
Abuelo
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About Abuelo
Abuelo is a coffee shop at 26 Southampton St in London, pairing Australian and South American influences in a coffee and kitchen menu. Fig toast with honey and mascarpone is the signature dish. The slow-cooked pork sandwich, also called the Credo or pork toast, covers the savoury side. Banana bread comes topped with vanilla ricotta, honeycomb and toasted coconut. Matcha and coffee drinks can be made with oat milk, maple syrup or honey. The indoor space is small and centres on one large communal table, and a queue forms on busy days. Dogs are welcome.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingParking
- Good for kidsFamily-friendly
- DietaryOrganic dishes · Vegan options · Vegetarian options
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Menu & Prices
102 dishes · mains £0–15- Espresso£3.70
- Macchiato£3.90
- Long Black£4.00
- Filter£4.20
- Cortado£4.10
- Flat White£4.20
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fig toast, banana bread, corn fritters and pork sandwich.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fig toast, banana bread, corn fritters and pork sandwich.
Customer Review Summary
The fig toast is the dish reviewers raise most. One loved the gentle sweetness of honey against creamy mascarpone, while another found it pretty but lacking texture and flavour. Close behind are the slow-cooked pork sandwich, called really good when eaten hot though with slightly over-toasted bread, and the corn fritters, described as unique and packed with flavour. The banana bread, topped with vanilla ricotta, honeycomb and toasted coconut, also gets mentions, though one reviewer rated it lowest of three dishes. Coffee draws repeated praise, from a balanced cappuccino and oatmilk latte to a dulce de leche iced coffee, and one reviewer singled out a very bright green matcha. Staff are called friendly and welcoming. The recurring complaint is a small indoor space and queues on busy Sundays, with one reviewer unsure the hype justifies the queue and another arriving near closing who could only take coffee away. Portions are called gigantic, and one diner whose reservation email never arrived was still seated inside as a walk-in.
Customer Review Summary
The fig toast is the dish reviewers raise most. One loved the gentle sweetness of honey against creamy mascarpone, while another found it pretty but lacking texture and flavour. Close behind are the slow-cooked pork sandwich, called really good when eaten hot though with slightly over-toasted bread, and the corn fritters, described as unique and packed with flavour. The banana bread, topped with vanilla ricotta, honeycomb and toasted coconut, also gets mentions, though one reviewer rated it lowest of three dishes. Coffee draws repeated praise, from a balanced cappuccino and oatmilk latte to a dulce de leche iced coffee, and one reviewer singled out a very bright green matcha. Staff are called friendly and welcoming. The recurring complaint is a small indoor space and queues on busy Sundays, with one reviewer unsure the hype justifies the queue and another arriving near closing who could only take coffee away. Portions are called gigantic, and one diner whose reservation email never arrived was still seated inside as a walk-in.
Featured reviews
- Quang-Nhat NGUYEN
“Come with an empty stomach because the portions are gigantic! I was absolutely stuffed after this meal. We ordered a slow-cooked pork sandwich and the fig toast. I personally loved the fig toast — the gentle sweetness of the honey with the creamy mascarpone was amazing.”
- Umair
“Stumbled across this place whilst looking for a spot to sit down, read and people-watch. Not very obvious to notice but clearly popular as there was constantly people queuing - and I can see why! I had the corn fritter which was absolutely amazing - a lovely unique dish that was presented beautifully and packed a flavour punch! The seating was slightly awkward as there’s one large table inside but it added to the quirkiness and I quite enjoyed it. The staff were absolutely delightful! Super friendly, looked after me well, served some amazing drinks and made sure I was comfortable. A special mention for the playlist they had on that day mixed with old school jazz and R&B which pleasantly disturbed me from reading my book. Looking forward to visiting again when I’m back in London! Thanks Abuelo Team!”
- Dror Lavie
“One of the best coffees I’ve ever had. I’ve had plenty of coffee over the years, and this one at Abuelo really stood out. The first sip was quite acidic, but after that the flavour opened up and became much more balanced, with plenty of depth and interesting notes. Really excellent coffee. Unfortunately, the place was close to closing when we arrived, so we couldn’t sit down and had to get it as a takeaway. A shame, especially since we would have loved to enjoy it properly in the café, in one of their beautiful cups.”
- Jiajia Wang
“Walked in around 1:30 on Sunday, luckily only had to wait for 10 mins. We had the signature Fig toast and the Credo (pork sandwich). Fig toast was lacking a bit texture and flavour. Very pretty but not as good in taste. I ate the pork sandwich first when it’s hot which was really good, only the bread was slightly over toasted but doesn’t affect the taste. Worth a try if there isn’t a long queue.”
- brooklin derouen
“really great coffee and service! my husband ordered a cappuccino with skim milk and honey and I ordered a latte with oatmilk and maple syrup. Both were really well balanced, not overly sweet but not bitter either. I also ordered the banana bread which is topped with vanilla ricotta, honeycomb, and toasted coconut. This was also so yummy, and a much bigger portion than I was expecting. The barista and waitstaff were very helpful as well. Overall, I think Abuelo is very flexible and can suit anyone’s coffee preferences and is worth a visit!”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
“Australian meets South American coffee house and kitchen in Central London, Covent Garden, Soho”
- Great coffee
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Parking
- Accepts reservations
- Outdoor seating
- Dogs allowed
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Show more amenities
- Family-friendly
- Vegan options
- Bar onsite
- Cozy
- Onsite services
- Beer
- Offerings· 10
- Alcohol
- Cocktails
- Coffee
- Free water refills
- Healthy options
- Organic dishes
- Quick bite
- Small plates
- Vegetarian options
- Wine
- Popular for· 1
- Solo dining
- Dining options· 7
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Atmosphere· 3
- Casual
- Trending
- Trendy
- Highlights· 3
- Great coffee
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Crowd· 4
- Groups
- LGBTQ+ friendly
- Tourists
- Transgender safespace
- Pet-friendly· 2
- Dogs allowed inside
- Dogs allowed outside
- Planning· 2
- Appointment required
- Brunch reservations recommended
Location
Coffee shops near Abuelo
- WatchHouse Covent Garden4.51,1190 mi
banana bread with espresso butter, rotating filter coffee, pancakes
- The Coffee House4.71410.1 mi
sourdough sandwich, flat white, salad
- EllaMia London4.42050.2 mi
cappuccino, ham and cheese croissant, flat white
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbueloOutdoor seating · Vegan options | 4.11,370 | — | fig toast, banana bread, corn fritters |
| WatchHouse Covent Garden | 4.51,119 | 0 mi | banana bread with espresso butter, rotating filter coffee, pancakes |
| The Coffee House | 4.7141 | 0.1 mi | sourdough sandwich, flat white, salad |
| EllaMia London | 4.4205 | 0.2 mi | cappuccino, ham and cheese croissant, flat white |
The 3 nearest coffee shops by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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