Espresso Lane

Espresso Lane has poured Butterworths coffee for a decade from a genuinely tiny unit tucked down a quiet lane off Pembroke Street, currently running Guat's Up, a Guatemalan blend, through the espresso machine. Everything on the food side, gluten free cakes and loaves included, comes out of an equally small kitchen at the back, put together by a team who clearly care as much about old skool soul and funk as they do about the coffee itself.

There is barely room to turn around inside, so a run of seats out on the lane does most of the work in good weather. The tight footprint means it is not step free, but regulars from the surrounding colleges and offices keep coming back for the espresso and the welcome.