London's TAP Coffee No. 193: A Specialty Roastery in Soho

Walking through London’s Soho, you might catch a whiff of something rich and roasted—freshly roasted coffee beans spilling from a Soho shopfront and drawing you in. That sensory pull is exactly how TAP Coffee No. 193 makes its first impression. Tucked away on Wardour Street, this specialty coffee spot doesn’t just serve coffee—it broadcasts its craft through aroma, layout, and detail. For anyone hunting down a coffee shop where freshness, design, and brewing all align, this one answers with more than just a cup.

TAP Coffee No. 193 is a specialty coffee roastery and café located on Wardour Street in London’s upscale Soho district. The shop combines a thoughtfully designed interior, an open coffee roasting area, and a menu displayed on a full-length mirror to create an immersive, functional, and aromatic coffee experience—all in one compact urban space.

A Purpose-Built Café with Aroma and Architecture

TAP Coffee No. 193’s most immediate attraction is the scent of freshly roasted coffee drifting onto the busy street. Upon following the aroma, customers encounter a full-length mirror displaying the drink menu in white text—an unusual but effective choice that both informs and visually enlarges the compact space. The mirror isn’t just practical; it’s central to the shop’s spatial strategy, creating an illusion of openness in a dense urban setting.

Design Details That Work Harder

The interior layout divides logically into four zones: ordering, brewing, seating, and roasting. A split-level counter not only displays products cleanly but also hides technical equipment. Seating options vary from high-top narrow tables near the entrance (adding around 15 extra seats despite the tight entry zone), to central high tables and more conventional seating toward the rear. Nearly all furniture is fixed to the floor—a deliberate choice to maintain cleanliness and tidiness with minimal staff effort.

Wood dominates the material palette, with darker flooring grading into lighter wood tones for chairs and tables. This gradient, paired with off-white walls and light brown accents, enhances the sense of depth. The sugar and milk station breaks from convention by centering a cluster of large natural wooden branches fitted with circular wooden discs, placing these essentials where customers can access them easily—a question many other cafés answer by sticking such stations along the wall.

Lighting, Fixtures, and the Roasting Heart

Lighting at TAP is a mix of adjustable incandescent bulbs (the primary source), black-finished table lamps (avoiding industrial metals for a warmer touch), and natural light filtering through ceiling channels—particularly helpful in brightening the narrower back section while cutting electricity use. Small design elements, like vintage spoons and custom-etched brass or copper table numbers, reinforce the shop’s handcrafted feel. Even the takeaway coffee packaging features distinctive artwork and labels that tempt customers to take some home.

The most critical feature lies at the rear of the shop: a small but fully visible coffee roasting setup. This isn’t just for show—the active roasting process fills the space with aroma and lets customers watch their beans being prepared. It’s a tactile reminder of freshness, and a key reason patrons leave with a deeper appreciation for the cup in their hand. In a city saturated with cafés, TAP Coffee No. 193 carves out its identity through function, design, and the sensory experience of roast-to-cup transparency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is TAP Coffee No. 193 located?

TAP Coffee No. 193 is located on Wardour Street in London’s Soho district, a well-known and upscale area in central London.

What makes TAP Coffee No. 193’s interior design different?

The café uses a full-length mirror to display its menu, which also helps create a more spacious feel. It also features a central wooden branch-based milk and sugar station, fixed flooring for easy cleaning, and a mix of incandescent, black lamps, and natural light to balance ambiance and utility.

Does TAP Coffee No. 193 roast its own coffee?

Yes, the café has a small coffee roasting area at the back of the shop where beans are roasted on-site. Customers can see the roasting process, which adds to the freshness and transparency of the coffee served.

How does TAP Coffee No. 193 handle seating in a small space?

The café includes various seating zones: high-top narrow tables near the entrance add around 15 extra seats, while the central and rear areas feature high tables, high round tables, and conventional seating. Most furniture is fixed to the floor to maintain a tidy appearance.

What kind of lighting does TAP Coffee No. 193 use?

TAP uses a combination of adjustable white incandescent lights for general illumination, black table lamps for accent lighting, and natural light from ceiling channels to brighten the back area without relying solely on electricity.

What design details make TAP Coffee No. 193 stand out?

Besides the mirror menu and central milk/sugar stand, the café features vintage-style spoons, copper or brass table numbers etched into small plaques, and custom-designed coffee packaging that customers are encouraged to take home.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for London-Style Cafés

For a London specialty café like TAP Coffee No. 193, FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe offers bright citrus and floral notes ideal for filter brewing, while their Brazil Queen Manor delivers a nutty, chocolatey base perfect for espresso blends. Both beans highlight freshness and origin character—key values mirrored in TAP’s in-house roasting approach. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.