Dartbrooke Coffee

1 Leather Ln, Holborn, London EC1N 2TD
Dartbrooke Coffee looks like it’s having a tough time of it at the moment, being sandwiched in between one premises that is boarded up and another that is covered in scaffolding. I suppose it probably is, in some senses, given that the entirety of the hospitality industry is struggling against the tide that is the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s far from a shabby street corner caffeine slinger that it’s derelict neighbours might suggest it is, as it’s actually a boutique of specialty coffee delights pushing ethically sourced and organic, where it can.
Just outside of Liverpool Street station, you’d hope that it would pick up enough passing trade from the more discerning consumer who would forego the platform level chain cafés for the sake of walking a few extra feet but it’s tiny premises mean only one person (or one support bubble) can be inside ordering a time (rather amusingly, they still accept orders shouted from the front door though). 
Something you don’t see often enough is a variety of beans to choose from and, whilst a house blend is available for those who don’t know their onions from their coffee beans, the fact that they grind on demand means that you can choose your origin and flavour to your palate from a simply staggering range of varietals that seems over the top given the size of the store! In any case, I opt for an incredibly sweet and smooth oat latte that slides down incredibly well given the amount of coffee I’ve already drunk today and I can’t quite believe I’ve found such a gem of a place so close to the station I most regularly come into London via. 
Fresh French pastries, Portuguese tarts and other sweet treats top-off the offerings and scream ‘premium’ alongside the abundance of coffee. In a market where the middle class demand variety, choice is king and so you’d suspect, in more normal times, Dartbrooke would be flying high. I hope they can muddle through this mess because if I can get decent third-wave coffee on my way home, without having to break stride or change route, then I’m sitting pretty, laughing all the way home in caffeinated bliss.