• Added: 1st of May 2007
• Area: Bicester
• Category: Restaurants

Bicester OX26 1BT

matthewcashmore said
Little ray of relaxation
Little Chef has come a long way over the last few years. Gone are the dodgy burgers and questionable tea. In are the ciabatta burgers and free refill tea.

With so many Little Chefs shutting up shop it become a worry for us A-Road warriors - where can we stop for a cup of tea and a pancake? Worry not there are still plenty open and one of the nicest is one we stopped at last weekend.

The Bicester services Little Chef is a beauty - clean toilets, a fresh coat of paint and it shares it's premises with a Burger King (booo) and a nice little coffee shop. Expecting the normal fair I ordered a Hawaiian burger - and what a surprise I had.

Even with the smell of Burger Kings best efforts floating over there was no denying that Little Chef have had a remake - the burger was deep, delicious and full with pineapple and lettuce. The chips were crisp fresh and chunky and the bottle of tomato sauce on the table finished it off to perfection.

Onion rings on the side were a little soggy, but that's the worst I have to say about this new breed of Little Chef fair.

The price was reasonable - 8 for burger, chips and 2 cups of tea, cheap by motorway service standards but not by local cafe.

So Little Chef are on the way back up - and I couldn't be happier!

• Added: 19th of January 2007
• Area: Park Royal
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London NW10 7UD

matthewcashmore said
Ace cafe is... Ace!
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.

• Added: 16th of January 2007
• Area: Sittingbourne
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Sittingbourne ME10 4RT

matthewcashmore said
Pies to die for
I have seen the light, and it's a meat and bean pie.

Seriously, this shop, whilst not a cafe or restaurant, will sell you a hot pie that will make your mouth explode with delight as you bite through the tasty pastry, through the dribbling bean juice and into the prime piece of mince within.

Pies are pretty simple - pastry, un-named meat, and that's it. It's just a shame that no one can make a good pie anymore. But the Central Pie Shop will blow away any thoughts of those dreadful Ginsters pie-a-likes - and replace your pre-conceptions with delicious (and cheap) sweet and savory goodness.

They sell a range of pies - Chicken, Steak and Kidney, Meat and Bean, Meat, Bean and Potatoes, Steak, Strawberry, Apple, Cherry to name but a few. Every single one hand made with prime ingredients. The very best that Kent has to offer.

Although it's a good 65 mile round trip from Central London the pies freeze well, eat beautifully cold or hot and you get a friendly service making it worth every mile.