Neal Street Espresso

Neal Street Espresso is a speciality coffee bar on Neal Street, midway between the market and Seven Dials, and the first coffee shop opened by the Message Enterprise Centre, a social enterprise founded in Manchester in 2013. Its line is speciality coffee with a purpose, and the purpose is plain: every barista behind the counter is rebuilding a life after prison, addiction or crime.

The Message Enterprise Centre grew out of more than fifteen years of work inside prisons, where its founders saw that people need a job and training waiting for them on release if they are to stay out. At Neal Street Espresso each trainee has a full-time role paid at the London living wage, accredited training, mentoring and ongoing support. The organisation reports a reoffending rate of around two per cent among its enterprises against a national figure of 29 per cent within twelve months. A Christian faith underpins the charity's work, though the cafe welcomes everyone.

Single-origin coffee on Neal Street

The coffee itself is taken seriously. The counter serves single-origin coffee on Neal Street, prepared with care as the main event rather than as an afterthought to a food menu, and the team are trained to a high standard. The room is small and coffee-led, in keeping with the pace of one of the most walked shopping streets in Covent Garden, and the space can also be booked for events.

What to expect on a visit

The bar opens from 9.15am to 6pm Monday to Friday and from 11am to 5.30pm on Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. Come for a well-made flat white or filter to drink in or take away, and know that the cup funds a job. Covent Garden underground station is two minutes away. Nearby on Shelton Street, FILTRD is the local stop for matcha and brunch, and the rest of the cafes in Covent Garden are listed in the directory.