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Discover Holborn’s 8 best spots for your trip in London

From the classic Scarfes Bar and Prufrock Coffee, to lesser-known spots worth adding to your trip.

Prices & booking information
Opening hours & visit duration
Best time to visit
Location & practical information
Local tips for every spot

Scarfes Bar

★ 4.6 · 1,558 reviews

Step into Scarfes Bar, a wood-panelled hideaway inside the Rosewood London hung with Gerald Scarfe's caricatures. Settle in with an inventive cocktail as live jazz fills the room for a polished, proper night out.

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Reasons to go

The bar is named for and decorated with original artwork by political caricaturist Gerald Scarfe.
It occupies a room inside the Rosewood London hotel on High Holborn.
It has been ranked among the world's 50 best bars, currently placed at No. 31.

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Typical visit

1h15

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Best time

early evening, evening or late night

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Walking intensity

Easy pace

☕Coffeebreak$$ · Mid-range

Prufrock Coffee

★ 4.6 · 2,718 reviews

Discover Prufrock Coffee, a Leather Lane pioneer of London's specialty coffee scene. Sip an expertly pulled espresso or settle in for a full breakfast, alongside the local business crowd that treats it as a favorite meeting spot.

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Reasons to go

Regarded as one of the shops that helped establish London's specialty coffee scene.
Sources beans from a rotating selection of top international roasters rather than a single house blend.
Offers a fuller brunch menu than most specialty coffee bars typically attempt.

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Typical visit

45 min

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Best time

early morning, morning, lunchtime or afternoon

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Walking intensity

Easy pace

🎨MuseumFree

Sir John Soane's Museum

★ 4.7 · 5,552 reviews

Step into Sir John Soane's Museum, the architect's own townhouse left exactly as he arranged it. Wander mirrored alcoves and ingeniously lit rooms crammed with sarcophagi, classical fragments, and Hogarth paintings.

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Reasons to go

The house was designed and lived in by architect Sir John Soane and preserved almost exactly as he left it in the 19th century
The picture gallery and basement crypt feature clever fold-out display panels that hide extra artworks and artifacts
It holds Hogarth paintings and classical sarcophagi and fragments packed into ingeniously lit, mirrored rooms

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Typical visit

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Best time

morning, lunchtime or afternoon

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Walking intensity

Moderate walking

☕Coffeebreak$$ · Mid-range

Catalyst

★ 4.7 · 763 reviews

Discover Catalyst, a Holborn coffee break worth the detour. Sip a nuanced flat white made from a Brazilian and Colombian blend and pair it with the standout almond madeleine, in a relaxed, friendly setting.

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Reasons to go

The flat white is made from a Brazilian and Colombian bean blend, giving it an acidic, nutty, citrusy profile
The almond madeleine is compared by reviewers to those found in traditional French bakeries

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Typical visit

25 min

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Best time

early morning, morning, lunchtime or afternoon

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Walking intensity

Easy pace

☕Coffeebreak$ · Budget-friendly

Colonna & Small's

★ 4.9 · 235 reviews

Step into Colonna & Small's, a compact espresso bar on Leather Lane. Pick your shot by flavour profile, sip a near-perfect latte, and chat beans with the friendly, knowledgeable baristas.

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Reasons to go

Espresso is chosen by flavour profile rather than a single house blend
Holds an unusually high 4.9 rating for a coffee bar
Located on Leather Lane close to Prufrock, making a two-stop coffee crawl easy

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Typical visit

25 min

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Best time

morning, lunchtime or afternoon

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Walking intensity

Easy pace

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

Charles Dickens Museum

★ 4.6 · 2,626 reviews

Step into the Georgian townhouse where Charles Dickens actually lived and wrote. Wander rooms furnished with his original desk, manuscripts, and possessions, then unwind with a coffee at the small on-site cafe.

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Reasons to go

The house is the only surviving London residence of Charles Dickens, where he lived in the late 1830s.
It was here that he wrote early novels including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby.
His original writing desk and personal possessions are on display inside.

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Typical visit

45 min

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Best time

morning, lunchtime or afternoon

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Walking intensity

Easy pace

☕Coffeebreak$ · Budget-friendly

The Espresso Room - Specialty Coffee

★ 4.8 · 488 reviews

Discover The Espresso Room, a small espresso bar near Great Ormond Street with a devoted local following. Sip carefully crafted espresso and feel the genuine warmth of a team known for treating regulars like family.

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Reasons to go

Staff have brought coffee outside to serve a wheelchair-using regular during a hospital stay
Known for a Super Mocha made with real white chocolate
Holds a 4.8 rating from nearly 500 reviews as a small, personal espresso bar near Great Ormond Street

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Typical visit

25 min

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Best time

early morning, morning, lunchtime or afternoon

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Walking intensity

Easy pace

🍽️Food$$ · Mid-range

Honey & Co.

★ 4.5 · 1,810 reviews

Discover Honey & Co., a cosy Bloomsbury spot for Middle Eastern cooking. Sit down for standout hummus and labneh, guided by attentive staff, in a warm little room perfect for couples or small groups.

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Reasons to go

Known for Levantine cooking with hummus and labneh as signature dishes
Small, cosy dining room on Lamb's Conduit Street suited to intimate lunches or dinners
Relocated to a new Bloomsbury site after operating other venues, including its original location

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Typical visit

1h15

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Best time

lunchtime, afternoon, early evening, evening or late night

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Walking intensity

Easy pace