Smithfield Cafe in City of London, Westminster

I’m a die hard English breakfast kinda girl. Let me just say best place. Quick good and hella reasonable price wise too! Lovely staff!

closed when it is listed as open, 17/08/24 at 10:45AM

I have been doing trips for 25 years, and in those 25 years I have seen some shady or questionable restaurants. This place takes the cake for the most awful, disgusting, unsanitary experience I have had. Within about a 6 square foot space was a register, grill/fryer, a dishwasher, and “the rag”. This one guy was running everything and seemed to be upset if you disturbed him in the slightest, even to ask for a napkin or the food/drink he forgot to deliver. I saw him get upset with a woman because he forgot to put marmalade on her toast. Well….bread. I noticed he was constantly going to this little dishwasher to put dishes in and pull dishes out all while it was full, meaning it was a mix of clean and dirty dishes…or as I found out, all dirty dishes. After waiting quite some time and being afraid that I picked the wrong place to stop for breakfast on a Sunday we got our food. My friend and I ordered the “managers special” which was basically an English Breakfast. The hash browns tasted like they were soaked in very old grease, and the rest of what I tasted wasn’t pleasant. When our “toast” came out, it was untoasted cold bread with cold butter on it. This all would have been poor to begin with but what came next was the ultimate worst. The man forgot to give me silverware. When I asked for it, he went into the dishwasher and pulled out a fork and knife which were covered with butter from the previous person who used it. He took a look at them, wiped them off on a rag and put them on the table, which was dirty, and on no napkin. I got nauseated and basically didn’t want to get into any confrontation or anything, I just wanted to get out. I paid for the food (I should have just walked out) and left leaving basically everything on my plate I couldn’t pick up and eat. Before I saw him wipe off those utensils with that rag I saw him wipe up pretty much everything else with it. I had never seen anything like this happen ever before. If this is the way this place is always run it should be shut down. It’s one thing if a restaurant doesn’t have good food but to see how unsanitary it was was unbelievable. Go literally anywhere else! I recommend: Not walking in the door. If you do, turn right back around and leave.

A colleague and I decided to eat here for our sins. We both were violently struck down sick from both ends 24hrs later. Not the best experience I assure you.

Sadly awful and visit followed by upset stomach

Under the benign gaze of the Smithfield Market, our eponymous Café stands as a beacon of culinary excellence, embracing simplicity, sustainability, and freshness with dedication and modest pride. Stepping into this haven of peace from the bustle of the market, one is struck by the minimalist yet welcoming décor, which effortlessly mirrors the gastronomic elegance emanating from the kitchen. The menu is a testament to modern expectations of freshness and sustainability. Each dish is carefully curated to allow the natural flavours and colours to flourish and complement one another, resulting in an effulgent fusion of taste and texture. From fresh garden produce to curated charcuterie, only the most jaded palate will not find something to its liking. In a world overrun by excess, extravagance and indulgence, the Smithfield Café speaks to a simpler time, where the connection between man and his sustenance was an authentic and eloquent testament to the rich bounties of the earth and the honest labour of the farmer and the shepherd

I've been a few times as a local resident and it served its purpose as a place to get cheap and cheerful food. The one star, however, is because I attempted to buy some food for a homeless person and was refused even after explaining to the owner that it was a takeaway (said homeless person didn't even go inside). The owner then locked the door. How sad to refuse money from a local resident who simply wanted to help someone, willing to pay for it. 'Go to Ferrari's' he said (another 24h cafe very nearby). Well, I suppose I shall. Thank you for those late night burgers and chips over the past several years, but if you're going to refuse my getting a takeaway for a homeless person, I can't in good conscience return.

From 1978 to 1981 I would eat here with my fellow students after long nights of drinking. To a country boy like me a cafe which stayed open all night was a wonderful thing. Food was always awesome.

Looking for a cheap yet delicious and well portioned greasy spoon? This is the place for you! Located just behind Smithfield market is this tiny cafe serving up steaming piles of delicious breakfast foods, whatever plate you order you definitely will be leaving full, great place to tuck into a full English

I actually could of eat another bi breakfast it was very nice. I be back again soon! 🤗

What a strange experience. I used to enjoy this place 20 years ago, so stopped in the other night when passing. Nobody in there other than the chap running it, who spoke very little English. That didn't help in trying to ascertain what of the menu they actually had and to order something. It was 'fine' but it'd be 2* if it wasn't for the fond memories.

As a late night foodie, the streets surrounding Smithfields market are a haven for late night/24 hour greasy spoons! Imagine having a fry up at 12am. Before visiting the historic Smithfields market, I decided to get some food so went to Smithfield Cafe, an old school caff owned by a Flipino. I was really tempted for a fry up but had a jacket potato with black pudding and fried egg. Everything was beautiful and not a bit greasy or heavy. I'm so glad I tried the black pudding which was very different to the ones you get at the usual greasy spoons, there were more oats in ratio to blood/fat which makes it firm with a chew. I love the handwritten menu on the window but they do they cards!! Will definitely check out the other caffs in the area before they disappears since Smithfields is likely to move in the next 10-20 years. Just like caffs, the prices are down to earth. My plate was only a fiver.

Solid Caff, good food, formica tables, exterior/interior like a time capsule, exactly as they should be. The fry-up was good, unfortunately, the guy running it was pretty standoff-ish, listening to youtube videos loudly, and as I said thanks/bye as I was leaving, he just stared at me as if I wasn't there. I know it's open late for the meat market, so great if you are working there, if you happen to be passing in the day, head over to Beppe's instead, just 100 metres or so down the road.

Exactly the kind of café my hangover needed, no frills traditional local greasy spoon. The "Travellers Grill" provides exactly the experience one would expect, will definitely stop by next time I'm in town.

As others have said, it's basic but that's how cafes used to be in the UK....no WiFi no flat screen TV's. Service, cost and food good.

Al ver que somos españoles, intentaron estafarnos. Querían cobrarnos 23£ por un desayuno que en el menú eran 16£. Le regatée y acabó cediendo, pero tenían intenciones eran de estafarnos que de no haberme plantado, hubieran acabado consumando.

No fuss, no frills. But a great value, well cooked, very enjoyable breakfast. Full of taste, set me up for a day of travel.

Always open, so can’t complain. This place is a slap-up classic. Service a tad slow though, and that’s quite painful in the wee hours.

Perfect for affordable, honest, good food throughout the day at whatever time from tue-friday.

Love this place for a good Special Grill (Full English) and a mug of tea/coffee. Prices still very reasonable. Formica table tops, Smithfield on your doorstep. What more could you want?

Food was ok, very good value and nice portion sizes.

The grumpiest human being I’ve ever encountered. 😂 The food was what to be expected, it’s hardly Soho House. The geezer looks like he’s won the lottery, and lost the ticket! 😂 £8.70 for a 1 egg omelette, chips, and beans, in a portion size that would have suited ‘The Borrower’s’ cheers mate! 🤙🏻 Go to Ferrari’s a bit further down, little bit extra, but worth it in all honesty

The menu is old-school and all bad for you.... It took me right back to when my father used to work at Smithfield. Shame in my view that they couldn't order their sausages from off the market . A retro gaff/caff for those nostalgic for the last century or aren't fussed about clogging their arteries and no pretentiousness about the types of coffee beans used either - instant all the way. Would definitely come again.

Waited 20mintues for owner to turn up from behind the counter. Once we ordered and started cooking he then disappeared for another 10mintues, came back asked us what sauce we would like. All i can say is i hope you don't mind what you get🤣.

Awesome breakfast proper “caf” super reasonable no nonsense breakfast opposite the meat market. Value speed and tasty

Stumbled across this gem of a diner when looking for a quick and reasonably priced meal before appearing civilised and an evening at the nearby piano bar (primary school bangers tbh). I had the mixed grill which was both filling and brilliantly unhealthy. The menu is extensive and all bad for you.... Which makes it right up there from my point of view . A perfect gaff for soaking away a hangover or reducing your life expectancy by a few days.

Good tasting omelette with ham and cheese plus great cup of tea. Proper food.

A lot of yummy gluten free patisserie ❤️

Good little old school cafe, good prices considering where you are. Small inside but quick service. Anyone complaining about the number of items you get, they’re clearly marked on the menu and you can always add items!

Found this gem it’s a proper cafe beans and egg on toast and a bacon egg and black pudding roll served with a cup of tea. Friendly clean and tasty. No frills but served the best breakfast food. We could have paid £10.00 each for breakfast in the hotel but this was so much better and cheaper. Highly recommend if your in the area.

First time I’ve ever been in a London cafe where your portion of bacon is one rasher! The breakfast was pretty nice but it was absolutely tiny, the sausages are the size of your thumb. £5.30 for one sausage one bacon one egg fried slice and beans is probably not bad value for the area but I needed the breakfast again once I was finished.

I work out on the road and this is my favourite little cafe Been using this cafe for over 30 years.

Decent food and Decent price for the area , cafe obviously needs a revamp . Bossman not so pleasant, but not too unpleasant tho

£1 for a cup of tea!!!! like being in withnails London. Heaven!

We loved the Smithfield Cafe, food was good and the prices were excellent, 24 hour cafe excellent! Egg and Chips at 1 am!

Brilliant service. Unable to wake him so left.

Came here for an early Sunday breakfast. Friendly staff and food arrived quickly. Tasted great and good for the price

Good food for a good price. Nice portions aswell

Cheap and cheerful, nothing to complain about

Good for a mug of tea and no frills food, great place if you miss the last train home.

Great place to drop into to get your foodie fix, nice friendly staff too.

Always find it quiet which is strange, because good cafes are usually busy, must be my timing. Food always well done and enjoyable. Bang opposite Smith field market.

Good breakfast, great prices & atmosphere. Staff are friendly and can accommodate your needs. Be aware card is a minimum £5 spend.

24 hour cafe with a very friendly welcome. Menu provides all the necessary at good value prices. Had a bacon roll; cooked fresh, tasty and just £2. Would have loved to have had time to stay for the full breakfast or mixed grill.

Came across this wee place whilst wandering in and around Smithfield. Friendly staff who served and cooked a tasty lunch.

Right near Smithfield Market the café is open 24 hours. Only place open on a Sunday in the area. If you want a quick bite, e.g. beans on toast or a traditional full English breakfast, this is the place to go! No decaf but they have fruit / herbal teas. Very cheap. Unpretentious and friendly. I expect during the week it's a haven for market traders. On a Sunday, quite quiet. Just between the Babican tube station and the Museum of London, turn down Long Lane. No toilets on the premises but there are toilets at the Museum of London.

My wife is in a darts team with some friends and this was one of the away venues. The place is very cosy and they sell a wicked Ginger Beer. The darts food that is provided by all the pubs in the league was some of the best we've had.

In London for a Barbican gig and stayed at a hotel near Smithfield Meat Market. Walking back to the hotel near midnight and hungary delighted to find the Smithfield 24hr cafe, righ opposite the meat market. It's small and basic - less than 12 small formica topped tables with plastic chairs but the food is great. All good solid traditional small caf fare like fry-ups (priced by ingrediants), and pies and chips and ... steak and chips! All incredibly well cooked and very cheap. The sausage, egg, bacon, tomato and balck pudding breakfast I had the following day was among the very best I've tasted in many a long year. I'm not sure about accesibility - it is very small and manouvering a wheel chair inside would be difficult. Though there is only a very small threshold step. There are no toilets accessible or otherwise, Just a word of advice - DON'T GO THERE - I want to keep it all to myself!

I went there with a friend today - we spotted it and gave it a go; it may not look like much inside (and it doesn't have customer toilets) but the food was good; the liver and chips I had were cooked perfectly - I'd definitely go back.

For the full English.This cafe is the best .Nothing fancy No fine dining .Simply Bacon & eggs .Seems to cater for market crowd local offices ect

Love this place brilliant value for money. And the food is great. Ham egg and chips my favourite meal.

Love this spot. Central location and its great for a quick lunch/whilst on the go. Cheap and cheerful.

I often stop here for a quick cup of tea and a snack, there tea is always nice and strong and they do a decent selection of cakes and flap jacks. It's also very good value.

Stopping at a nearby hotel that wanted to charge £20+ each for breakfast, we decided to find a more realistic priced cafe. Web search suggested the Smithfield Cafe surprisingly at the Smithfield Market. This is cheap and cheerful. I say this as I don’t want anyone to think it’s fine dinning. You get what you pay for. Good food. We pitched up Sunday morning. It was busy but we slotted ourselves into a table amongst workers and locals. Two managers specials. Just over £6 for a large fry up, bread and butter and a great cup of tea. Harty food, local London atmosphere. Money in your pocket. Worth a visit for hungry mornings.

This cafe is basic but does its job. It offers a good range of breakfast choices and coffee is good too! I ordered Liver and Chips and it turned out okay (slightly over cooked). I will visit again if I am looking for some quick, cheap and good. PS - This is not a place to impress your client or other half......

I work in the area and this little caf had always served me well. Good food at reasonable prices with friendly staff. A go to for the morning after work drinks.

A proper old fashioned café with great service and a decent breakfast with a cup of tea for around £6. It says that it is open 24hours a day, so why wouldn't you support an independent café rather than a national chain?

Great honest old fashioned workmans cafe. Great selection of food sold at very sensible prices. Not smart and gentrified but worth a visit.

Proper poached eggs, good bacon and black pudding, real coffee (only 80p), with a view of the historic market. Recommended.

Open twenty-four hours this blue collar cafe is a cultural experience. Ran by curmudgeonly immigrants, for £5 or less one can get a good breakfast, meat pie and chips, burger and chips. vRub elbows with buchers on their breaks.

Es bastante cerca de este lugar, me han pasado en este pequeño café varias veces. Siendo un poco entusiasta, y alguien que ama su desayuno inglés, este lugar es excelente. Es pequeño y básico, pero la comida es muy sabrosa y abundante. Los precios son muy razonables, se podría olvidar de que estaban cerca del centro de Londres. Están abiertas las 24 horas la mayoría de los días, para servir a la Comunidad trabajadora noche smithfield market, así como los conductores de taxi.

He tenido una frituras en pocos lugares del mundo y debo decir que siempre encontrar el mejor en casa.

Una joya de lugar. En mi búsqueda para nunca tomar café en una de las grandes cadenas, mi esposa y yo tuvimos el desayuno aquí en este muy atractivo ayer café independientes. El café era increíblemente bueno. El Barista Ethiopean dijeron que era. El desayuno era a la carta-roll en un bollo sabroso bacon chou con una perfecta de huevos escalfados. Salchicha bocata rápido de mi esposa fue también muy bien presentado y muy sabroso. Si tan sólo me funcionaba en esta parte de Londres como sin duda ser un habitual. Bastante caro también! Muy recomendable y una clasificación de cinco estrellas

Absolutely ticks every box. The great English fry up at it's best. Cheap and perfectly cooked by very friendly owners. Hangover busting splendifery. Loved it

Piccolo, senza tanti fronzoli ed essenziale. Sette tavoli, sopra ad ognuno le salse immancabili (ketchup, senape e salsa barbecue)! Io...

I believe so! I last visited this place in 1995 and was hoping it was still there. On project work at the time, a crowd of us used to pile in there after the pub before grabbing a few hours sleep. It's open 24 hours a day. It has new owners now, but the food is still superb. No frills, just the best full English breakfast I've ever tasted. Lots of choice, but I went for the 'Travellers' Breakfast'. Double egg, double sausage, double bacon, mushrooms, tomato, chips and beans and fried slice, FOUR slices of buttered bread and a lovely big mug of strong tea. All for £6.95. My partner had the one down from that - a couple of quid less. It wasn't at all greasy, the service was acceptable and friendly, and the standard of cleanliness was good. There are no toilet facilities but big deal! (The new owners' English isn't exactly fluent but, through sign language, they readily agreed to let my partner charge her mobile phone whilst we ate. This place must do very well from the meat porters and lorry drivers that work in and around Smithfield. We were there on a Saturday morning, however, so more or less had the place to ourselves. I don't visit London often but I will be returning to this place if I do in the future. Thoroughly recommended.