The Common E2

The Common E2 Independent cafe offering high quality coffee and healthy food mixed within an architecture and design studio, located 10min walk from Bethnal Green Station.

The Common is a brand new cafe and architecture studio in East London, situated 10 min walk from Bethnal Green station, at number 53 Old Bethnal Green Road. As this area has seen a growing number of young professional practices and studios set up in the last few years, we feel that The Common will fit into its surroundings and cater for its existing and emerging local neighbourhood. The Common off

icially opened to the public on Monday the 26th of January 2015. The Common is defined by 2 characteristics :

- An independent cafe with a local attitude, a place of gathering, offering excellent quality coffee and healthy food as well as comfort and relaxation, a place where people will be familiar and feel at home.

- An architecture and design studio mixed within a public cafe and social meeting place, which offers a common working environment for anyone who wishes to collaborate with other designers, conduct their days business, or to simply have meetings or group workshops. The main vision for The Common is to create a friendly, welcoming environment for working, sharing ideas, meeting and socialising. We are passionate about great coffee, food, customer service, architecture, art and design. We are a young, ambitious new cafe who will boast a team of like-minded, outgoing and hospitable baristas and staff. The Common hosts two architecture and design studios:

Common Ground Workshop: www.commongroundworkshop.co.uk

Collective Works: www.collectiveworks.net

The Common offers a long 20 seater table which runs diagonally through the space with in-floor power and hi-speed fibre optic broadband which can be used by anyone and free of charge. Later in the year we will also open up part of the basement to hire for private meetings. The Common Menu will be seasonal and begins with a winter offer of:

Coffee range including:

Espresso
Cappuccino
Latte
Flat White
Piccolo
Long Black
Mocha

Other hot drinks include:

Hot chocolate
Organic and herbal teas

Cold drinks:

Freshly squeezed orange juice
Independent range of soft drinks
Locally pressed juices

Breakfast range:

Porridge
Ham & cheese croissant
Granola yoghurt
Toasts (range of different breads) with selection of spreads - help yourself from the side counter
Breakfast pastries and loaf cakes
Home made waffles
Boiled eggs and ham, smashed avocado and parma ham over sourdough (on weekends)

Lunch range:

Selection of soups - rotated weekly
Selection of toasted jaffles (enclosed toasted sandwich)
Selection of salads
Selection of quiches - rotated weekly


The Common is open 7 days. Week days from 8am - 5pm and weekends from 9:30am - 5pm. The Common will open until 11pm twice monthly to hold design exhibitions and talks.

Good morning!  We have our backspace and garden open today! So if you’re after a shady spot to get some work done, or ju...
25/06/2026

Good morning! We have our backspace and garden open today!

So if you’re after a shady spot to get some work done, or just need a break from a London flat on a 35degree day then come chill out with us 🌅

Cowabunga, dudes!! 🏄‍♂️ Sam has returned from his surfing holiday in Morocco, and he’s brought his cold brew making prow...
17/06/2026

Cowabunga, dudes!! 🏄‍♂️ Sam has returned from his surfing holiday in Morocco, and he’s brought his cold brew making prowess with him!

This week’s brew? ‘Summer Brü’, a mixed origin Guatemalan, Rwandan, Costa Rican blend bursting with flavours of apricot, blood orange, and almond. 🌅🏄‍♂️♥️

♥️

Name a more iconic duo…I’ll wait!!
11/06/2026

Name a more iconic duo…I’ll wait!!

£6 Breakfast ? 🍳 💸 yessss please Try our Sausage & Egg bap!  A homemade herby sausage patty, fried egg, and lots of spic...
10/06/2026

£6 Breakfast ? 🍳 💸 yessss please

Try our Sausage & Egg bap! A homemade herby sausage patty, fried egg, and lots of spicy slaw. All in an amazing homemade bread roll 😍📣

The Common E2 has been in operation for 12 years and we have pushed through recessions, through a pandemic, through ever...
10/06/2026

The Common E2 has been in operation for 12 years and we have pushed through recessions, through a pandemic, through every storm this city has thrown at us we’ve kept the doors open because this community has kept us going.

But right now, we need your help.

The UK’s 20% VAT rate on hospitality is one of the highest in Europe and for small independent cafés like ours, it is becoming impossible to absorb. Over the past two years we have faced:

- Rising costs of coffee, ingredients and raw materials
- Increased employer National Insurance contributions
- An increase in the London Living Wage
- Higher business rates hitting again this April

Every single one of these has landed at the same time. And with 20% VAT on top, the numbers simply don’t add up anymore. We echo the same operation stress and fiscal decline as all of our community of hospitality businesses in the country.

We are not a chain. We have no corporate backing. Every pound you spend here goes back into paying our team, sourcing quality ingredients and keeping this little corner of Bethnal Green alive.

There is a government petition calling for VAT on hospitality to be reduced from 20% to 10%. Countries across Europe already have a lower VAT rate and as a result, you see a greater influence of independent makers and operators that all employ a greater number of motivated people. It would give independent businesses like ours a chance to stay open and grow — not just to survive, but to thrive and reinvest back into the places and people we love.

Please take 2 minutes to sign. The link is in our bio.

Share this with anyone who loves their local. Because if we lose the independents, we lose the soul of our neighbourhoods and that would be a very sad day for all of us. 💙

🥧 It’s a good day to be a vegetarian here at the Common! Freshly baked mushroom pies, and red pepper quiche. Homemade, a...
09/06/2026

🥧 It’s a good day to be a vegetarian here at the Common!

Freshly baked mushroom pies, and red pepper quiche. Homemade, always!

(Also available in chicken versions)

03/06/2026

£5? Not at the common!

With coffee prices at an all time high and £5 coffee becoming the new normal we at the common are keeping our prices the same!

So if you fancy an affordable coffee in east London you know where to come! ☕️

03/06/2026

£5 coffee? Not at the common!

Coffee prices may be at an all-time high, but we’re keeping our prices the same. Quality coffee shouldn’t cost an arm & a leg!

So if you fancy an affordable coffee in east London you know where to come! ☕️

20/05/2026

Now you can’t buy one of these but we thought we’d show you what we’re drinking! Iced pour-over with

Not to brag but it’s really good 👌

15/05/2026

We aren’t that hard to find!!

Just go to Old Bethnal Road!

A few snaps from behind the scenes of Amandaland filming at the common! And one of the original p***s designs that didn’...
11/05/2026

A few snaps from behind the scenes of Amandaland filming at the common!

And one of the original p***s designs that didn’t make the cut… 😅

Address

53 Old Bethnal Green Rd, London E26QA, United Kingdom
London
E2 6QA

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

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