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TAP Coffee | HYHOI.com's Best Coffee of 2014 | Soho & Fitzrovia, London
Fitzrovia, London, Soho 2

TAP Coffee: An education in “proper coffee”

By Nina · On 1st July 2014

TAP Coffee was the winner of HYHOI’s Best Coffee award 2014!


My coffee education began on Thursday morning, sitting up at a coffee bar on Wardour Street with the MD of TAP Coffee, Richard Lilley.  We’d chatted about the history of TAP (Tapped & Packed) and the three outposts in London, and Richard was attempting to explain to me (the novice) the subtleties between different bean varieties, different brewing techniques, and how different coffee shops have different approaches to coffee… In the end he promised to invite me to the next “cupping” event (coffee tasting), in the hope that experiencing the different coffees first-hand would accelerate my learning curve!
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
I first ventured into TAP a month or so back, on a mission for cold brew coffee.  The proper coffee, trendy décor and super friendly hipster staff are a massive draw that keeps me going back and back to TAP for more, despite the slightly-longer-than-average walk from office to caffeine fix.
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP No. 193 on Wardour Street is spacious and airy, and bigger than the other branches on Tottenham Court Road (No. 114 – bright and beautiful) and Rathbone Place (No. 26 – super cosy), housing the roaster and ample seating space for informal work meetings and catch ups.  Sweet and savoury snacks are on offer – awesome porridge for breakfast, flavoursome salads and deli-style sandwiches for lunch, and ginormous slices of cake for the sweet tooth (the ever-changing brownie flavours are pretty mind-blowing – peanut butter in the past, and currently coconut macaroon!).  There are also bags of coffee and brewing equipment for sale for those who want to recreate the TAP experience at home (or shop online here).
How gorgeous is this interior, with all the wood and industrial touches?
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP’s cold brew coffee is unlike your average iced coffee, being brewed with cold water over several hours, to create a punchy and invigorating extract.  Sold in wonderful glass medicine bottles, labelled with luggage tags, and retailing at £3.50, this is the strong stuff.  I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the little brown glass bottle, never normally drinking my coffee black – but this wasn’t bitter.  I actually found it very smooth and drinkable without the addition of sugar or milk, only ice.
Cold Brew coffee @ TAP | TAP Coffee | HYHOI.com's Best Coffee of 2014 | Soho & Fitzrovia, London
Cold Brew Coffee @ TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
You can see the adorable TAP loyalty cards in the picture above too – genius!
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
Probably my favourite TAP beverage, however, is the Jam Jar Latte – milky and sweetened with syrup, the ingredients are shaken up and served in a jam jar – just the kind of quirky touch that I love.
Jam Jar Lattes @ TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP do a huge variety of coffee beyond the types I’ve mentioned – hopefully as my coffee education continues I’ll be able to tell you more!  I’ve been doing my homework and just watched this inspiring little video showing the journey of your coffee:

I’ve been featuring more coffee shops on Have You Heard Of It? recently.  Have I mentioned your favourite yet?  And if not, let me in on your secret!  I always like to learn about new places 🙂
TAP Coffee, Soho | Proper coffee in a beautiful setting, recommended by HYHOI.com | Have You Heard Of It? London bar & restaurant blog
TAP Coffee
No.193, Wardour Street, Soho, W1F 8ZF
No.114, Tottenham Court Road, W1T 5AH
No.26, Rathbone Place W1T 1JD

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Nina

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2 Comments

  • Juliana says: 15th September 2014 at 11:45 am

    Just stumbled across your blog and I love it!
    Perfect timing as I’m just about to head back to London and I’m always searching for a good cup of coffee! 🙂

    Reply
    • Nina says: 15th September 2014 at 11:52 am

      Thanks Juliana! Yes, TAP does great coffee. I’ve made it my mission to discover new coffee shops recently, so you’ll find lots of them on the blog, from Workshop to Mother’s Milk to Curators. Enjoy! And let me know if you discover any that you think I should try! X

      Reply

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    • Absolutely fascinating visit to Highgate Cemetery yesterday  really really
      Absolutely fascinating visit to Highgate Cemetery yesterday - really really recommend taking a guided tour of the West Cemetery to discover all the crypts, catacombs, beautiful headstones and history. So atmospheric (& the ultimate antidote to the Valentine's madness of this week!). Max. drama as we discovered the desecration of Karl Marx's grave first thing in the morning too!
    • Miles away but still my rock  Happy V Day
      Miles away but still my rock ⛰️ Happy V Day  @johzeeck !
    • The brunch queues for this place get out of control!
      The brunch queues for this place get out of control! For good reason Arrive early, it's worth it:  @woodenspoonsf   #HYHOIinSanFrancisco 
    • Every airbnb should come with its own curated cactus garden
      Every  @airbnb  should come with its own curated cactus garden  @thejoshuatreehomestead 
    • I dont even ask him to pose it just seems
      I don't even ask him to pose, it just seems to come naturally to him - and he's so annoyingly photogenic every time too lol  @johzeeck  This place though:  @worldfamouscrochetmuseum  in Joshua Tree!
    • We raced through the park to make it to Hidden
      We raced through the park to make it to Hidden Valley for sunset. Just in time, it was amazing to see the rocks change colour as the sun dipped lower. We didn't see another soul as we hiked the trail loop - though the Jurassic Park scenery made it feel like a dinosaur might appear at any moment!
    • lacopinekitchen is somewhat elusive only opening between 2pm and 7pm
       @lacopinekitchen  is somewhat elusive, only opening between 2pm and 7pm (!?), but it's well worth the effort - particularly for that flourless espresso chocolate cake We popped in after a morning spent hiking in  @joshuatreenps , before rushing back to Hidden Valley for sunset
    • Sunset in Hidden Valley joshuatreenps
      Sunset in Hidden Valley,  @joshuatreenps 

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