Walking the London Coffeehouse Trail

1. The First Coffeehouse in London – Jamaica Coffee House 

St Michael's Alley, London EC3V 9DS

Blanketed inside the dark veil of St Michael’s Alley stands a red-brick Victorian style pub ‘Jamaica Wine House’. While the unobservant passerby may simply overlook this rugged exterior as just another pub, the coffee lover will be amazed to find a blue placard resting on its walls. It reads “Here Stood the First London Coffee House at the Sign of Pasqua Rosee’s Head 1652.” 

An immigrant by the name of Pasqua Rosée introduced London to its coffee addiction and well – sobriety. Indeed, caffeinated sobriety fueled intellectual discussions, with coffeehouses being credited for contributing to the Age of Enlightenment. Jamaica Coffee House was frequented by notable figures such as Isaac Newton. Coffeehouses such as this one were also rife with political debate. A pamphlet from 1677 pronounced, “none dare venture into the coffeehouses unless he able to argue the question whether Parliament were dissolved or not.” Since coffeehouses became a focal hub of political dissent, they were viewed as a threat to the monarchy, leading Charles II to issue his ‘Proclamation For The Suppression of Coffee Houses’ in 1675. This ban on coffeehouses was very short-lived as you can imagine the outcry was probably more hostile than a Starbucks outlet running out of cold-brew.  

However, it is important to refrain from blindly romanticising this coffeehouse, for it also contributed to the transatlantic slave trade. Plastered on the walls of Jamaica Coffee House were often posters advertising rewards for run-away slaves. One such poster read: “A Negro boy named James … whoever brings him to the Jamaica Coffee House in Cornhill shall have ten shillings reward.” 

While Samuel Pepys’ diary entries are most famous for offering personalised insights into the Great Fire of London, an entry from 1660 references the first time Pepys visited “the Coffee-house in Cornhill.” He wrote, “I find much pleasure in it through the diversity of company – and discourse.” Of course, the “diversity of company” Pepys refers to did not account for the fact that women were largely excluded from the coffeehouses. The literature mentions that some sex workers began using coffeehouses as places to acquire clients. This dissuaded women from entering coffeehouses to avoid being associated with prostitution.

As a result, some women had coffee brought to their carriages for them, mentions Jonathan Morris in 'Coffee: A Global History'. Quite bougie. Yet, the general literature understates that women working in coffeehouses were oversexualised by male customers as many accounts focus on the flirtatious nature of female workers that distracted men from their business-related work.  

This revisionist outlook is valuable because most history books about coffee will always mention the ‘Women’s Petition Against Coffee'. This was allegedly launched by a group of anonymous women who were angry that their husbands were suddenly spending all their time at coffeehouses, engaged in intellectual discussions that were responsible for their loss of libido. If that sounds ridiculous, it probably is. Historians such as Steve Pincus argue that the Women’s Petition Against Coffee may not have even been authored by women. Rather, since coffeehouses were dripping with dissent, it is plausible that the petition was drawn up by any group of individuals hoping to limit their popularity. 

4. Lloyd’s Coffee House 

10-15 Lombard St, London EC3V 9AN

Speaking of capitalism, if you take a few footsteps outside where we started our coffee trail in St Michael’s Alley, an all-too familiar Sainsbury’s greets you upon Lombard Street. It is a shame that most people in a hurry to grab milk and bread, will almost certainly miss the placard that says, ‘Site of Lloyd’s Coffee House 1691-1785'. Having come this far into the coffee trail, it is only natural to agonise over the fact that a Sainsbury’s outlet has replaced the historic ‘Lloyd’s Coffee House’. Merchants and those involved in the shipping industry would gather here to discuss maritime insurance. If the name Lloyds rings a bell, rest assured it is no coincidence – Lloyds of London was eventually established from these coffee grounds.