HEJ Coffee

Editor's Review

Bermondsey has seen something of a boom of coffeeshops in recent years. For long, Drew’s coffee hatch (now Tremors) was alone in catering for discerning coffee drinkers around here. Hej has proved popular since soon after opening and has built up a large following. Hej is Swedish has a meaning similar to Hi but is also appropriate for formal contexts. Hej opened initially serving a big name Swedish roaster but it is under coffee packaged under their own name, and roasted for them by Modern Standard that the coffee quality has hit the highlights.

The Swedish theme continues to be represented, whether in the wooden ‘moose head’ on the wall, the wooden barn–like feel or the superb homemade kanelbullar or cinnamon buns. There is a long communal table and a variety of seating options and the space is common with locals and those who use the space to work with laptops here. Lunch options include stew, soup, sandwiches and a great kale salad. Coffeewise, the batch brew is very highly recommended. There are also shelves of coffee gear and Swedish groceries. Service is friendly and relaxed.

The unexpected delight here is the partnership with Dante’s flowers which means that the lovely green exterior of Hej is often bedecked with floral displays for sale at the cafe. Dante previously worked at Cave in Bermondsey Street whose reputation was such that people regularly visited from as far afield as Brockley to buy flowers. The other thing you might miss is the SCAE accredited coffee training school downstairs. Overall, Hej manages to create a friendly community vibe: a village coffee house feel in busy Bermondsey. 

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Coffee + Drinks