Now. I’m going to preface my post of the best Kiwi cafes in London with one thing: we are so lucky these days with Kiwi cafes. When I arrived in London, there weren’t this many places. Please support them with your wallets!

And the quality has exponentially gotten better as well. I don’t have a single favourite, rather several favourites that all have an individual place in my heart.

Flat whites are available all over (though I have deep misgivings about McDonalds doing them) and you can get sweetcorn fritters on many brunch menus – but you can’t beat the laidback hospitality and inventiveness of a Kiwi run cafe/restaurant. I’ve arranged these by classic & inventive, then tried to (very) roughly run them west to east for some kind of organisation – I’ve also added a wee Googlemap that might help with navigation as well. [Post updated Feb 2022]

CLASSIC KIWI DISHES

We’re talking excellent coffee, sweetcorn fritters, Eggs Benedict, pancakes & friendly teams – y’know, the classic hallmarks of a delicious Kiwi brunch -making them some of the best Kiwi cafes in London.

PROUD MARY’S – SHEPHERDS BUSH

Proud Mary’s (which used to be known as The Hummingbird café) is tucked away on leafy Oaklands Grove in West London – the closest tube Stations is Shepherds Bush Market. I’d love to say it’s a gem that no-one has discovered, but it seems like a nicely humming local haunt – perfect for brunch and has a great local vibe – which I’ve enjoyed since 20015.

DETOUR CAFE – STAMFORD BROOK/SHEPHERDS BUSH

Detour Cafe is a cafe in Askew Road, serving locally sourced Electric Coffee, The Kettle Shed tea and serves great brunches, sandwiches and salads.

BUTTER BEANS – RICHMOND

I haven’t yet managed to visit Butter Beans in Richmond, but have heard it’s praises sung. “Butter Beans opened its doors in 2014. We strive for perfection and create dishes that are fresh, hearty and simply unforgettable. We are magically passionate about our coffee and do what we do well. We love baking and creating  new twists on cakes, muffins and melt in the mouth treats.” Walk-ins only.

CARBON KOPI – HAMMERSMITH

Carbon Kopi is an independent coffee shop and brunch destination in Hammersmith and Fulham with a focus on speciality coffee and cocktails.Delicious, local, friendly and featuring lunchtime kiwi burgers, Carbon Kopi is simply delectable.

THE LAUNDRY – BRIXTON

Owned and operated by Mel, wine-lover and ex-Providores team, you know you’re in excellent hands the moment you start reading the menu at The Laundry. It’s definitely one of the best kiwi cafes in London.

BREW – CLAPHAM, WIMBLEDON, WANDSWORTH

Inspired by NZ and Melbourne cafes, the Brew crew know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to antipodean brunch. The menu is classic, delicious and always accompanied by flat whites. Walk-ins only.

79COLLECTIVE – PUTNEY

TRIED & TRUE PUTNEY

Down in Putney, Tried & True is a large cafe that is family, cyclist, and dog friendly cafe with both indoor and outdoor seating. It’s got a a great brunch menu that will certainly not leave even those with a large appetite hungry, friendly staff, and a clean colourful interior. It’s a fabulous local spot – go early!

FLAT WHITE – SOHO

Whilst spinning delicious coffees, Flat White is a champion of the all-day-breakfast and perfect for brunch. as well as tasty lunch-time offers of sandwiches, baguettes, toasties and our famous bagels & “one of the best SMASHED AVO’S on toast this side of the equator.” Quote marks because I haven’t road-tested them so can’t conclusively confirm this as a fact, yet.

PRUFROCK – FARRINGDON

Prufrock’s Kitchen offers a delicious range of seasonal, home-cooked food for breakfast and lunch. And their coffee is always banging.

OZONE COFFEE ROASTERS – SHOREDITCH & LONDON FIELDS

Ozone Coffee Roasters, just over from the Old Street Bermuda Triangle Roundabout is another such place that has become part of a routine I never want to change. Helping to soothe that little tic in my expat heart, it’s somewhere that we keep diverting back to, time and time again. There is something about the Kiwiana carefully placed all over the beautifully industrial walls, the lovely Eggs Benedict, piping hot Flat Whites and ready supply of Lamingtons that sets up a siren call each time brunch is mentioned within a certain group of Kiwi friends…

THE BACH – BROADWAY MARKET

A bach (pronounced ‘batch’) is a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house. Baches are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture and are great places to unwind – this is the ethos of this small, bustling Kiwi cafe.

LONG WHITE CLOUD CAFE – SHOREDITCH

Long White Cloud is a café and gallery space located on Hackney Road bordering Shoreditch and Hoxton, near to Columbia Road Flower Market and on the way to Broadway Market. Long White Cloud has a delicious free-range, fair trade and locally sourced menu.

INVENTIVE KIWI CAFES

As a nation we’re OBSESSED with brunch, and are quite proud of the inventive ways in which we break our midday(ish) fast.

CARAVAN – KINGS CROSS, EXMOUTH MARKET, CITY, BANKSIDE, LONDON BRIDGE, FITZROVIA & VARDO – SLOANE SQUARE

The whizz-kids behind Caravan Coffee Roasters have come a long way since opening their first gaff on Exmouth Market. Now spread across the capital, each site follows the formula with urban-industrial interiors and a seasonally changing all-day menu bristling with ideas from around the world – including the jamon and smoked san simon croquettes with saffron mayonnaise… I love their inventive menus that keep me visiting time and time again.

FLOTSAM & JETSAM – WANDSWORTH, DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY & CLIFTON NURSERIES

A friend of mine raved about Flotsam and Jetsam for an age before I made it out to Wandsworth, but now I get the excitement. The interiors are SUPER cute, but the biggest draw here is the food – they serve an amazing coffee hollandaise with their eggs Benedict that works so very well (so well in fact that my friend always orders an extra helping, and spends time in the gym just for it). It’s a busy, suburban spot and deserves all the rave reviews.

IRIS & JUNE – VICTORIA

We (3 quarters of the table who all ordered the same smashed avocado dish – our table mate went mushroom toast) never quite expected a show-stopping tower of brunch to arrive in front of us. Poppadoms stacked with sprouted lentils, a sweet green tomato salsa, the pop of kasundi, homemade grilled paneer which was heavenly and a perfectly poached egg. Delicious, gluten-free AND healthy… we followed it up with an (also delicious) brownie chaser and another well-brewed flat white as we nattered on.

So, which of these Kiwi cafes are you going to visit next? (Have I missed one? Please let me know below and I’ll add it to this list!)

Oh, and here’s a handy GoogleMap.

I’ve also rounded up my favourite Aussie cafes in London if you’re so inclined…