Do viral coffee shops live up to the hype?
Super cars and £265 speciality brews may have put them on the map, but substance will always win out over style
Two things you’ll see walking through the upscale central London neighbourhood of Knightsbridge are flashy super cars and design-forward coffee shops. With that in mind, the July opening of Voyage Lounge — where customers can sip on caffeinated drinks and ogle a £2.5 million Bugatti Chiron — presented an oddly logical progression of the natural order of things.
The aesthetic and target audience of Voyage Lounge is clearly Gulf-centric. In this part of town, cafes catering to the area’s significant Arab contingent are a well-established phenomenon and include an outpost of the Dubai-based Saddle, GCC cult favourites El&n, Carpo, and L’eto, which launched in Soho but now has branches across the region.
The promotional drive around Voyage Lounge, however, has been different. For the past few months, it has been inescapable on my social media feeds and, judging by several videos of the place that my mum has sent me, even cut through to Auntie WhatsApp groups.
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When faced with these TikTok hype cycles, my reaction is usually one of eye-rolling cynicism, followed by a quiet intrigue that often gives way to me actually wanting to see what all the fuss is about. After a protracted internal struggle I gave in and, on a crisp October morning, decided to pay Voyage Lounge a visit.
Occupying a cavernous corner spot between Brompton Road and Ovinton Gardens, the vibe is equal parts calming spa and earthy minimalist Pinterest moodboard. Beige boucle seats and distressed limestone pillars break up the space. Staff emerge dressed as though they are going to lead you to a treatment room — loose fitting maroon linen shirts with relaxed, wide legged beige trousers. It’s all pleasant enough, but being served by someone who looks like they’re about to talk to you about mindfulness contrasts starkly with the gleaming Bugatti in the middle of the floor.
The QR code menu has offerings ranging from signature drinks, breakfast, pastries, sandwiches and desserts. Acai bowls (£14) and eggs benedict croissant (£12) sit alongside avocado labneh on sourdough (£12) and grilled cheese za’atar sandwiches (£12). Desserts include tiramisu (£11), millefeuille (£10) and honey cake (£10). Then there are the cookies, cakes and croissants, which start at £5.
The za’atar halloumi pretzel (£9), made from croissant pastry, was the standout savoury item for me, a self-appointed za’atar aficionado. The herb and sesame mix had a unique earthy undertone, quite distinct from many other blends I’ve tried. It played perfectly with the salty halloumi, which was melted well enough to avoid that all-too-common, tooth-grating squeak. On the sweet side, the chocolate babka (£8) — beautifully twisted bread with layers of rich chocolate — was also memorable.
Voyage Lounge’s signature drinks include cold and hot takes on the ubiquitous Spanish latte (both £7). The hot version was creamy, warming and brought out the depth of the beans, but slightly too sweet. The tiramisu latte (£7), on the other hand, struck exactly the right balance.
My favourite drink of the day was the date smoothie (£7). Others I’ve tried have often ended up tasting like breakfast weight-loss shakes, but this was different, filled with the fruit’s indulgent caramel notes. The deconstructed Um Ali (£12) — a needlessly fussy interpretation of the classic Egyptian bread pudding — was, however, absolutely skippable. When a dish resembles nothing more than crispy filo pastry in a bowl of warm milk, it needs to go back to the drawing board.
That one disappointment aside, I enjoyed my visit far more than I expected to and would happily return for a quick coffee or leisurely breakfast.
At the other end of Knightsbridge is Shot London, a small spot with a mellow, hushed atmosphere, and a black and gold marble interior that reflects the tax bracket of the area. Shot – which has branches in Kuwait and Jordan, and two other UK outposts in Marylebone and Mayfair — enjoyed a moment of media notoriety back in 2024, thanks to its £265 Japan Typica Natural coffee.
For those of us who don’t want to spend a week’s rent on a single cup of coffee, there are some more humble offerings. A standard cappuccino comes in at £5.70, a flat white at £5.50 and the mandatory iced and hot Spanish lattes at £9. The menu also offers a selection of pastries and desserts. Again, I was sceptical. And, again, I was pleasantly surprised.
The pistachio cheesecake (£9.50), served in a circular glass container, was decadent and sophisticated in a way I was not anticipating. In our post-Dubai-chocolate world, this flavour profile has been deployed in a dizzying array of cloying, one-dimensional concoctions stuffed with sickly green cream. Let me tell you, this was not one of them. The hazelnut cremoso (£9.50) was also extremely enjoyable. Comprising a thick layer of chocolate ganache atop a creamy hazelnut-infused mousse, it’s an indulgent dish made to be shared.
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Open seven days a week until 11pm, Shot London provides something that is still surprisingly rare in London: a late-night destination not centered on either full meals or alcohol. Given the location and ambience, a well-executed sharing dessert for less than £10 is not bad value, either.
Cafes catering to the Arab palate and love of late-evening caffeine are not unique to Knightsbridge. They’re popping up around the capital. In Acton, west London, the Syrian confectioner Kweider has just opened a branch inside a historic former Barclays bank building, serving up freshly made knafeh, baklava, halawet el jibn and basbousa into the night.
As for Voyage Lounge and Shot London, TikTok and Instagram videos by excited food bloggers might get people through the door, but it takes something more to make them come back. Now that summer is a distant memory and tourists escaping the scorching temperatures of the Gulf have all gone home, substance will win over style. To my shock, I’ve found that it’s possible to find both in the heart of Knightsbridge.
