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Kaffee Putney is quite possibly one of my favourite finds in London.
It’s along my regular running route between Hammersmith Bridge and Putney, and somewhere I’ve paid very little attention to until one sunny March afternoon when I noticed some folks sitting in the sun trap outside what looked like a cemetery.
I was running past like Mo Farah, but noticed a sign for a coffee shop.
Kaffee.
A real coffee shop in a real cemetery.
If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you’ll know of my fondness for cemeteries, which is what intrigued me about this place.
Having visited each of the Magnificent Seven Garden Cemeteries around the capital, cemeteries offer some peace in the chaos of London, where everywhere always seems busy.
So I had to return to check this place out.
Kaffee Putney
There’s more to a coffee shop than just the coffee.
They often harbour a warm atmosphere with sights, sounds, and smells that create a welcoming ambience.
They can also foster a sense of community or provide an experience beyond drinking coffee and eating cake, and Kaffee ticks a few of these boxes.
Housed in an old lodge of Putney Lower Common Cemetery, Kaffe is a Viennese cafe.
For those unfamiliar, the typical tradition of Viennese coffeehouse culture is characterised by a unique atmosphere, which Kaffee offers sympathetically.
The interior design reflects and respects the building’s history, and although small, feels cosy yet spacious.
In keeping with its location, the cafe’s interior is calm and peaceful, and I can’t imagine it ever gets too rowdy, even at peak times.
You’ll find several places to sit from the conservatory at the back of the lodge to the two interior rooms, many with fresh flowers on the tables, and the enticing bay window.
If you fancy being outside, there are tables in the suntrap at the front of the building.
But how’s the coffee and food?
Excellent.
There’s a great range of coffees, pasties, soups and breads on offer, and I highly recommend the pain au chocolate.
Beyond the cafe, the cemetery grounds are primarily peaceful, and while visiting Kaffee, you should take the time for a stroll around the cemetery to experience the gentle tweet of birds that can be heard between the roar of the plane engines flying overhead towards Heathrow (a complaint I held for Kew Gardens, too!).
On that note – does Heathrow really need a third runway?
Kaffee London Photos
Here are some pictures of Kaffee, along with some of the cemetery because they go hand in hand.
Visitor Information
If you are arriving by car, there’s parking outside the cemetery.
This is London, so there are parking restrictions: Mon – Sun, 7 am – 7 pm for 3 hours, and no return within 2 hours.
📍 Kaffe, Cemetery Lodge, 240 Lower Richmond Rd., London, SW15 1JF
🕙 Tue-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm, Sat & Sun, 9 am to 5 pm, closed Mondays
📞 02080 376 696
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