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LISTEN guides
Guides to cities, coffee & culture through the Listen lens.
Founders Shelf: October Reads
October has been a month of thinking about place & belonging (as has much of the past few months!)
After spending time at Black Portraiture[s] in Los Angeles, visiting exhibitions and exploring the city's cultural spaces, I've found myself increasingly interested in the relationship between art, history and community.
This month's shelf reflects some of those interests, bringing together photography, Black art history and literature from the Caribbean.
The Listen List: October
After attending the Black Portraitures: The Black Built Environment conference at the end of last month we’ve been thinking a lot about archives and the spaces communities make for themselves. This list focuses not just on what is happening in the city, but where culture is being documented, shared and kept alive.
Here is what’s on our radar for October.
The Listen Guide: Black History Month 2026
This October, we're looking beyond the usual celebrations to explore exhibitions, independent cinema, literature, archives, food and community spaces across the UK. From photography and publishing to Caribbean carnival traditions and Black British theatre, here's our growing guide to what to see, experience and engage with this Black History Month
The Listen List: September
A monthly collection of what we are visiting, eating, drinking and paying attention to. This month, the Listen List stays close to Los Angeles, moving through food, books, coffee, community and the spaces shaping conversations across the city.
A Day & Night in Luang Prabang, Laos
My most recent journey brought me to Laos, a lesser-known gem surrounded by Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China. Despite being landlocked, it boasts some of the most striking natural scenery I’ve ever seen: mountains, turquoise lagoons, winding rivers, and gorgeous waterfalls. I instantly fell in love with the country, its landscape and its people.
Founder’s Shelf: August Reads
books we’re reading this month
The Listen List: August
A monthly guide to what we are reading, eating, drinking and visiting.
In this month’s list we explore stories of migration and what we carry with us. An exhibition tracing more than a century of Pan African cultural production. A new London space for ideas from the global majority. Nigerian food reimagined, and a trip to the place where one of our favourite coffee roasters does its work.
Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto is for those who enjoy enmeshing themselves in history, stepping back in time, and taking the slow route. Wandering thousand-year-old streets and temples while sipping coffee from a local, tucked-away shop became my everyday routine - Sydne Aguilar
Founder’s Shelf: July Reads
This month’s shelf focuses on spiritual initiation, mother daughter wisdom and the violence of state betrayal. They are all very different books, but together ask similar questions.
What do we inherit?
What do we carry?
What do systems try to make us forget?
And what does it mean to return to the truth of who we are?
The Listen List: July
A monthly guide to what we are up to each month.
This month’s list explores voice, land, adornment, memory and pleasure. A book that speaks to freedom and becoming. A podcast centring Black sustainability. A forest walk for clearing the head. Jewellery with a collected feel. Something sweet from East London.
Los Angeles, California
This sprawling city takes some time to explore
This is a Listen guide to Los Angeles, built around a local experience, think coffee, walking, culture and third spaces
A Slow Coffee Day in East London
A slow East London route for coffee, food, walking and a final sweet stop.
Start with coffee at Almari, walk to E5 Poplar for something to eat, follow the canal towards Victoria Park, then continue on and end at Uchi Bake. It is simple, soft and easy to stretch out over a few hours.
Bangkok, Thailand
If you travel via coffee shops, this Bangkok guide for is for you.
We spent our days wandering side streets & hopping on grab bikes to experience as much of the local coffee scene as we could. Along the way we stumbled across art galleries, bao shops, antique stores, vintage emporiums and bustling shopping streets.
Lagos, Portugal
The Algarve has some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen, pair this with great coffee & food and we have a winner.
African Coffee Brands
Africa is the birthplace of coffee, and a new wave of African-owned brands is reclaiming that legacy with bold flavor, ethical sourcing, and deep-rooted storytelling.
Pembrokeshire, Wales
If you're looking for a staycation in the UK, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales is a great option. Come here for dramatic coastal walks, dog friendly beaches and charming local villages.
7 Coffee Brands You Should Know About
These seven standout coffee brands go beyond the cup—blending thoughtful sourcing, cultural celebration, and unforgettable flavor worth adding to your daily ritual.
Expand the map below for a list of all Listen recommended coffee shops, around the world!