or grab a corner in a cool warehouse for one of the best coffees you’ll find in Notting Hill.
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ABOUT THIS GUIDE
NOTTING HILL CAFES
We’ve been Notting Hill residents for 18 years and these are some of the best cafes in the area. We’ll keep this guide updated, so keep checking back for new additions.
1 – GUILLAM
Set in a polished space in The Whiteley Gallery, Guillam is a Notting Hill café with regal stylings that also retains a cozy, neighbourhood living room 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.
DETAILS | GUILLAM NOTTING HILL
location – 31 St Petersburgh Place, W2 4LA | nearest station – Bayswater | hours – 8 AM to 5 PM every day | website – guillam.co.uk
2 – KURO COFFEE
Kuro is a new café in Notting Hill inspired by Japanese design elements with clean lines and muted neutral tones. The enterprise is made up of a restaurant which serves one of the best brunches in Notting Hill, a café next door, and a bakery around the corner.
The café is a small space with just a couple of stools, but the bench out the front in a lovely part of Notting Hill is a great place to enjoy a takeaway
If there is space in the restaurant you can sit and have a coffee there and you’ll be in for a treat. It’s a superb brew.
DETAILS | KURO NOTTING HILL
location – 3 Hillgate Street, W8 7SP | nearest station – Notting Hill Gate | hours – Monday-Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM; Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM | 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 to enjoy a well-prepared coffee, including a mezzanine floor 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.
DETAILS | LIFT NOTTING HILL
location – 133 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LP | nearest station – Notting Hill Gate | hours – Monday to Friday 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM; Saturday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; Sunday 9 AM to 4 PM
4 – COFFEE PROJECT
The Coffee Project is an independent specialty coffee shop in Notting Hill Gate that put 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.
DETAILS | COFFEE PROJECT
location – 63 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JS | nearest station – Notting Hill Gate | hours – Monday to Friday 7 AM – 5 PM; Weekends 8 AM – 6 PM | 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.
DETAILS | FLYING HORSE NOTTING HILL
location – 112 Golborne Road, W10 5PS | nearest stations – Westbourne Park, Ladbroke Grove | hours – Monday to Thursday 8 AM – 4 PM; Friday 8 AM – 5 PM; Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM; Sunday 9 AM – 4 PM | 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 it’s prepared with expertise providing a smooth creamy cup of well-textured goodness.
There are a few lounge chairs in the window if you’re just looking for a coffee, or you can order a takeaway from the central bar.
DETAILS | BEAM NOTTING HILL
location – 103 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UW | nearest stations – Bayswater, Queensway | hours – 8 AM to 6 PM every day | 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 if you’re willing to overlook their weird cups.
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.
DETAILS | TAB X TAB NOTTING HILL
location – 14-16 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RH | nearest stations – Royal Oak, Bayswater, Queensway | hours – Monday to Friday 8 AM – 4 PM; Weekends 9 AM – 4 PM
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’s one of the best cafes 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.
DETAILS | FARM GIRL NOTTING HILL
location – 50a Portobello Road, W11 3DB | nearest stations – Notting Hill Gate | hours – Monday to Friday 9 AM – 5 PM; Saturday & Sunday 9 AM – 6 PM | website – thefarmgirl.co.uk
9 – CABLE CO
Cable Co is a tiny café just off Portobello Road in Notting Hill which 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 Cable Co is mostly a takeaway café. But it’s the perfect place to grab a coffee as you stroll around Portobello Road Market.
DETAILS | CABLE CO NOTTING HILL
location – 15b Blenheim Crescent, W11 2EE | nearest stations – Westbourne Park, Notting Hill Gate | hours – Monday to Friday 7:30 AM – 4 PM; Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM – 5 PM
10 – ELECTRIC DINER
With exposed brick and red leather booths, Electric Diner is a cavernous hideout in Notting Hill. The Soho House-owned diner is best known for its French/American menu, but they also do a great coffee.
They serve their own blend, roasted for them by Grind and it’s a great cup done well. The Electric is a good Notting Hill café if you just want a quality coffee in a relaxed space.
It would be difficult to snare a booth if you’re just going for coffee, but grab a seat in the window, watch the world go by on Portobello Road and you’ll be enjoying one of the best coffee shops in Notting Hill.
DETAILS | ELECTRIC NOTTING HILL
location – 191 Portobello Road, W11 2ED | nearest station – Notting Hill Gate | hours – Monday to Wednesday 8 AM – 12 AM; Thursday 8 AM – 1 AM; Friday & Saturday 8 AM – 2 AM; Sunday 8 AM – 11 PM | website – electricdiner.com
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