Drop ten turn and face 58 Cafes you could trust.

Drop ten turn and face 58

Cafes you could trust. It may sound a bit strange but when we were growing up in East London there were certain eating establishments that you just came to trust. Sometimes your parents or uncles /aunts would pass on the knowledge but more often than not just friends would tip you off ‘where to go to get a decent breakfast or bit of dinner’.

Here I’m going to reference just four places that emerged in my younger years but I’m sure mates will remind me of more.

One of the first places that I remember was Marino’s in Lauriston Road, South Hackney. Initially as Primary School kids, then as very early teens we had this shop that did exotic ice lollies  and ice cream out the front window of a cafe. The flavours were unlike anyone we’d tasted. Cola, Beer, Passionfruit, Sasperella and all sorts of fruit juice combinations including Lime, Mango, Pineapple, Strawberry and Coconut. 

Yes, Marino’s was quietly famous in its locality.

Another two well known cafes in East London are Pellici’s in Bethnal Green Road and Arthur’s in Kingsland Road, Dalston. Pellici’s has been around since 1905 and crosses that ‘all day breakfast’ and ‘lunch/dinner market’. It was the sort of eating establishment that was of a much earlier time. Everyone knew it and although the area changed a lot culturally, it remains a symbol of its Italian heritage and when British palates were in their infancy to outside influences. The fact that Pellici’s is within walking distance of Valance Road and the Kray ancestral home provides the reality that some colourful characters had graced its doors.

Arthur’s Cafe was of its time. That time spanned from 1935 and originally was part of a three location business called Tolaini’s which also had Italian heritage. Arthur Woodham had third generation involvement since 1948 in the Kingsland Road premises. Frequented by people wanting good food at fair prices, eating there was an experience in itself. To say that Arthur was a man of routine was an understatement. Anyone daring to ask for items at the wrong time of day, would get short shrift. Almost like an East London, ‘soup nazi’. Thus, chips could not be ordered before 11.30am, while toast couldn’t be ordered after midday. Friends of mine would always try to slip ‘illegal’ items into their order but rarely got past the cut off times on the menu. Arthur worked well into his late eighties as did his wife who did most of the preparation. My classic memory of him was in his white lab coat with a tea towel on his shoulder. 

What has been missed in all this with these cafes is an old tradition of ‘promenading’ on a Friday / Saturday evening where people/couples would go walking along Bethnal Green Road and Kingsland Road, adding eating to the lively late 50’s early 60’s pub scene. In later years a lot of tradesmen and cabbies would provide the main daytime trade. A fourth and slightly different eating place I remember was Peters in Bethnal Green Road which eventually became the Venus Steak House. Peter’s was on the opposite side of the road to Pellici’s and began life as a daytime corner cafe. In the very early seventies the owners started to open up their basement on a Friday and Saturday night. Basic steaks, chops and scampi were the regular fare catering for the pub crowd. It proved so successful that Peter’s moved across the street calling itself the Venus and being run by the son George. In no time they continued to go up market for the locals, buying the premises next door to have a double, then triple,  fronted shop. The food was tasty, the prices reasonable and the Venus continued to educate our underdeveloped taste buds. Nearly got thrown out once when I set the napkins on fire but it all turned out good, my dining experience getting an early start.