Norman's Cafe in Islington

I have tried two times this business everytime either they were closed or they did not wat to serve. What business is closing on Friday 3pm ? I think the only reason they have customer is social media

Overhyped spot, quite average food. Sat down and within 50 mins (!) we were basically pushed out of the establishment whilst we were still finishing our coffee as “they have people outside they need to sit”. Will not be coming back — manners do matter

Delicious food and great atmosphere. If you're looking to try classic English breakfast, then this place is definitely for you

a good place to sit and work remotely.

Went on a Friday and experienced extremely poor service, we were consistently ignored by the waitress. It was nowhere near fast or efficient enough for them to be charging 12.5% service charge. I understand that it’s mimicking a greasy spoon and the focus is not on service but in that case they should not add 12.5 to the bill. I was looking forward to visiting Norman’s but I have to say I’m disappointed.

Best breakfast cafe. Small. Well kept. Great staff. We end up getting some of their merch

Absolutely loved my visit to Norman’s. Lovely staff and delicious food. Portion sizes on the breakfasts might be a little small for some, but I ate it all without feeling like I wanted more, so no issues there for me. Really enjoyed the music in there as well, nothing obnoxious being played. 5 stars!!

Both the food and the service were amazing! Very friendly staff and the food is what you would think as traditional English breakfast would be. Absolutely would go again.

Norman’s is great! Food is delicious, great ingredients cooked just right! The old English cafè vibe is the best! And the service was lovely too! However, a small change could be made and it would make the atmosphere just perfect, the music was too loud, really too loud, but also the playlist doesn’t go with the experience. It added unnecessary annoyance and spoiled the atmosphere a little. I get it if my point will be ignored…but it would really make a huge difference!

Lots of hype about this place but failed to impress us, I’ve had better breakfasts at proper cheap greasy spoons. They need to be run by wholesome, characterful Londoners which unfortunately we didn’t find, although the server was polite and professional.

Food and drinks were amazing, Lovely service, couldn't fault it!

Great pastries snd Cafe. Friendly staff.

A disappointment - read the hype / hoped to add a new breakfast place to my list. Strange it only opens 10am given the concept of being a 'caff'.. food really ordinary.

Excellent vibe, food, service and very importantly, music! Highly recommend if you're after the classics done right

Although it is not easily accessible from Central, the interior was cute and the staff were friendly. lol

Absolute horrible 😫 don't waste your money.

The food was lovely Fantastic service and atmosphere

At 10:15am...I stood in the doorway leaning on my walking stick while ALL THREE members of staff ignored me and others waiting behind me. About enough tables to seat 16 in the whole place. Maybe the food it good? I don't know. It looked quite nice and inviting. When finally approached, the young man was polite. It appears to me that booking ahead would be the best thing. Only 2 tables were empty and they both had "reserved" labels on them. Fortunately, many tables were available at the Moonlight Cafe opposite Tuffnel Park tube where there appears to be more attentive staff.

Good quality worker's cafe food, recently renovated and modernised, decent prices and relaxing nostalgic atmosphere

Breakfast was very nice, eggs done perfect and loved the home made brown sauce. Its simple things like you notice the toast is really nice and not some cheap slices you get in most cafe's. Also have to mention the hash brown is the best I have had, service was really friendly and the only down side was I had to pay £10.60 to park for an hour. Islington Council need to take a look at themselves, this is way over the top and they are not helping trade around that area.

I thought I'll give this a go due to being so close to my home. So me and my daughter visited during the week for lunch. But was very let down the food isn't anything special. My daughter had the sausage muffin which wasn't bad, but wasn't good. I had the chicken sandwich which I left, the sauce they used was overwhelming on the chicken. Compared to the other café it's missing something for me. But I will try again in the near future so I can possibly change this review.

Most underwhelming meal of my life, I think I could get better going to the discount section of Iceland. Don’t even get me started on the cosplaying as the working class vibe, overcharging for the cheapest possible beige food known to man. I’m pretty sure I got a juice box as well and was charged like two quid for it.

Delicious - boujee greasy spoon

All in all The breakfast tasted great Great Service Great Atmosphere That being said I had a breakfast 12.50 I believe? TINY portion! One of each 1 sausage 1 Bacon 1 egg 1 slice of toast 1 hash brown and beans (Home made so I was told..) That portion alone Sausage 1.50£.. Bacon 0.50£ hash brown 0.20£ Beans 0.50£ (Home made?) Egg 0.50£ slice of toast 0.10£ Comes to 3.30£ maybe 4.00£ at a push.. so this cafes making 8.50 profit alone.. I know this is London but 12.50 for that a joke Guys in this cost of living Btw 5£ for beans on toast what my Mrs had! Come on Guys!

A consistently solid establishment. As a local in the neighborhood, I routinely come to this cafe and every item on the menu has been delicious. Where to start - set 1, the chicken escalope, set 3, the sausage muffin and egg, and the absolutely delicious brown sauce. Not only is it delicious, but the service is top notch and the overall ambiance is to be commended.

Best fry up cafe in North London, the food is only exceeded by the atmosphere!

The quality of the food is outstanding. Eating naughty food without it feeling naughty cos it's premium ingredients. 3rd visit here and service has consistently been excellent. Took my 85 Yr old mum this time rpund, waa a bit apprehsieve as the place is a bit of a young vibe/trendy joint...no issues at all, they made allowance for her limited motility . Lovely server called Lucy who made my mum feel really welcomed and took tike to explain the menu. Service is super fast considering they are busy and things cooked from scratch.

Not bad but it is a Middle class Hipster cafe pretending to be working class. I’d personally rather go a proper cafe without the beanie hat jack up brigade pretending to be working class.

High-quality ingredients used with a modern take on a classic English caff. An upgrade from a greasy spoon. Recommended.

I am surprised to see one star reviews of this cafe. Yes they do simple, but simple done well is an art. And you can see the care taken in the food prepared and served. The Welsh rabbit was wonderfully prepared with a criss cross pattern, elegant and not overly punchy. The coffee (from rosslyn, if not wrong) was excellent. I loved the fuss free and great service.

Complete nonsense this faux working class culture thing that’s popped up is pretty pathetic, food was ok , nothing more and it’s appeal of trying to be a greasy spoon despite being the furthest thing from it shows up, the thing about a greasy spoon is that it’s supposed to be gritty, not the best to look at and run by people who are at the heart of the community not two middle class men looking to rip off a culture that isn’t theirs, if you want a proper authentic fry up get down to regency cafe, river cafe (near Putney Bridge), pelliccis, even Andrews on grays inn road

Very nice but a bit cold staff-attitude-wise. Got the rice pudding and jam which was delicious! Filter coffee is nice. Other than that really nicely designed

This place has become such a cliché I want to hate it but there’s a reason why there’s a massive queue on weekends. It’s very tasty food, staff are always friendly and whilst not being your genuine “greasy spoon” prices it is definitely cheaper than what you’d pay for generic brunch food elsewhere.

If you're looking for a very average and massively overpriced English breakfast with weak tea, soggy bacon and frozen chips, this is the place for you. It's a fake working class environment, with no working class people. Just influencers, and media bots bellowing over their laptops. The whole experience really is uniquely soulless and depressing. If you want an authentic caf with delicious food and decent tea, head to Mario's in Kentish Town or Pellicci's in Bethnal Green.

Food good, music too loud, coffee awful

Delicious but could have done with a few more chips, but the fact a cuppa is a £1 made up for it

Good cafe. Clean and friendly with a good menu. Very popular so get there in time.

Loved it here. A fry up done exceptionally well.

Great little place, need to queue for a bit to get in but they offer you a coffee whilst waiting as space is limited inside, food different to many places but very good. Def worth coming g if you can allow a little waiting time if they are busy

Such a cool place, coming as a tourist this place was great. English style food but with a twist. Very tasty and lots to choose from. The venue is quite small, so there is often a line to get I . We got there just at opening time and waited for about 10minutes. The filter coffee was fantastic. The prices are also very reasonable.

A cozy spot with homey food and a welcoming atmosphere

Un restaurant tipico ingles con muy buena cocina..

Norman's Cafe is a modern take on a traditional cafe with excellent food and friendly staff. Their vegetarian Set 2 is a feast, featuring a generous serving of bubble and squeak, egg, hash brown, grilled tomato, and beans. The highlight for me was the bubble and squeak, which was notably creamy, even the baked beans were better than usual. I asked for my fried egg to be well done and they obliged. My dining companion opted for Set 3, which includes sausage, chips, and beans, and praised the quality of the sausages. The café's interior exudes a nostalgic retro charm with its formica tables and chairs, and there are a few outdoor tables as well. It's popular so you may have to wait to get a table. As with most places these days it is cashless. The staff's friendliness left a lasting impression, making it the most welcoming eatery I've visited this year. With a clever concept, excellent food and friendly staff, I loved the entire experience of dining there.

Stopped in for something to eat after a long walk. Ordered the Welsh Rarebit, chips and some tea. Food was good and service really great. Thought the prices were a bit high for portion sizes and value for money.

Bit more expensive (+service) than your old school greasy spoon but good quality & proper bubble, which you can't find anymore. My only issue was the tunes, way to loud for a Sunday morning, more appropriate for Vegas pool party than hangover fix breakfast!

Worst breakfast ever Overpriced and flavourless. Vegetarian breakfast with bubble n squeek which turned out to be mash potatoe.

I absolutely adore this spot, very affordable, the food is simple and delicious and the staff are great. It also gets extra points for looking so cool!

Came nearly closing time but our server is very kind and friendly, even just him working on the floor. The restaurant is tinny but very tidy with cute vibe and the food is excellent. That delicious bean I would love to have it every morning ! Everything is simple but you can tell how fresh and good quality of food itself. Thank you guys made a such good and simple food. Will definitely come back soon for more food !

You should wait for it but it deserves

Honestly do not know what the hype is about. Queued up for 40 minutes for an overpriced sandwich that could have been thrown together in seconds. The bread was very poor quality, and the eggs utterly tasteless. Workers were entitled and offhand, as if they were doing me a favour. Decor was ugly and unimaginative- there not a single redeeming feature. If this is the future of cafes then God help us. In short, don't bother! 🙄

I had the set 1 and was really good. Portion was not too big and not too small so I liked it. This place seems very busy so I recommend to go earlier.

Don’t know what the hype is about, it’s a very compact smoky greasy cafe that overcharges on basic food that doesn’t require much skills to whip up. Quality of food is rather mediocre, coffee is ok, service is sleepy. Loud music in the background. Additional service charge is a pain. Nothing out of the ordinary, would rather go to a real cafe next time for half the price. For this price, I’d rather be in a proper restaurant.

Foods a good 8/10 but a little expensive for what you get. Not the biggest of menu’s so they can’t really go wrong. First thought it was a soup kitchen then realised it was the trendy wanna be brigade so don’t feel the need to wear anything decent. Worth a visit ? 50/50

This is very slightly more considered but otherwise bang average cafe food for nearly double the price. It is a greasy spoon for people that are scared of working class people. They blast hip hop while you sit cheek by jowl with people dressed in Burberry and carhartt. Total psyop. Just go to a normal cafe. Nice decor food is ok, but overall: offensive

It’s breakfast. It’s trendy. It’s fun. Norman’s was everything we expected. Traditional, savoury, substantial and fresh english food but done the best way possible. The place is sunny and gorgeous and the service is good.

A great Sunday breakfast. Expect to queue but the wait is worth it. Get the cornflake tart to finish off a great experience.

Rip-off, no idea why people queue for this place, and they don't take cash. Much nicer cafes 3 mins up the road

Great food and nice service. Usually a wait but I think it’s worth it.

The chicken escalope sarnie is amazing!

was really excited to try overall disappointed coffee was absolutely awful like dishwater, food was average cafe food taste wise, horribly overpriced had much more food of the same quality at local cafes for less, ques 30-40 mins long staff were average and a service charge automatically added for walking a plate less than 3ft from the kitchen, tables way to close together cutting my food meant touching both tables either side of us. noticed no accessible bathroom either, only one tiny filthy stall down stairs covered in tissue and urine. overall wouldn’t return

Terrible, tasteless food. Drinks were poor too. The decor wasn’t even special. Don’t understand the hype.

Super busy super tasty food and super friendly restaurants.

Terrible for the local area. Locals and small businesses being pushed out of Archway for years now - now used as a cheap gimmick for people to capitalise on. Plenty of cafés that have been operating for decades, but the muppets who go here are terrified of any normal people being in the same place as them

A brilliant take on a traditional British cafe. Service is always super friendly and efficient. The food is amazing, simple and delicious. With drinks to match.

I love the story, make up and menu of this caff. If it was full of old cockneys rather than young minted hipsters, it would be 6 stars from me.

The line out the door was worth the wait. Great fry up with a reduced menu with plenty of great options. Service was quick and friendly. Food and drinks were quick out even with the place packed. Good music playing in the background and everything came to a very reasonable price. Will be back when I’m in the area. Thank you Norman’s for a great start to my day.

I cannot recommend this spot enough!

Overpriced. No self respecting caff doesn't take cash.

Great food, amazing playlist, a total must!

Great cafe in a great location! The food was amazing and the service was top tier

Queue down the road in the freezing cold for a faux ‘caff?’ It’s impressive what some pretentious Instagram photos of beans and waffles can do. It’s full of trendy twenty-somethings trying to cultivate some “working class chic” without actually having to walk another 50 yards to actual old working class caffs that do the exact same food (and more) for cheaper prices. Food is fine, but the atmosphere and queuing were literally cringeworthy. There are fewer places on the high street available for working class and/or elderly people to sit and take their time. Unfortunately, this is not a take your time to relax in a sense of community place that caffs are.

My favorite caff in London. Best ratio price / quality. Simple and good, and efficient. The only thing is the music can be a bit loud and the queue can be long, price of success I guess.

Cannot believe people queue up outside to have something to eat at Norman's. When you do finally get in, you have to sit on seats that look like they came out of the wimpy. breakfast so small, or should I say the plates are small

Finally paid Norman's a visit which is located quite near Tufnell Park station. Would have visited earlier if I knew it was that accessible. The problem is, the items on the menu are a hit and miss because you can't call them to ask what's on that day or on instagram because no one replies. It turns out all the fancy items like frazzles, pink custard, scotch eggs, Chips & Curry sauce, Cheese on toast, Scouse, Jam Roly-Poly, Dippy egg & Marmite, Kippers on toast, English Trifle, artic roll, Manchester pudding, Poached plums with cream etc are elusive. On weekdays, the menu is more basic probably due to footfall but even on a late weekday afternoon, the place was full. At Norman's kitchen, it is basically greasy spoon caff food with quality ingredients. Although it is a bit pricier than the regular greasy spoons, the food is original and taken to the next level. I opted for the bubble and squeak, egg and cheese muffin with brown sauce and rice pudding with jam. Overall, I was impressed as the delicate bubble and squeak did not have any unpleasant oil taste from the grill, same goes for the egg which was topped with quality Maldon salt. The rice pudding was comforting and I think there were pieces of date in it if my taste buds serve me correct. Would love to return for the fancier items as well.

So grateful that they open on Easter Sunday and served with the most friendly staff!

I had been wanting to go to Norman’s for a long time. I was worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but it absolutely did. It was a lovely sunny day, we sat outside, stuffed our faces, and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since.

Comfort food at its best ❤️ Worth queuing, don't understand reviews that take away star for the wait 🤔 Popular for a reason!

Simple food, perfectly cooked. If you are looking for a taste of a cafe in London come here ASAP

Took the day off so we could visit this place for brunch. It did not disappoint. My husband had the Full English while I had the vegetarian option. Both delicious! Great service as well.

Had the ham egg and chips. 2 slices of supermarket ham and oven chips. Deafeningly loud music blasting from a speaker. Not worth the money, and very uncool to play music so loud like one of those empty nightclubs

thought i was queuing for the menders next door to check on the progress of my new armchair turns out i was in line for some grub. very odd ? all in all a good change to the saturday routine.

Worth queuing! Bubble & squeak breakfast was delicious.

Maybe warn people when booking that there’s hardly anything available for dinner because you don’t have a chef? Misleading Instagram account.

I just love this place, it is so simple but so tasty! Chicken sandwich, bubble and squeak and beans are my fav! Also try the coffee, it is very nice!

If you want to know what the average British 1990s childhood tastes like, get yourself to Norman’s! Nothing average about the food, pretty much perfect. Friendly staff too.

Gorgeous cafe, friendly staff and delicious breakfast/brunch. Everything is so tasty, can't wait go return!

I've been here many times, and always been happy with the food, service, queue management..etc. But today waited for 30 mins in the queue, no indication of how long I'd have to wait, 2 tables empty and ready for the whole time i was in the queue and 5 members of staff working inside...i dont find this acceptable. This is not the Norman's experience im used to, and the staff today clearly couldnt/didnt want to handle it...such a shame, I dont think i'll be back.

I find it weird waiting in a queue for close to 40 minutes with no communication from staf abouy how long I might be waiting for. Wirder still that there seemed to be a couple of empty tables for the whole time. I've been recommended Normans by friends but won't be trying again as the staff today seemed to have no care about the queue of people outside

Amazing food and quick service. As a local wish I could get in more often but is what it is.

So grateful that they open on Easter Sunday and served with the most friendly staff! First time trying bubble and squeak - made with kale! Their hash brown is AMAZING. Also SOO surprised by their Guinness bread. Must try!! Only thing is that you might smell of food when you leave ☺️

Great food. Good atmosphere. Excellent playlist.

The prices of drinks are amazing, the prices of food are very good. It is nice, cosy place and I have ordered thet chicken sandwitch. It was very good, but I think it lacked something. The problem come later, I was not feeling well and I had a stomack pain, so lower scoring. Also 12.5% of service charge from 10 GBP is not 1.26 GBP.

Great breakfast but not sure it’s worth queuing for an hour in the cold. Will be back when there’s no queue

Before saying anything else I need to confess that whilst waiting in line to get seated for god knows how long (time passes at a difference pace when it is morning, you are hungry and your caffeine fix isn’t there yet) I couldn’t help but think that I would love to dislike this place just to be sure I wouldn’t wait in line again to get breakfast. Turns out it was impossible to dislike it. From the first bite of my toast which was stupidly well toasted, the filter coffee of very good quality, the beans, the eggs, everything was incredibly well prepared and of high quality. The only point I could make of something that could be improved is that anything you want substituted on your plate will not be just substituted, I will be send as a side and charged extra so that’s a bit annoying. Other than that everything was perfect. Hate you guys for making me go again wait in line to get delicious food hunffff

Ridiculous rude 'hipster believing owner and managers' Customers the same Refuse to move out of your way trying to get into other shops and mouth off at you You are a small little,not very good cafe,yet act like you the Ritz Behave will ya Last time one of the managers mouthed off......LOL Look at the state of yourselves before even opening your mouth

Norman's breakfasts are a bit like Stewart Lee eulogising a Fall album. He's got all the right bits (greasy spoon: check), and respects the source material, but it's still somehow a tribute to the craft not the genuine article. Having said that how would they improve? Some of it may be atmosphere, Pellici's is the real deal. Some of it may be speed and portions, Breakout is the real deal. BUT having said all that, Norman's is reviving a dating art, they are a reset against globalisation and the destruction of community, they are providing an essential cultural pillar, and as such are not a tribute act, they are the real deal. Probably it's not atmosphere or portions they need to increase, it's just days. They are a few years into this and with your support they will become an institution in their own right. Go, go often.

Posting as a 4 star because the idea of queuing up for cafe food gives me the ick. The food itself despite being an English breakfast was delicious, none of the it felt greasy and individually breakfast pieces had so much flavour in comparison to your standard cafe fry up. Although it’s a little more on the pricey side looking at around a tenner per person for scran. Friendly staff and the vibes inside are great.

We highly recommend! Such y and tasty food. The best English breakfast in town

This place is just great, the effort they put in every breakfast is notorious. For breakfast lovers it might be a bit more expensive than usual but trust me it pays back. Fancy, diverse, build your own dish and feel dedication in every bite.

Was quite skeptical having seen their instagram posts of regular British classics and also the regular queues of hippies outside on the weekends. Food was great, reasonably priced, and staff were nice and friendly. You would not get the same quality at a greasy spoon. Would highly recommend.