Nice cozy spot with great coffee, awesome cappuccino, and a good vibe even offers for breakfast. I recommend. read more

Notes - Scrambled eggs, biscuit , side of bacon & cappuccino. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Wanted an easy breakfast spot for a good start on our first vacation day in London. Couldn't have made a better choice. My scrambled eggs and my wife's poached eggs were top notch. I'm pretty picky about scrambled eggs and these are in my top 5. Coffee was great. Service was excellent. Liked being in the place. Several good options on the menu with some good looking bakery items as well. Notes is a good stop. Perfect for us. read more

I have tried all the available coffee shops in St John's Wood on High Street and had my morning cappuccino at Notes today. It was the best!!! Nice strong coffee, great service and a very pleasant setting. Will definitely stop by again tomorrow!! Thanks for a great cup of Joe!! read more

If you're staying in the neighborhood, this place is a must try! After a long day of traveling that landed us into London well before our hotel check-in time, we were desperate to find food and coffee. Luckily, this little cafe was in walking distance from Page8 and we were able to get seated very quickly. We ordered the pancakes with vanilla ice cream and compote (divine!!) and the mushroom toast (delicious). Having flavored syrups might be an American thing (oops), so just beware that they do NOT have them here. I was still pleased with my traditional cappuccino though. The seating inside is a little intimate if you're with a party of 2. Luckily we don't mind nosy neighbors and actually spoke to the couple sitting next to us for a bit, but it's definitely close corners. read more

Notes - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

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excellent coffee, food and service in heart of theatre district. food was good too! a real breakfast! read more

Nice place not fat from Trafalgar Square. Tasty, quality and very friendly. Nice place to take a break to have a good and light brunch. read more

Notes - Super breakfast plate! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Really just the cutest lil coffee shop! Good coffee, nice food options, and lovely setting. There was ample seating, and I did need to get a bit of work done, so I didn't feel too bad pulling out my laptop. I had a good time here, and would be back if I'm ever in the area again! read more

Oh this place was soooo good. The food, the coffee, the service. All excellent. Super cute vibe, not too loud or crazy. Delicious

The waitresses were very attentive, always checking if anyone needed anything. The cafe is very clean and has a nice balcony. I enjoyed the avocado toast and my husband loved the super breakfast. Recommend anyone visiting Kings Cross Station visit this place for a coffee or some food. read more

Notes - Balcony - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Avoid the hustle and bustle of the morning and start your day off right at Notes. Coffee and Brunch are prepared to perfection. The Super Breakfast is just that - super! read more

Notes - Super Breakfast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

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My first morning in London and I had breakfast at Notes. It was all delicious. I ordered the super breakfast and a flat white. I'm going again tomorrow morning. read more

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We stopped at Notes because it was raining and we just wanted to sit down for a bit so we decided to order some drinks and a jam doughnut. My husbands ordered a mocha and I ordered an English Breakfast tea. Both were excellent but one thing that made this visit so nice is that everyone was so friendly. We asked for a "jelly" doughnut and the friendly girl behind the counter immediately joked with us stating that jelly is different than jam. She was very friendly and made our visit special. It seems like everyone in England is just so friendly overall. read more

Notes - Delicious doughnut and Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Located in a place covered with tourist spots and chain cafes, Notes is a welcome sight. It's a tiny cafe with a good selection of coffee and tea. The art decor is also cool and original. I had the matcha latte which came in a glass and could see clumps of powder that I mixed around. The green colour and flavour was strong, they don't water down their drinks. There was no sweetness so I had to add my own sugar. I was definitely satisfied with the drink and ambiance. I would recommend popping in again when in the area. read more

Notes - Matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

After a long walk under the rain we thought we could use someplace warm with hot drinks and food to rest for a while. We had to fight our way in, got our table stolen by some tourists and our orders were taken by some very unsmiling and rude waiter at the counter but in the end we got what we wanted. My matcha tea was great, the chocolate cake slice was generous and we dry as we watched the constant arrival of customer. This place is close to many touristy areas and you can feel it. Would not really recommend it but it does the job when needed. read more

Notes - Matcha tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Wine, tea or coffee? Notes has them all! We opted for a couple of glasses of wine to cool us down and relax us after an hour or so of wandering inside the National Portrait Gallery. Notes is just across the street, a few minutes walk from the museum and we found it via the Yelp app on my phone. We walked in, perused their wine menu, and since I couldn't decide, I just asked the barista for a recommendation for a white wine. (Can you tell I'm missing Paris already?) He gave me a recommendation and my husband and I ordered the same thing. We paid and he told us to find a seat and he will bring our glasses to us. We chose to sit toward the back which was nice and bright thanks to the skylight above. They have a large communal table, as well as smaller intimate tables, and a wall of wine bottles on display in this area. They do sell food here too (both savory and sweet stuff), but we did not order any. At that point in the afternoon we just wanted to enjoy our wine and decide what to do next. Even though they did not have wifi, I was able to connect to a Hotspot there through my AT&T International Passport app, so we were able to find a place for dinner that's close by. If you're looking for an inexpensive place to have coffee, wine, tea, and food around the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery area, this place is a good option. They have lots of tables and choices for your dining pleasure! read more

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As many of you may know, I have an unhealthy obsession with good coffee. None of this instant crap that my friends drinks, or the decaf variety my Dad seems to love. I like it filtered, smooth, in a china cup and served by someone vaguely attractive and hipster looking. NMC is almost there but I still like it. From the website, I wasn't expecting much but actually going there I was impressed. The space itself is lovely, you could certainly spend an afternoon in here reading but the attitude of the staff and other patrons is what makes this such a relaxed non-pretentious place. The coffee is great. More than great, I had it with a chocolate brownie (it would have been rude not to) and it was excellent! If you are in the area and want to escape the crowds or have to get your head down and do some work, this is the place to do it. read more

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Let me start by saying I was probably already positively predisposed to this place as it is that increasingly rare entity, an independent coffee shop in central London. So I guess I came for the indyness, but stayed for the soft lighting and sophisticated vibes. I found its atmosphere quite unique as it is both a coffee shop and a wine bar, which gives it a very continental feel. Although the food menu was small and more in the style of tapas-y bites rather than full meals, there was still a good selection of sharing platters, snacks and cakes. Unfortunately I've had to dock one star as they serve their teas in take away cups (even if you're drinking in) which the planet lover in me screamed at... But environmental qualms aside this is definitely a great bet for an after work drink/bite with a sophisticated edge. read more

Notes - My chai latte in its environmentally naughty take away cup - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Enjoyed Notes so much I went twice in my short visit to London. Don't let the respectable looking baristas with normal haircuts fool you. Notes is serving up excellent coffee they roast themselves, and those pre-professional looking squares behind the counter take pride in their craft. They have cold-brews ready in individual glass bottles, and they take their time going for the perfect pour-over. Subtle hints of coffee culture can be found in the airy space. A real treat in the middle of tourist central. read more

Notes - Cold brew on the ready. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Notes Music & Coffee has secured the top spot on my imaginary leaderboard of coffee shops in London. My first visit I tasted their espresso (HasBean Kicker blend), a woodneck (Squaremile Kilimanjaro natural single origin), a focaccia sandwich with the best pesto, basil, tomato, mozzarella filling imaginable, another espresso, and a muffin (which looked like an entire meal). They brew espresso, syphon, woodneck, V60, and they sell all the coffee equipment, too. More to the point, they have a Strada espresso machine. This is the Ferrari of coffee machines. Investing so heavily in a machine means a place is more than likely to similarly invest in a good quality water supply, employ top-notch staff, and buy-in great heat-regulating equipment for brews. Which they do. Staff take pride in ensuring your coffee will always be good. You can sit at the bar and watch the spectacle that is brewing a coffee in the syphon (pure theatre), or hang with friends on one of the large wooden tables at the back. They seem to have a constant soundtrack of decent saxophone jazz in the background, and the interior is typically London (smart, a hint of the Victorian) and gorgeous. Gladly there's no wi-fi for customers which means you don't get people using it as their personal living room (it's a coffee house dammit - and people should sit around talking about politics and art*), and luckily there's a Caffe Nero a few doors down which keeps the riff raff out of Notes*. * I'm kind of joking here. Kind of. For those on a coffee Pilgrimage to London, this is a must-visit. Also, note the longer-than-usual opening hours. Open 'till 10pm. It's normally impossible to get a decent coffee in town after 8 or 9pm. read more

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Meh. I really, really like the atmosphere of this place, so we came back after a previous pleasant visit. To my surprise, espresso this time was lukewarm and with an acid taste beyond what is acceptable. A real pity, this was a 4 stars place first time I came. I'll give it another chance because the ambience is very nice. read more

An independent coffee shop a short distance from all the main high street chains serving coffee & tea as well as a wine bar. Just a short distance from Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. The ambience is relaxed, the staff friendly and the food is delicious too. I'm definitely going back when I'm in the area again. read more

Notes - Peppermint tea & a brownie. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

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Service here is absolutely lovely. The brew staff and the wait staff are really helpful, patient and act as mini tour guides and direction givers too. all this is done with a smile and no sign of irritation. so be aware, that to receive this kind of service with individual attention, this is not the place to go if you are in a hurry and don't have the patience to wait. Each of the coffees are individually brewed and its such a refreshing change from the chain cafes (I searched for an independent coffee shop, before I landed at this location.) The prosciutto with buffalo mozarella is served with a large plate of bread and olive oil and could quite easily be a light meal for 2 or a heavy meal for one. read more

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Strangely, in a place so much bigger and more spacious than Monmouth, I feel much more crowded... But thankfully the coffee is also crowded... WITH FLAVOUR!! Boom! I'm here all week.* Writing this as I have my second visit since happening upon Notes last week and entering without checking the reviews. Now, I have not yet tried their food, so take this as a review of their coffee and service/ atmosphere, not their offerings for eating. Both times, my coffee was very smooth, slightly on the warm side (a concession to "high street customers" who I know complain a lot of what they see as "Luke warm" milk-based coffees.) but not to the point where it's too hot. The foam on my Flat White (£2.80. Expensive for me, but worth it) was creamy and smooth and not at all frothy, overly dense or stained with burned coffee. The drink itself is surprisingly bold for a "place like this". Often, the tendency is to be quite timid with the beans which ends up with a drinkable and pleasant but ultimately dismissible coffee. This flat white forced me to pay attention, and now I'm a fan! This is based off coffees from two different baristas, which speaks well of their consistency. Edit: just had their espresso, and it packs the same acidic punch, as I had expected. Beautifully done! Zero bitterness, all zest. Some sweetness coming through as well, nice and complex. It's not a place to go for chilling out. Conversations are loud and the ceiling is high. While I've shared a table with several different people at Monmouth and not had a lot of physical space, I don't get a lot of mental space here, I feel crowded most of the time, and I imagine if the place was less busy it'd feel really empty. So a point deducted for that. But this is on a busy street with busy people, so I doubt it's an issue for most. As mentioned, the price was... Hm. It's not cheap, but for the quality of the drink, it's reasonable! Considering I just paid £3.20 (plus 10% forced service charge!!) for a bad coffee at Tom Tom (review definitely coming up for that one...) I'm definitely okay with it. It's London I guess. Would absolutely recommend, and will be coming back, but will bring my headphones. *not really here all week. I don't even live in London. read more

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The chaps in the flat hats do it again! Not content with providing the good people of Victoria with awesome coffee at The Flat Cap Coffee Company, Fabio & Robert have embarked on a bolder venture at the bottom of St Martin's Lane - Notes Music & Coffee. I popped in for lunch today, and in addition to a superbly made cortado (a short coffee, roughly half way between an espresso and a latté) I tried what looked to be a slightly pricey but INCREDIBLY flavoursome smoked ham & gruyere baguette. It's early doors yet for Notes, but building on where they've started can only mean an excellent coffee destination. In addition to the delicious espresso-based coffees dispensed from the shiny behemoth on the counter there's also the filter coffee bar, offering some of the more exotic & esoteric coffee flavourings that the people of London are starting to awaken to today it was Kilimanjaro fully washed, pulped, or natural, from El Salvador, using Hario TCA-2 Syphon, V60 process, or Woodneck cloth process. Whatever that means. What it means to me is that this is going to be a coffee destination for enthusiasts of all levels, and it provides a nice relaxing environment in which to relax & enjoy your brew. For the most part the baristas are using beans from Square Mile Coffee, and also Has Bean, and retail bags will be available at the counter. In addition to the coffee & food, the shop's former life as an opera CD store (being next door to The Coliseum lends this an air of relevance) is carried on by a CD and DVD shop operating at the rear of the store, specialising in classical, opera, blues and jazz. Capturing an opportunity in London's nighttime scene, Notes will remain open until 10pm on weeknights and Saturdays, for those times when you want to go out for a drink but don't feel like fighting your way through a pub or shouting over the top of a bar. This is gonna be awesome. read more

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Came here for a morning breakfast with my two friends and we loved it! It felt like a local spot and we loved the casual chic decor inside. My black tea was great and I had a delicious ham and cheese croissant. I recommend coming here alone or with friends because there's plenty of seating and delicious pastries to choose from. read more

Came for a quick rest...nice location right off Trafalgar Square. We had some croissants and ginger cake with a matcha latte, cappuccino and pot of tea. Nothing spectacular, but decent food. read more

Notes - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

I think that I may have got very lucky and matched up my perfect coffee with the ideal setting which is making me a very happy man indeed. I have visited Notes on a number of occasions this week at various different times and I have had the perfect skinny latte and/or espresso every time. I have been a long term fan of the cart in Strutton Ground, which serves up a lovely coffee, but this is taking my daily cup to a whole new level. When I complement Fabio he explains that this is not only down to the amazing La Marzocco Strada machine but also due to the 3 grand water filter he has had installed, and with coffee this good I can understand why I'm happy to pay £2.50 for my glass of lovingly prepared skinny latte. Perhaps even better is the kicker espresso which is just an amazing taste sensation. The café itself is unlike the other main players, such as Flat White and Kaffeine, in the top coffee shop stakes. Light, airy and pretty damn spacious this is a very tranquil shop where you will want to while away some time. It has a sophisticated vibe and the staff make you feel right at home. It's also currently open until 9pm which makes it a nice place to drop by if you are in town after work. Towards the back of the shop there are a couple of large sharing tables and a selection of World Cinema DVD's and classical, world and jazz CD's of which there are more in the basement. Good selection and very keenly priced. Also available in the shop is a selection of quality coffee making equipment including my own personal favourite, the top notch aeropress which comes highly recommended. Pastries and general snackage, although not yet sampled, look very tasty and are beautifully presented. My only request would be the introduction of a café corretto as an evening choice...... Boys and girls of the Flat Cap crew, I salute you. read more

Notes - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Solid breakfast choice near Covent Garden. Great waffles, avo toast and coffee. Reasonable prices, friendly service.

Whow! what a find. I was walking in the area on my way to a meeting in a miserable rainy day and decided to get myself a coffee. Got in and, I have to say, my first thought was what a lovely place but whow, a cappuccino to go £ 2.60? among the most expensive in London. I have to say it's worth every penny, it was the best coffee I had for a long time. Perfect temperature, great coffee and froth and they don't put chocolate on top of it! Superb. few days later I was in Charing Cross and couldn't resist to go back, and again, perfect coffee. The staff is lovely, they also have a selection of wines and simple food. I'll definitely go back again and again. Give it a go, you'll love it! read more

Notes - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Notes is a busy, buzzy little café come wine bar, as famous for its earthy roasted coffee as it is for the range of affordable wines it has on offer. It's food menu is limited to sandwiches, salads, and pastries...of which we regretted trying; I hear their sandwiches are good though. I am not big on wine so I tried their ale instead (they don't have proper beer). And now I know I'm not big on ale either (the India pale ale was utterly disgusting - ugh). Service was efficient and accommodating rather than friendly, which is more than acceptable considering how packed the place was when we visited. In a nutshell, Notes is a trendy alternative to the oh-hum high street franchises like Starbucks and Costa, and well worth a visit. Waste NOT. Want NOT. read more

One of the biggest draws of this place is that it's not a Costa or SB! As a result it gets super busy & if you are more than 2 people you need to hover for a large table or squish into the side wall area. The coffee is quite good, with the emphasis obviously more on quality than the production-style coffee-buckets favoured by chains. With that in mind you will be waiting depending on how busy they are. Though I didn't eat the lunch menu looked appealing & the evening menu, while more light tapas than meals, did look nice. My chocolate cake was moist & rich. Unfortunately the thing that annoyed me most about this place was the staff. Two different waiters were rude to my BF during our visit, one snapping at him when he missed the word "lunch" on the chalkboard & tried to order a sandwich at 4pm. They are good at rushing about looking cool, not so much at delivering customer service. For that reason I won't rush back, but as a beacon of quality in a coffee wasteland I'll not rule out another visit in the future. read more

If you have time to make 'Sean' his 'take-away latte', then you have time to make my drink, too. Or, maybe, you don't because you're spending all of your spare time chatting to my seat mate at the bar about 'next year's competition' and 'who's going to roast the beans' and such. So, while 'Sean', who was in line behind me, was out the door within minutes with his bevvie, I, on the otherhand, sat at the counter watching you alternate between making drinks for the floor, chatting about the 'competition', polishing cups and saucers, and, simply, walking back and forth behind the counter. After almost ten minutes, and a rather last-minute, 'your drink is coming up', my latte came, I drank it, and quickly left. read more

It's absolutely heaving most of the time, but you can find a spot where you need if you're patient. They don't have the best system for finding you, and although I was offered chocolate cake (which I nearly took) and coffee by a bemused waiter who decided that despite the two teapots on my table that we were the obvious targets, it's a great and easy location. read more

People find Notes Cafe a bit variable. But so far, I love it. Each time I've been there have been little things that went wrong. A forgotten brownie here, a latte / flat white mixup there... But somehow the friendly staff make all seem ok. The coffee itself is excellent. The ambience is perfect with lots of seating in a small space and a good vibe. The location is stunning. Promise yourself that you'll go to the National Portrait Gallery after your coffee here. So on balance, Notes deserves a place in the top London independent cafes. But go in with lowered expectations, so that you'll enjoy yourself and be pleasantly surprised. I really do recommend their coffee as smooth, tasty and well made. read more

Looking for an oasis to relax if you're in the hustle and bustle of the West End? Notes is the perfect place to grab a cuppa. I came here for lunch recently and had the tomato basil soup and it was heart warming. It tasted home made and no signs of it originating from a big tin can. The sandwiches and salads look great but it is a little more expensive than going to other lunch spots in the area - but you are paying for the premium ingredients. I have nothing against Cafe Nero or Costa but London needs more independent coffee shops like this! read more

I came here on a first date a few weeks ago, and when he suggested somewhere right next to Trafalgar Square, I admit my heart sank. 'What a tourist trap it'll be!' I thought to myself, 'If only he'd used yelp to find somewhere more interesting!' But Notes was a lovely surprise - so busy that we had to wait 10mins for a table but actually more studenty/trendy than touristy. I liked the communal wooden tables and arty light fittings, and it goes a vital step further than your local independent coffee shop by serving booze too! Win. I'll have to come back to try the coffee but there looked like enough different types of brew to keep the connoisseurs happy. We got there as the early evening drinks crew started drifting in so went straight for the wine list. It's table service in the evenings and our waitress was smiley and attentive (up until we wanted the bill, then we lost her for a while). I'll admit to being slightly distracted from my date by things to look at - firstly the fun mix of people, working on laptops, reading a book or the paper, or catching up with friends. Secondly, the awesome skylight in the ceiling. And thirdly the fact that they were screening an old Bill Murray film that I couldn't remember the name of. Oh yeah, don't ask me why but they also randomly sell DVDs (the cabinet under the TV screen will prove I'm not kidding!). Not sure I'd stick around for food in this setting but a fun place to chat over a couple of glasses of white wine, and a quirky cool date alternative to dark loud cocktail bars (though I do enjoy some of those too). I was impressed enough to steal it as a future first date suggestion myself, though actually given the chance of awkwardly bumping into that guy again, maybe I'll keep it for mates! read more

Lovely cafe in the centre of town but when i went on Sunday it was over-crowded, slow service and over-priced. £3 for a cup of tea? It's good to know there's somewhere fairly good for a coffee in the centre though. read more

Me: Can I get a filter coffee please? Barista: I can make you an americano. Me: [looking at menu board on which filter coffee features prominently] Um... Barista: The filter will take 3 or 4 minutes to make and is more expensive. Me: ...Yeah. That's fine. read more

I;ve been visiting this place since their opening day. It's always been full of atmosphere and a couple of years later it still looks as fresh as it did when it opened. The lovely atmosphere coupled with the friendly staff makes for a very good place to relax over a coffee. And on to the coffee. Recently I wrote a review of Towpath cafe stating that it was the best coffee I'd had for a long time. Notes is up there with Towpath, but with the added bonus of being warm and indoors. Certainly a cut above the competition in the area. Curiously, they also sell music. read more

Notes is one of those famous, well regarded shops among coffee aficionados, but unusually it doesn't disappoint, as so many high profile places have before. The place has so much going for it: a great location right next to Trafalgar Square (but not occupied by many tourists), a very good cup of coffee (tho' not exceptional), super nice, super efficient staff who work well as a team and know what they're doing and, surprisingly unusual, actually want to do it and do it well! The layout is pretty much perfect text book coffee shop. It's roomy with a mix of attractively designed tables. There are plenty of two person tables around the edge and a number of communal tables down the centre. The twin tables are close enough together to adapt for a group of 4 or six people if the larger tables are full. When I went in it was busy given the time of day (around 3.30) but not packed so my perfect table was there waiting just for me! The only downer during the visit was lack of wifi, which seems to be increasingly common and rather unfortunate, as my experience is many 'pay' for their free wifi access by buying a drink and food. They perhaps wouldn't go in otherwise! Ok, another downer was the lack of padding at the back of the wall seats and their narrowness. It made it hard to get comfy as your back is forced against the wood back fixed to the wall. As mentioned, the staff were polite and friendly so that scores them an extra point. The cake was very nice but not mega. The coffee was Rwandan, a favoured country of origin, and a tad on the acidic side for my taste, but good. I think they roast their own now, but not 100% sure. Prices are OK given their location and it make you think how Birmingham shops get away with similar prices and actually less quality in the main - outrageous IMO! Definitely A place I'd go back to if I was around about the area. It was a place I'd like to spend more time in and watch the world go round. Shame about the wifi! read more