A visit to Tapped & Packed, London

I wanted to share a few photos I took of Tapped & Packed, a specialty cafe with two locations in London – marked on the outside only by their street numbers “114” or “26.” Each space is different, with No. 26 feeling more like a cozy neighborhood haunt, and No. 114 like a destination you’d go out of your way to visit to soak up the light and do some people watching through its large windows. During my trip I was happy to finally meet Sang Ho Park (@Koreanbarista), who was Head Barista at Tapped and Packed at the time and had just come back to London after volunteering for the Coffee Common event at TED. He’s recently moved on and is now working with Square Mile and preparing to compete in the UK Barista Championship, so keep an eye out for that and send some good vibes for the competition :)

When I visited Tapped & Packed, they were using a custom blend of Nicaragua Lemoncillo from Has Bean, one of the best roasters in the UK. If I recall correctly, this was a Pacamara variety and the blend was 60% Washed, 40% Natural processed. It was really a delicious shot with complexity and an enjoyable acidity that came across like lemon cream in milk. They also had a more typical blend for milk drinks with stronger chocolate and roast notes. Tapped & Packed rotates through other roasters as well, including Climpson & Sons, Origin Coffee Roasters, Square Mile, and Union Hand Roasted.

No. 114 is the newer location and it has some interesting design features. The interior is full of different patinas, various woods and unpolished metals, all bathed in bright light from its generous windows. In the middle of the shop there’s a tree stump, used to hold condiments, and on the bar they have a steam-punk looking water dispenser for pour overs, and a wood-enclosed Nuova Simonelli espresso machine with a see-through window that shows off the boiler and other parts.

I enjoyed visiting, had a delicious coffee prepared by Sang Ho, and hope that things are going well there despite his absence! Check out the map below if you’d like to visit, and please share your experience in the comments.