Since I started drinking coffee (a few months ago!) I have been on a mission to try out all of the great independent cafes that London has to offer. Another weekend and another visit – this time to Allpress Espresso in Shoreditch. I had heard and read good things so took a trip down one Sunday afternoon for a coffee and a slice of cake.

First impressions were not fantastic and it didn’t blow me away. Sure enough, the enormous roaster in the window is designed to stop passers by in their tracks and it is impressive as it’s not normally something you’d see in a coffee shop but the decor inside was plain and slightly corporate looking.

But maybe I’m being harsh. After all, I am extremely grateful for coffee shops like this as they are far better than the usual chains that we see on the high street.

Allpress hails from down-under (no surprises there really) and positions itself between boutique and corporate, which is exactly the feeling that I got. The coffee is 100% better than Starbucks but in my opinion it’s still not as good as Monmouth.

The slice of almond and orange cake that I bought was good without being amazing. It certainly was not a bad tasting cake but it wasn’t as good as other slices in my favourite cafes, namely Lantana and Foxcroft & Ginger. Saying that, they seemed to have sold out of a lot of the cakes by the time we arrived and I don’t think that this would necessarily have been my first choice.

I don’t want to be negative about Allpress but I personally didn’t enjoy it as much as other cafes that I have visited recently. They’re definitely not doing anything wrong though – owner Michael Allpress started roasting his beans in the year I was born and it’s still going strong. They are one of the preferred roasters in Australia and New Zealand and I’m sure that it’s going to go down well in the UK. It may not be a cafe that I’d like to go and while away the day in but I’d sure buy their beans to make delicious coffee at home.

I didn’t eat anything other than the cake so in the next few weeks I’ll take a trip back and report on a brunch. I’ve only heard good things.

Allpress Espresso
58 Redchurch St
London
E2 7DP
020 7749 1780