All night cafes

[Blu5martie5]

Do these really exist? I've seen many UK TV shows and movies, usually set in London where characters will be drinking tea in a cafe in the middle of the night. Nowhere like that is open in my northern suburbs, not sure I've ever seen any in cities - just pizza shops that shut in the early hours.

There's a good 24hr cafe near Liverpool street that I always used to hang out in the wee hours waiting for the first train home.

I used to like the Insomnia cafe in Glasgow back in the 90s so they've been around a long time really. Don't fancy it now I'm middle aged and not out and about in the wee small hours

I was just going to say Insomnia in Glasgow did a cracking eggs Benedict at 3 in the morning back in the day.

My mate and I used to go to the all night café in Newcastle city centre down near the Broken Doll, before all the redevelopment.

Fishfingers, chips and peas when you’re still half pissed at 3am is bloody brilliant. And thence on to the all night bus.

I used to go to Balans in soho when I was a student and am pleased to find it is still open until 6am! Polo Bar in Liverpool Street is still open 24 hours as well.

Probably a thing in London and other big cities as there are enough people to make it worth while.

I think motorway services and Costa/Starbucks have filled the role of late night caff in a lot of areas.

Insomnia in Glasgow! They were cool places.

There's a couple I know of near the bus station near where I live, the coaches operate through the night on the airport runs plus the post office regional sorting office is nearby - the youngsters from my town go there after the clubs waiting for the first out of city buses at 5.30am

And services are always open of course, it's on a junction here so people use it for late night eats, in fact during the pandemic it was the only place you could eat in!

Ah yes. I have fond memories of going to get a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich from a cafe at 5am after a night out while all the shift workers were just coming in too before starting work. I've also been for a full Lebanese meal in a packed restaurant at 3am too.

There seems to be different late night places in different areas. I’m a Londoner and remember going to Bar Italia (of Pulp song fame) back in the day. I went to university in Birmingham and we used to go for Baltis at 3am…nothing like that in Brighton where I live now.

That's my favourite Pulp song and I never knew it was about a real place! Thanks for posting this

In London in the 80s you could always find something open on any main street. Outside central London it was more likely to be a great spoon than a trendy bar.

Fond memories of bagels still warm from the oven at 2am in the Brick Lane Bagel Bakery (always busy) and fried egg sandwiches on white bread doorsteps from the truckers' caff on Whitechapel Road at dawn.

I used to go the all night caff in Brighton and buddies was all night as well. Live outskirts now and we are all tucked up by 11am