Local Cafes with Terrific Tunes

Did you know that music is a key part of how coffee shops set themselves apart & create atmosphere?

Ealing Town Centre has two Caffé Neros, one at 51 New Broadway and the other just a few doors down from us at 34 The Broadway. This now iconic coffee house has played music from day one. As co-founder Pablo Ettinger says, “In the morning we play classical…at 1045, the classical music goes into jazz…the Oscar Peterson Night Train comes on & people’s feet start tapping & the whole place changes. The jazz goes to 1400, then in the afternoon we play pop, acoustic, Americana… We developed playlists of about 1400 songs now which we’ve curated from A to Z & we know when they’re playing & exactly what kind of music & that’s been very important to how the brand is perceived by the market.”

This embedded music model eventually grew into an entire music program, with musicians seeking exposure doing tours across branches (Jack Savoretti was the first!); sponsorship of music festivals and a Caffe Nero/Imagesound stage at The Cornbury Music Festival; & an annual Get Loud fundraising day for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins at which 250 musicians play at different branches around the country. You can learn more about this journey, via their brand partners Imagesound here.

Other spots in our area that are using music to effectively establish a clear tone and welcoming atmosphere include Spanish tapas bar Reineta and Curious Roo Coffee Roasters and Artisan.

Miguel & his team at Reineta stay true to their Spanish roots with a wide range of Latin musicians including Cesaria Ebora; Buenavista Social Club, and Manu Chao. They also sprinkle in some of their favourite Anglo classics such as Bruce Springsteen, Sinatra, and Neil Young.

Magda & Edwin, who run both Curious Roo & Artisan, oversee the Artisan playlist – with ongoing input from their teams – which includes a wide range of upbeat, fun artists including Beck, Tracy Chapman & The Doors.

That’s your window into the relationship between coffee & music in our little pocket of Ealing. Do you have a favourite local cafe that plays terrific music? Let us know!