Nottingham has quietly become one of the UK’s most vibrant coffee destinations. Walk through the city and you’ll discover over 50 best coffee in Nottingham and roasteries—from meticulous hand-roasted operations to creative spaces bursting with artistic energy.
Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast, remote worker, student, or just passing
through, this guide cuts through the noise. We’ve done the legwork—tasting,
visiting, and evaluating—to bring you the 10 best coffee shops in Nottingham. Each one stands out for different reasons: exceptional coffee quality, welcoming atmosphere, reliable WiFi, or something uniquely creative.
These aren’t chain cafés. They’re places with character, run by people who
actually care about what they serve. You’ll find everything from coffee
purists’ havens to community hubs, from Instagram-worthy spots to quiet
corners perfect for focused work.
Top 10 Best Coffee in Nottingham
| # | Coffee Shop | Coffee Quality | Atmosphere | Work-Friendly | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 Degrees | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Remote work, business |
| 2 | Cartwheel | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | Coffee enthusiasts |
| 3 | Outpost | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | Coffee lovers, takeaway |
| 4 | Effy | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | Instagram, photos |
| 5 | Wired | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | Social, community |
| 6 | Punch | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | Work, socializing |
| 7 | Blend | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | Creative work |
| 8 | The Specialty | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Italian espresso |
| 9 | Kigali | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Quick takeaway |
| 10 | OKENDE | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | Quiet work |
200 Degrees
- Address: 16 Flying Horse Walk, Nottingham NG1 2HN
- Phone: +44 115 950 8841
- Business Hours:
If you’re in search of the best cafes in Nottingham, you’ve probably found yourself out at 200 Degrees. It’s in a 17th-century coach house. The owners know what they’re doing: they haven’t added a massive glass extension to it in order to preserve its history.
The environment works well with the space, light, and height. The Wi-Fi is good enough for work and study. It’s a place you can go to and work and not feel you’re in the way. You’ve all sorts of people working on their laptops, meeting friends, and otherwise going about their business. It’s a comfortable place, which is very hard to get right.
The coffee is also good. The baristas aren’t just following a script; they seem to really know about coffee. You can ask them for their recommendation and they’ll give you something based on the quality of the drink, not based on the price. A latte here is creamy, an espresso full-bodied. There’s nothing show-offy about any of this.
Cartwheel Cafe& Roastery
- Address: 16 Low Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DL
- Phone: +44 115 924 6565
- Business Hours:
For the coffee lovers out there, Cartwheel is your go-to place to try. The best coffee shop in Nottingham City Centre prepares their own beans right in-house and collaborates with coffee farms from around the world. Each and every bean is well-traced to its origin, which may sound like a lot, but the difference is clear when we enjoy it.
The space is minimalist and focused; you won’t find fancy décor or background music. It’s purely about the coffee. The baristas here are truly passionate and knowledgeable. They often enjoy discussing bean origins, extraction times, or flavour profiles. The team uses an impressive array of scientific brewing methods to perfect each cup, and their deep knowledge of the beans and roasts makes it a hot spot for coffee connoisseurs.
Their single-origin espressos are magnificent. As of this moment, a coffee bean from Ethiopia can be distinctly identified from one from Colombia. Opting for a handpour option would be available if you want to have a personal experience. It’s not the spot where you will just run in and out for a latte in a hurry; it is a place you’ll stop, sit down and drink deeply.
Outpost Coffee Roasters
- Address: 2 Stoney St, Nottingham NG1 1LG
- Phone: +44 115 947 3282
- Business Hours:
As one of the best cafes in Nottingham, Outpost might be small, but don’t let that fool you. This is an independent roastery—a place that sources amazing beans and roasts everything itself. Outpost is small, it’s also cozy, and the coffee’s amazing.
The staff know what they’re doing. They’re not just taking orders; they’re all about the extraction and freshness of their beans. They’ll recommend something with thought and care. And the staff will remember your name, make small talk, and engage with you about coffee.
If you’re getting a takeaway, Outpost is the best. You’re in and out quickly, and the coffee is still very well made. They make consistent, clean, balanced shot of espresso with great body. They change their single-origin offerings fairly often, so it varies. It almost seems to be a place that exists for the serious coffee drinkers. No frills, no gimmicks. Just passionate and skilled people brewing fantastic coffee. It’s a haven for coffee enthusiasts in Nottingham.
Effy
- Address: 15 Hounds Gate, Nottingham NG1 1AH
- Phone: +44 115 941 0141
- Business Hours:
Walk into Effy and you immediately know why it’s an Instagram darling. It looks intentionally aesthetic – exposed red brick, retro furniture, tons of plants. It’s the kind of place you can take nice pictures in, and people make sure to do that.
This best coffee shop in the Nottingham City Centre offers good cafes with a high rating. It uses quality roasters and skilled staff. A cappuccino there won’t be nice to look at and unpleasant to drink; it’s both. The pastries taste nice too, thanks to the local bakeries.
The ambiance isn’t dead. It’s somewhat crazy and social. It’s busier than other places and has a diverse clientele – students, professionals, passersby, locals. A nice mix of people comes without being loud. There’s a good seating arrangement, and the WiFi won’t make you leave quickly.
It’s one of those few places that gets pretty much everything right. Sure, it looks really nice, and there’s lots of good coffee Instagram content to be had there. But beyond that, this best coffee shop in Nottingham, which offer coffee that is actually decent, food that is delicious, and an ambiance that is welcoming. And that’s why Effy is a successful coffee shop, and it doesn’t try to be anything it’s not.
Wired Cafe Bar
- Address: Pelham Street, Nottingham NG1 2EG
Phone: +44 115 950 7959 - Business Hours:
Wired isn’t just a café. It’s a community centre. They run events, have live music, show art, hold workshops. It’s a lively space in the way many cafés aren’t. This is the best cafe in Nottingham, a place where things happen, projects come to life, and people communicate.
They use high-quality coffee roasters, and the coffee shop staff are care about their craft. Nothing special, just the real taste of coffee. The pastries are also popular items, and the food has been carefully designed.
The vibe and the community awareness. They build community space, support arts, and create great place to be in and hang out. People come here for ages, young people who just discover the place, students, freelancers, and some people do actual work here.
You can pay for a coffee in advance, and the needy can then go and pick it up from you. It’s one of those places. Think about people, create community, and promote loving your work, and you’ll do just fine.
Punch Coffee
- Address: 9 Goose Gate, Nottingham NG1 1FQ
- Phone: +44 115 941 5555
- Business Hours:
Walk in Punch Coffee and you immediately feel it—genuine warmth. The baristas in this one of the best cafes in Nottingham know regulars by name. They always chat with new people, and everyone feels like they belong. The coffee’s solid. Not trying to be the best in the city, but they care about it. Cappuccino’s smooth, espresso’s balanced. You can tell the baristas actually give a damn.
The space works. It’s comfortable, it’s social, high-speed Wi-Fi works if you need it.
You’ve got students, professionals, locals, tourists all mixing together. It’s
got energy without being overwhelming. Pastries are fresh, sandwiches are solid, nothing fancy. Just proper café food done well.
But here’s the thing—it’s the people that make Punch special. They remember
your order, ask how you’re doing, make you feel like you matter. In a world of increasingly automated cafés, that’s actually quite rare. That’s why people keep coming back.
Blend
- Address: Pelham Street, Nottingham NG1 2EG
- Phone: +44 115 941 3333
- Business Hours:
Blend Cafe is creative as one of the best cafes in Nottingham city centre. They have an artsy approach. The walls have constantly changing art, a lot of creative people on laptops, musicians passing through. It’s a place that attracts creative types. They work with creative roasters, and the baristas are generally knowledgeable. The coffee is also negotiable, and the vibe is quite essential too. It’s a place you go to get inspired and motivated, not just to get the caffeine kick.
The menu isn’t restricted to your regular offerings. They get creative, do seasonal drinks, and combine tastes. It’s not perfect, but they clearly think outside the box. Desserts at Blend are really good, and they use local companies and have some made in-house. Lots of freelancers, artists, crazy students working on projects. No pretensions though—it’s true, and everybody knows it.
The Speciality Coffee Shop
- Address: 12 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham NG1 2GQ
- Phone: +44 115 941 7777
- Business Hours:
The Specialty Coffee Shop is for those who like classic Italian-style coffee. They take coffee really seriously, not in the specialty way, but in the sense of doing Italian-style coffee really well rather than hipster fads.
The espresso at this best coffee in Nottingham is pretty damn good. It’s well pulled, full-bodied with adequate crema. The cappuccino is made the right way – no sloppy milk. If you want to experience authentic Italian-style coffee culture, this is your best bet. The food and biscuits at The Specialty are Italian – cornetti, biscotti, and Italian delicacies.
The atmosphere is no-frills. It’s not pretentious, Instagrammable or whatever nonsense trendy cafes have these days. It’s a genuine café for people who like coffee. The people who’ve been frequenting this café for decades, the Italian expats, the people who like coffee the regular way.
Kigali
- Address: 7 Goose Gate, Nottingham NG1 1FQ
- Phone: +44 115 941 4444
- Business Hours:
Kigali is the best place to go if you want a nice coffee in a rush. No waiting for your turn, no elaborate menu, no confusion. No attitude, but no excessive friendliness either. The coffee is very tasty in Kigali. They source nice roasters, and the baristas are quite good. Your espresso’s excellent—properly pulled with good body, and the warm latte’s smooth. Also, the iced coffee and cold brew are where they really shine.
The atmosphere at this best cafe in Nottingham is sparse and no-nonsense. Just a few stools, maybe a low counter. It’s not meant for people to sit and chat – it’s for people to get a great coffee and for them to go. That’s the whole idea, and they do it really well.
The best part is, they don’t sacrifice quality in exchange for speed. A lot of coffee places that focus on making really fast coffee, make it really quickly and badly. Kigali doesn’t. Your latte, although you might be sipping it in a hurry, is made really well and really quickly.
OKENDE
- Address: 14 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham NG1 2GQ
- Phone: +44 115 941 6666
- Business Hours:
KENDE’s Scandinavian minimalism done right. Clean lines, natural materials,
lots of light. The whole vibe is just calm. When you walk into the best coffee shops in Nottingham and you can actually think.
Coffee at KENDE’s solid, and they source from decent roasters and the baristas actually know their stuff. The design’s minimal but the coffee’s not compromised—it’s just low-key.
The space just works for focus. Comfortable chairs, WiFi that actually works,
and it’s quiet. No loud music, no chaos. Food’s simple. Scandinavian-inspired, fresh stuff, nothing complicated. It makes sense—nourishing without being heavy.
The whole thing is built on a philosophy. They’re not trying to be everything
to everyone. They’re just creating a space for people who want to work or study
in a calm place. That’s KENDE’s. People who value quiet and good design just get it.
Does Nottingham have a good coffee scene?
Nottingham used to be a tea city, honestly. Then something happened in the
2010s. Independent roasters just started appearing. Cartwheel opened. Outpost
opened, and other coffee shops followed. And these were run by
people who actually gave a damn. They cared about where the beans came from,
how they were roasted, and how they were brewed. These best coffee shops in Nottingham became destinations. You’d go there specifically because you knew you’d get something good. They brought real knowledge and passion to a city that was hungry for it. Suddenly, Nottingham had an actual coffee scene.
Now? It’s up there with any major UK city. The thing is, it’s not exclusive or
pretentious. You don’t need to be a coffee expert. You can just want a decent
cappuccino. Or you can be the person talking about extraction times.
How can uhomes.com help you?
Whether you’re here for a semester, a year, or longer, these 10 best cafes in Nottingham will become part of your daily life for work or study.
If you’re planning to stay in Nottingham—as a student or visitor, uhomes.com is the best choice for finding the right student accommodation to live is the first step. Our Nottingham student apartments are not only a short stroll away from the campus, but also close to these coffee shops. Once you’re settled, discovering these places becomes a part of your Nottingham journey.
Start with 200 Degrees if you need to work. Hit up Cartwheel if you want
serious coffee. Find your own favourite spot. Build your routine. That’s how you
become part of this place. That’s how you belong.
FAQ
Costa Coffee reigns supreme in the UK’s coffee market, leading in market share, number of locations, and revenue. It’s been the nation’s go-to coffee spot, earning the title of ‘The Nation’s Favourite’ for 15 years running.
The top five most popular coffees are typically a latte, cappuccino, espresso, americano, and mocha. The exact ranking might change depending on where you are, but these are the classics.
When it comes to the world’s top coffee chains by size and revenue, Starbucks, Costa Coffee, and Dunkin’ are the usual household names. The list also includes major companies like Keurig Dr Pepper, JDE Peet’s, and Tim Hortons, alongside other key players from McCafé and Lavazza to newer brands like Dutch Bros.
Panama Geisha is widely regarded as a top contender. It rocketed to global fame after winning the 2004 “Best of Panama” competition and is renowned for its complex, tea-like quality with intense floral and tropical fruit notes.
If you’re looking for great coffee, a few names that consistently stand out are Redemption Roasters for their overall quality, Pact Coffee for their huge variety, and Balance Coffee, which is the go-to for expertly roasted specialty beans.
