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Profile - Cafe Below, London,

Cafe Below

4.7
4.7
440 Reviews
£25 and under
British

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Healthy
In the atmospheric, mediaeval crypt of St Mary le Bow Church, the Cafe Below is a City institution. A quiet oasis from the hectic world above, serving a short menu of British and European dishes, with the occasional curry, the cafe has an ever changing seasonal menu. Being beneath the Bow Bells, naturally we are dedicated to all things London, so we source as locally as possible; our coffee is roasted in Hackney and our beer brewed in the East End. For breakfast, we are the perfect place for a moment of quiet before the day begins or a small or large business meeting, all with Homemade rye toast, River Farm smoked salmon, Brioche French toast and our own granola.

Jay Rayner hailed the cafe as being the "kind of restaurant any hectic city needs"; a quality driven, friendly place where you can meet mates, clients or colleagues, all in the unique setting of a Christopher Wren crypt!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    British, Mediterranean, European
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Tue–Thu 7:30 am–10:00 am Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Phone number
    020 7329 0789
  • Website
    http://www.cafebelow.co.uk/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    Café Below is a hidden gem that can host prestigious events and dinners for private or business clients. Our menus and wine list are contemporary and when added to the unique 1000-year-old crypt dining room, they make the perfect recipe for an event to remember. Crypt capacity seated 50, standing 62

Private dining

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 440 people are saying

Cafe Below reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • City of London

    Best Value

  • City of London

    Gluten-free-friendly

  • City of London

    Healthy

  • City of London

    Vegetarian-friendly

  • City of London

    British

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe Below offers a unique dining experience in a Norman crypt at St. Mary-le-Bow Church. Known for "wonderful food and service," it features a menu with vegetarian options. Guests enjoy "excellent fare" and "great value," though the acoustics can be noisy. A "hidden gem" perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

440 Reviews

  1. OpenTable Diner

    County Durham2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely place. Pity soup was sold out! But we defo return!

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  2. Mary

    London1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Staff welcoming and engaging and service was with a smile. Food was good quality, fresh and tasty.

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  3. Liz

    London4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious food, lovely venue, service a bit unfriendly tbh.

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  4. Daniel

    London4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cafe Below is a find, it Is lovely. Located in the norman crypt of the famous St.Mary-le-Bow church, founded in 1080, the Cafe Below offers an excellent reasonabley priced menu. The service is friendly, quick and efficient and the clientele -comprised of city folk and the occasional tourist -rarely leave anything but happy. It's open for breakfast, lunch or dinner, offering 'homemade food in the heart of the City.' Gve it a go, you will not regret it.

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  5. Steve

    London3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent lunch spot for a lovely and filling salad and a nice glass of wine to go with it. Off the beaten track for tourists so you can relax in good company.

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  6. Dave

    Manchester1 review

    3.0

    Dined on January 16, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Alright for small lunch. Menu rather limited but satisfying.

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  7. Richard

    London13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Not fine dining but always tasty, wholesome food at a very good price and doesn’t seem to have been particularly affected by inflation. Efficient friendly service too

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  8. Emma VIP

    London3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had such a lovely time, food was great, staff were lovely and service was speedy. Would go back again 100%.

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  9. Simon

    London10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A location with a difference and nice personalised service for breakfast. Wilm definitely be revisiting.

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  10. Annalisa VIP

    London10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    A lively spot for breakfast, yummy food reasonable price great coffee

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Cafe Below offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at 020 7329 0789.

Cafe Below is rated 4.7 stars by 440 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Cafe Below

St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside, London, EC2V 6AU

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Bank
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Tue–Thu 7:30 am–10:00 am Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    British, Mediterranean, European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    BankCannon StMansion HouseSt Pauls
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Cafe, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.cafebelow.co.uk/
  • Phone number
    020 7329 0789
  • Private party facilities
    Café Below is a hidden gem that can host prestigious events and dinners for private or business clients. Our menus and wine list are contemporary and when added to the unique 1000-year-old crypt dining room, they make the perfect recipe for an event to remember. Crypt capacity seated 50, standing 62
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