Greasy spoons are to England what dinner is to the US. They are a culinary waypoint that helps codify the idiosyncrasy of what ‘British food’ once meant, and remains a place where celebrities, builders, architects and students all meet. And in the throwaway age where we do things for the gram, they represent staunch opposition – they represent standing the test of time.
That said, thanks to rents and rates, London has lost even the best of its greasy spoons lately. Luckily there are still a few left; below are our favorites.
E. Pellicci
The rise of cool East London began long before gentrification entered the lexicon. Still, you’re probably just as likely to encounter Central Saint Martin dropouts and Arcteryx-wearing 22-year-olds at E.Pellicci as you are the long-standing locals. This family-run café has been open for almost 125 years. Maria, the wife of Elide Pellicci’s successor, heads the kitchen. You can still get breakfast sandwiches, pastries and, as the name suggests, plenty of Italian dishes. Expect value, warmth and conversation with the person at the table next to you. They’ll probably have a great story, and it’ll probably be about the Krays. Or Ray Winstone farting.
332 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AG, epellicci.nl
Terrys
Apart from a list of excellent London cafes, Terry’s is one of the best places to eat in the city. Relatively young – Terry’s was founded in 1982 by its eponymous owner, a former butcher of Smithfield Market, in Borough – and is now run by second-generation chef Austin Yardley, who sources quality produce to produce excellent fried breakfasts, Welsh rarebit and bangers to make and puree. If Yardley joins in, there may be no better place for quality British comfort food, including the less spotted bubble and squeak. Is it any wonder the place has its own brand of tea?
158 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0DT, Terryscafe.nl
Regency cafe
Any list of greasy spoons would be incomplete without the addition of the Regency Café. Solidified in the minds of some generations by countless film and TV appearances, it has been around since 1946, when it was founded by Antonio Perotti and Gino Schiavetta, thanks in part to an unfailingly simple offering and loyal locals. The walls are lined with photos of Muhammad Ali and Tottenham Hotspur paraphernalia, the red-and-white checked curtains provide privacy from prying pedestrians, and laminated paper with ad-hoc menu additions in bright red fonts borders the kitchen hatch. Today, breakfasts are still good, with golden hash browns, crispy bacon, and crisp fried eggs, each plate a beautiful display on the original Formica tables. Many would find it difficult to break the £15 limit when eating here. Also good spaghetti bolognese for lunch.
17-19 Regency Street, SW1P 4BY, regencycafe.has.restaurant
Kennington Lane Cafe
An essential feature of the true greasy spoon is its oval-shaped plate. Although the total usable surface area may be identical to that of their more commonly used round cousins, the oval plate, especially with the baking sheet stacked high on it, is much more pleasing. It seems like there is so much more to enjoy. That’s how it goes at Kennington Lane Cafe. The breakfast is plentiful and delicious, the space consists of fixed wooden chairs and Formica laminated tables. The lighting is both terrible and spot on. There are tables outside for warmer days.
383 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY, kenningtonlanecafe.co.uk
Electric cafe
Early-rising workers and later-rising students eat between these walls. The east-facing facade means that the morning light is often just right to bounce and reflect off the surface of the anonymous bottles of vinegar, next to the red and brown sauces (no branding please). The breakfasts are simple, delicious and there is a small specials board for lunch. It’s a real café, through and through.
258 Norwood Road, SE27 9AJ, @hetelektriekcafe
Mario’s Cafe
One of London’s most historic British-Italian cafes, Mario’s has a beautifully checkered history, like so many great London restaurants. The location first opened in 1958 as Tony’s Restaurant and became Chinese for a while in the 1970s, after a falling out between the two Italian owners. It sat vacant for four years until 1989 when the children of the original founders came together to open Mario’s. Named after the ‘uneducated, unemployed, pot-smoking wannabe rock star’ (his words) Mario Saggese, this Kentish Town hangout was a popular haunt for the artsy Camden crowd in the 1990s and still serves the locals of Kelly Street. The decor is a little more modern than some, as is the atmosphere. Eggs on toast may be traditional, but sourdough toast is also available (at an additional cost). Otherwise, you can opt for a bouncy omelet or an excellent eggplant parmigiana, served with fries. The coffee, a controversial topic with owner Mario, who hates the term ‘barista’, is completely simple. 6 Kelly Street, NW1 8HP, mariocafe.com
Beppes
This could very well be the epitome of greasy spoons. Closed on weekends but open on weekdays from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm – hours most catering people would sell their mothers for – Beppes is rare. Here you will find an extensive breakfast, a wall with international banknotes, wooden beams and a blackboard. The food is as hearty, simple and nutritious as it can be. There are more than ninety years of history within the walls of Beppes.
23 West Smithfield, EC1A 9HY, @beppecafé1932
Bar Bruno
Beyond the sandwiches at Italian deli I Camisa, Bar Bruno is a haven for cheap Soho lunches. It is also a British institution, founded in the middle of the last century, and a good example of the best feeders in Europe doing better business through London. Today it is run by the second generation Frank, who has been in charge since the late 1970s. Bar Bruno is always hectic, but a table does appear, serving classic fried dishes, chicken Milanese and cheesy lasagna. To take away, ask for an omelet folded tightly in ciabatta, a bread invented long after (1982) Bar Bruno to help alleviate Soho’s hangovers.
Wardourstraat 101, W1F 0UG, @barbruno101
River Cafe
No, not that one. This River Cafe is also located in Fulham, but is extremely more affordable than its better known counterpart. The food may be just as cheerful. Here’s a cafe that puts hash browns on the standard breakfast menu (whether these are essential to a full English is up for debate), while the bacon sandwiches – juicy and oozing – are a special and notable highlight. Plates of liver and bacon and shepherd’s pie are also on offer, and the decor has hardly changed since the 1960s. One thing to consider is race days. Due to its proximity to Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, it is advisable to avoid the cafe when a match is taking place.
1A Station Approach, SW6 3UH, 020 7736 6296
The Bridge Café
The Bridge is owned by Frank and Jerry Marcangelo, brothers from a long line of Italian café owners. Here, atop a bridge connecting a residential area in north Acton with an industrial estate, is a spot made famous thanks to its proximity to the television studios used to film The Apprentice. Losing contestants – one of whom once called the bridge ‘that hole’ in their Sun column, and there couldn’t have been a better endorsement – would be sent there to sit despondently over mugs of tea and reflect on their ‘fires ‘. Strangely enough, they never wanted to eat. A plate of excellent ham, eggs and fries would have cheered them up immediately.
138 Westfields Road, W3 0AP, 020 8992 2559
The chef’s delight
Chef’s Delight is one of those places with a long and painful menu – eat a fry up or an omelet – while the decor walks the delicate line between depressing and quietly delicious. It exudes the sentimentality of the film Lost in Translation, with a spinning ceiling fan, leafy curtains of 1980s light fixtures, white tables and dark chairs, and dark tiles on the floor. When it comes to the service, it is much less melodramatic, but always friendly, calm and warm. The food comes quickly, even for a greasy spoon. It’s always busy with regulars and serves the community cheaply; a relaxing, honest place that embodies the simplest yet most poignant hospitality. Chef’s Delight means little in the grand scheme of things. It is a powerful resource for people in the area.
13B Hoofdweg, N22 6BH, 020 8127 4854
Maggie’s
Here is a café built on true old-fashioned hospitality; it is not hyperbolic or self-indulgent to call it special. The place recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and its longevity is a testament to its reverence. A large number of cafes in the city were founded by Italian immigrants, but here is one owned by the late Maggie Khondoker, who moved to London on her own from Cavan, Ireland, at the age of 15. She was a force, founding Maggie’s in Lewisham in 1983 with her Bangladeshi husband Mazid. Her two sons are now in charge, but little else has changed: expert, generous home-cooked dishes, such as chili con carne (with rice and fries), cottage pie and a classic cooked breakfast. A bastion of Irish hospitality in SE13.
320-322 Lewisham Road, SE13 7PA, maggiesrestaurant.co.uk
Andrew
In 2016, Andrew’s made headlines after the site almost fell foul of feared property developers. Fortunately, the cafe endured – notable ITN journalists, their offices close by, were key to its preservation – and so full English breakfasts, fluffy jacket potatoes, bacon sandwiches and shepherd’s pies are still quick from the kitchen. Andrew’s is a charming space in a noisy part of London. And it’s a story about the city: originally founded about 60 years ago by Italian brothers Lorenzo and Andrew, today a new family is in charge and doing a good job.
59 Grays Inn Road, WC1X 8TL, andrewsrestaurant.co.uk