Monmouth CoffeeCompany

Monmouth started roasting coffee in the basement of its Covent Garden shop on Monmouth Street in 1978, long before London cared, and did as much as anyone to teach the city about single-origin coffee. It is still privately held — Anita Le Roy, who built it, remains the majority owner — and has stayed a handful of shops rather than a chain, roasting for its own counters and a devoted wholesale list. The original Monmouth Street shop is a pilgrimage. Queue for a filter and a pastry; it earned the queue decades ago.