Cafe Below

Name: Cafe Below
Address: St Mary-le-Bow Church Cheapside, London, United Kingdom, EC2V 6AU
Telephone: 020 7329 0789
Price range: £25 and under
Rating: 4.7

4.7

439 Reviews

£25 and under

British

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Apr 29, 2025

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 Brockley. For breakfast, we are the perfect place for a moment of quiet before the day begins or a small or large business meeting - eggs, bacon, sausage, smashed ago, all with homemade toast, house cured salmon, ricotta pancakes with maple syrup 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!

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
British, Mediterranean, European
Hours of operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 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 party contact
Anthony: 020 7329 0789

Location
St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside, London, EC2V 6AU
Neighborhood
Bank
Parking details
None
Public transit
BankCannon StMansion HouseSt Pauls
Additional
Banquet, Beer, Cafe, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Wine

Private dining

What 439 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

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

City of London
Best Value
City of London
Healthy
City of London
Vegetarian-friendly
City of London
British

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cafe Below, nestled in the historic Norman crypt of St. Mary-le-Bow church, offers "homemade food in the heart of the City." Enjoy a unique underground setting with "tasty home-cooked breakfasts" and "wonderful largely-vegetarian/pescatarian fare." Patrons praise the "friendly, quick and efficient" service and "excellent reasonably priced menu."

439 Reviews

B
Bond
London3 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is such a cool place to come for breakfast. The menu is wonderful, service is great, and you’re in a crypt. The atmosphere is interesting and calm and it’s in central London. I’ve been 4 times now and will always go back when I can.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
London5 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Food excellent as always. Service was spoiled by a grumpy lady serving us
Is this helpful?
Y
Yael
London8 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 19, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tasty home-cooked breakfast in a unique underground setting
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
County Durham2 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 14, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely place. Pity soup was sold out! But we defo return!
Is this helpful?
M
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.
Is this helpful?
L
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.
Is this helpful?
D
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.
Is this helpful?
S
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.
Is this helpful?
D
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.
Is this helpful?
R
Richard
London14 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
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 439 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Apr 29, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

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

Additional information

Neighborhood
Bank
Hours of operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 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
Private party contact
Anthony: 020 7329 0789

Cafe Below

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Private dining

The Crypt

Custom inquiry

Menu

What 439 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Cafe Below offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Cafe Below restaurant rated?

Is Cafe Below currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information