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

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I popped out to go to a little cafe today which does some fancy flavoured latte I havent tried yet at a fiver a pop, all industrial and fashionable inside, selling overpriced soaps and 'statement pieces' but they were full up

So I went next door instead which was a little old fashioned Greek restaurant/cafe, with brick wall paper and ordered a latte

It was your bog standard 'milky coffee' and served with a Mcvities digestive

I dont even like digestives but I just loved the simplicity of it, the old fashioned coziness of it. The unashamed not keeping up with so called fashion and expectations

Dont know why

I ate the digestive and very much enjoyed it.

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

@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

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.

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!

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/

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.

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.

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

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’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.

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.

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

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.

Yup. Filter coffee.

Course I can work the coffee menu to get something approximating what I want. But I don't like the taste as much as filter and it takes several minutes to prepare where as if they have a jug of filter on the go they can just pour it out. Job done

I have been going to Rafina's in Reading since i was a baby in a pram, Mid 40's now and still go when i go into Reading Shopping. It is exactly the same and still get Double egg and Chips :)

I took two non local based work contacts out to lunch recently in a local pub that does simple homecooked meals. Everything made in house. They were amazed at the fact that places like that still exist. They both have asked that we go there again. They told me that they much rather going there again over the expensive restaurant I took them to the time before.

Ooh I think I know this one - yep very old school and decent quality , quite cheap too

I hate the smell of strong coffee. We have so many 'artisan' style ones ugh and a very rare few tea rooms where you get tea in a teapot, home made cake and chips and beans

Oh my god - spent many a night in there with H when I first moved to London - west end kitchen too -

Fox Tor cafe in Princetown is another. Just the place to go when you've had a damp, foggy hike!

Used to live above a lovely Italian restaurant that was open in the morning for coffees, mostly takeaway. Espresso, cappuccino and lattes, no syrups. Really good beans, very impressive Italian machine that looked amazing. A few baked things available, including the dessert they sold with meals. Some papers and magazines on a side table.

They weren’t ever busy, it was just that the staff were already there to prep for lunch/dinner service.

I would go in and usually get the place to myself with a seat in the window and the paper. Steady trickle of usually older workmen etc coming in to get takeaway because it was £1 cheaper than the fancy cafes on the rest of the street.

@plominoagainAlpino’s the original cappucino (frothy coffee). Great fry ups, their sausages were different, not greasy. Great place.

Ooh interesting! We are going to take a trip out to Lydford Gorge and Dartmeet next month (in memory of our courting days 🤣) and can stop halfway in Princetown.

We have a lovely old fashioned cafe where I live that sounds like your sort of place OP. It's cosy in the winter and in the summer you can sit outside in their sun trap of a walled garden.

There used to be another one on the high street that was very good, but it didn't have a garden. Sadly, it closed down after branches of Gail's and the Cornish Bakery opened and took all their trade.

I think it’s just a nostalgia for when things were decent quality, salt of the earth and good value. Very little is good value nowadays and everything feels luxury. Back in the day a £1 coffee and a £2.50 sandwich felt easy to afford. Now even Pret is like £8 for a sarnie and £4 for a coffee.