London's little gem, hidden away

Alfie's Antiques Market is fairly obscure, so that not even many Londoners know it well, or even know it exists. It is on Church Street, NW8, off Lisson Grove, broadly speaking in the general area known as Marylebone. It is an entire building devoted to antiques of varying descriptions and it contains many stalls, some weird and wonderful and others just wonderful, spread over 4 floors. Well worth a visit if you like to browse or even buy antiques, it has a unique atmosphere somewhere between the exotic and the seedy.

Well I love the place, despite the fact that I don't buy antiques in my current impoverished state. Being a North London boy for the best part of the last forty years, I used to live just up the road from Alfie's for many years and was vaguely aware of its charms, but it is only in the last few years that I have fallen head over heels, especially for the rooftop restaurant and cafe.

London used to have many bohemian places hidden away in different areas, often basements or little sidestreets, looking after an eclectic if not always financially robust clientele; in the last few years these places have dwindled, chased away by the growth of chain restaurants and cafes. By definition bohemian places cannot be cloned and made into chains but must be individual and unique, odd and characterful - there is nothing more depressing than a place pretending to be individual, with the designer touch and artefacts bought in by the lorry load to look authentic and different. The branded restaurant philosophy is the exact opposite of eccentricity, craves uniformity and is more about consistency and reliable standards. It brings about the death of individuality and quirkiness, pays no mind to authenticity, is no labour of love but a business product.

Within Alfie's, though, in fact right at the top of it, is a very London place, individual and bohemian in an endearing way; it is imaginatively called the Rooftop Kitchen at Alfie's, would you believe. I urge you to visit it at once and enjoy not only reasonably priced, well-prepared food but also a lovely terrace of the kind rarely found these days. This is a simple, laid-back place, much like the rest of Alfie's but with a unique roof terrace that is just lovely, amid West London's residential jungle. In nice weather you can spend hours up there, enjoying the calm and whiling away the time, eating, drinking or just having a coffee and some cake. I did just that when celebrating my birthday some months ago, helped by just a drop or two of wine.

Modesty is the word here, and the menu is simple and not elaborate, though the daily specials can be adventurous. The small open-plan kitchen delivers honest food cooked well and served with warmth and respect in my experience. Fare varies from the various brunchy items (Eggs Benedict, Full English etc.) to an excellent beefburger, falafel wrap and fish cakes. The chips are pretty good too.

The staff are friendly and unpretentious, but efficient, to go with the spirit of the place. You do not come here for starched tablecloths, formality and haute cuisine. You do not come here for flashy patrons, wealth or fashion, nor for displays of  self-importance from either customers or staff. Instead, you come here to relax, drink in the superb London atmosphere and eat decent food, lovingly prepared. The people here want you to have a good time and they have assembled a simple wine offering to help you - one each of white/rose/red and Prosecco, why complicate life unnecessarily? They also offer several bottled beers, other drinks too, and a thirst-quenching Italian lager (Poretti, now owned by Carlsberg) on draft. Ah, I could spend hours eating and drinking on that magical terrace, or just sitting there with a cup of coffee - yes they do tea, coffee and cakes rather competently also. But I also find the interior space pleasant and relaxing, though obviously not quite as special as the terrace.


If you are a Londoner who likes bohemian, individual places and have never been here, hurry up and redress that, you'll love it.

If you are a visitor to London, especially from abroad, this place is particularly noteworthy because it is not expensive, unlike so many of the restaurants aimed at tourists. Forget everything you have been told about London, if you are restrained it can work out pretty cheap but, in any case, it is very, very reasonable no matter what you do. It is off the beaten track, off the radar of 'places you must visit' guides and is relaxed, fun and very London. It can be your special, secret, place in this bustling, sometimes inhuman city.

Alas it's not all good news: the Rooftop Kitchen is only open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening, restricted as they are by the hours of the Antiques Market (though they do have special events very occasionally, check with them), so neither you nor, more importantly, I can spend long decadent evenings on the glorious little terrace, drunk on atmosphere or something stronger. But if you happen to have some free time during the day, pop down (or up) there and you'll see what I mean when I say that we need this place, and others like it, to survive and thrive, in all their eccentric individuality. I love this little gem, and I think you will too - I just wish I could go there more often!

P.S.:  For the cynical among you, no, I have no connection with the place whatsoever and will benefit not at all from your visit, even if you appear clutching a copy of this blog and singing my praises. But go anyway and help !