Qima Café has opened its second site in Covent Garden, unveiling a new flagship destination that brings together the world’s finest coffees with an innovative design by award-winning DLSM Studio (formally DesignLSM). Building on the success of their original Warren Street collaboration, this new space marks a fresh chapter for Qima Café as the UK’s first tree-to-cup café brand.
With a sourcing network of over 7,000 smallholder farmers across multiple origins, Qima Café offers a diverse and distinctive coffee experience. With a heritage rooted in Yemen, one of coffee’s most storied origins, Qima Café is dedicated to showcasing the craft and complexity of coffee from farm to cup. Every element of the experience—sourcing, roasting, and brewing—is driven by an uncompromising commitment to quality and sustainability, bringing some of the most sought-after coffees in the world to London’s coffee lovers.
DLSM Studio has crafted a space that mirrors Qima’s artisanal coffee journey. Inspired by the undulating peaks and earthy tones of mountainous coffee landscapes, the café features a tiered ceiling that echoes the contours of these terrains, anchoring the space and creating an immediate sense of place.
The material palette has been meticulously curated to tell an emotive story: terracotta bricks evoke warmth and authenticity, ombre-textured clay plaster creates depth and tactility, and refined marbles in soft cream and deep red tones add a sense of understated luxury.
The layout has been designed to foster engagement and discovery, with a central coffee counter serving as a “theatre” for the brand’s skilled coffee-making process. Custom shelving units and organic niches in the walls frame retail displays, while integrated lighting subtly highlights the brand’s retail offering of sought-after coffee blends and a carefully curated selection of artisanal products. Thoughtfully considered seating—including bentwood dining chairs, timber banquettes, and high seating upholstered in rich leathers—combines comfort and style, offering a refined space for guests to savour world-class coffee.
Following its original Warren Street café opening in 2019, Qima Café has built an impressive reputation, recognised for its extraordinary coffees, expertly crafted pastries, and commitment to sustainability. With a growing presence both in-store and online, the brand continues to set new benchmarks in quality and innovation.
As a new flagship location, the Covent Garden café will set the tone for the brand’s future, showcasing DLSM Studio’s ability to translate storytelling into spatial design. Located at 21-22 New Row, Covent Garden, WC2N 4LA, Qima Café is now open.
