Forum Topic

Best Coffee in Ealing/Northfields?

Having just moved to the area (and an avid coffee buff) I'm trying to locate the nicest cafe (and tastiest coffee) in the area, that don't require driving to get to... am particularly fond of Carluccio's in Ealing Broadway, but since I live in Northfields anywhere south (like Brentford) and of course Chiswick is also nice.Any suggestions?  No Starbucks or Costa please (I save those for the daily takeaway)...

Alex Ferizis ● 6975d29 Comments

I have to say that the nicest coffee in the area seems to come from Munson's in South Ealing. Next to the Church, opposite the New Inn pub....  plenty of choice on types of coffee, not just how it's prepared. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed but if you go on a weekend, go early, it is popular! Also well worth the walk....

Ian Jones ● 6974d

Alex,Firstly, welcome to the area! There are lots of nice cafés on Northfield Avenue. Also, if you don't mind going a bit further afield to Brentford, you should also try Grounds coffee bar in Brentford Lock.

James de Vivenot ● 6974d

I like Carluccios on Ealing Green, it's also good for watching the world walk by.

Barbara Yerolemou ● 6974d

Good advice, all, thank you... I'm partial to Carluccio's because, as Barbara said, it's great for people watching (one of my favourite 'sports') with its big glass window facing the street...Any others in a similar style (with decent coffee and sweets)?  Where would you take that special someone (or go there on your own to read the Sunday papers)?

Alex Ferizis ● 6974d

I am very partial to Munson's (Opposite the New Inn on St Mary's Road).  They do good  herby teas too as well as cakes ba.ked by Pan's Mum.  I wipe a surreptitious tear from the eye when I think how long I have been going there

Marjorie Meek ● 6973d

Definately Munsons in St. Mary's Road.  Nice organic coffee. Tiny place though.

Olivera Babic ● 6919d

Munson's is fab - easily the best around though probably also with the priciest pastries.If you can bear the journey - try our Acton local - Vanilla. Excellent coffee, all sorts of treats and everything organic.most worthwhile maybe on a Saturday morning when you can do the farmers' market first and then collapse there after. Now open Sunday mornings too 0930 - 1330 but closed Mondays.A bit of a commercial but I promise no vested interest - unless keeping one brill place on my doorstep counts

Sara Nathan ● 6919d

Went to the new Cafe Nero(opp the old town hall on the Uxbridge Road) - good quality coffee there, but the music was far too loud for comfortable conversation, although the tunes were great...classic jazz and French chansons. The staff were a bit sniffy when we asked for the music to be turned down...they softened it a bit, but soon upped the volume again. Good coffee though.

Gerry Tan ● 6916d

I second Munson's - always a good cuphttp://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/cafe/1603k7l/munson-s

Rose Daly ● 6910d

What's going to happen to Munson's now it's been sold at auction?

Pamela Kay ● 6909d

I like that my original question has prompted such a flurry of replies!I passed by Munson's the other day and it definitely does seem popular!  Didn't have anywhere to sit, though and it seemed a bit dark inside.So far Carluccio's is definitely the best for me.... nice big windows looking out into the street and bright space indoors with lots of choices of coffees and sweets...Any other suggestions?

Alex Ferizis ● 6909d

I don't like Carluccio - usually pricey and customer service is unsatisfactory. Run from Poco Loco, in Uxbridge Road. Even though staff was friendly, they were inefficient (we ordered a tea and it took ages!) We also found the place was not very clean. I liked the Portuguese one, o Porto near in front of YMCA. Another very good was near to Starbucks in Ealing Broadway (I forgot the name).

Lucia Clark ● 6909d

Hey,wait a minute: revert to Miss P Wells'mention of the dread  word auction.  You are speaking of my favourite place.  Do tell  what you know!

Marjorie Meek ● 6908d

A reassuring note to Miss P West.  We Munson Fans can now relax and Cry 'Floreat Munsons'.As to the rest - Carluccio's is Not A Restful Place in which to drink a quiet and restoring coffee.  The clientele appears to consist of many young people, which is excellent, but some of whom seem to think it is their duty and our privilege  to share the too often awful behaviour of their offspring.  Oh come back T G Gown and his lovely helpmeet Gloria who spoke their mind on this topic some years ago and on another website. I ought to mention 'Manyana' (spelt as spoken) - the side of the church at the end of Ranelagh Road. It has v comfy seats  and is also an internet caff. Mine Host is the sweet natured Chris.  While it attracts mothers and children it is not rowdy and the kids dont run around kicking innocent and unrelated ankles as they are suffered to do elsewhere!! The coffee aint bad either.

Marjorie Meek ● 6907d

How come - was it not auctioned - just an urban myth...I can't relax about Munson's fate until I know what it is.Do tell

Sara Nathan ● 6906d

We've defected to Manana too as the coffee is great and we're more likely to find somewhere to sit. Chris and his sidekick Clementine are lovely and bend over backwards to meet their customers' needs. Give it a whirl.

Charlie Canniff ● 6906d

I like Manana too - comfy seats, good coffee, homemade cakes and friendly atmosphere.

Sue Cede ● 6906d

Ask not, Sarah:  suffice it to say that we may bask in the knowledge that we can continue to enjoy Munson's Excellent Coffee not to speak of Pan and Mario's Mum's cakes and Pan's wife's scones forever and a day!

Marjorie Meek ● 6906d

Hiya Majorie, is Miss West my new name??Anyway, check out Athawes  website and you can see that Munson's sold at auction for £465,000 STC.  But seeing you are so familiar with the set-up there why not ask the current owner.

Pamela Kay ● 6906d

Oh No!  Sorry pardon.  I know a Miss Pam Kay and a Miss Pam West from way back, so addlepated old me, suffering from one of my little  Lacunae (which last sounds rather jollier than Senior Moments I always think)I evidently conflated the two names.  Will try harder to focus in future.  Promise.Anyway, as I said in response to Sarah, Munson's will be ongoing and flourishing. No need to panic.

Marjorie Meek ● 6905d

Isn't there a branch of Munsons up at the top of Northfields Rd just before the junction with the Uxbridge Rd?

Emily Driver ● 6881d

Emily wrote: >Isn't there a branch of Munsons up at the top of Northfields Rd just before the junction with the Uxbridge Rd?

David Fox ● 6881d

Try Monzers about two shops past supervision tv shop, very good coffee, friendly service and falafels brill for lunch and you can sit in the window and watch the world go by

Jo Smith ● 6880d

Well, it's not just about great coffee, it's the company that you have whilst drinking the said coffee....(not mentioning the cake or pastry or indeed a scrumptious choux bun with patisserie creme).....Funny as it sounds, but the actual mug you drink out of makes a difference.Coffee and hot chocolate is ideal in a thick-walled mug, whilst tea should be drunk in thin glass mugs...try it....and the quality of the water is important too....Also, if you use sugar - brown sugar in coffee and honey in tea.....I think I have the best coffee at home - but I would say that !

Joanna Dabrowska ● 6878d

"...and the quality of the water is important too..."Some years ago, when Thames Water were working in our road and the water was turned off, we only had bottles of Evian water with which to make tea. It was delicious! Earlier, when we moved from Scotland(Glasgow) to live in Ealing, we noticed, to our horror, the tea was awful...the water in Bonnie Scotland is like nectar! I guess it's all the chalk down here and the chemicals they use to "purify" our London water.

Gerry Tan ● 6878d

Cafe Chai in the Uxbridge Road is good for coffee, and they do a very reasonable breakfast - even nicer if you get a window seat overlooking "the horse" across the road in Old Oak Road.

S. D. Brock ● 6878d

..I agree although I'm told that Thames water is the cleanest in the UK......hard to believe I know. Hard water is supposed to be better for you too.

Penny Crocker ● 6878d

"Hard water is supposed to be better for you too."How can that be? Sometimes I worry that my innards are as calcified as our kettle. Crickey, I might become fully fossilised by the end of this decade! Scary.  :-(

Gerry Tan ● 6877d

Apparantly high levels of lime prevent heart disease or so I'm told. IT is another explanation for varying life expectencies across the UK. No-one seems able to say whether it's diet, water, air quality fitness, class etc

Penny Crocker ● 6877d