Top UK Coffee spots

At Leonardo Hotels, we have a bit of a thing for coffee. Whether it’s that first cup of coffee in the morning to wake you up and get you moving or that Saturday afternoon coffee and chat with a friend, we love everything about good coffee! And we’re not alone with 1.7 billion cups of coffee sold in the UK every year! That means that people in the UK are consuming an average of 2.8kg of coffee each year!

While we may associate great coffee with more far flung cities like Melbourne or Vancouver, there has been somewhat of a coffee culture slowly brewing across the UK and Ireland. We know how frustrating it can be when you’re visiting a city and don’t where to venture for a decent cuppa. With that in mind we spoke to some of the most knowledgeable people we know about their respective cities, our staff, who were able to enlighten us on some of the best coffee spots in their cities.

Brighton

Did you know that Brightonians are the biggest coffee drinkers in the UK? According to a recent article in the Guardian, Brightonians spend an average of £177 a head per year! So it’s not surprising really to hear that it is also home to some really great cafes. Here are a few of our favourites:

Red Roaster

Located opposite the Royal Pavilion on a narrow old street called St. James, lies Redroaster. This airy and relaxed café is one of the oldest independent coffee houses in Brighton and has even been recommended by the New York Times. The chief coffee roaster at Redroaster developed, hand-roasted and blended their famous House espresso blend, the certified Organic blend and the very popular decaffeinated blend. Redroaster also provides a platform to local artists, poets, musicians, film-makers and theatre productions.

Red Roaster Double Cappuccino by Anthony Mayfield/Creative Commons (image size has been modified)

The Marwood Café

The Marwood café is an art café that serves “kick arse coffee and life changing cake”! Located on Ship Street this unique café is decorated with an eclectic mix of wall hangings, some kids’ toys, some stuff from the 80’s and a collection of mismatch of furniture. In the summer months you can enjoy your kick arse coffee and life changing cake in their secret garden. Oh and they also have a new menu serving some tasty brunch bites.

The Marwood Cafe by Dominic Alves/CCBY (image size has been modified)

Coffee@33

Conveniently located near Brighton station, Coffee@33 is a great little independent coffee shop to grab a coffee on your way to catch a train or as a first port of call if you are visiting Brighton. Coffee@33 was one of the first cafes in Brighton to specialise in coffee and have been doing just that ever since. The interior is pared back with coffee sack seats and crate tables. This coffee shop is always busy for good reason.

Belfast

Established

Perched on a corner of Hill Street close to St. Anne’s Cathedral, this newly established (sorry – too easy) coffee shop recently opened and is already causing quite the stir. The baristas look as trendy as you would expect but more importantly they’re also pleasant and friendly. They take their coffee very seriously here, their work space looks more like a science lab than a coffee counter with timers going off and baristas bent over various coffee contraptions. They serve 3fe coffee at Established and they also sell bags of coffee, grinders, brewer and filters. The interior is very industrial and minimalist with single bulbs hanging over tables and one long bench running down the middle the café. They serve delicious pastries, fresh sandwiches (the pulled pork option is amazing!) and more as well making this café a great spot for brunch, lunch or just a coffee.

Clements

This chain of cafés who have 10 shops across Belfast state that 'coffee is their religion'.  So much so, the cafes are apparently named after pope Clement VIII who drank a lot of coffee and supposedly oversaw the building of many coffee houses in Rome!   Squishy couches and a selection of newspapers make these cafes a nice place to sit down and relax with an amazing coffee. Clements Coffee’s award winning baristas also serve sandwiches, paninis, soups, scones and more. Our staff in Belfast describe Clements as a great venue with chilled out atmosphere, friendly staff and the perfect place to chill out.

Clements Coffee Belfast by Ardfern/ CC 3.0

Kaffe O

From Copenhagen, with love.. comes this great coffee spot in Belfast. Kaffe O, located on Ormeau Road boasts lovely clean and modern decor warmed up with lots of wooden surfaces.  Eccletic music plays in the background adding to the uber cool vibe in this little cafe.  Food is served as well as coffee with lots of healthy options including superfoods, salads, porridge and breakfast, stews and soups and of course sandwiches.  The Danes take great pride in their open sandwiches which they call smørrebrød so it would be worth trying out one of the flat bread sandwiches from this Danish cafe.

Glasgow

Tinderbox

This bright, strangely decorated space serves up strong coffees in a busy but relaxed atmosphere. There can sometimes be a wait but according to our sources it's well worth it! Sink into the leather chairs upstairs in their Ingram Street branch and enjoy a great soundtrack.  The staff at Leonardo Hotel Glasgow say that these coffee shops have a really relaxed vibe complimented with good, friendly service.

Offshore

Located in the funky west end of Glasgow, Offshore describes itself as a social coffee place to hang out with friends. Offering free Wi-Fi and low melodic music it’s the perfect place to unwind. This independent coffee shop sells Fairtrade medium roast coffee that is smooth, sweet and nutty giving it a lovely balanced flavour. Sandwiches, toasties, frittatas, muffins, soups, potatoes and cake are all on offer in Offshore however the menu changes regularly based on the season.

© Offshore

Gordan St. Coffee

Another recommendation from Leonardo Hotel Galsgow, this coffee shop is located just off central station and apparently has some of the best coffee in Glasgow. This is a small batch coffee producer that roasts its own coffee on site making this coffee shop the only one of it's kind in Galsgow. Their house blend is a medium roast with a fruity flavour which consists of three beans from South America and Africa. They even have a Glasgow Roast which combines rich and intense chocolate notes in a unique blend. You can enjoy a selection of cakes, pastries and sandwiches with your coffee here too.

Leeds

Laynes Espresso

Run by owner and barista Dave Olejnik, Laynes Espresso not only serves coffees, fresh breakfast and lunch 7 days a week but also runs classes including ‘basic barista skills’, ‘latte art’, and ‘coffee at home’ which teaches you how to get the best out of brewing coffee at home. Laynes Espresso is located just down the road from the train station so you can grab a coffee to go or sit down inside and enjoy a coffee and one of their pastires or cakes.

Opposite Café

Located opposite Leeds University this quirky café promises ‘individuality, creativity, community, quality and enthusiasm’. Enjoy brilliant coffee, homemade fresh food and listening to random music from the comfort of a big fat sofa! Opposite have also opened a new ‘grown up’ shop in the Victoria Quarter where according to their website they bring ‘sophistication in coffee slurping to the North’ and supply seasonal espresso and single filter coffees from around the world.

© Opposite Cafe

Mrs Atha’s

This family owned independent coffee shop aims to provide an ‘inviting, informal and interesting space’. Relax in quaint luxury in Mrs Atha’s and enjoy a rich coffee and seriously tasty food. Their cooked breakfast is highly recommended.

Mrs Atha by Joseph Dawson Photography

Manchester

North Tea Power

Located on Tib Street in the city’s cool Northern Quarter, North Tea Power serves hand crafted, excellent coffee as well as loose-leafed teas, grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, salads and sweet things. Stylishly decorated with a mix of eclectic furniture and industrial lighting, this spot definitely attracts the hipsters but for all the right reasons. Although named North Tea Power, these guys know their coffee and have a coffee menu at the till to help you too with information on what method they use and what you can expect from your brew.

North Tea Power by Love April Love

Fig & Sparrow

Also located in the Northern Quarter, Fig & Sparrow is an independent design shop and coffee house which also offers a selection of loose leaf teas and homemade cakes. The shop showcases local and world artists while serving up fantastic coffees made by well-trained and lovely baristas.

Fig and Sparrow by The Hungry Giraffe


Federal

Federal Café and Bar is a New Zealand/Australian coffee shop in Manchester’s northern Quarter. This independent coffee shop serves Ozone coffee, speciality teas, brunches, bagels and homemade cakes. Federal is voted no. 1 of 1,819 restaurants in Manchester on TripAdvisor so we reckon it must be worth checking out!

If you’re planning a stay at any of these UK cities, why not rest your weary head at any of our centrally located Leonardo Hotels; Leonardo Hotel Brighton, Leonardo Hotel Belfast, Leonardo Hotel Glasgow, Leonardo Hotel Leeds or Leonardo Hotel Manchester Central. We are proud to serve Costa coffee in each of these Leonardo Hotels so you don’t have too far to go to get your coffee fix!