Flat White

When it opened its doors on Berwick Street in September 2005, most of London had never come across the drink of its namesake. Coffee and independent hospitality arrived here by way of Australian and New Zealand roots, and in the early days plenty of regulars had their first proper coffee at this tiny, influential shop. The flat white went on to become one of the city's most popular coffee orders, and much of the explosion of London's third wave coffee scene traces back to this Berwick Street counter.

The shop still runs walk in only, no reservations, with benches out front in the middle of Berwick Street Market, and it stays exactly the kind of neighbourhood hub built for a quick coffee, conversation and community rather than a long working session.