The Cosiest Cafes and Bars in London For Autumn

Crunchy leaves and misty parks may be autumn’s best known atmospheric calling cards, but here’s where to look for a good mood indoors. This handful of cosy cafes and bars in London are a pretty good seasonal trade-off for rosé on a picnic blanket, featuring twinkling lights, snug sofas and a list of warming drinks to keep you happy for hours.

Cosiest Cafes and Bars in London

The Bloomsbury Club Bar

This cosy haunt is inspired by the notorious Bloomsbury set, which included the likes of Virginia Woolf and E.M. Forster. The bar is split into two sections: the main indoor bar, and the twinkly, vine-clad outdoor terrace. The latter is more famous on Instagram, thanks to its beautiful floral installations – though inside wins on cosiness, with wall-to-wall bookshelves and plush leather armchairs to snuggle into.

16-22 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3NN; thebloomsburyclub.com

Boys’n’Berry

There was never a stylish brick wall that a cosy nook didn’t like. Such is the way at Boys’n’Berry, where it feels as if every trend considered old news (avocado toast, chia seeds, edible flowers etc.) is discovered all over again in a delicious menu and in close, comforting interiors.

839 Fulham Rd., London SW6 5HQ; opentable.co.uk

Avobar

Have you ever considered seeking refuge in a world of avocados? Maybe the thought stresses out the Instagrammer in you or makes you feel even more sick of the fruit (which has been mentioned more than once even in this article). This is different: a haven from the bustle of Soho that will lull you into a soft green daydream. Settle and be soothed by a nourishing, but exciting menu of avocado in the most unexpected of places – the beetroot hummus toast is the winner: thick and crispy sourdough that is the perfect partner to the flavour of beetroot hummus with velvety bites of avocado and tangy goat’s cheese. A tuna poké bowl and a kimchi grilled cheese are reasons to come back more than once.

24 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8ND; avobar.co.uk

Scarfes Bar

Found within London’s Rosewood hotel, Scarfes Bar is C&TH’s favourite spot for cosying up to interviewees. It’s named after one of Britain’s great cartoon satirists, Gerald Scarfe, and his influence can be felt throughout – from his framed cartoons which cover the walls, to the cocktail menu which he personally illustrated. Sink into a sofa for yourself and get some work done before the famous cocktails kick in.

Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN; scarfesbar.com

Les Filles

Enough interiors chat. Just looking at the Les Filles menu gives you all the hearty assurance that a grim London day requires of your lunch. The wholesome menu at this cosy cafe includes masterfully layered salads in compostable pots and avocado toast that feels like a hug (from a millennial).

27 Craven Terrace, Lancaster Gate, London W2 3EL; lesfilles.co.uk

The Coral Room

Speaking of squishy armchairs, how about this grand salon bar that looks the part of a story-book country house and boasts a secluded cigar terrace and stylish cocktail list? We love a good ‘country-meets-city’ concept, and when Martin Brudnizki is designing it, we like it even more. Housed within The Bloomsbury Hotel, a Sir Edwin Lutyens, Grade-II listed building, bright coral coloured walls are as advertised. The best bit has to be that Luke Edward Hall is everywhere – 36 bespoke pieces of original art line the walls and call back to Bloomsbury heritage.

16-22 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3NN; thecoralroom.co.uk