First things first- I am a self-confessed coffee geek. I roast and grind my own coffee at home, I’m constantly experimenting with blends, and furtively jotting my findings in a little diary (ok it’s an excel sheet, but you get what I mean).
So it’s a gargantuan task for me to find a Roastery or Café that I like. I’m always dragging (read blackmailing or bribing) Savi to go in search of elusive third-wave cafés which make that perfect cup of coffee.
This was how I first discovered Nude Espresso. I remember walking into their roastery, just off London’s Brick Lane, and marvelling at their roasting equipment, variety of beans, and the aroma that filled the air. Years later, Nude is still my go-to place for that perfect espresso/flat white in London.
The East Blend – Perfect for an Espresso
Endless bags of perfectly-roasted coffee at Nude Espresso’s roastery
Recently I got talking to Richard Reed, the co-founder of Nude Espresso, during a cupping session (the equivalent of wine tasting in the world of coffee) at their Roastery. He told me he established Nude Espresso in 2008 to popularise the third wave coffee movement in London. He hails from New Zealand, where he worked for 18 years in the hospitality industry, before taking the plunge and setting up his own coffee roasting company in London. It is easy to see why there is a twinkle in Richard’s eye when he talks about coffee – he is passionate about good coffee and that reflects in the final product.
If you are in the market for roasted coffee beans, I suggest trying Nude’s East Blend, perfect for making an espresso. If espresso is not your cup of tea (Haah!), there are roasted beans to suit all brewing methods. If you are curious about the art of coffee, I suggest you head to Nude’s Roastery to have a chat with the guys. Richard and all the others are welcoming and never shy away from explaining the nuances of coffee roasting and brewing. Richard Williams, the head roaster, has quite evidently championed the complex art of roasting coffee.
Richard at a cupping session at Nude Espresso
Nude Espresso also have two beautiful cafés in Brick Lane and Soho Square. They are usually crowded, but the baristas are never too busy for a quick chat. I am an espresso drinker but Savi loves their flat white and macchiato. All their coffee-based drinks have a depth of flavour that will leave you addicted. They’re universally rich, smooth, and velvety – nom!
Give Nude Espresso a try – we challenge you to find better.
The Nude Espresso Café at Brick Lane
Fact File:
- Nude Espresso’s Roastery is open to the public. They host coffee cupping sessions on the first Friday and last Wednesday of each month. These sessions give customers a good opportunity to taste different kinds of coffees and analyse flavours, notes, and aromas of different brews.
- You can buy their roasted coffee beans from the Roastery and the Cafés. They even throw in a free coffee of your choice when you buy a bag of roasted beans – now that is an offer that is difficult to refuse 🙂
For more information:
Website: http://www.nudeespresso.com/
Address: 26 Hanbury Street, London, E1 6QR
What’s your favourite café – tell us in the comments below 🙂
who wrote this you or Savi? very nice pictures and beautifully written:))) when do we open our NUde :)))
Haha- Vid wrote it, I wouldn’t know my South American blends from African blends 😉
next time I am in L’town-you take me here Savi :). Beautifully written!
It’s a date Ratika 🙂
I’m not a coffee drinker – sorrrrry lol – but I did enjoy a siphon coffee that my partner had once made for me. Have you tried one as yet?
Hey Tasha – yep I’ve tried using a siphon. I do enjoy it, but I’m still partial to my espressos 😉
Beautiful pictures! I didn’t know about ‘cupping’ but after reading this post am glad to have added a new word to my dictionary 🙂
So happy to hear you enjoyed this post Shireen. Your comment has given Vid the perfect excuse to burden our readers with some crazy coffee-related vocabulary 😉
Thanks for this blog – I’m definitely going to check out Nude. My current regular is Curators near Leadenhall market which I find absolutely splendid but always open to testing other coffeehouses 🙂
Hey Jas- tell us what you thought of Nude. We will definitely try Curators. We’re thinking of putting together a post on our favourite (five?) cafes in London soon 🙂
A Must visit place on my next visit to London!
Aditi do write to us when you visit Nude – would love to know what you thought of their coffee 🙂
I am a HUGE coffee snob and really struggled to find any cafes that reached my high standards when I first moved to London, but Nude is now a regular stop when I’m in Brick Lane/Soho. I’m lucky that my local deli sells whole Nude beans; I love the East blend too and make a great pot of filter coffee with it – here are some other London coffee picks I recommend: http://www.ellecroft.com/blog/2013/03/around-london-best-coffee-spots/
Hi Elle,
Glad to see your interest in speciality coffee. So lucky that your local deli sells the East blend, although I don’t mind going into their roastery/cafe to get the beans – the guys are always up for a nice cofee-geek kind of chat 😉 Had a look at your list – have been to all of them many many times in the past few years – the advantages of living in London, eh ? 🙂 I’d also add Tapped and Packed, Ozone and Prufrock to that list if you haven’t been to those places already !! Happy coffee drinking 🙂
Oooh, good recommendations, thanks – I have never heard of Tapped and Packed (great name), so will have to take a look. Been meaning to try Ozone and Prufrock for a while…must do that!
Absolutely LOVE Nude Espresso. If you love coffee then head to Love in A Cup on Osborne Street at the start of Brick Lane. Really Really tiny but delicious coffee none the less!
Cheers,
Ankita
http://living-n-escaping.blogspot.in/
Thanks for the tip Ankita- will hunt it down. Brick Lane is full of li’l gems 🙂