OSOTO grew out of time spent in Sydney’s café culture, and its aim is to bring Australia’s coffee culture to Southampton’s independent scene. Its owner, Anneka, started with pop-ups in the summer of 2024 and opened the business that September. In February 2025 OSOTO moved into the old stockroom of Vinilo Record Store in the city centre, the city’s first vinyl café by its own account, with lattes and pour-overs served among the record racks.

The coffee comes from a guest roaster that changes every month, and the drinks follow Australian recipes, from espresso and milk drinks to batch brew and pour-over, with the guest’s bags on the shelf. Past guests include Outpost from Nottingham, Moonroast from Hampshire, Oddy Knocky from Bolton, Seadog from Southampton, NewGround from Oxford, Coborn from London and Craft House from Sussex. Ozone came in July, and Cloud Picker from Dublin was the first guest from outside the UK, with Henry as the house espresso and a washed Guatemalan from the Cipresales farm on pour-over.

OSOTO also runs hands-on home barista workshops for people who want to get more out of a Sage or De’Longhi espresso machine at home.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: OSOTO coffee