Running Late Coffee

You'll find yourself on the quieter stretch of Mare Street in Hackney, walking past the usual parade of independent shops before ducking into Running Late. It's the kind of place that gets consistently rammed because word travels fast—proper coffee that doesn't taste like burnt rubber, pastries that are actually fresh, and a no-fuss attitude that makes you want to linger. The crowd is proper mixed: locals working on laptops, mates catching up over flat whites, people who actually live in E8 rather than just passing through. It feels like a proper neighbourhood café without any of the self-consciousness that sometimes comes with Hackney spots.