Smithfield Cafe — Restaurant in London

I have been doing trips for 25 years, and in those 25 years I have seen some shady or questionable restaurants. This place takes the cake for the most awful, disgusting, unsanitary experience I have had. Within about a 6 square foot space was a register, grill/fryer, a dishwasher, and “the rag”. This one guy was running everything and seemed to be upset if you disturbed him in the slightest, even to ask for a napkin or the food/drink he forgot to deliver. I saw him get upset with a woman because he forgot to put marmalade on her toast. Well….bread. I noticed he was constantly going to this little dishwasher to put dishes in and pull dishes out all while it was full, meaning it was a mix of clean and dirty dishes…or as I found out, all dirty dishes. After waiting quite some time and being afraid that I picked the wrong place to stop for breakfast on a Sunday we got our food. My friend and I ordered the “managers special” which was basically an English Breakfast. The hash browns tasted like they were soaked in very old grease, and the rest of what I tasted wasn’t pleasant. When our “toast” came out, it was untoasted cold bread with cold butter on it. This all would have been poor to begin with but what came next was the ultimate worst. The man forgot to give me silverware. When I asked for it, he went into the dishwasher and pulled out a fork and knife which were covered with butter from the previous person who used it. He took a look at them, wiped them off on a rag and put them on the table, which was dirty, and on no napkin. I got nauseated and basically didn’t want to get into any confrontation or anything, I just wanted to get out. I paid for the food (I should have just walked out) and left leaving basically everything on my plate I couldn’t pick up and eat. Before I saw him wipe off those utensils with that rag I saw him wipe up pretty much everything else with it. I had never seen anything like this happen ever before. If this is the way this place is always run it should be shut down. It’s one thing if a restaurant doesn’t have good food but to see how unsanitary it was was unbelievable. Go literally anywhere else!

I recommend: Not walking in the door. If you do, turn right back...

Smithfield Cafe opposite to Smithfield Market is a small (sits 10 people) cheap (£1.00 for filtered coffee) cafe serving breakfast, meat pies, sandwiches, burger and chips 24 hours a day Monday to Friday. On Saturdays it opens from 7am to 3pm and 8am to 4pm on Sundays. Smithfield Cafe fat-laden atmosphere of frying eggs and bacon is all about speed, portion size and low cost.

Frequented by market traders, bike messengers and locals it is perfect for hungry mornings for those seeking fresh greasy cheap food. The service is extraordinary friendly and accommodating with the Italian owner setting the friendly atmosphere. Smithfield Cafe, like the Smithfield Market opposite, is an island of working-class tradition slowly sinking in a gentrifying sea of luxury apartments, restaurants...

I've been a few times as a local resident and it served its purpose as a place to get cheap and cheerful food. The one star, however, is because I attempted to buy some food for a homeless person and was refused even after explaining to the owner that it was a takeaway (said homeless person didn't even go inside). The owner then locked the door. How sad to refuse money from a local resident who simply wanted to help someone, willing to pay for it. 'Go to Ferrari's' he said (another 24h cafe very nearby). Well, I suppose I shall. Thank you for those late night burgers and chips over the past several years, but if you're going to refuse my getting a takeaway for a homeless person, I can't in good...