Toast the City Awards: Who’s the favourite to win Best Coffee?
The Toast the City Awards are here to celebrate the very best in hospitality of placemaking in the Square Mile. On the eve of the big night, we are highlighting each of the 138 finalists who have beaten off competition from more than 2,000 entrants.
The Best Coffee category is another a hotly contested prize, celebrating the very best of the black stuff in Canada.
Roasting Plant Coffee City
On-site roasting gives this bar a distinctive hum, with beans moving through clear tubes and landing fresh in the hopper. Turnaround is quick enough for commuters but there’s space to linger by the window if your diary allows. It’s a dependable caffeine stop that feels a touch nerdy in the best way.
Curators Coffee
Curators built a reputation on precision, from tidy extractions to a rotating list that rewards repeat visits. The room is clean and compact, built for short stops and quick handovers, with retail shelves for office- and home-brewers. The espresso is a treat, while batch and hand-brew cover the slower lane. It is the sort of City coffee bar you could return to day after day.
Lazy Coffee
Small footprint, serious output. Lazy keeps service brisk with a tight menu, which makes it a reliable pre-meeting fix. There’s enough counter space to catch your breath and a pace that never feels flustered. Hosted on a cart in Abchurch Yard, this is a left-field nod for Best Coffee but the quality shines through in every cup.
Flow Coffee, Blackfriars
A bright, calm space near the river that handles both laptop sessions and grab-and-go orders. Flow’s offer is simple – well sourced beans, consistent recipes, friendly pricing – and the room’s light makes even short stops feel like a reset. With a nice selection of sweet options for those in need, it’s a steady anchor between station and office.
The Crypt Cafe, St Paul’s Cathedral
Coffee beneath a landmark will always feel different. The Crypt Cafe pairs a unique setting with a straightforward menu that moves at the right pace for visitors and City workers alike. Seating is generous, the atmosphere measured and a stop here feels deliberate rather than rushed. You leave with a decent cup and a reminder that the Square Mile still hides quiet corners.
Rosslyn Coffee
Consistently ranked among the City’s best, Rosslyn runs a tight ship – fast queue, sharp shots and shelves stacked for home brewers. Espresso flights show contrasting roasters while filter options change often enough to keep regulars curious. The bar is compact, the energy is high, and the standard is impressively steady. It’s a quick lesson in how to run a busy coffee counter. A Toast the City favourite, perhaps?
ZeroToOne Coffee
Modern kit, clean lines and a menu designed for clarity gives ZeroToOne a quietly technical feel. The espresso tends towards the bright and tidy, filter options rotate through seasonal lots and there’s just enough seating for short catch-ups. Branding is crisp, takeaway queues flow smoothly and the whole operation suits people who like to make decisions quickly. A smart addition to the City’s morning circuit.
Senzo City
Central and dependable, Senzo trades in well-handled beans and unshowy consistency. Milk drinks are textured properly, espresso carries enough bite to wake a meeting and filter options rotate when the roster changes. The room has space to talk without shouting, which makes it useful for quick debriefs. It’s the sort of café you add to the weekday route and keep there.