Best Cafés In Putney For Runners To Re-Charge

In July 2022, our senior mortgage and protection advisor Jade Pinkerton is running the ASICS London 10K in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Jade’s gruelling training regime is taking her across southwest London, and she is racking up the miles daily in preparation for the big sprint. But how is she keeping fuelled on her mammoth training journey? With lots of tea, coffee, and lots of carbs of course!

South West London and Putney specifically (our office base) is absolutely choc-a-bloc with lots of fantastic re-fuelling stations for runners in the form of quirky cafés. In this blog post, we will go through our personal top 10 best cafés in Putney so that when you are next running through the area, you will always have somewhere to stop by for a brew.

10) Artisan Coffee – 203 Upper Richmond Rd, SW15 6SG

Kicking off our list of best cafés in Putney, we are starting with Artisan Coffee. Based a stones throw away from Putney railway station, this café, based on the corner of Upper Richmond Road and Ravenna Road has been serving coffee, tea, and other sweet treats for over 10 years now. The café owners and employees are self-confessed coffee geeks, saying “We spend our evenings talking about brew ratios, TDS levels (that’s the water and our reverse osmosis system), water pressure and, microfoam, to name a few. This is not just because we love what we do, but because we want you to discover the beauty of great coffee.”

At Artisan Coffee you will find a vibrant and fun atmosphere comparable to no other café you’ve been to. Now with several branches across London, they say that all their shops have been designed to create a fun and funky atmosphere. They are also keen to promote all things creative in the community with the art on the walls changing every three months as they focus on providing opportunities to local artists to promote their work.

9) Smugglers Café – 58 Lower Richmond Road,SW15 1JT

Smugglers Café really takes the “Holiday Vibes” slogan to the extreme with this funky and vibrant little shop based on Lower Richmond Street, not far from Putney Bridge. When you approach the café, you are immediately met with the striking sky blue of the windows and doors, reminiscent of a beach hut at your favourite holiday destination. The front of the café is always adorned with bright, colourful flowers and you really feel like you are on holiday rather than in London!

Smugglers is known for its hearty breakfast and lunch menu, and its incredible savoury crepes. Most notably their Gooey Brie, mushroom & bacon Crepe. Another USP of Smugglers is that all of their coffee and tea is grown in the UK! Their coffee comes from Helston, Cornwall and is freshly roasted to order. Their tea is loose-leaf TREGOTHNAN TEA, the only tea that is grown in England.

As many small businesses have, Smugglers had a bit of difficulty during the pandemic when lockdowns were implemented however they quickly adapted by offering takeaways to the local community and have recently completely re-opened without any social distancing measures. Definitely worth stopping by to refuel with a crepe or two!

8) Tried & True – 279 Upper Richmond Rd, SW15 6SP

First opened in 2012, Tried & True provides a slice of New Zealand coffee culture to Putney! Their founder Robert, a native New Zealander, wanted to create a cool local café, just like the ones he knew back home in Mt Eden. Their website says that they wanted to create a café where “tall tales of the night before, plans for the day ahead and wild schemes for the future can be discussed with good friends and flatmates over eggs benedict and a couple of flat whites. Or maybe French toast with bacon and a cheeky long black. With only two rules – the best food and the best coffee.”

The shop itself is rather unassuming from the outside and could easily be missed as you run by however what is unmistakeable is the stunning food that comes out of the kitchen. Their menu features incredibly delicious items such as brioche French toast, smoked salmon cream cheese bagels, buttermilk pancakes, and pulled pork benedict.

7) 79 Collective – 79 Lower Richmond Rd., SW15 1ET

Another coffee shop on what we are affectionately naming “The Putney Coffee Mile” on Richmond Road, this café has been a staple of Putney for many years. A popular spot for cyclists, this café offers coffee, tea, burger, pancakes, and healthy granola fruit yoghurt bowls. Their website introduction says “79 Collective is an iconic South-West London coffee, brunch & lunch spot. The 79 collective is a representation of the community around it and working in it.  Serving speciality coffee, delicious brunch, lunch, amazing drinks, and awesome vibes.”

Another rather unassuming shop, this little shop is based on the corner of Richmond Road and Weiss Road and measures no more than 3 metres across however, don’t let that put you off! This place really is incredible inside and the perfect spot for a relaxing drink and some food. Having a somewhat industrial feel, the exposed brickwork, jars for glasses, and tarnished surfaces add a real hipster vibe. Something you might find in Seattle.

Jade might be stopping by briefly on her run, but it seems that 79 Collective is a friendly and vibey place that you might want to spend a lot more time in!

6) M O N I E S – 140 Upper Richmond Rd, SW15 2SW

This relatively new edition to the Putney coffee scene will have you asking yourself “Am I at an art gallery?”. MONIES coffee bar opened in May 2021 and is only a 2 minute walk away from East Putney tube station. Opened during one of the COVID-19 lockdowns, this café was designed to not only provide quality drinks and food to the people of Putney, but to also explore and share the owner’s love of art too with funky and stylish prints and original artwork covering the walls. On the website, the shop refers to itself as “A Specialty coffee bar in the heart of East Putney with Cornish roots, a love of art, and a passion for buying local” and it certainly is! The owner, Rob, originally from Cornwall, has made sure that all of their products and ingredients are locally sourced or at least from the UK rather than imported, and you can really taste the quality.

Open during the week from 7:30am and 8:30am on the weekend, MONIES has a large front terrace seating area for when the weather decides to be reasonable. And the other 98% of the time when the weather is awful, there is a generous indoor seating area so that you can sip a coffee in peace and tranquillity surrounded by art and coffee culture!

As well as offering the usual coffee and tea, this café also has fabulous milkshakes (some containing alcohol!) and ice-cream that have become infamous in Putney and are definitely worth a try if you get a chance. Perhaps after you have finished your run training.

5) Putney Pantry – St Mary’s Church, Putney High St, SW15 1SN

More of a gourmet restaurant than a café, Putney Pantry is not one to miss on your coffee tour of Putney! Just off Putney Bridge and based in the grounds of St Mary’s Church, this great coffee shop/restaurant has been providing the Putney locals with exquisite food and drink for years that would make Michel Roux jealous. There’s no surprise really as the establishment is spearheaded by a world renowned chef. Putney Pantry is run by Issa Cissokho, a chef with over 20 years’ experience in the restaurant industry who has trained in some of the best restaurants in the world. Issa and his team’s passion for the service industry is visible in the amazing quality of the food they produce.

Currently Putney Pantry is open Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm and open from 9:30am until 5pm on Saturday. They offer a set breakfast and lunch menu with all the usual favourites like full English, pancakes, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and savoury tarts. But, the unique thing about Putney Pantry is that the fish, meat, and vegetarian main meal options change daily with fresh and innovative meals coming out of the kitchen so that you can practically try a different thing every time you visit!

The warm, bright, and vibrant atmosphere of the Putney Pantry is unrivalled and you really feel at home when you visit. Definitely worth stopping by if you are in the Putney Bridge area.

4) Cappuccino Arts Café – 204 Upper Richmond Rd, SW15 6TD

Are you looking for something a little….different? Look no further, Cappuccino Arts Café might be the place that you have been searching for. Not just a coffee shop, Cappuccino is the place to go for art, performance, stand-up comedy, and music whilst still enjoying a nice brew and a piece of cake. Located again on Upper Richmond Street, Cappuccino is a lot more well established than most of the places on this list, having been founded and run as a family business since 1992. Proprietors Ali and Monika say that the idea of Cappuccino is to give Putney the opportunity to stage live music in the form of jazz and blues, along with art exhibitions and drama for the whole family while sampling a lovingly made cup of Lavazza coffee or a pleasing bite to eat.

Open from 7am until 11pm most days, Cappuccino is a staple of Putney nightlife as well being a chilled out café for recovery the next morning. Every week there are new events taking place within the small unassuming shop and you won’t find anywhere else like it. The wide variety of food on offer isn’t something to be sniffed at either. At the moment, you have the choice of 23 different breakfast items, 26 main meal items, and too many delicious toasted paninis and sandwiches to count.

So, if you are in the mood for a bit more excitement and entertainment with your coffee, don’t just take our word for it! Head on down to Cappuccino Arts Café for some breakfast or maybe even a lively night out with friends.

3) KAT Coffee Company – 25A Osiers Rd, SW18 1NL

The next stop on our tour of the best cafe’s and coffee shops in Putney is another rather unique and art shop, KAT Coffee Company. This hidden gem is quite literally hidden from immediate sight down Osiers Road, near to the Thames Uber boat stop and a short walk from Wandsworth park. If you know where to find it, this is place is an absolute must for any coffee aficionados with an equal passion for art and most importantly…..pets!

Founded in 2019 by owners Beata and Nuri, KAT Coffee Company aims to provide peaceful surroundings, delicious, quality, fresh food and the best coffee you can imagine. Beata and Nuri love cats, dogs, books, music, art, and culture. So with that in mind they set up their first coffee shop to explore all of these. The shop itself hosts an art gallery with different artists work regularly displayed on the walls to inspire customers.

Open daily from 7:30am until 4pm, KAT Coffee Company is a great place to stop and re-fuel after an intense run around Wandsworth Park. Currently their menu offers an array of signature juices, coffee, tea, wraps, pastries, baguettes, paninis. Oh and as the website helpfully and humorously reminds us; “Ridiculously good pastries, croissants, cakes and more cakes and cookies and cakes. And sandwiches, great sandwiches that you’ll write poetry about.”

2) Another Brother – 187 Putney Bridge Rd, SW15 2NZ

Our runner up in the list of best cafes in Putney is none other than Another Brother based on Putney Bridge Road. Another Brother is another fairly recent addition to the Putney coffee scene, only opening in June 2021. Despite being a younger brother to some of the more established cafes, this coffee shop is already making waves in the area with queues outside on sunny days and the indoor seating area always packed. We might be a bit biased as the shop is only a few doors down from our own office, but it really is located in the perfect place. Opposite the beautiful, big, green space of Wandsworth park. With inside and outside seating facing the park, this spot is ideal for sitting back and relaxing in the sunshine and watching the park activities. And the huge floor to ceiling windows make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Open daily from 7:30am until 4pm, Another Brother really is the epitome of ‘neighbourhood coffee shop’ and you get a real feeling of community with every visit. Currently they offer their customers an all-day brunch among other sweet and savoury treats. Toasties, Wraps, Salads, filled croissants, creamy mushrooms on toast, and freshly made cinnamon rolls are just a few of the items on the menu that have caught our eye over the last few months.

Wandsworth park is a particular favourite running spot for Jade in her 10K training, so she has confirmed that she will definitely be stopping in for some fuel!

1) Arise Coffee Roasters – Plaza Gardens, SW15 2DT

And our winner is (drumroll)……ARISE COFFEE ROASTERS! Opened in East Putney in June 2020, Arise Coffee Roasters is the first café you come to when exiting East Putney tube station. The brain child of coffee shop entrepreneur Lavender Tang, Arise is unique in that it is a fusion of coffee from all over the world meaning you can get the real coffee taste from Vietnam, Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, and Rwanda in the heart of South West London!

Arise Coffee Roasters, a popular spot for business professionals heading to jobs in the city and laptop based creatives alike, is open from 7:30am until 4pm daily. As well as having a huge selection of coffees and teas, Arise also has an extensive and vibrant food menu for everyone’s pallet. A particularly delicious offering is their home made pancakes with crispy bacon, sausages, and blueberries. If you’re looking for great coffee from around the world and delicious food to keep you full and re-charged throughout the day, Arise is the place to be!

With only a month to go, Jade is ready and raring to go and these fantastic cafe’s are keeping her going! We hope you enjoyed this list of the best coffee shops in Putney and we hope that they have given you some inspiration! If you would like to contribute to Jade’s JustGiving page in aid of Macmillan Cancer support, you can donate here. Any small amount will go a long way so please dig deep!