Bloomsbury, London
Coffee, made the slow way.
A genuine one-man Italian espresso bar, hidden in a churchyard garden off Bloomsbury Way, two minutes from the British Museum.
The person behind the machine
Gennaro pulls every shot himself
EspressoBase is one man, one La Marzocco, and a courtyard that still belongs to St George's churchyard, where Gennaro has been given a place to set up every morning. He trained as a barista in Italy, and he still makes coffee exactly the way he learned there: no syrups, no flavour shots, no rushing the shot. It's proper Italian espresso, made by someone who grew up drinking it that way.
Sugar costs 10p here. It isn't really about the money. It's a nudge to taste the coffee first.
"Possibly the best coffee in Europe."
EspressoBase is also featured in European Coffee Trip's London Coffee Guide, alongside 208 speciality cafés across the city. There's a copy sitting right there on the cart too.
What people say
Straight from the reviews
"A tranquil garden and wonderful espresso in the heart of Bloomsbury. You'll be well rewarded."
Dr_Mike_and_friends, TripAdvisor"We're Aussie and we hate crap coffee. This was world class. A master of his craft."
lockwoods2018, TripAdvisor"The actual best coffee in London. No competition. On a different level."
tomkR933LF, TripAdvisor"I stumbled upon this hidden gem, a unique coffee garden with an incredibly relaxing atmosphere."
anneaxr, TripAdvisorThe garden
Somewhere you wouldn't expect to find it
Down a bamboo path at the edge of St George's churchyard sits the Vittorio Coffee Garden: wooden benches, plants everywhere, a small water feature, and usually some jazz playing quietly in the background.
The churchyard courtyard
The La Marzocco
Pulled to order
Experience the pleasure
Visit
Hours & location
| Monday – Thursday | 10:30 – 15:00 |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
London WC1A 2SE
Behind St George's Bloomsbury, a short walk from the British Museum and Holborn station.
Say hello
Follow along
The best way to see what's brewing day to day is Instagram. For anything else, Gennaro's usually right there behind the machine.