The Monocle Café

My favourite cafe in town, great pastries and relaxed atmosphere. I have also been an avid reader of Monocle since 2022 and if you are not familiar with the publication you can grab one of their magazines and read them with their wonderful matcha tea or coffee. It’s a beautiful experience in a lovely location.

A very popular café every time I walked by it was crowded, so I never stopped in😅 but they actually have seating in the basement. The matcha coconut cake was amazing! (I cant remember the exact name😅😂) Coffee was okay, and the staff were lovely

Visited Monocle to kick off my day with a morning coffee. The staff were incredibly welcoming, smiling, and had such a positive attitude — a perfect start to the day. If you’re lucky enough to find an empty table downstairs, the place feels quite cozy. I also had a cookie, which was just okay, nothing special. I was in a rush, otherwise I would’ve tried something else.

I was very eager to try this café as I read all the great reviews but unfortunately the egg sando was very dry and bland which was so disappointing since this is one of their "known" menu items. I also ordered the matcha which was extremely watery and didn't taste much of matcha which was a shame too so I couldn't really say I had a pleasant experience but the location is very nice and the café has a pleasant and comfy vibe to relax and chat/work.

1. Seats: On ground floor, 1 table with 2 seats inside and 2 table with 4 seats outside. On B1 floor there are 6 tables with 12+ seats. 2. No laptop. I've read many posts which were written by foreign students who were doing their dues here, please respect the requirement of the cafe and stop the wrong information. Even today I still saw a student using her laptop… 🤷🏻‍♀️. 3. Light on B1 floor is relatively dark, but it's good for relaxing or chatting with friends (low voice volume please). 4. The matcha tart with white chocolate is super delicious and long black is also very good! Definitely a comfortable place for recharging or relaxing.

Coffee tastes so good, atmosphere so relaxing and chilly, great music, great lighting, for a moment of peace in the chaos

Lovely café with a beautiful aesthetic. The Americano is EXCELLENT , one of the best I had in London. The staff are always so friendly. It does get crowded and seats fill up fast, but definitely worth a visit!

Walked by 4 coffee shops to come to this one. It’s nice to check it off the list when traveling. The pastries were good. The shop in the back is well designed. The staff were nice. The atmosphere downstairs felt like a restaurant and not coffee shop which I enjoyed. I love the personal touch of no computer screens while you are there.

Great food. Lovely staff and clean cute inside. My best friend took me here while I was visiting and I wish I could eat there again. I'm so glad I have pictures to relive the moment.

Intimate and calm place for a casual breakfast. The cardamom bun is soft and the right amount of chewy, with hints of orange (without being too sweet).

This Baker Street area Monocle-branded shop makes a really good cup of coffee - The true test being plain and black. I found staff really nice, but the tight quarters to get in and out of this place not to my liking. But once, I was outside and had a chance to hang out, it was all good. Next time, I'll go for a pastry and a better look at the nice small selection of Monocle and other magazines. And while we're here, the various small Bespoke shops looked fascinating. And it's only about a 10 minute walk from the Baker Street tube station.

I was visiting London for work and stopped here to pick up coffee, pastries, and the egg salad sandwich. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The sandwich was one of the best egg salad sandwiches I've had. Loved this spot and will be back!

Pretty small, friendly people and fast service! They serve buns with a variety of different spices

Stopped by for a quick lunch just a bit after noon and found out that many of the items were gone already, including katsu sandwiches, so ended up getting a pastrami sandwich and a macchiato for a small pick me up. The sandwich, while tasty, is very small and I ended up getting a cardamom bun as well. The bun was a pleasant surprise as the flavors were subtle but present. Coffee is a bit pricey but it's really the space and the feel of the cafe that people go for. Monocle is a very cool brand and they did a great job with this location!

Nice local cafe with a good selection of drinks and sandwiches! They have a wide selection of soft drinks, coffees, and teas. I got the iced matcha latte, which was perfect on a hot summer day. We also tried their egg sando, which came in three pieces. However, it was a bit too eggy for me. There is a downstairs seating area that is very comfortable, but not too many seats in general.

I visited London about 18 months ago because my friend lives a short walk from Kings Cross and we stumbled upon The Monocle on a walk around the greater neighborhood. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. We sat outside and I got a pot of tea and she got a coffee and we each got this lemon pastry (pictured) and it was amazing! I truly haven't stopped thinking about it in over a year. I love how cute the teapot and plating in. We sat at a one of their outdoor tables and it was just delightful. Highly recommend.

Love this cafe and have been coming here for years. Very much an extension of their brand. Their staff is absolutely fantastic and extremely kind. I was having a terrible day once, and it just must have been obvious even though I had a mask on - the bartender completely cheered me up and gave me an extra version of their delicious croissants to try ( will definitely be getting one the next time I'm there haha ). I don't even live in London but make it a point to go to this cafe whenever I am in town.

Chia pudding was nice.... TERRIBLE COFFEE! so weak... what is going on!? An americano was essentially hot water.

Monocle is a global fashion brand, radio station, and cafe. With outposts in Tokyo, London, and Hong Kong, they aim for a "east meets west" aesthetic of delicious Japanese inspired food, fine Italian espresso, and a very hip, cozy space. A word to the wise: it is very small space, and going with a party larger than 2 is inadvisable. There is one "lounge" area in the back with a few couches, and 2-3 four tops downstairs, but the popularity of the cafe makes it difficult to snag one of the rare openings. The staff are very kind, and seem to be efficient without being rushed - you will not get your food and coffee either quickly or slowly. Hot beverages are served with a small square of chocolate, and all the coffee drinks I have tried there have been top-notch. Food-wise, I've had the cardamum bun, which was flaky without being too dry, with good notes of cardamum flavor, and the chicken katsu sandwich, which was divine. Truly, the bread was perfectly toasted whitebread with incredibly juicy chicken with the fried katsu crust. That earned a wow from me. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back.... Prices are, with somewhere so trendy, a bit on the higher side for food, but fairly typical for food. They have a hot drink reward card which with a free drink for every 5 purchased, is actually very generous. In the evening they serve alcohol. Monocle is a fantastic, special coffeeshop, great for high quality food and drink or to meet a friend to catch up at. All aspects are sure to please.

Monocle Cafe is a chic, minimalist cafe in Marylebone from the creators of the same-named magazine and travel guide series. On offer is very good coffee at high prices, as well as light international fare. My boyfriend and I got Scandinavian and Japanese breakfast sets, respectively, and while neither blew us away they were competently done and a nice change of pace from the rich British food we ate all trip. Very simple and traditional. Service is lackluster, and though coffee was speedy, food is not exactly fast. Be sure to check out the additional seating in the back room and the cozy downstairs, and flip through their slim and design-centric city guides.

Vibes: minimalist, zen, workflow Coffee: I had the mocha which can often go either way; however, dang the mocha was rich-smooth-earthy goodness. Definitely just came in here to beat the cold and think about whether I really wanted to drop £45 on a woolen coat... it's a get location to chill out and get some work done though, there's outlets in the back room which feature comfy Japanese-inspired couches (think muji meets jaeger -- if you don't know the brand jaeger def look that up). There's also seating downstairs, I have not ventured there as it was full when I arrived, but presumably there's seating and outlets and über-fashionable millennials working. Also, while you're here check out OXFAM -- and if you're here after Feb 2, 2019 Cancer Research Center -- for good thrifting.

Great coffee spot with tasty coffee (reasonably priced considering the area) and very good service. You can also get complimentary mint flavored water.

To be fair... I only tried the food here - specifically the chicken curry. Don't be fooled by the prices because the portions are quite small. The chicken curry itself was alright - wished they put a bit more sauce with the rice cause the ratio is definitely off. The flavors were okay - actually reminded me of microwave curry you can get at a Tesco or a Waitrose. For the price you pay, the portion you get, and the taste... definitely a 3 star for me. Probably won't be coming back for their food, but maybe their coffee - which is what they seem to be known for.

Monocle is a posh cafe along Chiltern Street serving up elegant hot drinks, pastries, and other cafe fare. I tried the cardamom pastry which was a cool flavour profile but a bit too doughy and not strong enough for my tastes. It's slightly higher-end and more designed to sit on a little table on the street and people watch while you lounge, as opposed to just getting something casual and affordable to go. Overall a fine place, but not my favourite in the area.

Favorite coffeeshop in my neighborhood. They have tons of seating, super friendly staff, great coffee, and good options for food. Can't ask for better

Coffee is great. Love it. Great ambiance interior & exterior. Highly recommend. If you can, avoid the food (at least the toasts). It's not great, very basic and lack of flavor. Avocado is super skimp, hardly much put on the toast- almost like decoration for color. The pictures of the menu at the till are deceiving.

I was intrigued by the idea of a cafe connected with the Monocle Magazine brand. Like the magazine this is a high end, quality establishment great tasting food and coffee. Its mid range in price, and definitely a great place for breakfast. If this place was a movie it would be Oceans 11 just for George Clooney's silky smooth panache

We came here early on a Sunday morning and it was quiet and comfortable. I wish we could find places like that in San Francisco. Any decent place has crazy queues starting early in the morning. Anyway, I mainly loved the atmosphere, and the attention they paid to all the little details. The tea was really nice, huge pieces of ginger and fresh mint leaves, really warming and comforting. The cinnamon roll was quite nice as well but I think it's from another bakery, Fabrique perhaps. I would not get the avocado toast again because I personally do not enjoy spelt bread. I've had better. But I did hear that the katsu sandwich here is great, so try that!

Absolutely love the coffee here. If I'm anywhere close to this part of town, I'll take a 10 minute walk to be able to pick up a coffee from the Monocle Cafe. Thanks to Dan for introducing me to this gem of a place. They have a good sized food menu too, but so far I've only stopped here for the coffee (hot and iced). There are a couple of tables out front on the pavement and since this road area low traffic volumes, it's a great place to sit in good weather. There are some comfy tables indoors too. It's a small space, but sufficient. Plus they have a tiny bar space opposite the serving counter. The staff are always super friendly and helpful and I always leave with a smile on my face. They have recently started a loyalty card where every 6th coffee is free.

Nice cafe and atmosphere. I had a coffee and a Japanese breakfast and i enjoyed both. I would recommend and it for ppl who wants to try asian food and especiality coffees.

Very small cafe on Chiltern Street, which is a quiet and fancy street with the famous Chiltern Firehouse restaurant right across the street and many other shops and cafes. I got a latte here which was nice :) Came here with Marek for a coffee catchup. There's seating downstairs and although not much luckily we got a table! They have lanterns hanging over the tables and flowers on the tables so decor is quite nice.

We just stumbled upon this lovely coffee shop - what a great surprise! It is from the London guys who publish Monocle magazine, so a lot of stuff inside is themed accordingly, including playing their own radio in the background! The place is tiny when looking from the outside, but has extra seating downstairs. They also sell all sorts of packages with your coffee - walk a bit past the counter and you will see a sign for magazine + coffee, or coffee + tote or Christmas bundles including a guide book to any of their 15 destinations. Inside I also noticed quite a large menu for food - sandwiches, salads and a few other bites - which I would not think they would serve looking just from the outside. Too bad we already ate! And coffee? Was simply delicious, very milky and sweet :) And each cup comes with a small chocolate

Adorable cafe in Marylebone with Japanese-inspired dishes such as the Japanese breakfast with egg, miso soup, nigiri rice ball peppered with sesame seeds. There are also a selection of sammies, salads, soups, and other small nibbles such as matcha cakes and croissants. Every drink is served on a wooden tray and garnished with a tiny square of wrapped chocolate, a nice little touch. The downstairs seating space has to be the most impressive. It's very comfortable with a lengthy padded bench with tables suitable for studying or working. It does get quite hot downstairs in the afternoon, but offset it with a cold drink. They also recently started offering happy hour drinks around 1730. Staff are very attentive to customers and the space, so it is always very tidy. Green tea leaves a bit to be desired, the flavor profile is slightly off, so perhaps, sticking with the espresso-based drinks or black teas are a better option.

Coffee- delicious & good, check. Ambience- bustling & quaint, check. Pastries- different & delicious, check. Basically covered everything I love & look for in a good coffee shop!!!

A lovely place near Baker Street. I fall in love with iced latte together with brunch set Rice Taco and Avocado open sandwiches. I would come again for my next time coming to London.

So happy that I stopped into Monocle today on my way to Oxford Street! Advertised as a Japanese café that also serves Scandinavian breakfasts/pastries (...?), it's essentially just an airy, light space with an equally light yet filling menu. Everything about it is aesthetically pleasing - from the staff, whose shirts match the black and white striped awning outside, to the kitschy wooden plating - and it's a place that clearly takes both its coffee and its customers seriously. I was in the mood for a mocha this morning, and I'm super happy I tried one instead of my usual latte - it was very lightly sweet and had just the right hint of chocolate. I also tried the bircher muesli and, because I couldn't help myself, a chocolate chip cookie. Both were excellent, and I was definitely full after my meal. There is no wifi, which I was a bit worried about at first, but it gave me a great space to catch up on non-line work. I'm mentally bookmarking this as a place to come back to when I want to catch up with friends and put my digital life on hold for a bit.

Food is good but little choice Coffee is very good Quirky place without much seating Room st back is best Downstairs crowded Service ok Just come for takeaway

There are many excellent third wave cafes in London, a few could be considered the finest anywhere. Monocle Cafe is an insult to third wave cafes everywhere. First, the "food" couldn't have been drier or more unappealing if it were a feminist's vagina. I won't go into details because I'd vomit at the trauma. The decor must've been inspired by a fast food sushi restaurant at a Scandinavian airport (its namesake publication has fetishes for both). The pictures just don't do its sterility justice. A few minutes there will reduce your sperm count and cause you to miss a few menstruation cycles because your eggs will rot. Some cafes are sexy, Monocle Cafe is the antidote to Viagra. The employees are joyless and bewildered why you'd pay to be there. The other patrons are silently crying about what went wrong in their lives. Now then you'll their eyes begging for answers in desperately concealed misery. As for the coffee, well, you're not coming for that. You're there because you're a hermaphrodite in search of a pronoun. But it's terrible. A stain on the third wave coffee movement it pretends to be part of. Oh, please don't bring dogs or any other living innocence there. Not even they could protect you from such high exposures of pretension.

Best cup of coffee near Baker Street. And let me tell you, Baker Street pours a crap lot of shit coffee, ok? Pret, Costa, Paul, Starbucks, Eat, Pret, Pure, Pret, Pret, Pret, Pret -- that's about the bar for Baker Street. If you're looking for an "indie" spot to grab your jolt, The Monocle Cafe will hit you where it counts. I'm not much for the whole "brand" or "lifestyle" of "Monocle" (cool if you are though) but they serve very good coffee and that is all I needed them for in this lifetime. The flat white, double espresso and iced americano x 20 powered me through many an afternoon. Anytime someone queried at the office "where can I actually get good coffee?" they were immediately sent here without hesitation with a warning on the price tag. Yes, it's overpriced. The coffee is great but it is expensive. £4 for an iced americano!? It is mostly water chappies! Oh well, clearly I sacrificed the coin to get the goods. Just be prepared for the sticker shock on some of the items. *not worker bee friendly (no wifi) -- not encouraged. *a few outside tables will allow you to people watch the who's who of London trotting in and out of Chiltern Firehouse. *there is more seating downstairs. *small Japanese cafe menu on offer (I've never tried) If you are reading this, you need coffee (good coffee) in the sea of dreaded chain coffeeland, here's your solve. You're welcome. Buzzzzzz.

Tucked away opposite on the Chiltern Firehouse, off of Baker street, this place is a real gem. It's what you'd want a quiet cafe to be--secluded, with friendly staff, lovely food, and baked goods. The best thing on the menu, undoubtedly, is the cardamom bun--a lesser known cousin of the now famous cinnamon bun. It was so good that I got one, took a bite when I left the shop, and then went right back in to get another one because my wife and I knew that our love wasn't strong enough to withstand sharing this piece of heaven. They have some unusual flavors in macaroons. My favorite would definitely be the black sesame and matcha. They have cakes from Lanka which I intend to go back for--especially the matcha variety. Expect me again soon, Monocle.

My husband and I were craving for a traditional Japanese breakfast and we were not disappointed by Monocle's breakfast (REAL miso soup, tofu, pickles, omelette and sesame onigiri). The location is super cosy and quiet,and the food was delicious. A real taste of Japan in London for 8£. The shop is quite small so seated places are limited, but if you go there on a week morning, the place is pretty empty (we got the back room with sofa and armchair for ourselves).

How beautiful is this cafe! It's like living a day in a monocle magazine. The place is a mix of Japanese contemporary architecture and modern beech wood benches. The staff even got into the whole look and feel of the place. Coffee is pretty good, tea is even better and you can get matcha lattes here: yum. If you are into pastries go no further than the cinnamon scrolls. They are zesty, cardamom, sticky amazingness. The Swedish and the Japanese breakfasts are beautiful and light, but substantial making them a nice healthy start to the day. Biggest highlight of all: the heated toilet seat. Wow.

So - finally the Monocle Café has opened on Chiltern Street, completing a streak of considered branding and well-dressed staff that fully traverses Marylebone, and includes the magazine's offices (Midori House), a shop (George Street), a concession in the Hyatt on Portman Square, and now at long last, the café. For those of us that work in the area, this is welcome relief from Baker Street's chains and Marylebone High Street's lovely but pricey offerings (cf. Providores, La Fromagerie et al). The coffee is sourced from Redchurch Street-Kiwi outfit Allpress, with input on the pastries and baked goods from Lanka's Masayuki Hara and the London outpost of Stockholm's Fabrique bakery. A very strong line-up, then. Although not fully-operational menu-wise (... yet), the macchiato and espresso served was solid - if not quite perfectly pulled by the smart barista - but the macaron I was served on a second visit was La Durée-esque in its moist, flaky goodness. Other offerings, including Japanese chocolate bars ('Crunky'!), rollcake laden with fresh fruit and cream and lovely-looking cinnamon buns were available. In any case, once they've put their full breakfast/lunch (and brunch on weekends) menus in place then this review can be updated and be possibly more than a slightly-informative waste of time. The space itself is light, sleek and very, very 'Monocle'; brushed wood and clean lines lend the café the requisite Japano-Nordic feel, with seating outside underneath the awning complemented by a more sedate area at the back of the café with Monocle 24 - the brand's radio station - on constant loop and comfortable minimalist furniture to lounge in and kill your afternoon or chat away to your coffee companion. The lack of significant footfall will likely not detract from this being another very successful Monocle operation - the place is awash with Monocle-ites already, and with hotelier André Balazs opening what is looking to be a very swish - and likely very ££££ - boutique joint smack-bang opposite later on in 2013, flying trade is assured for the future. In short, go whilst the place is still half-empty and enjoy your Allpress espresso and matcha rollcake whilst being seated is still a realistic proposition.

One of my fave cafes in London, always welcoming and obviously great coffee too. I highly recommend the cortado, wonderfully accompanied by a choc mint. They serve food but have not samples as of yet. Love the back room which has sofas and a real living room feel as it is separate to the main area.

One of my favorite breakfast/brunch/lunch spots in this area. Great coffee drinks and excellent food. The potato rosit, chicken katsu, and smoked salmon/avocado toasts are great.

How cool is it that your favorite magazine has it's own stores and cafes? I love how Monocle designed this little and very cute café right on the cozy Chiltern Street. A large variety of different coffees and teas are available, while the menu is very international. An assortment of pastries are also available. Coffee here is good, you can read the magazine for free or buy their bargain: The newest magazine and a cup of coffee at only 6 GBP. I love the design. Light, little and very cozy. Everything with a japanese twist of course.

Lovely little Japanese cafe. Actually, you know what I don't know what it actually is!! They seem to have travel journals & magazine as well as serving great coffee & Japanese food as well as Scandinavian brekkie!!! The katsu prawn sandwich is the most delicious underwhelming sandwich I've ever had!! My mum took me to this little place as shes obsessed, and rightly so, with their coffees. I was hungry so tried that one, half convinced to be honest. But it was amaziiiing! looks simple but tasty extraordinary!!

Very memorable experience of the trip in london. Food was light n tasty. Relaxing interior for some instagram photos. Loved it

Now this place deserves the adjective word, "cozy". Exhibit one is the toilet. They have the high-tech Japanese toilet that is ready to welcome you with heated seat, music, and variety of automatic flush features. You would wish to stay in their toilet longer if they had more than one. I tried one of them in Japan so I was very happy to find them here. I know it's not coffee-related review but a truly decent and dazzling toilet can make your visit special. Exhibit two is the interior. The place is not that big with only a couple side bars and stools and four tables for two people downstairs. But I liked the semi-private room on the first floor that has a comfortable sofa enough to fit 4 persons, a TV, and coffee tables. Most of the furnitures are very modern, simple, natural and space-savings, similar to what I've seen at Muji, the Japanese retail shop. Monocle magazines are everywhere for you to grab and read since this is the spinoff. In terms of food, monocle has a diverse selection of food from German breakfast to Japanese udon that can suit to whatever cravings you may have. Their small selection of pastries looked all enticing. I enjoyed the green tea cupcake and cinnamon roll accompanied by a hot mocha. The Bircher muesli and selection is toasts looked also very tempting and I have already made plans to visit this place again and try more food. Price is a bit above average. A regular cup of mocha is £3.50 and the cupcake is £3.50. They don't have wi-fi and that's why I didn't see anyone working on a laptop.

I went on a Saturday and was quite busy and difficult to find a seat. But in general, I enjoyed the cafe's ambience. The small room on the ground floor with couches where you sit with strangers was also quite fun. I tried the iced matcha latte, and loved how it wasn't sweet! Friends also say the (Japanese) food here is good too!

Go downstairs where it is cozy and warm but don't arrive hungry. The avocado & halloumi sandwich was probably the tiniest, overpriced portion I've ever had. My friend had the grilled cheese, which was a bit more substantial but v messy. Must try Japanese breakfast next time!

Great little cafe on a residential street. Nice quiet part of London. I had a café and a sweet roll. High quality and great service. Gets my top rating.

Small cosy cafe in Marylebone area. Not in the high street, thus you will have to do a small search to find it. There is some extra seating downstairs. Excellent quality of coffee and of course you are in the source of one of the most hister magazines; The Monocle.

Wow wow wow it's a great late I ever had.. It's matcha latte ( green tea latte ) unique latte the taste was delicious .. Cinnamon Buns was Yuumy .. The store was decorated in a nice way they have a small rest room was really cute ..staff are friendly all in all guys you should visit them

Food was really good almost like real one. But food was kinda small lol Definitely good food.

This is a quirky cafe that does decent coffee with a japanese inspired lunch menu. Also a bit of gift shop selling interesting things like hand made chocolates and nick nacks. Nice ambiance, relaxing downstairs area to sit and enjoy. The food is nice but portions are small, after lunch I had to buy more food as I left hungry!

Everything is beautifully done. Lovely ambiance, outstanding lemonade and iced tea. Each beverage comes with a small square of chocolate. I am excited to return!