Cosy Caffs
London eating
Cheap and cheerful, a warming, cosy term describing so much that we bought yet one that seems to be largely confined to the past in London. For instance, so many affordable cafes have closed down over the last 15 or 20 years to be replaced by a tempting choice of either the unaffordable or the corporate. You have a choice between Starbuck's, Pizza Hut, the pricey gastro pub and Gordon Ramsey.
Perfect bangers?
An era when nutritious, inexpensive food could be bought in most parts of London seems to be a thing of the past. We live in an age that sometimes seems to strive for excellent whilst disregarding good. I am not harking back to a mythical era founded on the perfect banger and I am keenly aware that our knowledge and experience of food has increased a thousand fold and our tastes have developed accordingly. It could be argued that the café of the past had a limited menu. They served simple good fried food and roast meals and depending on the owner's ethnicity often, in north London, a selection of Greek and Italian dishes.
Sure, they had little for vegetarians but needs could be met and on a local level immediately incorporated into the menu. What was important was that pretty often food of a reasonable quality and price was available out of the cold and in an atmosphere that was safely social. We cannot return to an era of eateries that are much missed. If we are conducting a social audit of London, we need to ensure that it is worthwhile for small, affordable locally run cafes and restaurants to emerge and thrive throughout London and reflect the diversity of London's population and its needs. A third way needs to be found between homogeneity and exclusivity.
RIP Alfredo's, Bacon and Eggs and Ole
Enough rant, here are some of my favourite lost cafes. The first one that came to my mind was the café on the corner of Kentish Town Road and Camden Road, I think called Alfredo's. A lovely Italian family ran the joint serving super sized portions of bacon, egg, sausages and chips alongside a mean spaghetti and lasagne. There always seemed to be complicated family dynamics but good grub was served in a friendly environment and after a heavy night was manna.
The second one that I remember was Bacon and Eggs in South Moulton Street. Amongst the exclusive boutiques of this paved street was this café, which as the name may suggest served in an extremely basic wooden chairs, wooden floored, wooden panelled setting fine bacon and eggs and also a mean veal escalope and spaghetti. It was used by office and shop workers and by staff from the local post office sorting office. It was a fine cheap and cheerful gaff serving good food to the less affluent population of Bond Street.
A third London eatery was Café Ole in Islington. Although there is a restaurant of the same name on the site it bears no resemblance to its erstwhile namesake. This was originally a café serving standard fare as well as doing a nice line in pasta and paella, hence the punning title. They went slightly upmarket concentrating on the spaghetti and paella but it was still a vestige of bohemian Islington. The loos were up the stairs and to get there you looked out of a window across a garden overlooking sombre Georgian legal offices and I always thought it was one of the most wistful views in London.
Give us your caffs!
None of these restaurants remain and London RIP would like to acknowledge their passing. If you have any favourite dearly departed eateries do let us know. Let's hear your memories and your favourite dishes and hope that in this way we can put the inexpensive, local café back on the agenda for London.
