Maison D’être

I stopped by here before attending a thing at the Union Chapel and I must say I was not disappointed. They use a La Marzocco (a good check list for good coffee) and their coffee was pretty nice. It’s a small place and very pleasant, I loved the conservatory at the back, very quaint. The staff were very friendly as well. Only problem is that it’s a little out of the way for me, but should I find myself in the area again, will definitely be coming back for a repeat visit.

First visit but I love it!
Lovely place, very nice atmosphère, little conservatory at the rear !
I had a delicious soup: Butternut squash and carrot and a decent cappuccino !!
Staff nice, free wifi, newspapers…
I will be back !!!

Back again for some more yumminess! Quick stop for a banging avocado smoothie and an excellent long black

Great little place for coffee lovers. Not too busy but nice buzz. Very friendly staff and really yum food. I had the mushroom, kale and cheddar sandwich on sourdough. Would recommend!

My favourite Café in London.
Serves great coffee, not too strong or burnt but also gives the kick for the start in the day. The scones and cakes are delicious. The smell of the freshly baked croissants fills the café and haunts one after leaving. When served, the chocolate inside is still liquid and amazing. My favorite however is the granola with fruit and yoghurt.
The décor makes me feel welcome, homely and the staff is really friendly.
Next to the laptop clubs on the tables and people reading newspapers, it is rather quiet and a great place to read a book or join the laptop club as there is free WIFI.

A great café where the vintage interior, perfect coffee and AMAZING scones more than outweigh a view that looks out onto one of the only ugly green spaces I’ve seen in this area of London (seriously, who is responsible for mowing that grass? Get on it please!).
The coffee is strong without being too bitter, and the lattes and flat whites are rich and perfectly crafted. The only food I’ve ever gotten here is the scones, because I had one during my first visit and they were so good I never feel the need to order anything else. Served with clotted cream and a choice of two types of artisanal (ugh, i hate that word, but i really do think its accurate here) jam, they are worth the trek up the hill from Clerkenwell. The staff is friendly and the customers all seem like locals.
My favorite lazy sunny Sunday activity is to start the morning out with a book, a soya flat white or english breakfast tea, and aforementioned amazing scones at one of the few outdoor tables at Maison D’etre, and then meander down Upper Street popping into the shops.
On a side note, this is also the first place I ever heard someone order a «babyccino» for their child — which, once I finished rolling my eyes so hard it hurt and Googled it I discovered is actually a «thing» in England — but I won’t hold that against it.

I love this café for many reasons– the coffee isn’t bitter or burned (which is a common café gripe of mine), the food is made to order, vegetarian friendly and delicious– plus very well priced and they are one of the few Islington cafes I know to make matcha lattes. Big bonus points for their beverage selection and their staff are a bunch of lovely women.

Beautiful interior which makes you want to stay there forever. Perfect for breakfast /​brunch (breakfast menu all day long). More importantly though it harmonises perfectly with the food and coffee. A really tasty coffee, one of the best I’ve had.

Amazing scones w/​an array of artisanal jams & the best flat white I have found! You will not be disappointed.

As a keen explorer of my local area, and after having heard so many good things about this place, I couldn’t resist a visit. On my first visit, I only managed to try the coffee, as I was on the way to a meeting, but the coffee alone was superb. They serve bonsoy, which I’m told is the best soya milk and you can definitely taste the difference in the coffee.
I managed to go back again this week and finally try the scones which Id been reading so much about. Wow, I’m not surprised Id read so much about them now. They were warm, homemade and crumbled as I ate them. Easily one of the best scones in London. They came with a choice of two jams — peach and rhubarb and a nice helping of clotted cream. So yummy!
It’s not the cheapest, which is why I didn’t give it the full five stars, but it’s so good, that if you’re in the area, it’d be a shame not to stop by.

The perfect mix of cozy and bustling with quaint eye-​catching décor! Best cappuccino I’ve had in London — clearly using really high quality coco that leaves a rich taste.
Really friendly staff and plenty of plugs — hate when I can’t work on my laptop due to lack of plugs.
Plan on being a regular here :)

Good location — close to tube station. Comfy ambience, exquisite food, and at reasonable price. Vintage feel, quite chic place. Packed most of the time, need to wait for a bit.

best coffee i’ve had in london and an equally good scone!
the café is very conveniently located near the highbury/​islington station, and although the space is quite small (as are most cafes) the coffee was amazing. the scone (served with clotted cream and jam) was perfectly moist and soooo good. would come here everyday if i could.

It’s a very small coffee house. They used to serve nude espresso. I thought my flat white was ok, nothing special. the staff wasn’t friendly enough, the cakes wasn’t very appalling. No reason to go back

Loved it, great wholesome food and reasonably priced as well. Friendly service and the scones were amazing!

Maison D’etre is a cute, albeit small café full of vintage charm. The decoration, especially in the back room, is detailed with antique designs and wooden cupboards and furniture. Seating in the front area is tight; the backroom is like a conservatory, adds a bit of space, along with an extra touch of character and sunlight.
The scones were recommended to me and I went straight for those. I’m a sucker for all things vintage and anything that comes in mason jars so needless to say I made an effort to try all of the flavors of their homemade jams and loved all of them: a mix of gingers, rhubarbs, cinnamon, berries… The scones themselves were delicious! Scones preferences are subjective — some like them moist, others light or toasty. These were perfect for me, moist and smooth (not necessarily on the light side), and certainly fresh.
Scones aside, the menu offers a small selection of what you’d expect from a cozy small café: sandwiches, cakes, and pastries. Fellow friends have said that other eats are hit or miss but for what it’s worth, they look promising. My flat white was solid as well.
For a comforting cup of jo and scones alone, I would make the trek again. For everything else, I’d classify it as a great neighbourhood café if you happen to be in the Islington/​Upper St. area.

This place is amazing! I’ve been here since the morning, started off with a scone with clotted cream and a very delicious black currant and pear jam as well as a tasty latte (not too sweet, just how I like it!) and had a fantastic sandwich for lunch later.
The place is very cute with rustic tables and decorations. There’s a second room at the back for some more seating, but it does get quite crowded as it seems to be a very popular spot.
The staff is very friendly and efficient and I really enjoyed my time here. Their wi-​fi is also very reliable, which is a huge factor for me.
Will definitely be coming back here!

Since I am currently the Duke of Maison d’etre, I thought it must be time for a review.
I’ve only stopped for coffees here to take away and they are really very good. Flat whites with decent body, rounded and balanced with dense milk which is great.
It’s a small café with small tables perfect for one or two people and is calm and slightly urban rustic vibe, also slightly cramped for space when I come in for a coffee which is also why I take it out.
Some good looking unfussy cakes, croissants and brioche adorn the counter. They have good looking chunky sandwiches too which I saw being served up to the seated punters. Next time I will have to stop for lunch.
Staff are friendly and pleasant too which is always a good sign for a café.
My local favourite coffee shop.

Adored this place! Had a book club meeting here and they were accommodating even with the baby buggy. The back room is like a conservatory and super cute :)
The mint tea comes with pine nuts (I don’t know why) and I got some top quality peanut butter for my toast (priced well too!)
Water is served in cute rectangular bottles with mint leaves — it’s the little touches and friendly staff that make all the difference…
Deffo coming back!

I’ve been mildly interested in trying this place since it popped up on my radar screen some months ago, but, at the same time, thought it might be too ‘oh-​la-​la’ for my taste, if that even makes any sense. Fortunately, a buddy of mine who works in the area was also keen on trying Maison, so, yesterday, we gave it a go. I’m glad to say that it was a pleasant experience.
The café is immediately inviting. And, with only five or six (mostly two-​top) tables, it’s also very cosy. It was the perfect respite to the grey and drizzly day outside. If the tables are full, there’s a groovy bench at the front for those who wish to both watch the world and the #271 bus go by.
The flat whites (I drank two) were creamy, not too hot, and made in the style of places I’ve come to appreciate in this town like Prufrock’s and Kaffeine. The pastries looked tasty and the scones were massive. My friend, hungry for more than a biscuit, had a rather yummy-​looking aubergine sandwich with a bit of rocket on the side. Interestingly, the outer side of the bread was drizzled with olive oil which probably only made it taste better. I declined a bite and the sandwich was gone within minutes! Your English Nan’s china may have been used for serving the lunch fare and cups and saucers a la Foxcroft and Ginger hung below a shelf on the wall behind the counter. I was hoping for my flat white to be in an English Rose cup, but alas it wasn’t. Mayhap the chinaware is reserved for tea?
Bonus: sat *this close* to a fab character actor whom I recently had the pleasure of watching in ‘Tinker Tailor…’. Like always, I played it cool.