Taylor St Baristas

Taylor St Baristas
at Brooks Mews

Mayfair has long been a bit of a desert for good coffee.  So often, it seems to me, the pricier the area the poorer the food and drink choices.  My antennae are finely attuned to coffee and I'm always on the lookout for something good.  Passing through the west end a few months ago and glancing down Brooks Mews, at the back of Claridges Hotel, I spotted a new branch of Taylor St Baristas. 

Starting out with a single shop in Richmond this independent coffee shop now has 5 more branches in London, including a garden shed in Shoreditch, and one shop in Brighton.  Using Marzocco and Nuova Simonelli machines, they produce excellent coffee from Union Coffee Roasters 100% arabica beans.  They describe their espresso as a "constant work in progress" and although the blend does change, it is always very drinkable.  Last week I sampled their introduction of a delicious Union single origin Tanzanian bean at the Mayfair branch.

All of the branches are different, from the primped-up smartness of Mayfair to the dress-down trendiness of the East End 'shed'.  What they have in common is the consistency of the coffee and the knowledgeable, genuinely friendly staff.  At the Mayfair branch they offer a good selection of sandwiches and cakes, preparing everything on-site.  It's off the main drag but close to Bond Street and a very welcome arrival in an area not well served by good coffee spots.

Taylor Street Baristas
22 Brooks Mews
Mayfair
London W1K 4DY
(and other branches)