Simple joys in London 🇬🇧

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the possibilities of London,” says Ben Sibley, brand manager at Assembly Coffee. London is one of the leading cities of planet Earth, and in half a dozen visits I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface. Ben, who grew up in England, has lived in London for the past decade and his Filter guide is a local’s take on the simple joys of the city.

“Really, all you need is a rug, a speaker, something delicious to sip, some snacks, and you’re golden.”

— Ben Sibley, Assembly Coffee, London

*Ben Sibley is brand manager at Assembly Coffee in London, England. Photos courtesy of Assembly Coffee*

Filter: What do you do for fun around London?

It’s very much season-dependent. London is a wildly different city from winter to summer. In the colder months I’m happiest hibernating in coffee shops, meeting friends in cosy pubs with open fireplaces (yes, in winter they really do look and feel like the London pubs you see in films), and in candle-lit wine bars.

And if it’s sun and blue skies, you’ll find me on a run through one of south London’s many beautiful public parks. Then as the days get longer and the weather starts to turn in spring, Londoners begin to come out of hibernation and those same parks get packed full of friends and families hanging out long into the evenings. We only get a few months to make the most of this, so it’s at the top of the list!

There’s joy in how simple it is, too. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the possibilities of London. Really, all you need is a rug, a speaker, something delicious to sip, some snacks, and you’re golden

Filter: If a friend came to visit, where are you taking them?

It’s late morning on a Saturday in midsummer, so we’ll start in Camberwell at my friend Danielle’s bakery—Grove Lane Deli—for a flat white and a ginormous slab of her famous carrot cake which we’ll get into after we’ve slowly walked the couple miles to Peckham Rye and taken a perch.

After the Rye it’s probably time for a glass of something, so we’ll go to Bar Levan for one and then jump on the Overground to Dalston to settle in for a couple hours with the Newcomer Wines crew at their place right opposite Dalston Junction Station.

An early dinner will be a Turkish feast at Mangal 2—family-owned and a much-loved institution. Then we’ll walk along Regent’s Canal to Victoria Park to catch the last of the sun as it slowly sets. After, it’s time to get back on the Overground to Peckham where we’ll finish the evening at Jumbi—a Caribbean bar curated by local resident and DJ Bradley Zero.

The next morning, we’ll get out early(ish) for a run… and we’ll inevitably end up back at the Deli for round two. If we’ve timed it right, the monthly Peckham Carboot Sale (flea market for those outside of the UK and bamboozled) will be on, so we’ll drop in to that to find a gem or two. Then we’ll spend the afternoon on the Rye doing all the good stuff I mentioned in my first answer and, let’s be honest… we’ll probably be there until the sun goes down once again. Fin.

Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?

It depends how long you’ve got and, again, the time of year. Winter—if you’ve got a day, jump on a train for an hour and head for Winchester, a small Roman city with narrow cobbled streets, perfect to wander around with a hot chocolate.

If you’ve got a few days – check out canopyandstars.co.uk and book yourself a log cabin in the middle of a forest. If it’s summer, aim for the seaside town of Brighton—also an hour away from London on the train and perfect for a day, or a long weekend, soaking up the sun on the huge beach.

Filter: What touristy things in London are worth the hype?

The Tower of London is a truly fascinating piece of history, and the London Eye is worth every bit of the ride fee. Don’t bother with Madame Tussauds, obviously.

Filter: Where are your favorite hidden gems there?

Brockwell Park in Herne Hill, south London, ticks every box for this. And for another hidden gem… seek out Giuseppe’s—a legendary, old-school Italian restaurant just off Borough High Street. If you’re lucky Giuseppe himself will serenade you as you sip your post-dinner limoncello.

Filter: What's another coffee shop around there that you really admire, and what about them stands out to you?

Nostos Coffee have a commitment to quality that rivals anything I’ve seen in London, both in product and execution. Check out their flagship spot near St James’ Park tube station.

Filter: What makes London feel like home to you?

The brilliant people I’ve met along the way. There are some truly magnificent souls in this city.

Filter: How did you end up in the London coffee scene?

I was born in Surrey, a county just outside London. Then moved to the Cotswolds when I was 9, grew up there until I went to university and then moved to London in 2013. In 2018 I packed in a career in marketing to train as a barista in the café of a local roastery—Volcano Coffee Works. Fast forward 6 years and I’ve come full circle, back into marketing with Volcano’s sister brand, Assembly.

Filter: What’s your role at Assembly?

I lead our day-to-day brand and marketing activities. My role has a broad scope but it’s quite simple—it’s my responsibility to communicate the value of what we do as efficiently and effectively as possible. That, in a nutshell, is also what I find most rewarding about what I do.

Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move, and what shop would be the biggest reason?

That’s really easy. Japan. It wouldn’t be for a specific shop, not even a specific city. It would be for the proliferation of exceptionally-executed experiences. That includes everything from sipping on a brew while you look out at the bamboo forest at % Arabica’s Kyoto Arashiyama spot, to grabbing a cup of 7-Eleven’s single origin offering on a street corner in Tokyo.

Filter: Anything you’d like to add?

Two things:

One—if you’re in town, come to Brixton and drop in to our roastery brew bar, Door, and we’ll make sure you’re looked after. We always have delicious coffees from both Assembly and Volcano on the bar, and the manager Jack is probably the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.

Two—anyone visiting London who has an interest in the tastier things in life has to visit some of the city’s best bakeries. You’ll find pastries as good as anything you’ll get in Paris or Copenhagen. Layla (Notting Hill), Eric’s (East Dulwich), TOAD (Peckham), Arôme (two sites in central London), Fortitude (Bloomsbury), Miel (Fitzrovia)… and this is barely touching the surface.

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Assembly Coffee operates 2 locations: a semi-permanent pop-up inside Brityard in central London, and Door - Coffee Bar in collaboration with Volcano Coffee Works.

Food & Beverage