Algerian Coffee Stores, the Old Compton Street shop of 1887

There is a particular smell on Old Compton Street, somewhere near the junction with Dean Street, and it is not the pub. It is roasted coffee, and it drifts out of Algerian Coffee Stores, 52 Old Compton Street, a narrow shop that has traded on the same spot since 1887.

A short history

According to the family that runs it, the shop was opened in 1887 by an Algerian man remembered as Mr Hassan, which is where the name comes from. In the 1920s it was sold to a Belgian, Mr Boerman, who kept the name and grew the business. In 1946 it passed to an English gentleman, Mr Jones. Sources differ on the exact sale dates, so those are the family's own, taken from their blog.

Mr Jones is the grandfather of the current owners. Paul Crocetta moved to London from Naples after marrying Mr Jones's daughter Francesca, and their daughters Marisa and Daniela now run the shop. The family calls it third generation. Wikipedia and MyLondon both describe it as London's oldest coffee shop, which is their claim rather than ours to settle, but it is a fair argument to have over an espresso.

The family says the shop has seen two World Wars, two pandemics, terror attacks and gentrification, and it still stands on its original site. Marisa Crocetta told CNN in 2023 that nobody wants the shop to be glammed up. Walk in and you can see why: the original fascia, a 19th-century wooden counter, bespoke shelving and a display case, old signs and price lists, and a gallery of old photographs. Stuff About London shows a 1930s-era photograph with "the best coffee in London" painted on the window in French, Italian and German.

What to buy

The range runs to more than 80 coffees and more than 120 teas, plus chocolate and confectionery, spices and brewing kit. Beans are sold by the gram, whole or ground, and staff will grind to order, so say how you brew before you reach the front.

The house blends

• Algerian Special: one of the oldest house blends, a high roast, pure arabica Colombian. £6.00 per 250g on the shop's website.
• Connoisseur: a lighter blend, created decades ago. £6.00 per 250g online.
• Formula Rossa: an Italian-style roast, described by the shop as great value. Also sold in 2.5kg bags at £40 online.

If you are only buying one thing, make it a 250g bag of Algerian Special. It is the shop's own story in a paper bag.

Single origins and gifts

The website lists Malawi at £6.50 per 250g and a flavoured Viennese Vanilla Colombian at £8.60. At the top end, Jamaica Blue Mountain is £28.00 per 250g. Web prices may differ from those in the shop, so check the board. Other names that turn up in reviews include Kona, Torino (the strong one), Indian Cherry AA and Kopi Luwak. For a gift, a small bag of something rare travels well.

Tea, sweets and kit

Teas include Genmaicha, Nilgiri, mate, English Breakfast and Earl Grey. Reviewers also mention Italian sweets such as panettone, cantuccini, panforte and torrone, and Bialetti and Neapolitan coffee makers. A stovetop pot and a bag of beans is the sort of Soho present that never gets re-gifted.

The takeaway espresso

There is no seating: this is a takeaway counter, and queues are normal. Read the wooden board before you reach the front, and have your order ready. A reviewer's tip on TripAdvisor: pay cash at the espresso machine, but if you are using a card, order first and pay at the counter.

Takeaway espresso and milk coffees have long been among the cheapest in Soho, roughly £1.50 to £3 in recent reports, though the board has the current prices. Order the espresso, drink it on the pavement of Old Compton Street, then go back in for the beans.

When to go

The shop's own site gives hours of 10am to 6pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 7pm Thursday to Saturday, and closed on Sundays. Go at opening for the shortest wait, or on a weekday late afternoon when the after-work crowd has not yet arrived. Saturdays are busiest. The nearest stations are Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square.

Not in Soho? The shop also ships internationally, mostly through its website. For more of the story, CNN's profile is worth your time, and Time Out names it the best shop in Soho in its area guide.

Order: a takeaway espresso, then 250g of Algerian Special, ground for your pot.