Rivington Street, in the heart of the Shoreditch triangle, packs an absurd amount of character into a few hundred metres. Galleries, bars, vintage shops and, tucked among them at number 44, Project 44. This is not the loudest or most hyped café on the street, and that is rather the point. It is a relaxed, independent local that does the café fundamentals well.
The coffee
The coffee programme here is solid specialty fare, with well-pulled espresso, dependable flat whites and milky drinks made with care. It will not necessarily convert the most obsessive single-origin chasers, and one reviewer found the house roast a touch too dark for their taste. But for a morning flat white or an afternoon pick-me-up it delivers exactly what you want, balanced, smooth and properly hot. The baristas are friendly rather than theatrical, which suits the unpretentious mood of the place. Takeaway cups head out of the door at a steady clip on weekday mornings, a reliable sign the local workforce has adopted it as their regular.
The food
The counter is a genuine draw here. The banana bread gets name-checked in review after review, and the pastry case, with chocolate pretzel, almond pain au chocolat and other Viennoiserie, is well above the Shoreditch average. For non-coffee drinkers, the matcha latte has built its own quiet following, and the savoury options cover the daytime café basics well.
It is daytime café fare rather than a full restaurant menu, but everything tastes fresh and well made, and the quality-to-price ratio is fair for the area. For a mid-morning pastry or a light bite between gallery visits, it hits the spot.
The atmosphere
Project 44 feels like a genuine neighbourhood spot rather than a concept. The room is relaxed and easygoing, the sort of place where you can read the paper over coffee, meet a friend for lunch, or settle in with a second coffee as the afternoon fades. Being on Rivington Street puts you right in the thick of Shoreditch’s creative quarter, with galleries and independent shops on every side, yet the café itself is a calm pocket amid the bustle. The fit-out is simple and unfussy, letting the food and drink do the talking, and there is a pleasant hum at lunchtime without ever tipping into chaos.
It works equally well as a quick coffee stop between errands and as a lingering lunch venue, and the crowd reflects that. Local workers, creatives and curious wanderers drawn in from the street. If you are exploring the Shoreditch triangle on foot, it makes a natural halfway-house between gallery visits.
Practical info
You will find Project 44 at 44 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3QP. It opens on Thursday from 7am to 11pm, on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 7am to 6pm, on Wednesday from 7am to 5pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 6pm. Prices are good value for Shoreditch, with reviewers noting a typical coffee-and-pastry spend of around £1 to £10. Good to know, it is laptop-friendly, with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides that are great for people-watching, and it is a short walk from Old Street station.
Verdict
Project 44 is a likeable all-rounder, with good coffee, a pastry counter worth crossing the street for, and a light, relaxed room on one of Shoreditch’s best streets. It may not shout the loudest, but it is exactly the kind of dependable independent that makes the neighbourhood tick, well worth a detour. 4.7/5
