Bespoke Brews: Touring London’s finest tailors and fashionable cafes for unmissable sartorial pairings

The synergy between good coffee and quality clothing can be seen whenever the sartorial consigliere descends upon Florence to embark on a week-long tailoring trade show called Pitti Uomo. While the Italians are well-known for their love of an espresso or 12, closer to home, you’ll see the best-dressed of London turn every road into a catwalk, usually with a takeaway coffee from cafes in hand, too.

My shopping trips are often punctuated with coffee stops and so it helps when there are great options in close proximity within the Mayfair-Savile Row-Fitzrovia trifecta. There’s something satisfying about discussing things that are beautifully-designed over something that’s wonderfully made. The feeling of knowing where your clothes come from and who made your coffee, a personal appeal unrivalled for those that care about what they wear and consume.

The time poured into every stitch runs parallel to the time it takes to produce the beans to create the best pour. We spend our lives striving for the creme de la creme, and while the concept of ‘perfection’ doesn’t exist — for me, anyway — the people running these brands come pretty close.

Here, we’ve highlighted a few coffee spots and clothes shops that are best sampled together.ANDERSON & SHEPPARD AND NKORA COFFEE | SAVILE ROW

Anderson & Sheppard, the tailoring house and haberdashery owned by Anda Rowland, is one of the most esteemed names in the world of tailoring and beyond. The suitmaker of choice for everyone from Fred Astaire to Daniel Craig played an integral part in Savile Row’s inception, and now resides on the parallel Burlington Street, with the brand’s haberdashery situated around the corner on Clifford Street.

From some of the finest suits ever made to some of the most beautiful casual pieces you’re likely to find, visiting Anderson & Sheppard is worth the trip alone. However, should you fancy a brew to kickstart such a visit, you’re in luck.

Nkora was one of the first specialty coffee spots to open in the area, and considering it’s less than a minute away from the haberdashery, the two became pretty much synonymous and simpatico.

I’ve had the pleasure of using Nkora as a base for meetings, coffee breaks, and photoshoots – including for Anderson & Sheppard themselves. It’s almost a new rite of passage that one should walk into Anderson & Sheppard with a cup of Nkora coffee in hand. Just promise not to spill it.

anderson-sheppard.co.uk; nkora.co.ukRICHARD GELDING AND HAGEN | MAYFAIR

Moving into Mayfair, one of the best spots for classic tailoring and luxury clothing can be found at the top end of North Audley Street. Richard Gelding was founded in 1976, and was recently acquired by Mike Hughes, whom I’d best describe as enigmatic and charismatic.Purveyor of brands including Carmina, Altea, Canali and more, you’re in the right place for all-year-round, head-to-toe ensembles.

You’re not short of coffee options when you’re in his neck of the woods, but considering Hagen has opened quite literally next door, this is the instant choice for a finely timed espresso. At the time of writing, the London-founded Danish espresso bar Hagen has been open for exactly one day, and we’ve already frequented it several times. 

With elegant and simple branding, the interior is equally beautiful and befitting of such a location. I’m already looking forward to spending way too much time there.

richardgelding.com; thehagenproject.comCLUTCH CAFE AND ARCHETYPE | FITZROVIA

From the Row to Fitzrovia, anyone even remotely clued into the Amekaji scene will be familiar with Clutch Cafe. Located in a Grade II listed building on the corner of Great Portland Street. and Riding House Street, the Japanese magazine/clothing store stocks some of the world’s finest brands, with everything from magazines to knitwear to denim jackets, boots and more available to peruse and purchase.

Once upon a time, they even had a coffee shop directly inside — my educated guess is that this may explain the ‘cafe’ element of Clutch Cafe. It has since taken a backseat (now being reserved for staff only) but don’t fret, as a simple jaunt down the road will take you to one of London’s best hidden gems.

Archetype was founded by Aaron Murly in 2022, and let’s just say it’s my first port of call whenever I’m near. I first came across it after I was left waiting at Kaffeine due to their morning rush (for the record, Kaffeine is another café well worth the wait, but I was in a race against time that particular day). Across the road, I noticed a beautiful shop facade with an equally beautiful typeface. I gave it a closer inspection and the rest was history.

Not only does Archetype offer great coffee, matcha and more, but nine times out of ten, Aaron will be the one serving you. His warmth and hospitality is infectious and if you immediately want to become his best friend – just be warned that the queue for that is equally as long.

clutch-cafe.com; @archetype.fitzrovia

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