Coffeelover

Where it began for me — three London cafés and the first sips of specialty coffee that tasted unlike anything I knew.

How it started

Years ago in London I tasted coffee that felt almost… sour. Bright, fruity, nothing like what I was used to. At first I wasn’t sure I liked it — and then I couldn’t go back. Back then it was something truly new in my world. I had never come across coffee like that in Czechia. Today it’s standard in good cafés.

Specialty coffee opened a world where a cup speaks of origin, roast, and the moment you drink it. It began in three places I still remember: Kaffeine, Milkbar, and Monmouth Coffee Company.

Lada with brunch toast — a memory from London

Kaffeine

Great Titchfield Street, London

One of the first cups that made me understand coffee can be bright and alive. A narrow space, a carefully made cappuccino, and a flavour that stayed with me.

Kaffeine storefront on Great Titchfield Street

Milkbar

Bateman Street, Soho · Flat White Network

Soho, brunch, and coffee that makes you slow down. Milkbar was about atmosphere as much as taste — about a good morning that can taste exactly like this.

Monmouth Coffee Company

Shopfront № 27, London

A classic I still return to in my mind. The queue, the smell of freshly ground coffee, and a cup that reminded me why I love that bright, “sour” taste.

Monmouth Coffee Company storefront number 27