WatchHouse Somerset House in City of London, Westminster

Beautiful setting and delicious food and coffee

I’ve been here before and thought it was great, so I brought my friend over today. We ordered two flat whites. While waiting for the coffee, I noticed the barista—a guy—who seemed to be in a really bad state. Every movement he made was extremely careless, and he was throwing things around forcefully, as if he wasn’t happy doing this job. Even the milk he poured was uneven, with one cup having significantly more than the other. It was quite exaggerated—see the picture.

Great food and coffee - excellent brunch or lunch options

This is one of my favourite cafe/restaurant!! The people their are lovely and so thoughtful! 😊 The food is great and they do a wonderful brunch. The price is perfect and correspondent to the portion given!

This place is an absolute gem—my favourite spot with delicious coffee.

Great coffee place with a nice area to stroll around after!

I’ve been a loyal WatchHouse customer for a long time, mostly visiting the Canary Wharf, but my experience today at Somerset House was by far the worst. The brewed coffee was completely tasteless—more like water than coffee. On top of that, the service was disappointing. Despite available seating, the waitress was not polite and insisted that I move to a high bar/kitchen table instead. It was an unpleasant and unwelcoming experience, which is not what I expect from WatchHouse.

Cozy place, excellent service. 😊

I went with a friend and it was amazing! Our waitress Venus was the best and gave us an incredible recommendation: iced oat latte with honey. 10/10, definitely gonna go again. We went again and it was once more, incredible! Freddie was so nice and helpful and made a great day extraordinary 🙂‍↕️

I love this coffee chain and I will talk about it everywhere I go. Delicious, aromatic coffee, phenomenal cake and wonderful surroundings in this location. Sitting outside on a Saturday morning, I was in awe. Sun, coffee and relaxation. I recommend it as strongly as possible.

My mum, myself and her Yorkipoo (small dog) had the most wonderful reunion here on Saturday 1 March. We queued for a short while to sit inside and it was well worth it. Excellent food, and second to none service. A huge shout out to Venus in particular who took our orders and answered all our questions and requests. Her food recommendations were spot on. I was very grateful that she recommended the house relish to go with my Eggs Benedict. She judged very well to set our expectations for the possibility of an extended waiting time for drinks - in the end the wait was short and we are delighted they arrived as quickly as they did - thanks go to the bar staff and her team approach. We really look forward to returning, and in London where there is no shortage of eateries, even dog friendly ones, that is the highest compliment I feel I can give. Thank you to Venus and the whole team.

I love the quality of watchhouse coffee but the workers are too lazy. I arrived here at 17:56 and they told me that they are closed although it says 18:00 on the door. The workers need to be less lazy and more polite with customers.

Great coffee and food in a relaxed atmosphere.

Today I was having a bad day. I decided to to grab a coffee and I was served by Vénus, she was like a ray of sunshine. So kind, so demure, and so warmhearted. She truly made my day with her wonderful service. If I could, I would promote her (she deserves a raise!). I would definitely recommend you visit this WatchHouse.

I had a terrible experience at this café. I came alone and they tried to squeeze me between two large groups at a table that didn’t even look clean, while clearly there was table by the window that was available for people who come alone. The environment was extremely loud and chaotic, making it impossible to enjoy my meal. The worst part was the customer service. The waitress had a bad attitude from the start, and when I waited 20 minutes just to pay, she barely acknowledged me. When I finally asked to pay, she simply said, “It’s £XX okay?”, no basic courtesy, no thank you, nothing. She also didn’t bother clearing my plate, even though she could clearly see I was finished. Overall, the service was rude, inattentive, and just bizarre. Definitely not a place I’d return to or recommend.

Cosy place. In the middle of the main yard. Prices are acceptable.

The coffee is delicious, the staff is professional and they greet you with a smile. Especially Christel, she is wonderful, and I will definitely come back again because of her beautiful treatment with us. I loved the place

Nice coffee although deliberately hiding prices is a bit pretentious and not accepting cash or giving out physical receipts is too. They don't do americano which was disappointing.

Enjoyed a great lunch here. Service was great, the food came out quite fast and they had a great carrot cake! Would recommend.

Really enjoyed the eggs florentine and coffee with a view here! It was a bit busy around 12 on a monday, but service was quick and I was guided to a seat within a couple of minutes. Would recommend the other brunch menus too- perfect pitstop just before visiting the courtauld.

I had a lovely time eating brunch here, May who was serving us was very attentive and friendly. I would definitely recommend coming here for brunch spot.

Excellent service, excellent food and Tak was great. 10/10

Lovely atmosphere and service. Tak was very kind and helpful today!! I had a long study session and felt very welcomed 😍

love this place! great food, interior and service :)

Amazing service, nice food and polite staff members (especially Tak :)

Kristal has been absolutely amazing , we travel the world in search of best coffees and surprisingly found out that Kristal stands amongst the top people who understand the exceptional customer services and she knows how to cater the costumers. she gave us the best services. thank you Kristal for making our day.

Staff member Tak is very nice and effective! super service and great food.

I’ve been coming to watch house to study for a long time, it’s a very nice self study spot and service and food here is amazing. Tak is the guy who served me, he is very nice and attentive.

Great place! Great service from Tak!

Lovely food, nice space however their service is nothing extraordinary. After arrival I stood 10 min in front of the counter before anyone approached me. Considering we then waited 20 min for a table, I would expect them to be friendlier. After 5 min they came to take the order, obv we were not ready as we just sat down. After exactly 90 min they came and asked for us to pay and leave. Except the service that felt very rushed I enjoyed the food & coffee.

Such a great experience at Watchhouse Somerset House. I had a last minute cancellation and needed to book a 14 person lunch for a next day at 8:00 pm. Alex made sure it all went perfectly going above and beyond, making sure our food was warm when we arrived even later than expected, had last minute take away options and even gave me a call to make sure I found the spot quickly, welcoming us at the courtyard. The space is beautiful, the food was delicious and service was truly exceptional! Thanks so much to the team we’ll be coming back for sure after such a fantastic experience, you all really made our day!

Really nice place and amazing atmosphere. Limited time of 80 mins. Good food good view good coffee

Good atmosphere. Nice staff, especially Takumi. Cool vibes. Good company. Very fit.

Very nice atmosphere and delicious food. The service was amazing, thanks Taku !

taku was very very nice, the cafe is very cozy and i loved the atmosphere

It’s a great pleasure to visit here! Taku さんis helpful and friendly with smile. Definitely coming back

Chai latte and carrot cake very good and Taku was lovely :)

I have been a loyal customer at WatchHouse Somerset House, as I study right next to this building, but my recent experience was extremely disappointing and unacceptable. An employee named Mary approached my table while I was seated and, when I politely asked to order food, she responded with a rude and condescending tone. Her attitude felt discriminatory and unwelcoming, making me feel deeply uncomfortable—especially in front of my friend. After I placed my order, she told me I had “30 minutes to wind up,” despite the clear 90-minute seating policy. This selective enforcement felt unfair and targeted. It was a frustrating and humiliating experience, and not something I would expect from a place that prides itself on hospitality. I sincerely hope WatchHouse addresses this issue and ensures that all customers are treated with respect, regardless of their background. Until then, I cannot recommend this location to anyone looking for a welcoming and professional environment.

Had a flat white and it was a genuinely brilliant cup of coffee. One of the best I’ve had in London.

One of the absolute best places to get a cappuccino in London, in a beautiful setting with views of the museum both indoors and outdoors. Would give the service 6 stars if I could! Was there today for coffee and was served by a lovely waitress whose name starts with a G! Thank you G!

lovely coffee! lovely brunch lovely vibes! i love to come for coffee or food with my friends and the waiters are always so nice and good at their jobs. Especially Germaine who is so sweet and bubbly. One of the most reasonably priced - classy cafes/brunch places in this part of london!

i love coming for brunch here with my friends & also to come and study when it’s quiet. the service is always brilliant and the waiters are so kind - especially germaine who is always so upbeat, friendly and soft spoken! 🩷

Watch house is my favourite coffee place - they have a great option for pour over coffees and batch coffees!! And the pastries are so yum! Beautiful setting you can sit outside in the Somerset house courtyard

Delicious coffee and nice service in a lovely setting :) lots of room with inside and outside tables for sunny days.

Amazing food; Perfect service; Lovely atmosphere 💯

Superb coffee, good range of pastries and cakes, overlooking courtyard of Somerset House. Beautiful place.

Great place, nice food and probably the best mocha I've ever sipped.

Love this Watchhouse and how seriously they take their hot chocolate. Great for a post-exhibition sit-down. Also a shout out to Gemaine who was absolutely lovely (apologies on the spelling!)

Good coffee, good service. Cozy and bright. Good views of somerset house. We didn't take any breakfast but there were a lot of options

came here to do my tax return and while I pulled my hair out the vibe here was still calming and lovely, will do this next January as well!!

Amazing coffee in amazing location. I was served by Venus, she was really phenomenal. She entertained with a very funny and nice conversation. Best employee of the place!

Very nice atmosphere and yummy food xx

Probably the best coffee in London and the best staff. Our order was late only a few minutes, and they came and apologized and served our coffee on the house without us even noticing. This is my 2nd visit, and I am definitely coming again. To all the staff here: thank you so much for this great place!

Amazing coffee and treats! Eva and Alex were absolutely great!

I've been here five times now and always experienced fantastic service and the coffee is easily one of the best you can have in England, the food isn't too bad either 😁😋

Great atmosphere! Eggs Benedict is delicious! The latte is delicious! I want to come again

A charming café in a perfect location, offering an impressive selection of top-notch coffee and delicious food, which has become a go-to of mine! The service is generally excellent, with staff often going above and beyond to ensure a wonderful experience, even during busy times. However, there are occasional moments where some servers come across as brusque and seem to rush the experience. Despite this, the unbeatable combination of great coffee and the idyllic setting makes it a place I’ll happily return to time and again.

The service here is absolutely fantastic. Staff are very friendly and attentive. Food and drink are delicious as always. Great brunch spot

After a big night out on the town for a human of my vintage, I was in the area, minding my own business, when a friend’s voice popped into my head: “If you’re ever near WatchHouse, you have to go, they make the best Hot Chocolate in London.” I love hyperbole and big claims, I was keen to see if it held up. It looks fancy and I was worried I wasn’t going to get a table. It has a hip, minimalist vibe and feels like the sort of place where the owners spent a lot time thinking about the decor and crockery. For breakfast I went for the Sweetcorn and Mexican cheese fritters, topped with poached egg, avocado, house relish, a hint of chilli, and rocket oil. I added smoked bacon - it’s a suggested addition and it was that kind of morning. The fritters were crispy, the flavours were balanced and flavourful - it was not definitely a nice way to start the day. But I am getting ahead of myself, I came for one reason: the Hot Chocolate. So that was my pre-breakfast entree course. It is a fancy beverage, and comes with a little card explaining its background and contents. Rich and velvety, easily the best Hot Chocolate I’ve had in London, no question. With breakfast I paired it with a coffee, which was also great and also came with a card, and I got a fresh OJ. I’m a sucker for fresh juice when places do them, and this was a good one, and worth ordering. The service was friendly and attentive, they know what they are doing, it’s the kind of place where they get it right without trying too hard. I’ll be back to try more food, and definitely will have another Hot Chocolate. If you’re in the area, WatchHouse is worth a visit.

Both the coffees and teas are good. The view from the window is perfect. Really like this branch of watchhouse :)

Unfortunately, the service is bad, especially from the ladies who are rude and disrespectful to the customer 👎🏼

Very bad attitude from the staff. Talk to customers (whose money pay their salary) very rudely. Knowing the price asked it is a bit of a joke.

Had some of the best food ever. And best waitress ever @germaine!!!! We love you, and will be back next Christmas … xxxx

I absolutely love the food here. The place is so beautiful and there are always a lot of people inside. The bread was so crunchy and tasty and the pancakes just fabulous

Beautiful space, lovely coffee and great vegan options!

Cozy place. All dishes were delicious👍👍👍

Amazing cafe - really nice food and atmosphere. Service by Blessing was great!

Excellent service - Blessing was a fantastic waitress and even bought us free banana bread

Such a nice cafe- the food was amazing and so was the coffee. The prices aren’t too bad either! Blessing was such a nice waitress and really made sure our stay was enjoyable - thanks for taking care of us and we loved the carrot cake!

Friendly staff, great tasty coffee. Table service was quick and easy. Drinks arrived quickly. Love the space too in a wing of Somerset house building. Love it!

The food was good, but the service attitude was not. It was clearly stated that we were asked to find a seat by ourselves, but we couldn't find a seat where we could sit with our friends! So we found a big table and hoped to squeeze in, but the waiter wouldn't let me sit with my friend and separated us into two seats far away.

Lovely lovely staff. Really appreciate Takumi and Krystal! Very welcoming and kind. Nice to have a coffee shop near uni to work in, and feel so relaxed! Coffee is pretty good!

One of the best specialty coffee shops and I recommend it

I ordered breakfast, which was absolutely delicious, along with hot chocolate for the kids and two vanilla lattes, which were great. The food took a long time to arrive, but they offered us a discount as compensation 🥰. The service was excellent, and the orange juice was super fresh, which is very important to me. The view was amazing, and the café is just wow—I really love it!

Venus is the backbone of this coffee shop. I would come back just to experience her amazing service again. If you're visiting London forget the London Eye, this is the place to be.

Great Flat white in a cool setting at Somerset House and Ice Skating rink. Coffee is consistent and very good

Really pleasant atmosphere, lovely staff, and wonderful food & drinks!

Very welcoming place and very kind staff, in particular the bartender Sara, always smiling and helpful.

I’ve been a regular at this coffee shop, but after today, I won’t be coming back. I ordered and paid for a large cappuccino, but the barista gave me a small. When I pointed out the mistake, instead of resolving the issue politely, she insisted I’d only paid for a small and spoke to me in an unnecessarily rude tone that felt incredibly uncomfortable (in front of a crowded coffee shop). It’s disappointing to see such poor customer service, especially since I’ve always loved WatchHouse coffee. Compared to GAIL’s nearby, where the staff are friendly, remember your name, and make you feel welcome, this was a truly unpleasant experience. Customer service should be as good as the coffee—this place fell short and the staff member rubbed her bad mood off on the experience, so much so that I won't be returning.

High prices, small portions. The food was so so but the coffee was disappointing for the price and the hot chocolate tasted powdery.

Amazing service, food and drinks!! Freddie was fantastic!

Very nice service - very nice staff

My and my friend we had an amazing tea. Great selection

Very lovely vibe, great drinks, and great pastries!!

Brilliant coffee and delicious pastries! Also, the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. My favourite place to relax when in central London. Freddie, best waiter in the game, great service!

The food was great! The coffee was tasty and the staff were very accommodating. The atmosphere was good for meet ups. I’ll definitely coming back for more!

Great vibes and ambience. The coffee was amazing and the server Freddie was really attentive. I would definitely recommend visiting here.

Had a fantastic experience here catered for me sweetly by Freddie. The gentle Giant. Highly reccomend.

The chai latte and avocado toast were delicious, the toast serving was quite large and generously portioned. Great ambiance with plenty of spaces to have coffee or to work from your laptop!

Nice spot to rest. Freddie was attentive and friendly.

always amazing service, love this place x

By far my favorite coffee shop in London. The staff go out of their way to make customers feel welcomed and the food and drinks are always great. The atmosphere, especially in their somerset house location, is beautiful. Truly a great experience all around and a must visit coffee shop.

Love this place! Cozy and calm atmosphere in central London plus the best coffee and sweets 👌

Friendly staff and quick service

Watch House has excellent drinks and food, staff and service are friendly and quick with orders.

My experience at Watchhouse today was absolutely fabulous!!! The vibe and atmosphere is so lovely, watching family’s and friends skate on the rink whilst enjoying some lovely snackies and coffee! But the young people working there really took the cake. I myself am a hospitality worker so I am really naturally very affected by the servers attitude - if they’re not in a good mood, i cant be in a good mood! I was served by tall curly Freddie, Nadia and Diogo. They were all having a good time (even though they were working!! :) and were very sweet and courteous, fun-loving and passionate, with a twinkle in their eye and a wonderful charm. Thank you all for a sublime afternoon.

Always my priority coffee in London is WacthHouse ☕️ It has 5 branches and a modern café par excellence Wins the interior atmosphere.

The best coffee In London, because of the quality also the atmosphere

Great coffee and always a lovely place to work for an hour or two

Great atmosphere, had the carrot cake that was so yummy, and the staff was so kind!!