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Profile - Cafe Below, London,

Cafe Below

4.7
4.7
437 Reviews
£25 and under
British

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 1 time today
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood 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

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 437 people are saying

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
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Diners' Choice Awards

  • City of London

    Best Value

  • City of London

    Gluten-free-friendly

  • City of London

    Healthy

  • City of London

    British

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe Below offers a unique dining experience beneath St Mary le Bow Church, praised for its "amazing quiet setting" amidst bustling London. Guests enjoy "delicious food" at "good value" with "lovely staff" and "speedy service." The menu caters to vegetarians and vegans, making it a "hidden gem" for lunch.

437 Reviews

  1. Daniel

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 5 February 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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  2. Steve

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 4 February 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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  3. Dave

    Manchester

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 January 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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  4. Richard

    London

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 9 January 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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  5. Emma

    VIP

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 9 January 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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  6. Simon

    London

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 18 December 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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  7. Annalisa

    VIP

    London

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 17 December 2024

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

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  8. Nigel

    London

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 11 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Charming idiosyncratic crypt venue, on the noisy side (albeit xmas party time); decent food and wine and good value

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  9. Hanna

    London

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 11 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Very good place for lunch. Very cosy, especially in winter.

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  10. randel

    VIP

    Houston

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely setting, outstanding low-key service, wonderful largely-vegetarian/pescatarian fare. One of our new London favorites for lunch in the City.

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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 437 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 1 time today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Cafe Below

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

Additional information

  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
  • 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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