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Café cuisine
Café · London, ON

Locomotive Espresso

8.9$$·936 reviews

The coffee program runs through Pilot Coffee Roasters, and the house pour tells the whole story: Academy Blend on the Brewed Coffee, Heritage Blend on the Espresso, a rotating single-origin or feature on either side when the bar wants a different cup that day. Locomotive Espresso has built a coffee bar where the bean is the headline act, and the order ladder is designed around it. The Cortado is the cleanest small-format demonstration — a double shot with equal parts steamed dairy in roughly four and a half ounces — short enough to keep the espresso in focus, dressed enough to read as a proper coffee-bar order. The retail shelf carries Pilot whole bean alongside the prepared drinks, so the cup at the counter and the bag on the way out are the same conversation.

The menu stretches well past the espresso lineup. The breakfast and lunch board carries a Kickstarter Breakfast Sandwich, a Breakfast Burrito, a Smoked Salmon Bagel, a Hummus & Tomato Bagel, a Tuna Melt, and a Grilled Cheese — daytime food sized for a working visit rather than a quick errand. The drinks side picks up a Matcha Latte, a Golden Milk, a Peach Piefizz, and a French Toast Latte that lands as the house signature when a guest wants the bar's full creative range. The pastry case runs Apple Cheesecake Danish, Butter Tart, Tahini Brownie, an Earl Grey Loaf, and an old-fashioned vegan glazed donut, with a gluten-free bakery section running alongside the standard order. The Pilot whole-bean shelf and a Special Offerings category round out the storefront, so a guest can leave with beans, a pastry, and a brewed coffee on the same ticket.

Key Details
Address
408 Pall Mall Street, London, Ontario, N5Y 2Z2
Neighborhood
Downtown Core
Cuisines
Café, Vegan-Friendly, Vegetarian-Friendly, Breakfast, Brunch
Price Range
$$ · Moderate
Hours
Monday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Vibes
Cozy AtmosphereCommunity-FocusedOutdoor Patio SeatingRailway-Themed DecorFamily/Kid-Friendly
Why It’s on the Map

Three things this kitchen does the rest don’t

  1. 01

    Pilot Coffee Backbone

    Brewed coffee and espresso listings both point to Pilot Coffee Roasters, giving the coffee program a clear house identity.

  2. 02

    Daytime Cafe Breadth

    The menu stretches from espresso-bar drinks into pastries, bakery categories, breakfast, and lunch, making it useful beyond a single cup.

  3. 03

    Neighbourhood Third Place

    Local coverage and the cafe identity both frame Locomotive as a community coffee shop rather than a generic counter stop.