Best zones to open a cafe or bar in London
We scored 16 neighbourhood-sized cells of London for a cafe or bar. Wood Wharf leads with 78/100 against a city average of 56/100. Every score is built from open data plus live Google Maps evidence — nothing is estimated by hand.
- City average
- 56/100
- #1 · Wood Wharf
- 78/100
- Data confidence
- 59%
- Updated
- 14 September 2026
Opportunity map
Best zones to open a Cafe & Bar in London
Compare neighbourhood scores, evidence and confidence before choosing a specific address.
City score 56/100· 16 zones· Updated Sep 14, 2026
- 178Wood Wharf14 competitors · 4.6★
- 269The Phillimore Estate14 competitors · 4.6★
- 368Lisson Green Estate5 competitors · 4.4★
- 460Regents Park Estate10 competitors · 4.6★
- 555Doddington and Rollo Estate8 competitors · 4.5★
- 653Dickens Estate8 competitors · 4.5★
- 753Warwick Estate5 competitors · 4.5★
- 852Andover Estate11 competitors · 4.7★
- 952Lower Hurlingham11 competitors · 4.7★
- 1052White City Estate8 competitors · 4.6★
- 1150Lincoln North Estate7 competitors · 4.5★
- 1250Locksley Estate5 competitors · 4.6★
- 1350Evelyn Estate11 competitors · 4.7★
- 1449Rouel Road Estate6 competitors · 4.6★
- 1548Elthorne Estate7 competitors · 4.7★
- 1648Wandsworth Riverside Quarter5 competitors · 4.7★
Full ranking
16 zones scored
| # | Zone | Score | Confidence | Competitors | Residents (10-min walk) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wood Wharf | 78 | 50% | 14 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 2 | The Phillimore Estate | 69 | 60% | 14 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 3 | Lisson Green Estate | 68 | 60% | 5 · 4.4★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 4 | Regents Park Estate | 60 | 60% | 10 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 5 | Doddington and Rollo Estate | 55 | 60% | 8 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 6 | Dickens Estate | 53 | 60% | 8 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 7 | Warwick Estate | 53 | 60% | 5 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 8 | Andover Estate | 52 | 60% | 11 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 9 | Lower Hurlingham | 52 | 60% | 11 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 10 | White City Estate | 52 | 60% | 8 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 11 | Lincoln North Estate | 50 | 50% | 7 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 12 | Locksley Estate | 50 | 60% | 5 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 13 | Evelyn Estate | 50 | 60% | 11 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 14 | Rouel Road Estate | 49 | 60% | 6 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 15 | Elthorne Estate | 48 | 60% | 7 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 16 | Wandsworth Riverside Quarter | 48 | 60% | 5 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
Top 3 zones in detail
Wood Wharf
- Demand100
- Room72
- Beatable44
- Vitality80
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+62), Street vitality (+18)
Main competitors
- Pergola on the Wharf · 4.5★ (4,812)
- The Ivy Canary Wharf · 4.4★ (4,044)
- Caravan Canary Wharf · 4.7★ (3,248)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
The Phillimore Estate
- Demand72
- Room72
- Beatable42
- Vitality80
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+34), Street vitality (+18)
Main competitors
- The Churchill Arms, Kensington · 4.5★ (8,688)
- Maroush · 4.7★ (3,588)
- Stables Bar · 4.9★ (864)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
Lisson Green Estate
- Demand84
- Room85
- Beatable50
- Vitality51
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+46)
Main competitors
- Bill's Baker Street Restaurant · 4.7★ (14,275)
- Regent's Bar & Kitchen · 4.2★ (3,622)
- Gino's Coffee Bar · 4.0★ (367)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
How the score works
Six components, weighted for this sector. Missing data is left out and the weights are redistributed — a component is never guessed.
- Demand22%
Residents within a 10-minute walk (WorldPop × Valhalla) blended with proven spend — Google review volume vs. the best cell in the city.
- Room in the market16%
How many comparable businesses already operate within ~1 km. Fewer competitors scores higher.
- Beatable competition12%
Average Google rating of incumbents. Weaker incumbents leave more room for a strong newcomer.
- Street vitality22%
Commercial density, footfall anchors (schools, offices, stations, hotels) and business mix from OpenStreetMap.
- Accessibility20%
Transit stops, main and pedestrian streets, and how much ground a 10-minute walk actually covers.
- Affordability8%
Typical commercial rent where a benchmark exists. Cheaper scores higher; missing rent is left out, never guessed.
Data sources
- WorldPop
residential population per cell
- OpenStreetMap
points of interest, transit stops, streets, footfall anchors
- Valhalla
10-minute walking isochrones
- Google Maps
competitor names, ratings and review volumes (via SerpAPI)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is the best zone to open a cafe or bar in London?
- Wood Wharf scores highest at 78/100, +22 points above the city average. Scores combine demand, room in the market, competitor quality, street vitality, accessibility and cost.
- Where does the data come from?
- Population from WorldPop, walking reach from Valhalla isochrones, points of interest, transit and streets from OpenStreetMap, and competitor names, ratings and review volumes from Google Maps. Each cell shows a confidence level based on how many of these sources were available.
- How fresh is this ranking?
- Zones were last recomputed on 14 September 2026. The interactive map refreshes the data automatically when the cache expires (30 days).