Mouse Tail Coffee Stories

Arch 3, Deptford Railway Station, Deptford High St, Deptford, London SE8 4NS
Usually it would be a bit odd for a place serving food and drink to be named after a type of vermin but Mousetail Coffee actually takes its name from what the ideal stream of coffee should look like coming from an espresso machine. If the stream were strong and consistent enough it should, indeed, look like a mouse’s tail.
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Sequestered under the railway arches of Deptford station, this is a major contributor to the burgeoning and incredibly strong coffee scene that this small slice of South London is proud to have. The gentle rumbling of trains overhead is quiet enough to offer a soothing ambience to the chill out tunes and gentle patter rather than puncture the quiet.
The atmosphere is kept to a trendy, low-lit hum in amongst the verdant plant life from the florist next door and chic minimalist fittings that belie this powerhouse of caffeine South of the river with footholds in Greenwich, New Cross and other places but here feels like it’s true home.
Roasting their own beans, the taste can alter season to season but for the most part you’d be expecting something sweet and nutty and dairy free milk alternatives are available. Snacks abound, their menu is a reflection of peak coffee shop eating with vegan options and a daily change of what’s on offer, whilst baked goods from their own visionary chef come into play also. What’s nice about this is that very little goes to waste as they have a signed agreement with the organisation OLIO that means any leftover food that is still edible at the end of the day is distributed to those who are in need of a meal.
One critics it has come in for is that it typifies the very real face of gentrification in the area and whilst we can all agree this sort of urban regeneration is flawed, it would be unfair to lame the blame at the feet of businesses trying to make a name for themselves in the area and there seems to be a genuine pride and connection to what they are doing and where they come from. Any way you see it though, i would bet on Mousetail being around for quite some time yet.