To be overly impressed with nice simple old fashioned cafes/restaurants

I regularly meet my friends for lunch at what we call the 'old lady cafe' as it is mainly frequented by retirees. They do a lovely range of panini, jacket potatoes, wraps, salads and lovely cakes. It's definitely not greasy spoon but definitely feels more like the cafes of my youth. The staff are absolutely lovely.

There's also a lovely greasy spoon near me that's not at all greasy. They do amazing all day breakfasts, great burgers and a lovely bowl of pie with custard, all served at Formica tables.

Agreed, went to a little Greek run place in Kingston upon Thames recently as the others were full. Best coffee I've had in ages, panini with loads of filling, and really good chips...skinless which is a massive thing for me

What you want is Terrys in Southwark or that one down near the river at Putney Tube, look like they haven’t changed in decades but there’s something about them!! - we’ve got one I like here in Bath called Rosarios - run by lovely chatty, camp Rosario - it’s not fancy but does lovely stuff , decent music, fantastic amount of gluten free , good wifi , always warm when needs to be.

I’d love a cafe where you could just sit down and someone would bring you a cup of hot, strong filter coffee. I hate standing around while baristas faff with those machines.

On my first visit to Majorca maybe 10 years ago now, there were plenty of such cafes - not a sodding Starbucks to be seen.

But once you know the "coffee lingo" it's easy to order a cup of coffee? It's not hard or difficult to know what latte or cappuccino or Americano are. It's about 4 words

By cup of coffee do you mean filter coffee?

I feel like all the cafes round me sell this sort of stuff? They all do toasties, sandwiches, jacket potstoes/omelette. Plus homemade cakes/scones

I don't get this, I honestly don't want a plain cheese or ham sandwich. I can make that at home. Its no more proper food than sourdough and microgreens and is boring. I dont want a milky coffee, again it's shit I have instant everyday of my life

The Embassy Cafe' in the dodgy end of Holland Park at the back of Westfield shopping centre in London. A proper old fashioned cafe' that caters to workers who come from the endless building sites in the area. They have smartened up a bit over the years, but they still focus on good food and decent portions at a reasonable price.

Sounds great! How does she get round the problem with genuinely old crockery i.e. that it wouldn't withstand going through a dishwasher over and over again? My Mum has at least three china tea services (she inherited some and got at least one as a wedding present in 1960) and one of the many reasons it sadly won't get used when she's gone (and hasn't been used even by her for many, many years) is that it's just too delicate for everyday use. I also prefer a good-sized mug over a little cup, and find saucers a pain these days.

We had lunch in this place recently. Excellent. Strongly recommended. Lovely food and hot drinks, reasonably priced, considering where it is. Very attractive interior. https://www.candellatearoom.com/

My friend runs her own business supplying afternoon tea/catering for all sorts of events - kids parties, funerals even weddings. She has based her model on ‘old fashioned’ afternoon teas. Everything made from scratch though but white bread sandwiches with fillings as you have stated: cheese, ham, egg mayo and sausage rolls, basic Victoria Sponge, rock cakes, scones, jam etc. She’s got a big tea urn and serves squash and has bought lovely old fashioned crockery to serve it all. Not a fancy item on the menu and in huge contrast to the other tea party businesses available locally. She is absolutely run off her feet. There’s definitely a market for it!

Sometimes I want a proper cooked ham on nice white bread sandwich and tea. Other times I want a posh coffee and avocado, fermented veg and sourdough….its nice there’s now a choice. But I’d miss the independents if they go.

@soupyspoonsouth Worcestershire, so not West Country or West Midlands, and just off the top of the Cotswolds (about 3 miles to the edge) so off the tourist trail and not many celebrities with country homes which I think keeps it more traditional.
Anyway, yes the lardy cake is proper clanging your arteries shut stuff. Only two shops in this ‘chain’ and everything is made at the other shop everyday from scratch. They do do sourdough, but the glass cabinet has every sort of bakery bun etc you can think of and they add it up on a piece of paper since 5 or so of them are serving at once

It’s Tyndrum, north of Loch Lomond. I had several attempts of recreating that mushroom soup after the last time I stopped there!!

I’d forgotten about liver sausage!

I tend to agree. I can’t do with restaurants that try to be quirky - serving food on a lump of wood or a slate, or in a plastic basket, or with roller skating waiting staff, or intermissions where the staff do a song, or bloody cats / pugs everywhere.

That said, I do, occasionally, love a bit of high end dining, in disused warehouses, eating moss off a pebble.

It's okay, I have it. (I used Google, which is what I should have done before asking.😙)

www.thegreenwellystop.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoozTLV6wrf9FWkbw3lDvirzNskOCqCXN1trijHKNILwyPaZbfPV

We have one of these. It’s fantastic. Two Peas in a Pod its called. They also do pie.

Whereabouts in Scotland are these services, please?

I’d love to go back in time for a fizzy lime, while my mum has a pot of tea and a cigarette, in the Woolworths cafe.

We have an old fashioned cafe that’s been in the town centre since before the 60’s and it’s always full. It’s bog standard drinks and food but it’s good quality and clean. They were selling milky coffees long before lattes were heard of.

I live in a town with any number of modern trendy spendy coffee shops. I choose the chintziest most old fashioned one where the tea still costs £1.50 instead of treble that, and comes in an actual pot!

Loads of them in Wolverhampton, and they deliver too.

Stockpot was the absolute best!!!!

I couldn’t agree more! I loathe insta-friendly places, although shamefully I am sucked in from time to time (especially if they involve new, ‘viral’ food).

Generally, though, I strive for an uncurated life.

A pot of tea and a separate pot of hot water to top up the teapot. Heaven.