12 Hot Drinks to Try in London This October When the Weather Gets Chilly

There is something about London in late October that makes a hot drink feel completely different.

The temperature drops, the evenings arrive earlier, rain starts appearing when you least expect it, and suddenly that coffee you normally grab on the way to work becomes something you actually want to sit down with.

And this October, London's coffee shops have plenty to choose from.

Pumpkin spice is back, hojicha has become one of the more interesting alternatives to matcha, chai is doing exactly what chai should do on a cold day, and there are plenty of rich hot chocolates and autumn-inspired lattes appearing across the city.

So if you're in London this October and looking for something warmer than your usual iced coffee, here are 12 hot drinks worth trying.

Some are familiar autumn favourites, while others are a little more unusual.

Menus, prices and availability can vary between London branches, so it is worth checking before travelling specifically for one drink.

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte

Let's start with the obvious one.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte has become almost synonymous with autumn, and it has returned to London's coffee shops for 2026.

At Starbucks UK, Pumpkin Spice is officially back for the season, with the Pumpkin Spice Latte returning alongside other pumpkin drinks.

The appeal is pretty simple: espresso, milk and those warm pumpkin-spice flavours that make a drink immediately feel like autumn.

If you've never tried one before, this is probably the easiest place to start.

It is sweet, creamy, warming and unmistakably seasonal.

And if you are walking around London on a cold October afternoon, a hot PSL somehow makes the weather feel slightly more intentional.

Best for: Your first proper autumn drink.

2. Maple Pecan Macchiato

If pumpkin spice isn't really your thing, go in a completely different direction.

Starbucks' 2026 autumn menu includes the Maple Pecan Macchiato, with the nutty sweetness of maple and pecan combined with espresso. Starbucks says it is available hot or iced.

The flavour profile is warmer and nuttier than a traditional pumpkin-spice drink.

Think maple syrup, toasted nuts and coffee rather than pumpkin and cinnamon.

This is a particularly good option if you normally find pumpkin-spice drinks a little too sweet or heavily spiced.

And importantly, don't confuse the name with a "Maple Pecan Latte" you'll find elsewhere. Starbucks calls its drink the Maple Pecan Macchiato, while other London cafés use different names for similar autumn flavour combinations.

Best for: People who prefer nutty autumn flavours.

3. Maple Hazel Latte

Maple and hazelnut are another combination that works extremely well once the weather turns cold.

Costa's 2026 autumn menu brought back its Maple Hazel Latte, alongside a Maple Hazel Hot Chocolate and other seasonal drinks. The autumn range launched nationwide in August and is continuing through the season.

The drink combines sweet maple flavours with roasted hazelnut notes.

It is less about pumpkin and more about that warm, toasted flavour you associate with autumn cafés.

If you like hazelnut coffee, this is probably one of the easiest seasonal drinks to add to your October coffee rotation.

Best for: Hazelnut-coffee fans.

4. Hojicha Latte

Now for something a little more interesting.

If you've spent the last couple of years hearing everyone talk about matcha, hojicha is worth discovering.

Hojicha is Japanese green tea that has been roasted, giving it a deeper brown colour and a toasted, nutty flavour rather than matcha's brighter, more vegetal character.

Black Sheep Coffee introduced hojicha to its UK autumn menu in 2026, with its Hojicha Latte available hot or iced.

This is one of the drinks I'd particularly recommend when London is cold.

It doesn't taste like coffee, but it has that roasted, comforting quality that makes a hot drink feel substantial.

If matcha has never appealed to you, don't automatically assume you'll dislike hojicha.

They're very different experiences.

Best for: Anyone wanting to try something beyond coffee and matcha.

5. Salted Caramel & Macadamia Hojicha Latte

If a plain hojicha sounds a little too adventurous, try the more indulgent version.

Black Sheep's autumn menu also includes a Salted Caramel & Macadamia Hojicha Latte, served hot or iced. The combination brings together roasted hojicha with salted caramel and macadamia.

This is probably the drink for someone who wants to experiment without completely abandoning familiar flavours.

You get the toasted character of hojicha, but the caramel and macadamia make it sweeter, richer and more immediately approachable.

It is also a good example of how London’s autumn drinks scene has moved beyond simply putting pumpkin spice into everything.

Best for: A first hojicha with a sweeter twist.

6. Masala Chai

Sometimes you don't need a complicated seasonal drink.

You just need a proper hot chai.

Black Sheep Coffee's current autumn menu includes a Masala Chai Latte, available hot or iced. The current menu describes it as aromatic masala chai blended with creamy milk.

For an October afternoon, the hot version makes much more sense.

The spices give it warmth without needing pumpkin, maple or chocolate, and it works particularly well when you're looking for something comforting rather than dessert-like.

It is also a good reminder that autumn drinks don't have to be limited to Western seasonal flavours.

Best for: A warming, spiced drink without the coffee.

7. Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte

Want pumpkin spice, but don't want coffee?

Try a Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte.

Black Sheep's 2026 autumn menu includes a Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte, combining Japanese matcha with pumpkin-spice flavours. It is available hot or iced.

It's a slightly unusual combination because matcha has a very distinctive earthy flavour, while pumpkin spice is sweet and heavily associated with autumn.

But that's exactly why it's interesting.

If you're already a matcha drinker, this is a fun seasonal variation. And if you're bored of ordering the same PSL every October, it gives you something different to try.

Best for: Matcha fans looking for an autumn twist.

8. Spiced Brown Sugar Matcha or Hojicha

JENKI has also leaned into warmer autumn flavours this year.

Its 2026 autumn menu includes Spiced Brown Sugar, alongside Banana + Pecan and Ginger + Honey. The seasonal drinks are available hot or iced and use JENKI's matcha and hojicha offering.

Spiced brown sugar is exactly the sort of flavour that works when the weather starts getting colder.

It brings sweetness, caramel-like depth and warming spice without simply copying a pumpkin-spice drink.

And if you're exploring London's growing matcha and hojicha scene, JENKI is a particularly relevant place to try one.

The autumn menu is available across JENKI locations including Spitalfields, Covent Garden, Borough Market, Canary Wharf, Battersea Power Station, Selfridges, Old Broad Street and its Soho location.

Best for: Anyone who wants a modern London take on autumn drinks.

9. Ginger + Honey

Another JENKI autumn drink worth trying is Ginger + Honey.

The combination is much simpler than some of the sweeter autumn drinks on this list: ginger brings the warmth and honey brings the sweetness.

JENKI introduced it as part of its 2026 autumn menu, with the drink available hot or iced.

This is the sort of drink I'd choose on a genuinely miserable London day.

You know the kind.

Grey sky. Wet pavements. Umbrella turning inside out somewhere near Oxford Circus.

That's when ginger and honey suddenly sounds much more appealing than another elaborate iced drink.

Best for: Cold, rainy October afternoons.

10. Biscoff Latte

Biscoff isn't traditionally an autumn flavour, but in London it has become difficult to avoid — and honestly, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Bombolone Doughnuts on Whitcomb Street launched a 2026 autumn drinks menu that includes a Biscoff Latte. The drink is part of its Biscoff collection and is currently listed at £6.50.

The café is near Trafalgar Square, making this an easy drink to combine with an afternoon around central London.

You could walk through Covent Garden, wander around Leicester Square, head towards Trafalgar Square and stop for a Biscoff Latte when you need warming up.

It's sweet, indulgent and much closer to a dessert than a traditional coffee.

Which is exactly the point.

Best for: Anyone who thinks coffee should double as dessert.

11. Biscoff Hot Chocolate

If you don't need caffeine at all, Bombolone's autumn menu also includes a Biscoff Hot Chocolate.

It is currently listed at £6 and is part of the café's 2026 Biscoff collection.

This is probably one of the more indulgent choices on the list.

You've got chocolate, the caramelised-biscuit flavour of Biscoff and the warmth of a proper hot drink.

Pair it with one of Bombolone's Italian-style doughnuts and you're basically turning an October coffee break into dessert.

And sometimes that's exactly what a rainy London day calls for.

Best for: Serious sweet-tooth moments.

12. 72% Cacao Hot Chocolate

And finally, something for people who want their hot chocolate to actually taste like chocolate.

Bombolone's autumn menu includes a hot chocolate made with 72% cacao, giving it a more intense chocolate profile than the sweeter, flavoured options.

If you're not interested in pumpkin spice, matcha, hojicha or flavoured syrups, this is the classic route.

London also has plenty of specialist hot-chocolate options if you want to make a whole afternoon out of it. Hotel Chocolat, for example, currently has a wide range of drinking chocolates, including 70% classic, pumpkin spice, roasted almond, walnut, ginger and other flavours.

For something particularly chocolate-focused in London, Melange Chocolate in Peckham also has a dedicated hot-chocolate menu alongside its chocolate selection.

Best for: Anyone who believes October is hot-chocolate season.

So Which Hot Drink Should You Try First?

That really depends on what you normally order.

If you want the classic autumn experience, start with a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

If you prefer nuts and caramel, go for a Maple Pecan Macchiato, Maple Hazel Latte or Salted Caramel & Macadamia Hojicha.

If you want to try something different, make it a Hojicha Latte.

If you like spices, Masala Chai or Ginger + Honey are great choices.

If you're already obsessed with matcha, try Pumpkin Spice Matcha or one of JENKI's seasonal drinks.

And if you're simply after something ridiculously comforting, skip the coffee altogether and order a hot chocolate.

A Small Tip for October in London

Don't assume that every seasonal drink will be available everywhere until the end of the month.

Autumn menus can vary between branches, and some limited-edition drinks can disappear earlier than expected. This is particularly worth remembering now that we're getting towards the end of October.

Also, don't feel like you have to order the biggest, sweetest seasonal drink just because it is autumn.

London's cafés now have enough variety that you can find something subtle, something spiced, something nutty, something chocolatey or something completely different.

And that's what makes this time of year fun.

The next time the rain starts falling while you're walking through London, duck into a café, warm your hands around a cup and try something you've never ordered before.

You might just find your new October favourite.

Final Thoughts

October in London isn't just about Halloween, autumn leaves and darker evenings.

It's also one of the best times of year to slow down and enjoy the city's café culture.

From the familiar Pumpkin Spice Latte to Japanese hojicha, masala chai, maple and hazelnut flavours, ginger and honey, and seriously indulgent hot chocolates, there is far more to explore than the usual coffee order.

So the next time you're caught in London's chilly October weather, don't just reach for your usual drink.

Try something seasonal.

You might find that the perfect London autumn afternoon starts with nothing more complicated than a warm cup in your hands.

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