Casa Fabrizi (formerly Alpino Cafe)

You'll find yourself on Chapel Market, one of Islington's best-kept stretches, where this Italian spot pulls proper shots and doesn't mess about. Casa Fabrizi (the newer name for what locals still call Alpino) is exactly the kind of neighbourhood café that makes you realise how many mediocre coffee shops you've been tolerating. The counter's always busy with people who know what they want, there's a genuine Italian feel without the Instagram theatre, and the espresso actually tastes like something. It's the sort of place you pop into before work, or linger over a cappuccino and a pastry if you've got time.