Fidelio — Restaurant in London

SHORT: A great, classy, venue for a private party. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Excellent added value for money.

LONG: I recently (March 2022) celebrated my 40th birthday at the Fidelio Cafe.

I no longer live in London but decided to host my party there as much of my family are based in the capital and it's easy for my friends (who come from other parts of the UK) to travel to. When searching for a venue I was clear in my mind that I wanted my guests to feel cosy, comfortable and able to chat to one another because (for some of my friends) the event was being treated more like a reunion.

Strangely, finding a venue that wasn't a bar (many of which were quite tacky) or a place focused on the quality of its lighting and sound systems was difficult. Other places that were nice had private rooms which were barren and treated like an afterthought, none of them felt right.

That was until we found the Fidelio Cafe and Emma.

This place ticked all the boxes for me: the ground floor is cozy with plenty of seating, lovely yellow lighting to set a comfortable and warm mood and is decorated beautifully. The basement floor is more like some jazz bar / speakeasy, again with loads of seating and it's own bar. Honestly, you have to see it because their website photos don't do it justice (and makes it look smaller than it actually is)!

Importantly, I was able to hire the entire venue which made the night feel special for me and was a nice surprise for all my guests who were free to roam as they wished.

I don't normally drink prosecco but decided that evening to make it my drink of choice and Emma and the staff there never let my glass empty. They accommodated all my requests (PA, projector: so that my sister could embarrass me with video footage and dietary requirements) wonderfully. We had paid a set fee to secure the place which I thought was very reasonable given that anywhere between 70-90 people could have been in attendance.

The only thing I can't comment on was the food as I never got a chance to eat any of it but my Dad kept going on how good it was so I guess, by proxy, this gets a glittering thumbs up too.

I honestly can't fault the place and I've waffled on quite a bit now. I am so glad that I chose the Fidelio Cafe for my birthday, my family loved the place, my friends were incredibly impressed with how classy it was (given that they know me) and I felt like I was cared for and was centre of attention. As for a memory we captured a picture from the mezzanine floor of everyone there - what a great memory for me!

We will visit again hopefully to one of their music nights soon, this review really is my way of saying thank you.

Book your party there. You...

Booked this place for my aunt visiting and our family. Thought it would be great from the reviews and my aunt is a pianist with a music school in the Bay Area and my cousin a concert violinist… so the place was perfect! We said 6 adults and when we had another adult added the server insinuated it was our fault for adding one extra person. We were all there cramped with all our coats all over the place and they later moved us to two tables and SEPARATED the birthday party and mixed up the orders and offered one complimentary coffee. I spoke to someone else and asked them what kind of service this was and the other employee said “pretty bad” but did absolutely nothing about it! These people have absolutely no care for their customers clearly. Bravo. I wanted to go back and check the concerts maybe book the piano events space downstairs but not sure how they expect return business if they treat everyone this way…

Update: It's funny the owner's response said when I went to the bar to complain I wasn't interested in making the situation better, as if it's supposed to be the customer's duty to make the situation better rather than the staff/establishment to their paying guests? A clear indication of Fidelio Cafe's philosophy of doing business. Every step of the way, the business's response continued to point fingers and put the onus on the people they are supposed to be serving, a very good practice indeed.

Finally, there must be some kind of joke here when they say that the 'restaurant was close to capacity' because there were several free tables everywhere!

Again, if you wanted to be treated with scorn and disdain and a touch of gaslighting, by all means book yourself...

The loveliest cafe in Farringdon!

I stumbled upon this quirky gem yesterday when looking for a spot to get a tea and work. They have a work cafe upstairs where you can set up your laptop and use the wifi. Everything I ordered was delicious - from the fresh leaf earl grey tea, to the chef made focaccia and wine. It's hard to find a good wine - but even the cheapest red wine on the menu was delicious. I loved the touch of fresh flowers on all the tables downstairs too.

Fidelio is not a chain but an independent cafe - you can feel and taste this. All the staff I encountered were attentive and friendly, and they gave the cafe a sort of community vibe. I found out while I was there they also host concerts and I was there for the start of a jazz night they were hosting, with a very talented live pianist. I could also hear violins practicing while I did my work in my laptop during the afternoon, which was nice. I believe they have concert schedules and on their website and hire the place for events too.

Very glad I came across this place, I...