If there’s ever a place that represents what it does on the tin, this is it. Brill, is brill. Simple as that.

A no-nonsense coffee shop-come-record den, this vinyl spinning, coffee frothing venue du jour delivers the ultimate in guilty weekend pleasures: coffee on tap and music on call, for as long as it’s called for. For post-brunching Londoners frequenting the Clerkenwell area it’s a must – the kind of place where killing three hours reminiscing about school discos, reggae classics and the good old days is totally justified in an environment stylish enough to get away with it.

Based in Exmouth Market, Brill distinguishes itself from the average alternative music shop with an ambience that encourages patrons to linger. There’s also a palpable respect for music which is evidenced in the organic conversations that arise simply from doing time in the shop – it’s not uncommon to see virtual strangers sit and discourse over a band or musical genre and swap numbers after. Combine this with a communal respect and appreciation for the humble coffee bean (best slurped whilst re-living the soundtrack to that first high school kiss), and we think you’ve got yourself on to a regular weekend winner. Oh, and did we mention their homemade brownies are the perfect calorific accompaniment to a little Gill Scott Heron?