The Wren is a coffee shop inside St Nicholas Cole Abbey in the City of London, and takes its name from the church’s architect, Sir Christopher Wren. The Nudge, a guide to London, called it “London’s most beautiful coffee shop”. The church dates back to the twelfth century. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, rebuilt by Wren in the 1670s, badly damaged in the Second World War and reconstructed in 1962. It is still a working church.
The café tables fill the floor of the church, under its arched and stained-glass windows, and the spacious interior is set up for business meetings as much as for a break from the busy City. Breakfast is croissants, cinnamon buns, pains au raisin and porridge pots; lunch is filo parcels, a filo sausage roll and salads, with cakes and cookies through the day. Hot drinks come in compostable cups, with a discount for a reusable one. There are no reservations, the building is not available for hire, and a ramp gives access for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
All proceeds from The Wren café support the ministry work at St Nick’s and the upkeep of the coffee shop.
The coffee comes from Fireheart and Caravan, the baristas undergo advanced training at the roastery, and they answer coffee questions. Whole-bean bags are for sale and can be ground for filter, along with brewing equipment.
Coffee on the shelf
- Fireheart
- Caravan Coffee Roasters
Photograph: The Wren