TAP Coffee

NO. 114 TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD, LONDON W1T 5AH

Instagram appeal: 6/10
We made the error of visiting at 6pm, so we had limited natural light.
Edginess: 6/10
Surrounded by Itsus, Prets and EATs, TAP comes off pretty edgy in comparison.
Good for:
Posh coffee and unusual cake with a friend.
Most Likely To Meet:
Coffee snobs, latte artists and espresso enthusiasts.
Affordability: 5/10
At £2.70 for a flat white/cappuccino, TAP is a just a little too pricey for the student budget, although they do have a ‘buy six coffees and get one free’ loyalty card.

Despite being slightly overwhelmed by my manic Comparative Literature timetable – a hefty four contact hours a week – I just about managed to find the time for a quick trip to the widely acclaimed TAP Coffee on Tottenham Court Road. In an effort to prove to my friends from home that I’ve actually met some people (/one person) at UCL, I dragged along fellow Comp Lit postgrad (and Instagram lover) Bex to see what all the fuss is about.

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Having passed TAP Coffee (and its edgy dark grey exterior/random bike nailed just above the front door) multiple times on my walk to Warren Street or Goodge Street, I’ve always been struck by its minimalist style. Filled with wooden tables/benches, low-hanging metal lamps, and indie-reggae beats, TAP offers the perfect refuge for slightly alternative writers/readers/hipsters to escape the hustle and bustle of Tottenham Court Road during rush hour.

You can tell within seconds that TAP is a magnet for coffee snobs and blend buffs who know their Guatemalan from their Nicaraguan and their Costa Rican from their Bolivian. Feeling slightly inadequate and ignorant, I went for the Nicaraguan (more specifically from Santa María de Lourdes) blend from a choice of three filter coffees and although I was promised “heaps of toffee and nougat with a crisp melon acidity” (toffee and melon, really?) I can’t say I was too blown away. On the plus side, Bex, who drinks at least one cappuccino an hour, spoke pretty highly of their cappuccino (and I have at least 10 smiling/laughing instagrams to prove it, much to the barista’s disgust).

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Despite the Nicaraguan let-down, TAP definitely redeemed themselves on the cake front: Bex’s chocolate chip cookie nailed the chocolate chip to biscuit ratio and my white chocolate and lemon sponge cake with lemon buttercream and blueberry icing was different and delicious.

All in all, TAP Coffee is definitely worth a visit. Don’t be scared off by its edginess, its unusual cakes (the raspberry and polenta cake also look pretty good), simplistic interior and feel-good music make for a chilled and enjoyable vibe.