Located on Hanbury Street off Brick Lane and Commercial Street, Nude Espresso is a friendly, relatively inexpensive coffee shop that’s ideal for East London office workers and scenesters alike.

The Venue
A coffee shop on Hanbury Street, Nude Espresso’s red exterior and large front windows give you a peek into the modern interior. The colours are all black, red and white, with pale wood floors and a few minimalist pieces of art on the walls. Chalkboards with prices flank the counter, which is covered in colourful sandwiches and cakes. A flowing tree is painted on one wall, with fairy lights around its leaves and bags of tea attached to its branches. Next to that is a floor to ceiling magazine rack, which is opposite a spiral staircase leading down to the basement.

The Atmosphere
There’s a hum of low conversation here but the overwhelming sound is the contented silence of people sipping their coffees and leafing through their books. Besides the occasional mini-business meeting (complete with laptops) in the back of the shop, most customers seem to be lone coffee drinkers or pairs of friends having a quick get together during a break from work. Although it’s undoubtedly an East London coffee shop – you can tell by the tattoos and boxy glasses – there’s no trendier-than-thou attitude that’s found in a lot of small cafes around the area; the Converse-clad sit happily alongside the briefcase brigade. Service is steady, happy to leave you alone with your paper or easy to engage in conversation if you fancy a chat.

The Food
Open only until 6pm, Nude Espresso serves breakfasts (raisin toast or muesli for £2.50, and you can add fruit and yoghurt to the muesli for another £1), soup, sandwiches, cakes and pastries. These are laid out on the counter next to the till, with little flags in the sandwiches that declare their price. A regularly changing soup option offers up choices like winter vegetable, pumpkin and Thai green chicken. The sandwiches, made on site each morning, include interesting, hearty combinations between two large pieces of focaccia – ingredients include things like sausage, salami, sweet potato, aubergine and more – and each cost about £4. The brie, chicken, cranberry and spinach sandwich is a big one, definitely worth the £4 price tag. There’s loads of chicken in it, which is nice and tender, and the fresh spinach leaves add a bit of crunch to the creamy brie and sugary cranberry sauce. Desserts include scones, danishes, pastries, muffins and cakes – the brownie (£2) is served up in a long, thin slab, with a crisp top and a dense, almost gooey texture. The chunks of chocolate baked inside are a nice surprise.

The Drink
Coffee is unsurprisingly their specialty, and their list of offerings on the chalkboards includes flat white, long black, espresso, mocha, hot chocolate and more, priced between £1.50 and £2.50. The flat white (£2.20) tastes rich and well blended, with a thin layer of foam across the top that’s been designed into a leafy fern. It’s so nice to look at that it’s almost a shame to disturb the design by stirring it or taking an overzealous sip. Non-coffee drinkers are offered tea (£2.20), soft drinks or orange juice (both £2), and a short and succinct wine list is also available. Comprising of two types, served by the glass, a sauvignon blanc costs £4.50 and a pinot noir £5. Lager is also on offer for £3.

The Last Word
An ideal alternative to the nearby chain coffee shops and sandwich shops in Spitalfields and Liverpool Street, Nude Espresso is only a few minutes up the road and well worth a trip. Portions are big, prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is relaxing.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (2) image gallery (8)