*London cafes: your very best recommendations, please!

[dannyb]

and the homemade special sauce is pretty tasty

 

[waverunner]

Not a cafe but I didn't want to start a whole new thread about it... Nusa Dua on Dean Street W1.. fantastic food and very well priced Also very tiny, I think it seats a max of 14 people but the staff are lovely and it really is delicious food

 

[yokerist]

well Im not sure if anywan has posted it
BUT

Marrakech Cafe on New Road off Whitechapel High St E1

is really rally nice

coffess are £1.20 and lovley and the food is really lovely and reasonably priced

They have a shisha room

yum yum yum yum yum mmmmmmmmyum yummmmmm

I love it there open every day ah its great rrrrrrrrrrr m m m m m

 

[Janh]

Scooterworks, Marsh Lane, Waterloo

This is my favourite place for coffee, a cold drink and relaxing to some good tunes in a comfy chair, AND it's all wrapped up in a scooter workshop so don't forget to buy the two stroke.

A really honest home-from-home if you like the whiff of motor oil with your coffee.

sshhh don't tell everyone

 

[Monkeynuts]

Ahem we seem to be losing sight of the fact that this is about cafes - no accent on the 'e'.

Real cafes do not have:
- websites
- alcohol licences
- themes

Real cafes do have:
- cheap menus constructed around more permutations of bacon, egg, sausage, beans and tomatoes than sceptical mathematicians at Cambridge University are prepared to believe is mathematically possible
- squeezy bottles of sauce
- decor that must have been bang on once

If I haven't already let me recommend Tasty Cafe on St Johns St EC1 for its extreme cheapness and excellent Italian additions to the British staples.

 

[KellyDJ]

sutton cafe
stonecot hill
its the best!!!
really great, fresh and huge portions.. utterly superb!

Oh, I've just moved to Sutton

(makes a note to try out at the weekend)

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Real cafes do have:
- cheap menus constructed around more permutations of bacon, egg, sausage, beans and tomatoes than sceptical mathematicians at Cambridge University are prepared to believe is mathematically possible

and spam


of course

 

[Maggot]

Despite living in the area, have only just discovered this one:

The Terrace Cafe 25a Widmore Road, Bromley (Opposite Boots)
020 8466 5584

A good menu, with a number of veggie options, large number of sandwiches and friendly service. It also has an alcohol licence, which should really confuse/upset Monkeynuts as it is an old school cafe.

 

[zorrodp]

The Market Cafe, Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AA http://www.london-se1.co.uk/restaurants/info/415/marias-market-cafe. I knew it as a regular for lunch when working in the area 1998 - 2000, when Maria was in Park Street. Maria's bubble and squeak, liver and bacon ......... mmmmmmm!

 

[zorrodp]

Il Buffone Macklin Street Covent Garden WC2 - I worked along from there for the Covent Garden Community Association for about 6 months. For a good coffee or tea, breakfast, sandwiches, Scottish specialties, and a very decent pasta.

http://www.ilbuffone.co.uk/
http://russelldavies.typepad.com/ateaandathink/2004/12/il_buffone_cafe.html

 

[Meltingpot]

Don't know if I've mentioned it already; Govinda's, the Hari Krishna restaurant in Soho Square. Great veggie food and an atmosphere of calm and tranquillity I've never encountered anywhere else I've gone for a meal.

Also, has anyone tried the Bonnington cafe in Vauxhall? It got a slating in the Grauniad today but I've just visited the website and I'd definitely give it a punt if I lived in the area.

http://www.bonningtoncafe.co.uk/

 

[oryx]

Also, has anyone tried the Bonnington cafe in Vauxhall? It got a slating in the Grauniad today but I've just visited the website and I'd definitely give it a punt if I lived in the area.

http://www.bonningtoncafe.co.uk/

Yes, a few times. There have even been Urban nights out there!

I like it - it's small, reasonably priced, and unpretenti........NO! It's not unpretentious!!

The food is basic but I've always found it decent, & value for money, & the place has a very laid back, slightly chaotic vibe. Its roots as a squatted social centre/cafe are still very much in evidence.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Rosie-Lee
Garratt Lane
Tooting.

Superb cafe

 

[christonabike]

Little Kitchen, Clapham North

 

[MvM]

Workers Hope on Holloway Road up towards Highbury Corner.

Actually, I've not eaten there as I'm always in a rush when I go past so if anyone has given it a go I'd be interested in what you thought.

 

[ovaltina]

I can't remember what it's called but there's a nice one in Mile End. You come out of the tube and turn left, at the lights go left again and it's about 300 yards up. I went there yesterday with a massive hang over and had a fried breakfast, after which I felt almost normal again. Really tasty scrambled eggs and it came to £3.70. I like East London!

 

[mao]

Crystal Pantry on Church Rd, Crystal palace is quite good

 

[mao]

Crystal Pantry in Church Rd, Crystal palace is decent. Big portions and good quality food.Highly recommended.

 

[rennie]

Crystal Pantry in Church Rd, Crystal palace is decent. Big portions and good quality food.Highly recommended.

I might try this one out soon.

 

[DG55]

If you're ever in the Clapham Junction/West Clapham/Northcote Road area, try out '53' on Battersea Rise for the best coffee in town (imo). They do food too, quiche, freshly made baguettes etc, and a whole load of authentic french produce which could be worth a look (although I have no idea). Might have free wifi too. The owner is a great guy too. Worth a look.

 

[Woollyredhat]

Cafe/ Restuarant, an Italian place near the Odeon theatre opposite the park and Star imprints. The pasta they serve there is divine.

Can't remember the name of the place though

There's another one, around that area but can't remember the name of that either for the time being.

 

[DG55]

Well, unfortunately '53' on Battersea Rise has closed down. Shame, easily the best coffee in that area.

Although I do have another recommendation, much more greasy spoon stylee. Tony's Northcote Cafe just around the corner on Northcote Road, one of the only remaining 'original and 'ungentrified' shops on that street. Fucking amazing fry ups. Tony is an absolute charm too, you cant really miss him - he's almost certainly behind the counter every time you go in. Closes at 2pm in the afternoon though so get there early.

http://russelldavies.typepad.com/eggbaconchipsandbeans/2005/07/tonys_northcote.html

 

[MvM]

Workers Hope on Holloway Road up towards Highbury Corner.

Actually, I've not eaten there as I'm always in a rush when I go past so if anyone has given it a go I'd be interested in what you thought.

I've now eaten there; several times.

Its rather good in functional way. The 'bubble & squeak' (seriously) was much much better than I imagined it would be. The cops eat there too, although if thats a plus or not I couldn't really say.

 

[Nixon]

Gabi's deli on Charing X Road.Good veggie food,cheap for central london,fresh and homemade food.proper saltbeef sandwiches..

Bruno's cafe just off Wardour Street.It's opposite Vitaorganic and near where the old Intrepid Fox used to be.It's not the flashiest cafe around,but it's probably one of the only Italian cafe's in Central that is actually run and owned by Italians.Good coffee.Cheap pastries and really good mini pizza's.Breakfasts.Sandwiches all freshly made and prepared.The guys who work there are lovely too.A lot of the punks and clientelle from Diamond Jacks tend to go there too.I ran into Lars Fredriksen from Rancid after he'd just got some work done,just as I was popping in for some buckfast there

Whenever I go there I always laugh at the fools paying like 8 quid for a coffee and a cake at a shitty generic costa's,when you can get the real deal for half the price just around the corner..

 

[nino_savatte]

Cafe Plum, Crisp Road, W6...opposite The Riverside.

 

[Maggot]

Cafe/ Restuarant, an Italian place near the Odeon theatre opposite the park and Star imprints. The pasta they serve there is divine.

Can't remember the name of the place though

There's another one, around that area but can't remember the name of that either for the time being.

No name, no location, no address. The vaguest, most useless recommendation I've heard!

 

[d.a.s.h]

Cafe Plum, Crisp Road, W6...opposite The Riverside.

That used to be called the Odd Spot Cafe years ago and was definitely of the superior old school variety, with formica-topped tables, wooden chairs, and gleaming Still water boiler.

 

[chico enrico]

That cafe, down the road, on the corner. One one with the tables where the old guy works.

 

[Etymologist]

Bea's of Bloomsbury, 44 Theobalds Road. Most amazing cakes since sliced bread.

 

[editor]

Nice little site listing lost and endangered London cafes:

www.greasyspooncafes.notlong.com