7,308
24%
31
167
Explore by suburb
Market Overview
Seven thousand three hundred and eight cafes operate across London — and that's just one part of a food and drink sector totalling nearly 29,000 businesses. Add in 9,709 restaurants, 6,811 fast food outlets, 3,692 pubs, and 1,259 bars, and the competition for custom is intense.
The market is heavily concentrated around Coffee_Shop (1,929 locations), meaning roughly one in four cafes competes in this category. Sandwich shops (171), bubble tea venues (166), and breakfast-focused cafes (120) form a second tier. Beyond those, Italian (80), cake (84), tea (42), and ice cream (43) represent smaller but real demand segments — fewer than 250 locations combined across four distinct food types.
Perhaps the most notable figure for any new or existing operator: only 24% of London's cafes have a website. That leaves 5,527 businesses with limited or no online discoverability. In a market this crowded, the gap between those who can be found online and those who cannot is widening.
Top Types in London
What Customers in London Care About
Genuinely good coffee
With 1,929 Coffee_Shop-branded venues in London, customers have endless options and the quality bar is high — a mediocre flat white won't bring anyone back.
Early morning availability
Londoners commute early and hard, yet only 120 cafes position as breakfast-focused — opening at 7am or earlier is a genuine differentiator in most neighbourhoods.
Somewhere comfortable to sit
With thousands of grab-and-go outlets competing on speed alone, a cafe with proper seating and a reason to linger stands out to remote workers and weekend visitors.
Outdoor or green space
Businesses like Springfield Park Cafe and The Serpentine Lido Cafe show that Londoners actively seek out cafes where they can sit outside near parkland or water.
Not another Starbucks
With multiple Starbucks locations competing alongside independents like Turk's Head Cafe and The Garrick, many customers specifically want something that isn't a chain.
Cafes operating in London
A sample of real cafes in this area. Want ratings, reviews, and exactly where you rank against them? Run a free report on your business.
| Business | Type |
|---|---|
| Costa | Coffee Shop |
| Woburn Cafe | Cafe |
| Cafe Angel | Cafe |
| Jack's Cafe | Cafe |
| Springfield Park Cafe | Cafe |
| Perks and White | Cafe |
| Café Express | Cafe |
| Caffè Nero | Coffee Shop |
| Station Cafe | Cafe |
| Greedies | Cafe |
| The Serpentine Lido Cafe | Cafe |
| Starbucks | Coffee Shop |
Business listings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Tips for Cafes Owners in London
Get a website — seriously
Only 24% of London's cafes have any web presence at all. A simple site with your menu, address, and opening hours puts you ahead of over 5,500 competitors who are invisible in local search. It's the fastest way to make the data work for you.
Pick a category and own it
The market contains 167 cuisine types, but most operators cluster around coffee shops and sandwiches. Categories like tea (42 locations), ice cream (43), and breakfast (120) are far less crowded. Choosing a clear speciality rather than trying to serve everything gives customers a reason to choose you specifically.
Open for breakfast
London's commuter economy creates huge demand for early-morning food and coffee, yet only 120 cafes are identified as breakfast-focused across the entire city. If your location has footfall between 7am and 9am, opening early can mean competing against a fraction of your usual rivals.
Competition Snapshot
London's cafe market is genuinely crowded. With 7,308 cafes operating alongside 21,000-plus other food and drink businesses, the capital is one of the UK's most saturated markets for eating and drinking out. Coffee shops alone account for 1,929 locations — over a quarter of all cafes — making generalist coffee offerings the hardest segment to enter. Demand exists in less populated categories: tea, ice cream, breakfast, and cake are all underserved relative to their customer base. Standing out requires either a clear niche, a strong location, or — given that three-quarters of competitors lack any website — simply being findable online.
Cafes by Suburb
Click any suburb for detailed market intelligence.
Cafes in City of London
431 businesses · 29% have a website
Cafes in Soho
341 businesses · 37% have a website
Cafes in Covent Garden
252 businesses · 36% have a website
Cafes in Fitzrovia
228 businesses · 33% have a website
Cafes in Marylebone
220 businesses · 37% have a website
Cafes in Mayfair
199 businesses · 39% have a website
Cafes in Shoreditch
199 businesses · 26% have a website
Cafes in Westminster
191 businesses · 25% have a website
Cafes in Clerkenwell
154 businesses · 23% have a website
Cafes in Islington
151 businesses · 23% have a website
Cafes in Stratford
121 businesses · 25% have a website
Cafes in Hackney
114 businesses · 31% have a website
Cafes in Camden
105 businesses · 24% have a website
Cafes in Notting Hill
95 businesses · 42% have a website
Cafes in Hammersmith
87 businesses · 39% have a website
Cafes in Kensington
86 businesses · 44% have a website
Cafes in Brixton
78 businesses · 15% have a website
Cafes in Greenwich
78 businesses · 27% have a website
Cafes in Fulham
77 businesses · 26% have a website
Cafes in Chelsea
76 businesses · 53% have a website
Cafes in Ealing
76 businesses · 33% have a website
Cafes in Canary Wharf
73 businesses · 30% have a website
Cafes in Croydon
66 businesses · 15% have a website
Cafes in Battersea
64 businesses · 23% have a website
Cafes in Richmond
61 businesses · 21% have a website
Cafes in Clapham
50 businesses · 24% have a website
Cafes in Dalston
50 businesses · 24% have a website
Cafes in Knightsbridge
49 businesses · 47% have a website
Cafes in Wandsworth
48 businesses · 25% have a website
Cafes in Wimbledon
46 businesses · 26% have a website
Cafes in Peckham
30 businesses · 30% have a website
Cafes in Other Cities
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