The 9 Best Cafes & Coffee Shops near Tower Bridge – Ranked!

Tower Bridge: where London’s rich history meets the hum and buzz of contemporary life. Amongst its storied streets and the silhouette of the iconic bridge, there’s another cherished institution that brings both locals and travelers together: the coffee shops and cafes. Londoners, with their fondness for a cozy cafe corner, know the joy of watching the world go by with a cuppa in hand.

If you’re sightseeing some of the most famous attractions in the city, you simply mustn’t miss the coffee culture – and that means making a stop at one of the top cafes and coffee shops near Tower Bridge. It’s a blend of flavors, sights, and experiences that’s as unforgettable as the London skyline itself. Ready to discover the best spots to grab a brew near London’s most iconic bridge?

The Best Cafes & Coffee Shops in Tower Bridge – Ranked! 

There are a lot of lists of the “best” cafes and coffee shops in Tower Bridge out there, and most of them have some sort of black box way of deciding what to include and in what order. I prefer to be transparent in how I rank the things I recommend on this site, so below you’ll find a table with scores for each cafe and coffee shop; here’s how I came up with those numbers:

• I selected only those coffee shops and cafes that are located within the generally agreed bounds of the Tower Bridge area
• I ranked all of the cafes/coffee shops by rating and number of reviews on Google reviews
• I then combined those scores with the proportion of reviews each cafe and coffee shop received to come up with a score (out of 5) for each cafe and coffee shop
• I ranked the cafes and coffee shops by score, and broke ties by the number of reviews (at the time of reviewing the data)

Also, I included only cafes and coffee shops with a rating of 4.0 or higher, to ensure I was only including those coffee shops and cafes which are truly good. Given all that, here are the best coffee shops and cafes in Tower Bridge:

Below, you’ll find more about each of these top 5 Tower Bridge coffee shops and cafes, plus shorter descriptions of the other four that I reviewed for this post.

1. WatchHouse Tower Bridge

Photos courtesy of WatchHouse Tower Bridge via Facebook

If you’re looking for a quiet but stylish retreat, WatchHouse Tower Bridge is one of the best cafes near Tower Bridge for you. It’s a minimalistic coffee shop tucked away in the Shad Thames, a quiet street just behind Tower Bridge, that serves ethically-sourced, seasonal food and drink. If you’re popping in for brunch, don’t forget to try the Eggs Benedict, brownies, and – of course – the coffee!

WatchHouse started a stone’s throw away over at Bermondsey Street, in a tiny shelter for men guarding the graveyard of St Mary Magdalen’s Church. Today it has expanded to several outlets spread across London, but the one at Shad Thames is the flagship store.

Note that WatchHouse is a pretty popular place so, during peak periods, there is a 90-minute time slot on tables. There is often a queue for a table but it does move fast!

2. Tower Bridge Cafe

Tower Bridge Cafe is a cashless coffee shop with a lovely river location. Most of the seating is al fresco, so it’s a terrific place to relax with a book when the weather is good.

If you’re looking for the best coffee shops near Tower Bridge with a view, this is the spot for you as you can see Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the Shard and the Tower of London! It also has friendly staff and serves a mean pizza.

5. The Cat & Cucumber Cafe

Photos courtesy of The Cat & Cucumber Cafe via Instagram

The Cat & Cucumber Cafe is a “greasy spoon” with traditional all-day breakfast at great prices. Having been around for over 40 years, the exterior is not particularly attractive, but it’s one of the best cafes near Tower Bridge if you’re looking to stretch your dollar to the max.

4. White Mulberries

Photos courtesy of White Mulberries via Instagram

White Mulberries is an art-themed cafe located in the picturesque St. Katharine Docks marina. It is famous for its banana bread but the savory food can be a bit hit or miss. Also, this is not the right cafe if you’re taking a coffee break just to use the toilet, as they don’t have one on-site!

5. Caffe Paradiso

Photos courtesy of Caffe Paradiso

Not too far away from WatchHouse Tower Bridge is Caffe Paradiso, a small Sicilian cafe chain that is very proud of its heritage. (The ingredients for its gelato are still sourced from Sicily today) The ambiance is pretty quaint, but unfortunately, the standard of the food and service are both quite erratic…

Other Great Coffee Shops & Cafes in Tower Bridge

Photos courtesy of St Katharine Docks Cafe via Instagram

1. St Katharine Docks Cafe – St Katharine Docks Cafe is an independent, small cafe near White Mulberries serving juices, vegan smoothies and light food. Both have a terrific view of all the boats in the marina but unfortunately, the food and service standard is not very consistent here.
2. Urban Baristas – Urban Baristas is a small cafe popular with students of the nearby University. Serving Aussie-style coffee, it has a pared-down menu and is one of the best coffee shops near Tower Bridge for takeaways (Sadly, you are not allowed to dine in unless you are a member of the building but there are lovely views from the terrace.) Note that the cafe also charges extra for dairy milk alternatives, such as oat milk, and does not open on weekends.
3. ProvenDough Deli+Bar – Located in a Premier Inn, ProvenDough Deli+Bar is one of the best cafes to work as it has super fast wifi and air chargers in addition to food and drink. The cafe thoughtfully labels common allergens but note that a customer has reported being turned away for not being a hotel guest, so you will have to take your chances!
4. New Armouries Café – New Armouries Café is a small cafe in the Tower of London. Open 7 days a week, it serves hot food, desserts, and drinks. Unfortunately, it does not offer a wide variety of allergy-friendly foods, so may not be the best place for a person on a gluten-free diet!

If you have any questions about the best cafes and coffee shops near Tower Bridge, let me know in the comments!