Cafe Express in Ashford

What a delightful gem in the heart of town! My partner and I stopped by on a whim today and were pleasantly surprised. The service was attentive, quick, and delivered with a smile. It was heartwarming to see the café acting as a welcoming hub for the older generation, with staff so familiar with their regulars that they knew their orders before they even sat down. This is exactly what a cafe should be! The portions were generous, and the value for money was outstanding. We’ll definitely be back!

The staff are very friendly, polite and attentive. Service was great and quick. Food wasn’t that bad so i can say wow. Very reasonable price and well worth a visit if you are looking for a quick bite when shopping in Ashford.

Great food and great service, lovely place, friendly staff

Absolutely banging burger!🍔 We absolutely loved it! We had a chips to share and they have added 2 hash browns as well for no additional charge. Cannot recommend them enough!

Waitresses were really helpful went with Partners Son Girlfriend and partners grandson

A lovely kind and friendly place with amazing coffee and great food

Excellent and friendly service. Meal cooked really well.

Been Taken over again seem like a nice bunch of people

Use this café several times a month always brilliant service and happy staff.xx

Prices on the menu sre good. Good standard menu. Very clean and tidy Café. Meal served prompt and hot.

Ate here again today. They were very accommodating to my sons dietary needs and kept checking with us about all the food. I took my own buns in but they didn't mind, they appreciated it. It goes to show, speaking to the venue about specific dietary needs, can certainly help. My son and his friends were very happy, so thank you all very much for your service ❤️

Always very good . Staff always polite and helpful .

One of the longest running eating places in the town and still the best by far. None of the newbies come close to the food quality and staff. Great coffee every time. Served by some of the friendliest staff I have ever seen. They will take a few minutes to chat if you want and they way they take time to chat with their elderly customers is wonderful .

We pop in here most Saturday mornings, the staff are always friendly, and the service is always good, you don't have to wait long either for your order,we've tried quite few different places for breakfast, but none compare to cafe express, highly recommend.

Staff are fantastic very nice people. Food is basic price is ok .

Omelette, salad and toastie were nice and filling. Cooked breakfasts...not so much, the tinned beans were the best part. Bacon was hardly cooked and eggs were not 'eggy'. The yolks were hard.

Can't fault it at all. Really nice breakfast, reasonable price, came quickly and staff are lovely. Would 100% visit again

Not recommended. Eggs where cooked in a dirty pan. Bacon was basically boiled then put on a hot grill for 5seconds. Hash brown soaked in oil. Beans were watery. All the ingredients were very cheap.

Loved the food its a brillant place to go and eat

The red brick effect wallpaper is history in a brighter interior. Cafe Express had only been open 3 days when I visited due to redecoration, and no specials were available. I was able to order roast pork, and cheesecake and ice cream in place of apple pie. I was given a soft drink can free as my total order could not be met. Clean and moderately busy with enough distancing. The upper floor is not often used except for toilets. A long standing cafe with regulars plus office and shop worker takeaways of coffee etc. The seats nearest door mainly for coffee and tea are least used.

Since the new owners took over , the cafe has gone extremely downhill, food isn’t the same . One member of staff starts asking questions about our son (how old is he where is he from etc) which we thought was a little odd, constantly messing orders up and food always comes with a puddle of oil underneath. Not the same as it was when I was growing up. Sorry but we will not be returning. 0/10

stop for breakfast very friendly staff drinks arrived very quickly as did the food which was hot and well cooked I dont eat egg but was offered an alternative will go back again

Lovely food in clean environment, friendly owners and staff. Great for breakfast and lunch options. Generous portions. Management are upgrading the decor, making the place look fresh and clean - so much better than the imposing brickwork wallpaper that the previous owner slapped on the walls.

Went here with 5 family members including 2 children. No table big enough to sit us all. Although they are fairly close together so not to big a problem. They used to do “All you can eat” breakfast but that seems to have been taken off the menu. Ordered breakfast for 5 of us. One is celiac and we didn’t want to risk it as there was no mention of it on the menu. My breakfast wasn’t cooked the sausages were raw in the middle. I sent it back and they replaced it minus the hash browns. These arrived after. The staff are nice and friendly and handled the issue with professionalism. However I was Really disappointed!!

I used to like this place , new owners , it lost the former quality , I’ll go to the pub a little below . People move , retire , it’s hard work , only people with a passion stay .

Really decent priced affordable food, large portion sizes and definitely recommended. Large dining area, really helpful and friendly staff, and now lots of homemade specials being made from scratch. Only downside toilet is upstairs, but that’s not new owners fault.

This is a very clean and very reasonably priced cafe. The staff are all polite and friendly. I cannot fault them, but, please, stock a better tomatoe, the one used at present is tasteless and tough!!!

Just realised I was missing my sausage from the plate

Good food and quick friendly service.

Nous nous sommes rendu dans ce café plusieurs fois lorsque nous vivions à Ashford et nous n'avons jamais été déçu. Nous y avons même emmener nos familles en visites. De retour à Ashford en visite, nous ne pouvions pas ne pas retourner y manger un english breakfast. Ils ont un menu qui ravit tout les goûts (breakfast, sandwichs, burgers, poissons, etc...). Les breakfasts sont servis toute la journée, c'est vraiment top. Les assiettes sont bien fournie et les prix plus que corrects ! Je recommande à toutes les personnes qui passent par Ashford !

The consistency of this well liken restaurant has taken a noise dive. I had my normal bacon eggs & chips, but my wife's port roast was bad. Lots of fat & little meat, with cold roast potatoes, we will try again, but there will have to be a significant change in quality before we try a roast dinner.

What a find Cafe Express was mow almost 12 years ago. Their food is awesome, always clean and the staff very friendly. The best unlimited breakfast around.

The £6 all you can eat breakfast is no longer offered as of this week, but it was good while it lasted.

I love this little place, the staff are always friendly and it had become my favourite place to get breakfast with my other half. Good food and incredible service 😁

Good old style type of "Joe Lyons" Cafeteria with table service if required. Excellent menu with prices to match and helpful and friendly staff to match

Whenever we are in Ashford we go for something to eat here. Always friendly staff and really good food for a very reasonable price. Last sundayafternoon we had lunch here. A lot of senior citizens came fior their tea here. Sensible choice I gather. You cannot cook a dinner like you can get here for the price. We love it here and will come back

super petit dej anglais avant de parcourir mes boutiques une assiette. avec bacon œuf pains haricots choux frites café jus. d orange pour 6 livre soit un peu moins de 7€

I like to treat myself to a cooked vegetarian breakfast a couple of times a month and used to use the cafe in BHS. Sadly when BHS closed I was lost for a place to eat as most of the other cafe's could not provide me with a strict vegetarian option. However by pure chance I ended up having breakfast with a visiting friend who was staying nearby and I have continued to frequent ever since. The best thing about Cafe Express is that you can choose whatever you want from the menu without being restricted, so if you fancy just having a plate of eggs, then that's fine, you don't have to order the full trimmings. They also do not have a cut off time for food, so if you want breakfast at 4 in the afternoon you can. I am very strict about the cleanliness of where I eat and these guys have a 5 star food rating which is perfect. It's always busy, but always has a space and sometimes I have been taken by surprise as to how quick they have prepared the meals, especially with being so busy.

This place is an institution. Whenever we have visited over the past 16 years, it always feels like it has kept many of its customers for many years more than that! The staff never fail to be cheerful and apparently happy in their roles. The bubble and squeak breakfast is delicious and they definitely make a great cup of coffee. The value is amazing and we will be back time and time again.

Used to come here with my Grandma and my Dad when I was a child and recently returned for a breakfast with my Dad on Christmas Eve and the place is just as good as ten years ago (if not better!).

Been to this cafe a few times when we are in Ashford visiting my wife's sister. Breakfast you make up from a very large breakfast menu. AND you can have it as many times as you can eat it. Fresh cooked and hot. There is a lot of it if you order right. My favorite place for breakfast where you will put on pounds. Lunch is extremely good value as well. Food is excellent. Staff are a dream and very friendly. The best cafe in Ashford. Thanks guys for giving us great food.

The staff is very helpfull and nice. The foods are fresh and delicius, wide selection of english breakfast. The prices are budget-priced :) The best place for breakfast in UK, you have to try it! Our all day started with a joy and happy :) Thank you! A legjobb hely Angliában ahol jól bereggelizhetsz. A személyzet kedvessége, az ételek frissessége és a nagy választék kedves és jó emlék lesz a családunknak az angol vendéglátásról és Ashfordról. Az árak alacsonyak, minden napunk jól indult, köszönjük!

I have memories of Ashford Town, and have not been here for two decades, so it has changed a lot. The one-way traffic system as was is now a two-way system, and the town center is more or less completely pedestrianized. Just popped into the Natwest, not enough tills open, came out and saw the Café Express with its advert for all day Breakfasts. It was about 1.30pm and the fruit yoghurt I had for break-fast seemed a long time ago. Checked the outside menu and decided on the Brunch Break-fast. Went inside and stood by the pay-till as I was not sure whether it was counter or table service. A waitress (Ria) who was sitting at a table by me, who it would appear had just finished her lunch, said, "Sit here, you can have my table". I must say very well mannered and a lovely smile. The banter between the staff and the boss was humorous. The breakfast was well cooked on a hot plate, and went down well with a glass of water. (Bottled). I would visit the café again. I am a stickler for a good English Breakfast, so I am not sure why the last few reviews were so bad. That's life.

as a regular customer somethings gone wrong been twice in the last month and sadly food not good still great friendly out front staff waiters and waitresses dont no if you have changed the chef or kitchen staff but nowhere as good as it was 6-7 months ago

Can't even put a baguette together properly falling apart ie egg was not even in baguette bacon over done

Used to visit regularly but haven’t been for a while. What has happened? It used to be heaving at lunchtime...

My partner and I came here for breakfast and got the £5.99 all you can eat. It was a bad...

Went for a roast dinner today, ordered a kids roast an a adults dinner both came out the same, had an disagreement with the manager about how the plate size was completely different in the picture he said that's the way we do it now, when thank god this wonderful lady l think her name is cheerful came to sort out the issue.

El personal es súper simpático. Siempre dispuesto a desviarse del menú. Porciones enormes y con buena relación calidad-precio! El único inconveniente es el apretado en el asiento.

I stayed in the B&B attached to this cafe - The Cornerstone B&B - and their breakfast is provided by the Cafe Express. Service was quick and efficient, and the place appears popular with locals as well.

Staff were great. Food was epic and monumental. Went for the 6 quid buffet breakfast which you order whatever amount of what you want on your first order then order there on. I didnt make it past the first dish as it was huge and the portions were great. All the food was really nice too. Solid deal for 6 squid.

I have been here a couple of times and the food has always been brilliant. Amazing atmosphere, polite and friendly staff. Would recommend

All you can eat full English, no probs

While Ashford has fewer redeeming qualities for leisure and social places/activities when compared to it's more illustrious neighbours that I have lived in or used regularly, such as Canterbury and Maidstone, one thing it does knock spots off them with is the number of good quality cafes/greasy spoons. Compared to other towns in Kent, Ashford is blessed with excellent cafes, and this is one of them. There is a very good range of breakfast options, and the Build Your Own breakfast is perfect for those who are very particular about their choices. My breakfast was very nicely cooked, promptly served and left me feeling very satisfied. It was very busy when I visited on Christmas Eve morning, and there appeared to be a lot of regulars and town centre employees using it, which is a good indicator that it is a successful place to eat/drink, which I would agree with based on my visit. Staff were friendly and efficient, and were coping very well with the very busy custom. I'd definitely recommend and return if passing by.

Been coming here since i was a kid good for a quick bite to eat nicely located hood customer service

You can eat as much as you like for 5.99, although you have to pay for extra leftovers. I order small plates but have a few.Good staff which make jokes with you. The food is good. They need Korker sausages though which would make it perfect for me. Good value for money if you can eat it would recommend and is in town which is good

This is exactly what it says - a cafe, but Wow! what a spread. The "Build Your Own" All Day Breakfast has to be the best value for miles. (& that's not the only good value meal on the menu) 15 items to choose from - as much as you want - all for just £5.99!The food was well cooked & delicious and the staff were really cheerful & helpful. All that as well as a #4 Food Hygiene Rating. If you're in the Ashford area, pop in & give it a go.

There is nothing classy about this café but if you want good food at a reasonable price and served by lovely friendly staff you would be hard pushed to find better. Daily and Pensioners specials excellent.

The best coffee in Ashford. Really friendly staff who always make you feel welcome. Great breakfast menu

After travelling down from Derby for work, I was ready for a bite to eat, really fancied a decent fish & chips and so, when saw the sign outside, went in only to find it's purely a kebab joint.Didn't bother staying and eventually found the Cod Father just down the street.

we have been coming here for years. its the only place to eat in ashford town that offers such a huge variety of food. every day they have a 'special' on all food at the right price. this is where we all meet up with other family members for a sit down and refuel. they cater for everyone in here and the staff are all very friendly. these cafe's are disappearing fast and its good to see this one still going strong, they must be doing something rightkeep up the good work guys

Places like these are hard to come across. It's got a great classic British feel to the place, serving proper classics! Staff are great here and the TV'S with the news are great for mornings!

I love having breakfast here. The service is fast, the staff are friendly and it is such good value for money. The cafe is always nice and clean and generally busy.

Myself and my boyfriend have been here multiple times and it's one of our favourite restaurants in Ashford. The staff are always so helpful and friendly and the food is delicious. We always look forward to eating here

We have been coming here for years and in the past it was good food for good value. Not so now. On our last three visits we have sent back fried eggs as very undercook. They just cannot fry an egg. Also some of the staff cannot make coffee. On our last visit we asked for a cappo and got what looked like muddy water with no taste. The place was empty and we are sure fresh coffee was not used. We left it and wont be going back. Shame because it was a good place.

The whole family keep coming back here, this is our regular meeting place. Never disappointed and always a laugh, staff in here are great as well as the food. Good honest grub at very reasonable prices. Very popular with most locals plenty of seating as there is an upstairs too

We only go to cafe express for the breakfast . Freshly cooked and the ingredients are very tasty . Never a disappointment . Downside is the layout of the restaurant . Not very practical when you have a pushchair or a wheelchair . The old style canteen tables could be replaced with proper ones. Also the toilet could do with a makeover and some heating . Can be very cold in the winter months

Haven't been in for a while so popped in this morning for our usual fix of a full English brekky, and again were not disappointed. Always friendly staff and always good service met with great prices - has been our cooked brekky haunt for many years and will continue to be for years to come.Perfect place for couples or families with plenty more seating upstairs

Came shopping at Ashford was a bit peckish Really friendly staffEnjoyed our breakfast/lunch here Must come again very soon.

My favourite eatery in ashford. Well located on the highstreet. It has friendly staff and a great all day breakfast.. while there are a good selection of set breakfasts and main meals there centerpiece is the 'create your own' all you can eat breakfast special. The staff are all very friendly and the service is good. Its popular enough that despite is large size it can fill up at weekends.

Good value and a 5 on scores on the doors. The staff are lovely and friendly and service is efficient.

Went here for breakfast with the family today have been here before and previous experience had been fine today however was diabolical so much so not one of us ate our meal and to top it off when giving feedback to the women who took our money was met with an extremely rude young lady who had no idea what manners was and no idea on how to work in hospitality the end result being we will never go there again she really let her employers Down we did not expect a refund money off the bill a simple aknowledgement apology would have sufficed some of the staff were great shame a couple let it Down would I recommend definately not

The food is nice but overpriced for what it is. Bread, milk and orange juice from Iceland store then sold on at twice the price. Eggs are clearly not free range and probably battery eggs also from Iceland. I have no issue paying a higher price providing the ingredients are of a higher quality. The staff are the cafe's saving grace as always friendly and serve well.

I have been enjoying this cafe for as long as I can remember..Great quality food, good value for money, pleasant and helpful staff. Food served quickly and always lots of it. Highly recommended!

When on a Christmas shopping trip with my daughter this week we needed a break and to refuel for round two of the local shops. After trying a couple of other cafe's in town to see what food was on offer we ended up in here. We both said that we should have known to come here first as it doesn't matter what time of the day and wether its quiet or busy, you still get great service and good food. after years of eating in this cafe nothing changes (only the staff) this is one of very few cafe's that have got it right.

I use this café regularly as it is so central, large and does a good choice of food. I had my favorite (the £5.99 eat-as-much-as-you-can breakfast) which is awesome. The meal was served within 8 minutes and well-cooked, the coffee was very good and the staff were pleasant. The café has had a overhaul lately and the interior décor is much smarter - well done.

its the only place i know that does unlimited breakfast for £4.99 and everything taste great been there ever since i moved to ashford in the 70 s all the locals know about it worth checking out

We've been coming to this busy, popular cafe for the past 18 years. Perfect for a quick bite to eat at any time of the day. The staff in here are all very friendly and meals are very sensibly priced. If you find yourself in need of a full English breakfast then this is the place to come (our usual choice at a weekend) Plenty of seating too as the cafe stretches upstairs and some tables and chairs outside the front which is great in the summer.

So good I can't put it into words. I have fond memories of this place when it was Gizzis. My Mum would always bribe me with a strawberry milkshake at Gizzis to get me to come to Ashford and help carry her shopping bags. Nowadays it's every bit as good as I remember it being. Lovely quality food, amazing good value, friendly service, charming waitresses, very good waiting times. Also very clean. And Bruce has a very good repartee with his customers. The prices are that good it's bordering on incredible. All day, all you can eat breakfast £5.99. Proper coffee in an old fashioned glass mug is £1.80, compared to about £4.50 in Starbucks. Today my wife and I had lunch. She had a prawn mayonnaise baguette with salad, I had sausage egg and bacon baguette with salad. Both were bursting with filling and were a foot long. I had a mug of tea and my wife had a tin of Lilt. The bill.....£8.90. Amazing. The choices are refreshingly simple, egg and lettuce, corned beef and pickle, cheese, ham salad, etc. Pleasingly 1970s. None of this feta and capers nonsense. I can't speak highly enough of the place. But it has been a successful business since the 1950s so I think that speaks volumes. :-)

The staff wonderful, very clean and good variety of menu, always busy, sometimes have to wait for table.

You know when you walk in to a cafe you can tell what you going to get. Well this one will surprise you. Clean, attentive staff. Fantastic breakfast. Nothing was too much trouble. The kids were joked with and spoke to by the staff. Nothing was too much trouble. The only downside is the loo. Not the best and its up a lot of stairs.

A splendid restaurant, clean wholesome food. I am in my 65th year, and have been going in there for years. Staff Jane and Mark fantastic service but restaurant would benefit from nicer decor i.e wallpaper rather than the 'fake brick' paper that has been hung really badly (complete with bubbles) and seating resprung and upholstered. I have been using the restaurant for over 50 years and the food is still wonderful, but keep it looking smart like it did in the 1960's

Have just enjoyed a great meal with my fiancee Belinda and daughter Eliza - Rose, great food as always, little one eats free if adult spends £6.99. The staff cannot be faulted and are always so friendly. Go there today!

An einem Samstag im Dezember waren wir bezüglich kurztrip in Ashford unterwegs. Irgenwann gegen Nachmittag packte uns dann der Hunger. Wir klapperten erst ein Lokalitäten ab bevor wir uns dann für eines entschieden.Von den Preisen her sagte uns das Cafe Express zuerst zu. Also gaben wir dem eine Chance. Schon als wir reinkamen wollten wir zuerst in die obere Etage, aber da sagte uns schon eine Mitarbeiterin (ohne Begrüßung), dass oben gesperrt sei. also mussten wir unten Platz nehmen. In diesem Schnellrestaurant war es kalt. Wir bestellten dann Knolauchtoast und ein Hähnchengericht. Als der Toast kam probierten wir. Er sah schon sehr unappetitlich aus und war auch noch kalt. Ich beanstandete dies beim Kellner. Dieser wies die Angestellte an sich um dieses Problem zu kümmern. Sie nahm den angeschnittenen Toast Wortlos auf brachte ihn in die Küche und kam nach 20 Sekunden mit eben diesen Toast zurück und knallte ihn Wortlos auf den Tisch. Da war dann auch schluß. Ich Beschwerde mich beim Kellner, dass ich diesen angeschnittenen Toast nicht annehmen werde, welcher sowieso schon sehr unappetitlich aussah und nach 20 Sekunden Mikrowelle wieder von der unfreundlichen Bedienung gebracht wurde. Wir bezahlten dann den Eistee nahmen die Flaschen mit und gingen.Der Service ist dort sehr schlecht. Das Essen ebenso und kalt. Bedienung unfreundlich.

Popped in for breakfast this week and had a filling yummy fry up :) really friendly staff. It is an old fashioned type cafe, but that's its charm.

Not the best customer service, it seems only if your a regular you get 5* treatment but for everyone else seems to be such an effort to serve. Also seating not great especially if your like me on the big side and pregnant!! Food was average not the best, wallpaper needs to be changed..

Went for breakfast with my friend and left happy with full stomachs. Food was really good same as the service recieved even we were sat outside and thought they might not see us or forget about us but not at all. Very pleasant experience. Thank you very much

After crossing the Channel , I make it a must to stop at Café Express in Ashford , from the seats , the tables , the waiters , it seems time forgot this place , not an antic , it is just as it used to be , without any stupid additions we see today Pies are excellent , but I usually go for an omelette , which are perfect ,if you go for a roast something , you will get it with peas and carrot , cooked to perfection English way ( boiled ! ) , no rubbish master chef in here , the food is good , portion are large , service is friendly , and the price will not make a hole in your pocket .To all foreign invaders , you better stop at Cafe Express and run away from motorway food , there is no possible comparison Coffee , I can't judge it , I never drink coffee with milk or large coffee , I simply have mineral water , reserving myself for an excellent brew in the pub few blocks facing Cafe Express

The café, which I often visit if in Ashford, was unusually quiet, perhaps due to school holidays.Normally I pick one of the two daily specials, but neither liver, bacon & 3 veg (£5.50) or Cauliflower cheese (£2.99) were as good as a roast for £5.95. They offer all day breakfasts, either set, or as much as you can eat combinations for £5.99. Also salads, soups, and kids meals. Four of these can be served free if an adult spends £6.99 or more. Sweets can be ice cream or hot crumbles, spotted dick etc. The upper overflow is rarely used except the toilets. The Café is hygiene rated 5 and has a loyal following. Usually people wanting just coffee and cakes sit in the front part by the server, or for waitress service at the rear. Wi Fi and captioned TV is there to divert the bored. If you have found Mecca Bingo you are nearly there.

Visited this cafe recently, food is average, coffee was not great (too weak for me, probably okay for a non coffee lover) its very busy packed full of every person in Ashford who is aged 70+ so they must be doing something right but who the hell thought it was a good idea to recently cover the walls with fake brick wallpaper!! This building has amazing retro features dating back many decades but is being totally destroyed by the current owners with awful signs, tat, plastic ceiling tiles and red brick wallpaper (needs to be seen to be believed)

Every time we go to the cafe I'm blown away by how friendly the staff are and how they recognise a lot if people the service is second to none and the food is so nice and always very hot

Café Express has just had an overnight wallpapering to express a red brick wall. Hmnn. The front area is mainly self service for light snacks, the interior a full range of full English and cooked lunches with waitress service. There is a range of 15 breakfast items on eat as much as you like for £4.99 but customers are asked not to over order! There are a pair of daily lunch specials, mine being chicken and mushroom pie and 3 veg. £5.50. A full range of beverages and soft drinks. My pancake with cherries had real cherries but the pancake looked more like a sponge floating on syrup. A child under 13. eats free if parent spends £6.99 or more. There is free wi fi and a little used overflow upstairs with the toilets. Always busy with locals and quite fast service

We always call in here for our breakfast when we drive over to the uk.Food is good and value for money.service is very friendly.My wife says they do the best coffee .

The food dished up here is excellent and at a super price. Keep in mind that this is a café but the service here is second to none.

£4.99 for as much as you can eat off the breakfast list (which includes chips!!). The staff obviously know the regulars and assist all the old / less able as well as calling them by name. Very friendly if old fashioned cafe. Good value for your money. Not pretty and intimate but a real throwback to the 60s

I've been eating there as a quick alternative to home cooked dinner on quite regular basis. Their full English is good but either hard times hit the restaurants or just simple change if strategies how the place is run. The portions are much smaller than they used to be but the food standard still at the same good standard. The clientele of this place is mostly oap's and that's good indication to good food at yet affordable prices.