Benugo Clerkenwell - Islington

The best espresso in the area paired with friendly staff.

The coffee was excellent and the service was impressive as well.

I went to this restaurant today for a very reasonably priced coffee (especially given its location). The staff were delightful and the coffee was excellent.

Nice place! I was there at 4pm and enjoyed a good soup, although most of the cooked food was finished by that time. The bread that came with the soup could have been fresher.

The Benugos Clerkenwell store is the original Benugo opening (they have over 20 locations in the UK) with the site having previously been a pub. Benugos can be described as a chilled out overpriced deli, offering sandwiches, pastries, salads, juices and coffee. It gets crowded and busy at lunchtime Monday to Friday so either get there early or bring some patience with you. The WiFi is not the fastest but the interior space is bright. Only a handful of sandwiches and pastries are freshly made on site, with the majority of items premade and sitting on a refrigerated unit. The star fresh food attraction is a hot food station which usually consists of one selected dish either sausages and mash, halloumi wrap or bacon and eggs. It is cooked daily and served by extremely friendly man. The coffee is okay but nothing special. Head over to EC1 Coffee House down the road for much better coffee. Free water in jar is in offer which is always a nice touch. The space is ample, with the main room serving as a gathering point for eat out customers, getting crowded at peak times of the day. At the back there is plenty of sitting on individual tables or two large long tables. The service is hot and cold depending on who takes your order. Benugos Clerkenwell could be a great deli (beyond just being a conviniently located alternative to Pret) if it offered consistent customer service, a fast WiFi connection, additional fresh food (not refrigerated) and lower prices.