The Place

A tiny, slightly ramshackle coffee store located in the heart of Soho. This place has been around for years. And I mean years. It was established back in 1887 making it the oldest coffee store in the whole of the UK.

The Neighbourhood

The Algerian Coffee Stores sit in the middle of Old Compton Street, slap bang in the middle of Central London and a short walk from Leicester Square station.  

Despite being painted bright red, this place is somehow easy to miss. I always ask London-living friends if they’ve come across it and, despite walking past it a gazillion times, no one ever seems to have spotted it.  

https://algeriancoffeestores.com/

https://www.instagram.com/algerian_coffee_stores/

A Good Shout for…

Stocking up on coffee beans from around the world. Even if you’re travelling from abroad and you’re worried about weighing down your luggage, it’s worth popping in for a 250g bag of the good stuff.    

The Best Bits

• The fact that they have their own in-store coffee machine. Probably the most low-key espresso you’ll find in the city.  
  
• Discovering beans from South America, India, Africa, Indonesia… These guys stock it all. Just tell them what kind of coffee machine you have and they’ll prepare the beans accordingly.
  
• Browsing their shelves, which aren’t just stocked with coffee. You’ll also find amazing teas, coffee machine parts and a few sweet treats too.