Elephant Stores

You'll find Elephant Stores tucked away on Ash Avenue, in one of SE17's scruffier-charming corners where the area's gritty character still shows through. It's the kind of place that doesn't make a fuss about itself—no oat milk upsell, no Instagram décor—just solid espresso, decent pastries, and staff who actually know what they're doing. The space has that lived-in feeling that comes from being genuinely part of the neighbourhood rather than designed to look that way. It's packed with locals on weekend mornings, which tells you everything.