Old Spike Elephant & Castle

You'll find yourself on Southwark Bridge Road in Elephant & Castle, walking into a space that feels like it's been roasting coffee and feeding people for longer than it probably has. There's an unpretentious warmth to Old Spike—the kind of place where regulars nod at each other over flat whites and the till queue moves with the rhythm of someone who knows what they're doing. The roastery side of things is legit; they're not just slinging espresso, they're actually thinking about where the beans come from and how they're pulling the shots. Breakfasts are done properly without being try-hard about it, and the kind of spot you'd genuinely want to work from on a Tuesday morning.