FiLLi Cafe Islington

You'll find FiLLi tucked away on Lever Street, just off the City Road roundabout where Islington starts getting interesting. It's the kind of place that feels like it's been there forever because the locals have made it theirs—proper queues on Saturday mornings, regulars who know their order by heart. The coffee is the headline act here; they're not messing about with the beans or the technique. Grab a seat by the window if you can and watch the neighbourhood drift past while you pick at something actually inventive on the brunch menu. It's casual but not sloppy, skilled but not pretentious.