London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

A London coffee shop is charging $64 for its premium brew -- here's what it tastes like

A London coffee shop is charging $64 for its premium brew -- here's what it tastes like

Coffee connoisseurs have been invited to sample one of the finest brews in the world at the Queens of Mayfair coffee shop-- providing they can travel to London and pay £50 ($64) a serving.

If you can get to London and have a spare $65, you may be able to sample one of the finest brews in the world.

Ground and brewed "tableside" by your own personal barista, the "Ethiopian Cup of Excellence Queens Coffee" is served in a crystal wine glass and is a generous portion that might even stretch to two.

With only 15 servings on offer, this isn't your average latte or flat white, so don't even think about asking for milk, sugar or a sprinkling of chocolate on top.


The newly opened coffee shop aims to be the finest in London.


Based in a very upscale district of Central London, the Queens of Mayfair coffee shop has already sold more than half of its available stock, which can only be drunk on the premises as part of an exclusive experience.

Victoria Sheppard, who founded Queens of Mayfair with her sister, Grace Sheppard, told CNN that one customer, who described themselves as a "coffee fanatic" is traveling from several hours away to sample the drink.

"We have coffee connoisseurs coming to us from all over the place," she said, describing their latest acquisition as a "very rare commodity".

This particular lot of Ethiopian coffee beans won first place in the Cup of Excellence, a prestigious annual competition for high-quality coffees.

It was bought back in June and roasted last month by Difference Coffee, the roaster that supplies Queens of Mayfair and one of only eight firms worldwide that was invited to bid on the beans.

The coffee was graded 91.08/95 by the competition's international panel of judges and coffee experts following rigorous tasting and testing, according to Queens.

The beans retail for up to £2,000 per kilogram (around $2,600) and are truly fair trade as the Cup of Excellence program is designed to reward farmers for excellence, which means they receive most of the auction price -- 155 times the normal commodity price.

It's one of many rare premium coffees the sisters intend to showcase at their cafe, which opened just last month.

Aside from this flagship flair, however, the rest of the menu is considerably more accessible. A regular espresso goes for just over two pounds and you can pick up British classics like a sausage roll for £4.50 or cheese and toast for £6.

The cafe, which also serves reasonably priced wine and cocktails, opens late to catch the evening crossover crowd.


Head bartender Massimo Golfetto prepared the coffee for CNN Travel.


CNN Travel headed down to Mayfair, where head bartender Massimo Golfetto weighs out the portion to the gram, grinds it by hand at our table and expertly brews it in a glass V60 filter, which has a 60-degree angle, allowing the coffee to drip at an optimal flow rate.

"It's lighter, almost see-through," he explains, as he pours the brew into the curved glass with its elegant stem. "It looks more like a tea than a coffee."

As an Italian used to punchy espressos, he says, "When I had the coffee for the first time, it was a completely different experience."

Raising the glass and taking a sip, the aroma is floral and the flavor delicate and light. It may be one of the few experiences of 2020 not to leave a bitter taste in the mouth. When it comes to coffee, this creation proves that might isn't always right.

The curved glass "catches all the flavors, to get a better experience on the nose," explains Golfetto.

The flavor evolves as the coffee cools, its character unfolding like petals.

"It's like a fine bottle of wine," says Sheppard. "It's not about the strength or the most pungent coffee. It's about the flavor complexity and interesting tasting notes."


There is already great interest in the exclusive coffee experience.


The process involves a three-minute "blooming phase," which is when the flavor really develops and intensifies, she explained.

In all, 250 grams of water is added to 15 grams of coffee. The liquid passes through the glass filter into a carafe, before being served in a crystal glass.

Purists will be pleased to hear that the coffee is served black and straight up.

Adding milk would be "like getting a fine wine and topping it up with soda water," says Sheppard. "It's very much about the raw taste in something organic and unmodified."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×