Algerian Coffee Stores

52 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 4PB
The smell alone is overwhelming. Like the proverbial child in a sweet shop, I don't really know what to do with myself as I try to take in the sheer range and amount of product on offer. Right in the heart of Soho, I must have walked past this place hundreds of times before and paid no mind to its scruffy red awning and non-descript entrance.

Opening way back in 1887 and bringing in coffee blends from all around the world, the wooden display case and counter of The Algerian Coffee Stores haven’t changed in 128 years, with blends unique to the store since its inception, there are some in there that simply aren't available anywhere else in the world as they are the only people who know what they are composites of. So many excellent options all in jars and weighed and measured out for each order, it is a coffee lover's mecca. What's more is that they try to resist market forces and not let the coffee they sell be affected by inflation, as such you can buy a hot latte from them for just £1!

It's strange how we change. Years ago I had a girlfriend who I would watch from across the kitchen table as she would try and froth milk into a suitable enough state for her morning cappuccino, that otherwise came out of a packet, and I'd relly not get it. Why all the effort for your morning coffee? Now I agonise over which bean I'm going to buy to take home, grind, extract and then foam milk for. I went for the Javan blend of the month. All this intense deliberation over coffee and I'm actually in Soho for something completely different.