Stokey Garden & Flower Store
Tucked just off Church Street, Stokey Garden is exactly the kind of café that makes you slow down and take a breath. Part café, part urban garden haven, it’s a delight on sunny mornings when the blooms spill out into the outdoor space and the world feels a bit softer. Coffee here is friendly and uncomplicated, brunch is fresh and seasonal, and there’s a relaxed vibe that makes it easy to linger over a cappuccino or pastry. A perfect escape from the high street hum – feel free to let locals in on this one, but not too loudly.
Esters
Even if you’re not a coffee lover, a good cafe should most definitely begin with good coffee. That’s because if a cafe takes its coffee seriously, then it will do the same with its food. Esters is one such cafe. Tucked away behind bustling Church street, each time you visit, you feel like you’ve uncovered a little gem that not everyone knows about. You also feel you kind of want to keep it that way. Cosy but somehow finding enough room for everyone, this cafe prides itself on doing everything well. Using trusted roasters for their coffee and local supplies for their ingredients to serve up delicious brunches which are a little twist on what you’d expect are what make this cafe a standout. The bircher muesli strawberry-rhubarb compote, house yoghurt & pistachios is one such dish. Shhhhh, let’s just keep it between us.
estersn16.com
Idea Fabrika London
Idea Fabrika feels like a little creative hideaway right on Stoke Newington High Street — small but beautifully considered. It’s the sort of place that draws you in with the smell of well-brewed coffee and homemade cakes, and keeps you there with its warm, welcoming atmosphere. Mornings here are gentle: think skilfully made espresso, generous slices of banana bread or a seasonal tart, and plenty of cosy corners to settle into your thoughts. It’s the sort of local favourite you tell friends about — and then happily return to yourself.
ideafabrika.co.uk
215 Hackney
This one’s a neighbourhood institution – beloved for its strong coffee, relaxed brunch plates and congenial vibe. 215 Hackney strikes a brilliant balance between a café and a community hub: the food feels simple but thoughtful, the queues on weekend mornings are a sign of widespread affection, and it’s just as good for a quick coffee as it is for a lazy long brunch. There’s a rhythm here that feels effortless — like you’re stepping into a place everyone already loves.
215hackney.co.uk
Jolene
Jolene is the kind of place that makes you rethink what a neighbourhood café can be. Sitting proudly on Newington Green, it’s calm, confident and quietly brilliant. Baking is taken seriously here – really seriously– and it shows in everything from the perfectly laminated pastries to the chewy, flavourful sourdough that regulars plan their mornings around. The coffee is excellent, the space is light and unfussy, and the food feels considered without ever being showy. There’s a sense that nothing is rushed, yet everything is exactly as it should be. Come for a croissant and a flat white, stay longer than planned, and leave already thinking about your next visit.