The Ace Cafe

moner

Great fry up and for bikers and classic cars 23rd August 2008

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If you like fry ups, classic cars, bikes and rock n roll bands then this is the place for you.... It is done out with a chequered type decor theme and a silver diner type bar. The long tables mean you have to share your table with others and hence mix with people. They have live bands on certain nights and attract people who bring their classic cars and bikes to the venue. They have their own range of merchandise. They do a breakfast menu, burgers and teas, coffees and soft drinks. Theyb often have an extra van selling hot dogs and burgers in teh car park during their themed nights. It has a good atmospher and the staff are very pleasant. The service can be a bit slow as it does get very busy at times.

matthewcashmore

Ace cafe is... Ace! 19th January 2007

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I love a greasy spoon - especially if it's a well known bikers haunt that doesn't skimp on the portions and serves the best nachos in town.

The Ace Cafe is full of history - it was originally built in 1938 to serve as a road side cafe stop for truckers using the new North Circular Road. It was open 24 hours a day - and being on one of the fastest roads in the country - bikers soon started to appear. It was bombed during the war then rebuilt in 1949 - it was the heart of the Mods and Rockers war - it was the home of Rock 'n' Roll and it owned the 50s. If you ride a bike the Ace Cafe was and still is THE place to meet.

Unfortunately the cafe closed it's doors in 1969 and has been a bookies, a filling station and more recently a tyre depot - but importantly the building itself didn't change. Then in 2001 Mark Wilsmore re-opened the Ace as a bikers cafe again - after years of work getting it off the ground.

After such a rich history The Ace Cafe does not disappoint. The food is stunning, big portions, cheap, plenty of booze, or soft drinks / tea / coffee if you're riding. Basic meals - every breakfast under the sun, sausage, chips, beans, egg, gammon, steak, beef burger - and then the odd surprise on the specials board - Curry, stew, steamed pudding - all leave you full and bursting at the seems with the good quality and good serving.

The staff are helpful and polite, nothing seems too much trouble and it's one of the few places I can just go on my own and know within 10 mins someone I've never met will pull up a chair and we'll talk bikes.

It's not just bikers that visit the cafe these days - there's always the odd tourist buying from the small onsite shop - an Ace badge, or flag (they're normally Japanese) - there's car nights, scooter nights (the rockers have forgiven the mods), and any given weekend there's always at least one event, at least one band in the night, and at least one ride out.

SO have fun, throw your leg over your saddle and pull up at the Ace Cafe.

Ladis19 at 23/01/07

Am also a biker and agree to all that is said above. There isn't much to add except from my personal opinion being that the "cool factor" that this place holds amongst petrol heads is slowly but surely being destroyed by the program "Fifth Gear"

matthewcashmore at 23/01/07

Yes Fith Gear is doing the Ace no favours at all - and for that matter the amount of car events going on there don't help either.

TomL at 09/08/07

A venue that is too popular for its own good now, on an event night, there is no-where to park, no-where to sit and eat and a massive queue to get served. If you want to eat here go when there is nothing on by checking the Ace's website. Otherwise go for the crack and make do with a coffee! I have stopped taking my rod there as I could never get out if I arrived early!!

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