Coffee Cup Hampstead

For over 50 years this iconic coffee lounge has treated the Hampstead population to great coffee, tea and raisin toast.

Review by Michael Darvell 04/11/2008

Coffee is ubiquitous in our contemporary society and we all know whose fault that is. In an age when branding is king, it is refreshing to find one coffee bar that isn’t part of a chain. In fact The Coffee Cup in Hampstead is one of the oldest coffee lounges in London.

The Venue

The Coffee Cup opened in 1951 and in the ensuing years it has seen le tout Hampstead passing through its doors. Hampstead is awash with celebrities of all hues – artists, actors, politicians, philosophers – and at some time or other they all end up at The Coffee Cup, from Peter Cook and Dudley Moore to Paul McCartney and Sting, from Betty Grable to Emma Thompson and from Michael Foot to Tom Conti. What is good is that the place hasn’t changed in all that time. This must be very satisfying for the locals who enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner here, as it gives them a sense of continuity with the past.