Micro Roastery and Garage Coffee Roasters both roast in Canterbury; Lost Sheep Coffee roasts in Whitstable and pours through a city-centre kiosk. Curve Coffee from Margate supplies several of the independents.
Last updated May 2026
Properly excellent.
Canterbury's own roaster. Staff grind to order, advise on the beans, and the tasting notes on the espresso are specific and accurate.
Lost Sheep roast their own beans in Whitstable and run them straight through this kiosk. The setting undersells the coffee considerably.
The everyday answer.
Flat whites done right in a compact room on Northgate. The kind of neighbourhood coffee that's easy to take for granted until it's gone.
Curve Coffee beans, a Canterbury roaster, in a Northgate indie with a garden out back. Visiting baristas keep finding it.
Sources from Sturry Oast House Roastery and keeps the latte honest. The beans are the point, not the wallpaper.
The brunch spot on Mercery Lane where the coffee is worth ordering for its own sake. Most people come for the food; the cup earns a mention on the way out.
Ten minutes south of the centre on Oaten Hill, where coffee leads and cardamom buns close the argument.
Order the espresso, not the iced caramel latte. James and Liz source deliberately, and the cup reflects it.
The barista recommends the pistachio latte before you've finished reading the menu. Coffee is solid, the baked goods are worth the stop, and it's five minutes from Canterbury station.
Steps from the Cathedral Gate, and the brunch menu is the reason to come. Black Sheep on the espresso means the flat white doesn't embarrass itself.
A working barista academy where the training programme is the quality guarantee. The person making your coffee is being formally assessed on it.
The coffee is better than the billing suggests. Solid espresso alongside a full kitchen menu of toasties, croissants, and pastries in the city centre.
Bean Smitten's small-batch roast sits behind the counter of what is mostly a brunch and events venue. Worth knowing if you're in the Marlowe Arcade and want a properly sourced coffee rather than a default one.
Curve Coffee Roasters from Margate supply the espresso, which puts Oriole a step above what a cricket ground cafe usually offers. The terrace earns a visit on its own terms.