I was a bit disappointed and excited at the same time when I came here…read more I was excited at the prospect of coming here due to the history of the building that this establishment resided in. I mean, how often are you going to be able to eat in such a historic building. The Butlers Retreat is a building that was a barn originally but now houses a pretty decent cafe. My disappointment came when we arrived here. We were between meals and that meant a very limited dining experience for us. It seems that breakfast ends at 11:30 but lunch doesn't start until noon. This left us with a very small portions to choose from, when I say small I mean that we only had four options to pick from. Unfortunately for us, we decided that we would go elsewhere to dine for lunch as we weren't looking to wait that long for our meal. However, I did take in the place before we left and I know that I would have enjoyed sitting outside. The views here are breathtaking. And being in Epping Forest made the appeal of this place that much more.

Location : Amazing - at the Chingford side of Epping Forest. Right next to the Elizabethan Hunting…read morelodge and the View (one of the forest information centres) Seating : outdoors - brilliant views, indoors - cramped, but warm. Coffee - outstanding Food - average. We tried a couple of burgers - wild boar & bacon and the chicken burger. Not very high on flavour. The chickpeas served with the lamb kebabs had more flavour than the kebabs. The hummus was below average and the wedges weren't as crispy outside or mushy inside as we like them. Staff - very friendly and helpful. Great to take a break and sip a coffee before or after a wander, if you want a good meal, I'd walk the 10 minutes to the Chingford village and try my luck there.

This place is a gem. So good my husband has been coming here for almost 20 years. The outside is of…read morea quaint little cabin in the woods, and the decor inside follows the pattern; the walls, tables and benches are made of logs + plenty animal skins and kitsch parafernalia to match. There's also a fireplace, which I never saw lit but there's hope. The big boy's breakfast is their piece de resistance; *amazing* sausages, and the rest of the trimmings don't disappoint either. I especially love the tinned tomatoes drenched in their sauce, great to mop up with the generous pieces of soft, buttery bread you're given with your meal. Another great plus for me is the milky coffee; basically a glass of hot milk with what I believe it's instant coffee (I might be wrong here) but DON'T knock it till you try it. It's delicious and you'll probably order another. There's also cakes and other stuff, but I haven't yet bothered to try as the full english is so great. All the food is *very* reasonably priced. The main problem (to me, not to the café owners!) is that everyone knows it's good, and the cabin tends to get packed on weekends. It can be disappointing to travel all the way to Abridge to find that all the tables are taken + there's a queue or bikers who got there first waiting for the next 5 ones to vacate. It's not a big place, and during winter it's too cold to sit outside. The tables are packed together and communal, which it's not everyone's cup of tea. But the fact it's packed reinforces how good the grub is. Arrive earlier or later on the day, beat the crowds and give it a go! It's totally worth it.

I've been coming here for years - its one of the few remaining London caffs in the area, serving…read morefull English breakfasts and all the variations. Seats around 25 people with great prices and no gimmicks or frills!

This is a great place for breakfast. Perfect cappuccino. I had Eggs Royale yesterday- delicious…read more The hollandaise sauce was excellent. Having poached eggs and muffin today. Once again, prepared perfectly. If you are in the Buckhurst Hill area I highly recommend you take time to stop and enjoy the food and service. They also serve lunch, which I will definitely try. Note: it is cash only, but the prices are very reasonable.

5.80 for two coffees is a bit expensive and it had some small pieces kind of floating on the sides…read more The cafe itself is nice, looks new and has plenty of seating, including some tables out on the street. The pastries are all out in the open uncovered, a bit close to customers shouting there orders right over them. The germophobe in me thought it may be a good idea to give a pass on the scones, pain au chocolat and cinnabun today. Invest in a glass case please!

Nice ambience. Plenty of seating. A fine cup of tea! Bagel was enjoyable. I'm tired of looking at…read moreprices coz everywhere is expensive so I'll pass on that comment. However, I do enjoy a nice Bakewell or sugar coated diabetes pill with a cup of tea and didnt see much selection. Still, a nice visit and I will come back! Friendly staff too.

This place is no longer in business. It is now called Sage…read more Called here for lunch mid week and I can only say that it it should be called "cafe slow". Waited nearly an hour to get food which was rubbish considering that we were the only people in there. The guy who I assume to be the owner also needs a little bit of help with the customer interface. However the food, when it eventually arrived, was good but for what the portion sizes was over priced. I guess that's why the place was empty?

It a nice cozy place with friendly staff. I have been to this place every day for 2 weeks because…read moreof the free internet (mine was getting fixed) and the staff was accomodating. They serve delicious cakes and all of them are worth trying. Carrot cake is my favourite! They have a wide variety of teas & English breakfasts available with a lot of healthy options to pick as well. A delightful place to go for breakfast or brunch!

Yup! This is a nice little greasy spoon in Tottenham of all places, its got a very quirky but…read moreincredibly relaxed interior loads of books to read (if you speak Turkish) and very hot good food and pleasant staff try it its a cool little place

Great little continental style cafe for lunch or a leisurely coffee. The fresh strawberry tarts are…read moreto die for, but if you manage not to be mesmorised by the display of pastries and cakes there is a range of tasty savouries available also. All freshly prepared, choose from ciabattas, filled croissants, homemade soup, salads and more. I especially like the tomato and mozzarella salad served with a basket of fresh bread (very morish). And if you are too full, you can always buy the fresh fruit tarts to take home for tea!

What an absolute gem to find after trekking from Wanstead all the way up to the Queen's Hunting…read moreLodge nearby! Actually walked past it the first time without noticing the sign but so glad I did on the way back to Chingford train station. It's neatly tucked into the back of the Village Arcade (?) and really cozy after a chilly morning. The shop is small with a couple of seats inside and plenty of seating outside in the covered arcade. The owner was so lovely and one can tell that he loves his job (and the food he's serving). Got the Mediterranean veg sandwich with hummus, which was filing, along with a nice cup of chai tea :) If you're looking for a nice veg/vegan place to try and have just finished a walk around here, do come check this place out. Definitely would come back here to try the other things on the menu (especially that burger!)

One of the best cafes in London. Friendly faces and community feel. Good advice on allergens plus…read moresome really interesting products like CPD. Salad bar is phenomenal plus daily stew specials and vegan burgers, including no bull.