The Best Acai Bowls in London

The Best Acai Bowls in London

I once lived with a Brazilian girl. The only thing that made her more livid than badly made acai, was people who mispronounced the word itself. This seems to be the only way to offend usually happy-go-lucky Brazilians, so let’s practice together before we venture out into London in search of this superfood.

Acai is properly pronounced ahh-sy-ee. It is a deep purple berry that only grows in the land of Brazil, hence the people’s protective nature over the correct preparation and pronunciation.

by Allie Smith – Unsplash

Thanks to this roommate of mine, I am now an acai snob and know the good from the bad. I too get offended when watery, blended acai is put in front of me — how dare they?

Juicebaby in London

It seems only logical that for the best acai in London one should go where the Brazilians themselves go, and that’s to Juicebaby.

Juicebaby is on the bank of the Thames River in the district of Chelsea. If this is your first trip to London you’ll explore this area eventually, there is a lot to see and many guided walking tours to be enjoyed.

Juicebaby is actually just a juice bar, with many fridges filled with ready made juices intended for bodily cleansing. The acai you’ll order from the counter; it’s as authentic as you’ll find in London and their topping selections are outstanding.

Juicebaby in London – by Juicebaby – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday TO Sunday –  8am to 7pm

ADDRESS: 398 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 0LJ, UK

METRO STATION: Gloucester Road

Viva Acai in London

I touched on the fact that traditional acai is never blended. It’s served as frozen pulp straight from the berry tree; but cafes and restaurants around the world that have to import the berry often blend it with bananas, coconut waters, nut milks and other berries to make the pulp go further, saving them money in the long run. Most cafes in London do this, unfortunately.

Viva Acai is in South Kensington, and while they definitely blend their berries, the taste isn’t too watered down.

They do great acai bowl options; they come standard with granola and banana plus any three toppings of your choice. If you prefer your acai in a smoothie they will do that for you too!

Viva Acai in London – by Viva Acai – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday TO Sunday –  9:30am to 5pm

ADDRESS: 15, Gloucester Arcade, 128 Gloucester Rd, Kensington, London SW7 4SF, UK

METRO STATION: Earl’s Court

The Good Life Eatery in London

There are a few of these cafes around London, the one I’ve visited was in Chelsea, but I believe the menus are the exact same throughout.

This is one of London’s hottest bunch and breakfast spots, also serving lunch & dinner through until 9pm. Their brunch menu holds the acai bowl; there’s only one, but it’s great.

The rest of their menu caters to people with all dietary requirements. There are gluten free options, vegan meals and vegetarian plates. Meats are available for carnivores.

The Good Life Eatery in London – by The Good Life Eatery – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday TO Sunday –  7:30am to 9pm

ADDRESS: 59 Sloane Ave, Chelsea, London SW3 3DH, UK

METRO STATION: South Kensington

Cpress Chelsea in London

My Brazilian roommate actually preferred the acai at Cpress to the one at Juicebaby. She maintains that Juicebaby tastes undoubtably more authentic, but the vibe at Cpress was preferential for her.

It truly is a wondrous little space. Cpress is a coffee shop/ juice bar/ acai bowl cafe all in one. They bake, they juice, they make everything from scratch and it’s a delight to eat here.

Their acai bowls come in small or large sizes; served in beautiful glass dishes where you can see each layer of goodness that they’ve included. They also brew some of the best coffee this side of the Thames.

If you’re a freelancer visiting London in need of a calm, pleasant space in which to work during the day, this is it!

Cpress Chelsea in London – by Cpress Chelsea – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday TO Sunday –  7am to 8pm

ADDRESS: 285 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 9PZ, UK

METRO STATION: South Kensington

Granger & Co. in London

One country who value properly made acai almost as much as the Brazilians do, are the Aussies.

Aussies are big on brunch and cafe dining, so they usually get this berry based dish close to authentic, even when they’re far from home.

Granger & Co. is an Australian owned cafe franchise with multiple locations around London. I had acai at the one in Pancras Square, close to Camden, and I enjoyed it a lot.

If you’re in the mood for Eggs Benedict, pancakes or French toast, this is your go-to!

Granger & Co. in London – by Granger & Co. – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday TO Sunday –  7am to 11pm

ADDRESS: 1 Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG, United Kingdom

METRO STATION: Kings Cross

East London Juice Co. in London

You can eat a lot of different things in Shoreditch, but finding acai is surprisingly not as easy as you may have thought.

The East London Juice Co. is the most worthwhile acai I was able to find while wandering these streets after the Brick Lane Market one Sunday afternoon. The consistency is slightly more on the smoothie side, but the portions are generous and toppings are great.

I was recently told by a friend that the Boxpark, situated two blocks south from this spot, also has an acai cafe that isn’t bad at all. I’ve yet to check it out but if you find yourself in the area definitely head on in. The Shoreditch Boxpark was the first shopping mall in the world to be constructed out of shipping containers.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday TO Sunday –  7am to 8pm

ADDRESS: 100 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, London E1 6JQ, UK

METRO STATION: Shoreditch High Street