Buying a coffee for under £3 is near to impossible in London these days, especially in Central London. And so with no choice some swear by the Pret subscription or the free coffee at Cafe Nero, we don”t blame you at all. However, we’re here to let you know that all hope is not lost. Good coffee, in fact, great coffee is available and actually has been available right under your nose the whole time. And no, it won’t leave a hole in your pocket.
Enter: Algerian Coffee Stores.
Back when Queen Victoria ruled England and the Eiffel Tower was just beginning to rise, Algerian Coffee Stores set up shop on Old Compton Street. They’re still there today, proudly boasting having weathered 137 years. The coffee’s a little fresher, thankfully. Algerian Coffee Stores stock eighty types of bean from all corners of the globe. Just for good measure, they have a supply of over 120 teas, for those who prefer the leaf to the bean.
Nearly a century and a half of expertise, and beans from all over the world, in Soho. All of those things should point to an extortionately priced cup of coffee, but no. Algerian Coffee Stores sell espressos for the princely sum of £1.50 and cappuccinos for a solid £2. Yep, you read that correctly.
Algerian Coffee Stores also stock confectionery for those with a sweet tooth. Alternatively, they’ll sell you all the kit you need to make premium coffee at home. But with a £2 brew on offer, why would you need to?
Aside of being just a really coffee shop, it also really is just a lovely story. While Algerian Coffee Stores first opened its doors in 1887 and remained on its original site, the business changed hands in 1946 and since then has belonged in the same family.
A third-generation, family run and independent business. Something really hard to come to come by in London, for sure.
To this day, the store still features the original shop fascia with the authentic 19th century wooden shop counter and shelving – retaining much of the historical details of the shop including old signs, price-lists and lovely archive of photos throughout the years.
Like it says on their website, Algerian Coffee Stores has seen two World Wars, two pandemics, gentrification and many other movements and yet they’ve remained – untouched, tasteful and full of history.