Café
Bar Italia
A family-run Italian espresso bar on Frith Street, opened in 1949 and open from early morning until the small hours.
Monmouth Coffee Borough
A specialty coffee shop and roaster's outlet at Borough Market, serving filter and espresso coffee and selling beans that can be sampled in store.
At a glance
- Type
- Specialty coffee
- Area
- Southwark, London, United Kingdom
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Opening
- Open 6 days a week (closed Sunday) · 07:30–18:00
- Official site
- monmouthcoffee.co.uk
Good to know
- Coffee beans to buy
- Free tastings
- Card only
- Reusable cups only
Why we recommend it
Monmouth Coffee is one of London's most respected coffee roasters, and its Borough shop on Park Street, on the edge of Borough Market, is its best-known outlet. The company has been buying, roasting and selling coffee in London for decades, with shops in Covent Garden and Bermondsey as well as Borough, and its long queues on market mornings are a familiar sight. The emphasis is on carefully sourced beans from individual farms, estates and cooperatives, roasted to bring out their character.
The shop serves espresso-based drinks and filter coffee, and a large choice of beans is available to buy by weight. One of the pleasures of a visit is being able to taste: all the coffees on sale can be sampled in the shop, which makes it easy to find a bean to take home. Staff are knowledgeable and happy to help you choose. Space inside is limited, and many customers take their drinks out into the market or along the riverside.
Monmouth suits coffee enthusiasts, market visitors and anyone looking for a reliable cup in the Borough and London Bridge area. Queues can be long, especially on Saturday mornings when Borough Market is at its busiest, but they move steadily. Arriving at opening time on a weekday is the calmest option. The shop is small and busy, so it is better for a quick coffee than for working on a laptop.
The Borough shop is open Monday to Saturday from 07:30 to 18:00 and is closed on Sundays. Payment is by card only. Monmouth no longer uses paper cups: you can drink from a ceramic cup to stay, bring your own reusable cup or buy one of the shop's reusable cups. The Covent Garden shop on Monmouth Street and the Bermondsey shop on Dockley Road keep different hours, which are listed on the official website.
Park Street is just west of Borough Market, a few minutes' walk from London Bridge station on the Jubilee and Northern lines and National Rail. Southwark Cathedral, the market halls and the Thames path are right on the doorstep, and Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern are a short walk west along the river.
Monmouth Coffee Borough FAQs
Can I pay with cash?
No, the shop takes card payments only.
Is it open on Sundays?
No, the Borough shop is open Monday to Saturday.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday from 07:30 to 18:00.
Can I bring my own cup?
Yes. Paper cups are no longer used, so bring a reusable cup, drink in a ceramic cup or buy one there.
Can I taste the coffee before buying beans?
Yes, all the coffees on sale can be sampled in the shop.
When is it busiest?
Saturday mornings, when Borough Market is at its busiest.
Are there other Monmouth shops?
Yes, in Covent Garden on Monmouth Street and in Bermondsey on Dockley Road.
Which station is nearest?
London Bridge, a few minutes' walk away.