The Best Cafes in Highbury, Greater London, United Kingdom (2025)

Came in the evening, so walked into a wine bar rather than a coffee shop. Came for a glass of wine, and stayed for a few. Staff were very friendly and helpful, picking some really great wines for us to try. I got some crab toast that was absolutely gorgeous, honestly the perfect snack. A super nice, small wine bar for a quiet drink.

A cute cafe that has 2 floors (come in deeper and you can find the stairs that lead you downstairs). I loved their cute latte art🫶🏻 the miso cookie was nice too!

You’d think it was a given when on Upper Street, with the plethora of coffee/bakery shops, that you could get a decent espresso shot… alas no. Too many over-extracted; bitter market blends, only suitable when camouflaged with a gallon of whatever (faux) milk ‘tickles your fancy’, or pumpkin spice - if you must (tiz the season). Fortuitously, whilst having a Monday mooch, I happened upon HG and their wonderful world of speciality roasts & blends. With Simon & Ink (two of the most beautiful people you could ever want to meet), and the rest of the amazing HG team, I have found myself a little oasis, and have been ‘smitten’ ever since. Forno supplies some irresistible Italian pastificio, Simon & Co. make tasty ‘award winning’ sandwiches, and Oksana has curated an amazing selection of wine & grower champagne, if you fancy something a little stronger. With the dulcet tones of Sabrina Carpenter singing “Espresso" in the background creating a cool; chilled, relaxed vibe, in this meticulously put together shop. What more could you want..? Free parking out front? ✅ Wine bar Friday & Saturday nights? ✅ Boom! Love it. Love it. Love it! 🥰

Decent batch filter and a nice selection of pastries, cookies, etc. Open nice and early, light and airy but with a comforting glow, just what you need with your morning coffee :) If evening's your thing then they have wine too. Perfect for Upper St.

A cosy little retreat with amazing fresh food, the loveliest owner and great prices. Its a real gem

Everything was great! Food was amazing, the ingredients were so fresh ,and the people who work there are just the best. The place was súper cozy. I went there with a friend who told me this was one of his favorite spots… not dissapointed I’m going again for sure ! 🌈 Photos are for: Jacket pot Scramble egg veg We also got a tiny dessert ✨✨✨

Protect this man at all costs! He is the kindest, most welcoming cafe owner, who from the moment we walked in, made us feel like we were simply old friends catching up. Walking in, you feel like you're taking a step back in time to simpler days. While every cafe these days feels like it's trying to be a minimalist, scandinavian box, here you're transported to an inviting haven more akin to an extension of ones home in a quaint European village. The coffee is genuinely good, the food is so fresh and the assortment of vegetables you get with the salads and vegetarian eggs is astonishing! Before leaving, we told him we were going bouldering and he even insisted we take some of his fresh ciabata and clementines for refueling. I repeat... protect this man at all costs. So looking forward to coming back!

This was the best find we had in London! The owner is a charming character who infuses love into his food. He is a true artisan and his bread was likely the best I’ve had! We found a way to come back a second time right before flight home just to see him and eat this delicious food! I recommend everything about this cafe!

Had a salad bowl (14) with chicken. Tasty, fresh and throughly enjoyed. Good portion size as well and I finished the leftover later. Friendly staff, lovely clean design and ambience which makes for a calming place to sit and eat in if one wants to step away from the office for lunch.

Generous portion of food! Fresh and flavorsome. Staff are great and environment is quiet and calming. I added chicken to my bowl for extra £3 and they were generous with that too. Finally found somewhere in London where you're not ripped off. Highly recommend

My new regular place. I’ve had 2 different salad bowls and they were both incredible. Portions are big and staff are friendly and helpful. Great value.

A perfect flat white. The flavour of the coffee was so good - slightly nutty and fruity, a bit sweet without any sugar just milk. Good looking cakes, didn’t try them yet!

In London, it's often a choice between coffee or food, but rarely both. On this occasion, I opted for coffee (the batch brew was excellent!), but I was pleasantly surprised by the delectable desserts. P.S. Gluten free friendly!

Profile has easily become one of my top three coffee spots in London. It has a really nice atmosphere, the coffees are fantastic and smooth and the food is lovely. We stumbled upon it by chance and decided to give it a go, ordering a Oat milk Matcha, Oat Flat White and a banana loaf to share. All went down a treat, and now I'm looking forward to the next time we're in the area so we can pop in.

Apart from the nicest decaf coffee I have managed to find in London, great pastries and a lovely atmosphere/interior, whoever's doing the hiring for this place needs another 5 stars. The staff is always so nice, calm and welcoming even at the busiest sunny London weekends at peak times. Plus, their dog-friendly policy is not for show, they genuinely seem to enjoy the dogs that come through their doors.

Great experience with a friendly open Atmosphere. Staff were welcoming and polite. Coffee was good and Portuguese tart was excellent (see the photo). Definitely coming back for a visit when in the area. Highly recommended

Super friendly owner with his son. It was our first time in this neighbourhood, and he made us feel very welcome. Also, really delicious coffee of good quality and tasty sweets. We will definitely be back the next time we’re in London!

Nice atmosphere, very cozy and calm. Great coffee and very friendly barista. Would be great if I could buy coffee next time for my espresso machine too, just to enjoy at home sometimes. Thank you!

Superb coffee and delicious bagel. Excuse the image, it was served in a far better way than that! This was mid eating!

Came here for a quick brunch on my own while walking my friend's dog since I was dogsitting at hers for one weekend. The place is dog-friendly and the staff at the cashier was really nice. I got there around 11:30am and there was a queue with lots of people both sitting inside and outside although luckily I didn't have to queue long as lots of customers were only getting things to do. There were so many sweet options ranging from cake loaves to sandwiches and everything looked absolutely scrumptious. I decided to go with the pumpkin brown butter brioche bun and an oat flat white and I sat down inside since I was getting tired from carrying the dog in a puppy carrier bag. The flat white was really smooth although I would have wanted it stronger and richer. The brioche bun was really nice and big in size. The bread was fluffy and soft with a slight hint of cinnamon and sugar but couldn't really taste much pumpkin. I can imagine it being even tastier if it was re-heated in an air fryer or oven for a few minutes. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my quick brunch there while doing some people-watching. I would love to come back soon and try other baked goods at the counter.

I am so happy to have found Fink’s! I had their egg miso sandwich which was so delicious - featuring e5’s sourdough. And as a lover of Guinness cake I couldn’t resist getting a slice. It’s definitely one of the better slices I’ve found! I’ve also tried their pumpkin & dark chocolate cake but it was a bit too moist for me. Everything looks delicious here though and wish my body would allow me to eat cake 10 times a day so I could try everything.

Salted caramel Ice-cream sandwich 6/5. Aubergine sandwich 5/5. Courgette 4/5.

Cakes and sandwiches here are different level but the coffee wasn’t to our taste. We had aubergine and labneh sandwiches which were delicious, burned caramel cake, banana bread and strawberry shortcake scones and seriously they are so good and I can’t decide which one is the best. Customer service was good my only issue was that the caramel slice cake was put in a bag and all the icing was stuck to the bag so it should be in box instead.

Another cozy cafe in the finsbury park area. I come here often to get a coffee and once in awhile I get some breakfast. Such a wonderful find! Not only is the atmosphere amazing, but the service is too! I ordered a sage lemonade, a green smoothie, and avo on toast with scrambled eggs. All of these were amazing! The drinks were refreshing and perfectly combined, and the food was flavourful and cooked to perfection. Overall I would 100% recommend this cafe to anyone in the area!

Cute and cosy cafe with a nice selection of colourfully presented, brunch dishes. Enjoyed the Eggs Benedict and English Breakfasts but sadly wouldn't recommend the Pancakes, which were a little hard and dry. Friendly and attentive service and a nice atmosphere throughout. They had indoor and outdoor seating and were quick to accommodate our party of 4

Sage Kitchen is a delightful spot with a fantastic menu and a warm, inviting atmosphere. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented, and the staff is friendly and attentive. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to come back again and again. That said, I noticed there’s an opportunity to enhance their online presence—there doesn’t seem to be a dedicated social media channel or a fully optimized website. These tools could help more people discover and enjoy this amazing spot. As someone experienced in social media management and website development, I’d be happy to help showcase the charm and quality of Sage Kitchen online.

I must admit that I haven't been so delighted for a long time when it comes to breakfast. We liked it so much that we also came back the next day and we will probably go back there every time we are in London. i highly recommend this place. there is delicious food and amazing decor

Wanted somewhere nice to eat before the Arsenal game on Saturday. Don’t know the area so googled the night before, pics looked good so thought we’d give here a try. We weren’t disappointed 😍 My son had an amazing omelette & I had the scrambled eggs on sourdough, both were so tasty. Service great, I had an amazing kombucha to drink, good variety of flavours in stock. Would def visit again if we get tickets in the ballot next season.

A lovely local independent cafe. My two flat whites and my crushed avocado in toast with an egg was perfection. It is so much better than cage chains that are everywhere. Go and find an independent out and see the difference!

Very nice cafe with friendly staff members and nice food and coffee. Tried some of their cakes and they were lovely.

I stayed overnight in London, and upon my early morning return I had a lovely emental omelette and two very fine coffees at this friendly little place before my 3hr journey home. Highly recommended as the guys are superb and being gluten free, the omelette made the mark.

Passed this a few times when going to Arsenal but never went in because I thought it was just a coffee shop. But it's a little gem. Went in there yesterday as everywhere else was packed, Friday night and Arsenal playing. Food and service are great and I'll be coming here from now on when going to Arsenal.

Always hits the spot! Friendliest staff around & the food is consistently good (excellent brunch options) Can recommend the halloumi breakfast or soup of the day…followed by a grilled sandwich They know their coffee & teas too! And the takeaway cake slices can’t be shied away from either…

Great cafe! Good food and coffee and friendly staff. I recommend the goats cheese on sourdough

We really enjoyed the food here! The grilled goat’s cheese was unique while the frittata and english breakfast was done nicely. We appreciated the generous portions and balance of fresh salad on the side.

Really awesome atmosphere with fluffy warm croissants and other premium pastry. Why have you got terrible staff? These guys will lose you customers very quickly. I ordered a flat white coffee, and I was given a coffee that tasted like microwaved milk with a shot of espresso and he put chocolate on top. Clearly this guy isn't a trained barista. Also, if I eat in, you normally serve coffee in a proper cup and not a paper cup. There were a few other customers who came in and tried to buy stuff but your employees were not there for over 10 mins and so they left. Employ well trained baristas who also are excellent at being hospitable and Temptations will rock.

Great local cafe, with delicious food. Always greeted with a warm smile. Staff remember you and your favourite orders! Love to support local

Really lovely place ran by two lovely friends, Sharif and Saaed. I work here for a couple of weeks, and unfortunately had to leave because of university complications but just wanted to write a review so people could know what a nice place it is. All food made fresh. Super high standards for coffee. Extremely generous owners, and great colleagues like Mohammed. They would give us anything to eat, anything to drink. Would allow me to read my book when it was not busy. I just wanted to say because you don’t get too many employers like that and it is a testament to their cafe. Visit temptations! It’s great.

Atmosphere and staff 10/10 the pasta Is nothing special so don't recommend but the wraps and coffee is AMAZING! if your near definitely check this hidden gem out.