"Black Coffee" received acclaim from music critics upon release. Simon Evans writing in the "Birmingham Post" described the song as a "beautiful slice of haunting, hypnotic pop". John Mulvey of "The Scotsman" praised its "sleek, scrupulously mature sound", while AllMusic's Jon O'Brien regarded it among All Saints' most accomplished and mature work, highlighting its "lush electronics". David Brinn of "The Jerusalem Post" found the song wistful and radio-friendly. In the "Sunday Herald", Samuel McGuire characterised the track as "a gem of a truly wonderous lustre"; the newspaper's Graeme Virtue hailed it as one of "the best pop singles ever". BBC Music's Nigel Packer chose the song as a highlight on "Saints & Sinners", while Russell Baillie of "The New Zealand Herald" said "Black Coffee" along with "Pure Shores" and "Surrender" "put of the album in the shade." "The Sunday People"s Sean O'Brien gave "Black Coffee" a rating of eight out of ten.