You step off the Tube, turn a corner, and within thirty seconds three different scenes play out in front of you. A guy in a puffer jacket is downing a flat white on his way to the office. A grandmother at a window table is cradling a milky cup of something that smells of cardamom. And somewhere inside a hotel, a group of tourists in their best clothes are sitting down to a three-tier stand of finger sandwiches.
That is coffee, tea, and chai in London, not as competitors, but as daily realities coexisting in the same streets, sometimes the same block.
London has always had a complicated relationship with hot drinks. Tea was the national identity for centuries. Then coffee in London quietly staged a takeover. And now chai, proper South Asian masala chai, not the powder-in-hot-water version, is having its moment. In every part of the city, in its own way.
This is your London drinks guide. No filler, no fluff. Just the honest picture of what people actually drink here, where to find the best of each, and why it is worth trying all three before you leave.
| At A Glance | |
| The Big Question | Coffee, tea or chai, what does London actually drink? All three. But the story is more interesting than that. |
| The Latest Data | 63% of UK adults now drink coffee regularly vs 59% for tea. Chai latte grew 94% on UK café menus in 2023 alone. |
| Locals Drink | Specialty flat whites in Hackney. Strong chai in Southall. Afternoon tea on birthdays. |
| Tourists Love | Afternoon tea may draw them in first, but proper masala chai is often what they remember most. |
| Best Spots | Monmouth Coffee · Fortnum & Mason · Chai Guys · Dishoom · Chaiiwala |
The Drink Debate | What the Numbers Actually Say?
For most of British history, tea was untouchable. The drink of the working class and the aristocracy alike. The cure for everything from a difficult Tuesday to an actual national crisis. But in 2023, something shifted.
A Statista survey of 24,000 UK adults found that 63% now drink hot coffee regularly, compared to 59% for tea. For the first time ever, coffee in London and across the UK had officially overtaken tea. The British Coffee Association backed it up: the UK now drinks roughly 98 million cups of coffee in London and nationwide every single day, up from 70 million just fifteen years ago.
Tea has not vanished. YouGov’s 2025 data shows 41% of British adults still drink tea at home or at work at least twice a day, compared to 40% for coffee. In daily habits, the gap is razor-thin. What has changed is the cultural weight. Coffee feels like a choice. Tea feels like wallpaper, always there, always comforting, rarely celebrated.
And then there is chai in London. A Mintel report flagged by The Caterer showed chai latte saw 94% growth on UK café menus in 2023 alone. That is not a trend. That is a takeover in progress.
London looks compact on a map and much bigger once you start crossing between neighbourhoods. If you are trying coffee in central London, tea in Mayfair, and chai in the East End on the same day, it helps to plan the gaps between stops as carefully as the drinks themselves.
Who Drinks What & Where in London It Matters?
London is not one city. It is thirty different cities layered on top of each other. And drink culture shifts completely depending on which one you are standing in.
Hackney, Shoreditch, and Peckham are coffee territory. The independent café scene here is world-class, uncompromising, and genuinely passionate. You will find baristas who can name the farm, the harvest year, and the altitude of the bean. Best coffee London searches often lead here for good reason.
Wembley, Southall, Whitechapel, and Ilford are chai country. In these densely South Asian neighbourhoods, chai in London is not a café trend, it is simply what you drink. Hot, milky, brewed strong on the hob with cardamom, ginger, and sometimes cloves. You will find it at family counters next to samosa trays, in the kind of places that have been doing it the same way for thirty years.
Mayfair, Knightsbridge, and Chelsea belong to afternoon tea London. This is where tourists come in their nicest outfits to sit on upholstered chairs and work through finger sandwiches. It is quintessentially London, and it costs about as much as a flight to Barcelona.
The generational split is striking too. YouGov data shows only 11% of Gen Z drink tea daily, versus 8% for coffee. Both are much lower than older groups, because Gen Z is drinking cold brew, matcha, chai lattes, and flavoured everything instead. London’s café scene is adapting to this in real time, and it shows.
Best Coffee in London
London’s specialty coffee scene is one of the best in the world. Not ‘best for Europe’ best. Actually world-class. And the places worth going to are almost never the chains.
Here are the five spots that define what best coffee London really means.
| # | Café | Area | Known For | Best For |
| 1 | Monmouth Coffee | Borough Market & Covent Garden | Direct-trade, single-origin | Coffee lovers |
| 2 | WatchHouse | Bermondsey | Specialty espresso, stylish space | Remote workers |
| 3 | Prufrock Coffee | Farringdon | Barista Champion roots | Coffee enthusiasts |
| 4 | Kaffeine | Fitzrovia | Antipodean coffee, brunch | Central visitors |
| 5 | Climpson & Sons | Hackney | Ethical roasting, local focus | East London locals |
1. Monmouth Coffee | Borough Market & Covent Garden
Monmouth has been doing this since 1978. That is practically the Bronze Age for specialty coffee. The Borough Market location is small, usually queued, and absolutely worth it. Clean, balanced filter coffee served by people who genuinely love what they do. If you only have time for one coffee stop, this is the one.
2. WatchHouse | Bermondsey & across London
WatchHouse started in a converted watchmaker’s building on Bermondsey Street and has since expanded across the city without losing its soul. The flat white here is as good as it gets. The original Bermondsey location still carries something the newer ones have to work to match.
3. Prufrock Coffee | Farringdon
Prufrock Coffee was founded by former World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies. Unpretentious, technically excellent, and the kind of place where the espresso is dialled in with the focus of a surgeon. For coffee nerds, it is a pilgrimage. For everyone else, it is just a very good cup in a relaxed space on Leather Lane, Farringdon.
4. Kaffeine | Fitzrovia
Antipodean coffee culture, landed in Central London. Kaffeine has been quietly excellent since 2009. The brunch menu is solid, the coffee is consistent, and it is a genuinely nice place to spend an hour just off Oxford Street. One of the most reliable best coffee London options for visitors staying centrally.
If you are already around Fitzrovia, Soho, or Covent Garden, this part of the city also works well for an evening wander. Here is our guide on Late Night Shopping in London.
5. Climpson & Sons | Hackney
Climpson & Sons started as a stall on Broadway Market in 2002. One of East London’s founding café figures. Ethical sourcing, rotating filter menu, strong community ties. It is exactly what a neighbourhood coffee shop should be | and it remains one of the best.
Afternoon Tea in London
People who declare tea dead in London have clearly never tried to get a weekend table at Fortnum & Mason. Afternoon tea London, as a full dining experience, is booming. Hotels have turned it into something between a meal, an occasion, and a theatre production.
And the other end of the spectrum? Twinings on The Strand, established 1706, which you can walk into for free and stand at a tea bar trying loose leaf varieties while someone explains exactly what you are drinking. Both are part of the same London. Both are worth your time.
Here are the five afternoon tea London experiences genuinely worth booking.
| # | Venue | Location | From | Why Go |
| 1 | Fortnum & Mason | Piccadilly, Mayfair | £82pp | Iconic, 150+ teas |
| 2 | Claridge’s | Mayfair | £95pp | Luxury, top-tier service |
| 3 | The Wolseley | Piccadilly | £46.50pp | Elegant, better value |
| 4 | Twinings Flagship | The Strand | Free | 100+ teas, museum |
| 5 | Petersham Nurseries | Richmond | £60pp | Garden setting |
1. Fortnum & Mason | Piccadilly
The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is one of the most iconic rooms in London for a reason. White tablecloths, live piano, a tea menu that requires actual reading. Their Tearistas will suggest pairings you would never have thought of. Traditional afternoon tea London from £82 per person. Worth every penny for the full experience.
2. Claridge’s | Mayfair
Voted the best hotel in Britain at The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards. Claridge’s afternoon tea in The Foyer and Reading Room is as good as it gets in London. Art deco surroundings, service that makes you feel like a minor royal, and a booking wait that tells you everything you need to know about demand. Start planning weeks in advance.
3. The Wolseley | Piccadilly
If Claridge’s is for a full ceremony, The Wolseley is for when you want grandeur without the formality. One of London’s most beautiful dining rooms. Afternoon tea London starts at £46.50 per person, more accessible than the grand hotels, quality still excellent. The crowd-watching alone is worth the visit.
If you are turning afternoon tea into a full West End-style afternoon, read our blog on Best Theatre in London.
4. Twinings | The Strand
The oldest continuously trading shop in London, Twinings, has operated on The Strand since 1706. Free to enter. More than 100 loose leaf options at the tea bar. A small in-house museum. Knowledgeable staff. No sandwiches or cakes, but if you care about tea beyond the supermarket bag level, this is unmissable.
5. Petersham Nurseries | Richmond
Requires a trip out of central London. Entirely worth it. Afternoon tea served inside what feels like a wildly beautiful garden | plants, natural light, and a setting no hotel dining room can replicate. The teahouse at Petersham Nurseries is one of London’s genuinely special experiences. From £60 per person.
Chai in London
Ten years ago, finding a decent cup of chai in London outside South Asian neighbourhoods meant knowing exactly which family-run counter to walk past in Whitechapel. Now? Slow-brewed masala chai in Covent Garden. Kashmiri pink chai with crushed pistachios in Ilford. Proper doodh patti in Wembley. The range is extraordinary.
And the 94% growth in chai latte on UK café menus in 2023 tells the rest of the story. Chai in London has crossed from community staple to mainstream phenomenon. It exists on two registers: the artisan end (slow-brewed, spiced, served beautifully) and the neighbourhood end (strong, milky, completely unpretentious, two pounds at a counter in Southall). Both are brilliant.
Here are the five best chai London spots to know.
| # | Spot | Area | Signature Chai | Best For |
| 1 | Chai Guys | Covent Garden / Spitalfields | Masala, kesar, kadak | Chai lovers |
| 2 | Chaiiwala | Whitechapel, Wembley , Southall, Ilford | Doodh patti, karak | Authentic chai |
| 3 | Dishoom | Shoreditch / Covent Garden / Battersea | Bottomless Bombay chai | Groups, tourists |
| 4 | Pink Tea Café | Ilford | Kashmiri pink chai | Unique experience |
| 5 | Brick Lane cafés | East London | Traditional doodh patti | Local vibe |
1. Chai Guys | Covent Garden & Spitalfields
Chai Guys is the name that comes up first whenever anyone asks about the best chai London. Located in Seven Dials Market, Covent Garden and Old Spitalfields Market. Every cup is slow-brewed to order using small-batch spice blends imported directly from India. The kesar chai (saffron) and kadak chai are both outstanding. Consistently five-star reviewed, and the praise is deserved.
2. Chaiiwala | Whitechapel, Wembley, Southall, Ilford
The most recognisable name for South Asian street chai is Chaiiwala in London across the UK. Their doodh patti is made in the traditional way, thick, milky, and brewed hard. It is not delicate. That is entirely the point. Pair it with an aloo paratha and you have one of the most satisfying and affordable meals in the city.
3. Dishoom | Shoreditch, Covent Garden, Battersea
Not strictly a chai spot, but the bottomless house chai at Dishoom is one of the most enjoyable things you can drink in London. Modelled on Bombay’s Irani cafés, spiced, sweet, and refilled with genuine warmth. A brilliant entry point into chai in London for anyone discovering it for the first time.
4. Pink Tea Café | Ilford
Kashmiri pink chai is something you have to try at least once. Made from special green tea leaves, milk, and a touch of salt, it turns a striking shade of dusty rose and is finished with crushed pistachios. The Pink Tea Café in Ilford has become a destination. It looks extraordinary, it tastes unlike anything else, and it is absolutely worth the trip east.
5. Brick Lane & Whitechapel Independents | East London
No masala chai London guide is complete without acknowledging the small, unnamed, family-run spots along Brick Lane and Whitechapel Road. Chai here has been brewed to closely guarded family recipes for decades. The tea is thick, the cost is almost laughably low, and there are no websites or Instagram accounts. You find them by walking and following your nose.
What Tourists Actually End Up Drinking & What They Should?
Most visitors arrive in London expecting tea. They want the afternoon tea London experience, the sandwiches, the scones, the silver pot, the whole ritual. And it is worth having. If you have never done a proper London afternoon tea, put it on the list.
But the thing that consistently surprises first-time visitors is chai in London. Tourists who wander into Chai Guys at Covent Garden, often because it is inside Seven Dials Market and they happen to be there, leave talking about it for the rest of the trip. There is something about proper masala chai on a cold London afternoon that a flat white simply cannot replicate.
Coffee is what tourists consume most by habit, the chains are everywhere and easy to default to. But for something that will actually stick in the memory, skip the chains. Find a Monmouth or a Watchhouse. The difference in quality is significant enough to be noticeable even to people who do not particularly care about coffee in London.
Planning to hit Covent Garden, Mayfair, and East London in one day? That is doable, but can get hectic fast. My London Transfer offers private, fixed-price transfers between any areas of London. Professional drivers, no Tube stress, ideal for groups.
5 Tips for Getting the Best Drink Experience in London
London’s drink scene is spread across very different neighbourhoods, styles, and price points. A little planning helps you skip the obvious misses and enjoy the parts of the city that actually make each drink special.
1. Go Where the Queue Is
In London, a queue outside a café is almost always a reliable quality signal. Monmouth Coffee in Borough Market has one more morning. Chai Guys at Covent Garden has one on weekends. Fortnum & Mason needs booking weeks in advance. These are signs. Not deterrents.
2. Try Something You Cannot Get at Home
If you can get a decent flat white at home, getting one at a chain in London is a waste of a visit. Come for what the city does uniquely. Kashmiri pink chai in London. A pour-over at a specialist roastery. Afternoon tea London-style, with a proper pairing. Lean into what London offers that nowhere else does.
3. Do Not Stay in Zone 1
The best chai London is not in Zone 1. It is in Wembley and Whitechapel. The most interesting specialty coffee in London is often in Hackney or Peckham. The most beautiful afternoon tea London setting outside the grand hotels might be in Richmond. A bit of travel pays off significantly.
4. Book Afternoon Tea Early
This sounds obvious until it is not. Claridge’s and Fortnum & Mason are regularly booked out several weeks ahead, especially on weekends. Sort the reservation before you sort your flights.
5. Plan Your Transport Between Neighbourhoods
London is enormous in practical terms, even when the map says otherwise. The distance between Mayfair, Covent Garden, Spitalfields, and Southall can eat more time than people expect. If you want a useful read on getting around the city more smoothly, explore our blog on How to Get a Cab in London.
Getting to London | Airport Transfers
If you are flying into London for this kind of trip, it is worth sorting the airport journey before thinking about neighbourhood hopping. Once you have reached your hotel or first stop comfortably, the rest of the day becomes much easier to plan.
For travellers arriving with luggage, a pre-booked airport transfer can be a simpler option than starting the day with a long rail journey and multiple changes across the city.
The Verdict | Coffee, Tea, or Chai?
Here is the truth. This question does not have one answer, and that is exactly why London is the right city to ask it in.
Coffee tea chai London is not a competition. It is a map. Coffee has won the data race, 63% vs 59%, according to the most recent surveys. But tea was never really about numbers. It has always been about ritual, comfort, and identity.
And chai in London has arrived with the kind of energy that makes it clear it is not going anywhere. Ninety-four percent growth on café menus in a single year. Over 1.9 million British South Asians call London home. A younger generation actively seeking out new drink experiences. The conditions are perfect.
So, what should you drink in London? Honestly, all three. Start your morning with a specialty flat white from Monmouth or WatchHouse. Spend a Saturday afternoon at Fortnum & Mason with finger sandwiches and a pot of something beautifully chosen. And at some point, on a cold afternoon in Covent Garden or on a wander through East London, get yourself a slow-brewed chai in London from Chai Guys or a glass of doodh patti from one of the no-name counters in Whitechapel.
Each one is London. Just a different part of it.
Planning a London drink tour and want the travel sorted?
My London Transfer offers private, door-to-door transfers between any area of London, no Tube stress, no surge pricing, just a comfortable fixed-price ride wherever you need to go.
✓ Fixed Price ✓ Professional Drivers ✓ Meet & Greet ✓ All Airports Covered
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is coffee or tea more popular in London?
Coffee in London has officially overtaken tea. A 2023 Statista survey of 24,000 UK adults found 63% drink coffee regularly vs 59% for tea. In daily home habits the gap is smaller, 41% drink tea twice a day vs 40% for coffee. Coffee leads on preference; tea leads on ritual.
2. Where is the best afternoon tea in London?
For the full traditional experience, Fortnum & Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon and Claridge’s in Mayfair top every list. Both need to be booked weeks in advance. For a more accessible option, The Wolseley is excellent. For something genuinely different, Petersham Nurseries in Richmond is hard to beat.
3. Where can I find authentic chai in London?
For artisan masala chai London, Chai Guys at Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden or Old Spitalfields Market is the top recommendation. For the most authentic South Asian street-style doodh patti, head to Chaiiwala in Whitechapel or Wembley. And do not overlook the family-run counters along Brick Lane and Whitechapel Road, the best chai London is often found with no sign above the door.
4. What is the best coffee shop in London for tourists?
Best coffee London for first-time visitors: Monmouth Coffee in Borough Market. It combines a brilliant market setting with coffee of genuine quality. WatchHouse in Bermondsey is another excellent option. If you are staying centrally, Kaffeine in Fitzrovia is reliable and very good.
5. Is chai popular with tourists in London?
Increasingly, yes. Chai Guys in Covent Garden is particularly popular with tourists, well-positioned, consistently high quality, and a genuine discovery for people who have never had proper chai in London. Dishoom is another brilliant entry point, with its Bombay café atmosphere and bottomless house chai. Many visitors leave London having found a new favourite drink.
6. How do I get around London between different drink neighbourhoods?
The Tube works well for most journeys. But if you are travelling as a group, moving between several areas in one day, or just want the journey to feel easy, a private transfer is worth it. My London Transfer offers fixed-price door-to-door transfers across London, including from all major airports. No surge pricing, no connections, no hassle.
