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Scootercaffè

Restaurants, Coffeeshops Waterloo
3 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars
(23user reviews)

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

Scootercaffè (formerly Scooterworks) brews its coffees in a strikingly retro 1957 Faema espresso machine. And though owner Craig O’Dwyer is a Kiwi, the air of Scootercaffè is old-school Italian. The space is open late serving beer, wine and spirits, and some snacks are available.

Posted:

Details
Static map showing venue location
Address: 132 Lower Marsh
London
SE1 7AE
Transport: Tube: Waterloo tube/rail
Price: Espresso £1.50, latte £1.90
Contact:
Call Venue 020 7620 1421
Opening hours: Open 8.30am-11pm Mon-Thur; 10am-midnight Fri, Sat
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Users say (23)

4 out of 5 stars

Average User Rating

4.2 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:11
  • 4 star:7
  • 3 star:2
  • 2 star:1
  • 1 star:1
LiveReviews|23
1 person listening
tastemaker

Lovely little Cafe/bar behind Waterloo station. The vibe is chilled and friendly, with a mix-match of chairs and armchairs, we even sat at an old Singer sewing machine table, which was felt very trendy. The decor is very cool, with real old scooters/vespa's as well as lots of photos of them. Cosy, low-lit downstairs area, as well as a small patio area for warmer days. They have a nice selection of drinks, but nothing ground breaking.

Tastemaker

I adore this cafe and hope it stays forever and doesn't suffer the fate of others in the area affected by prices hikes and extortionate rates. In fact, I urge you to drink a coffee or beer there to help support this wonderful little business. 

Mind you, it doesn't seem to be struggling - I've never seen it empty at all. Occasionally there is a free chair, but that's often taken up by the cafe cats.

A nice coffee machines, good selection of drinks and some random sweet treats, make this an easy place to hang out, meet friends, go on a date or catch up on some reading/writing. Last time I was there - and do check of course - they allowed us to order food from the local Chinese so we could grab some dinner with our drinks too. Now that's pretty handy.

It's obviously off the beaten track a little and you need to know your way around the back of Waterloo to find it, but once you do, you'll definitely make excuses to be in that neck of the woods again.

tastemaker

An absolute delight, hiden away on Lower Marsh Street. Just round the corner from The Vaults, Scooter is a lovely little coffee shop decorated in an old Italian style with mismatched furniture and nik-naky items dotted around. The bar offer a variety of different drinks, though obviously the coffee is most popular. It's deceptively large with a basement and outside yard at the back for sitting in in the summer. I've generally gone in the evening when I think it is looking it's best and most alive.

People go to write, chat and relax. It's a place to always keep in mind if your in Waterloo and looking for somewhere that is quiet and discreet.


Great cafe and a nice escape from the Southbank (around 10 mins walk). Good coffee and the locals are cool to talk to!

Tastemaker

I stumbled across this cafe/bar while looking to have a drink near to the Vaults. It's dark, sultry, intimate, and caters for all your coffee and cocktail needs.


Probably the best cafe in the world, not just Waterloo. Dark, atmospheric and bohemian. Superb music. Decent booze. Weird cakes. Hoarding-SOS decor. Furniture so ricketty it must be an in-joke. And they have a female cat called Bob.


my home from home, and not just because this is the kind of place where sharing a table can get you involved in long conversations about art, music, politics, the world and everything else, where afternoon tea drifts into an evening glass of wine or three when old friends turn up by chance, and a lot because it is where the cat always gets the best chair but she'll happily share her table with you...


Great little spot to grab a hot drink or cocktail in a unique venue.

Tastemaker

Stumbled on this place after drinks in a nearby pub and enjoyed a bottle of wine in the basement. It's one of the few bars that feel quite genuinely full of interesting retro tat rather than designed to within an inch of its life. Pull up a wobbly chair or stool and enjoy a drink or two in the low-lit basement or the patio garden. We went on a Saturday evening and it was busy but not too rammed or noisy. A little local gem.

Staff Writer

We wandered here on an early Saturday evening mainly on the recommendation that ‘it’s got an actual cat’. Which, correct, yes, it does. Unfortunately it’s also got a really distracting smell combination of damp and toilet downstairs, a broken stairwell and really, really slow service. Having said that the atmosphere was really relaxed, and it’s got a bric-a-brac with your wine vibe that I can see the appeal of. If you manage to get a table, and it wasn’t massively busy when we were there, you could do a lot worse with a group of friends just a stone’s throw from Waterloo, but I’d want to head back on another (warmer) evening to give it another shot before I recommended it to people.

Tastemaker

Having stayed in the Waterloo area for the past 6 months it's been a surprise to me that I've completely missed out on this lovely space. The coffee here is tasty and cheaper than the other cafes in the area (they use their own beans too) and the baristas are friendly and easy to talk to. It's not the best space if you're a student trying to get work done due to the dim lighting, but if you're with a group of friends looking for a place to chill in the area, this is definitely the place to go to, complete with an endlessly great playlist of jazz tunes all day long.  

Tastemaker

This place makes me miss my Vespa that I left back in Greece and it is definitely one of my favourite places in town! For a coffee, tea, beer or cocktail - it has been every time a really good choice. For the cold days, try going downstairs and hide from the world, for the warm days the small terrace is nice! Music is always jazzy and pleasant! Bonus: the cat might join you for a drink, or even better, will pose on the front for you to take a picture for your instagram feed ;)


I absolutely loved it, chilled relaxed atmosphere, I had a few drinks downstairs on a Friday evening, the cat was cute like its lived there for ever it was as chilled as the surroundings x

Tastemaker

I do think Time Out has done the Scooter Cafe a little disservice, as it is one of my favourite spots in London. Having lived here for nearly 13 years, I yearn for that London rarity, something genuine that isn't another chain, as nice as certain chains are...


Scooter Cafe is genuinely unique, throwing together what they can for furniture (including what looks like an old sewing machine table), and a pleasingly simple but quality selection of drinks and snacks. I'm not really a coffee drinker, but anywhere that serves Pacifico is alright with me. It has the best WiFi code I've seen, and also a cat, the famous cat. The cat does not move for ANYONE, and does not respond to any signs of affection, but everyone loves the cat because its cute. All bars need a cat. Or a dog.


It does get VERY busy, say on a Thursday evening when all the offices kick out, (and this can be an issue as it has only one loo!) but catch it at a quieter moment, and its great; chilled out and atmospheric. 

Staff Writertastemaker

Nice little place for a date or a quiet catch up, behind Waterloo station it's surprisingly east to get a seat at one of the few small tables.


Such a great atmosphere, always lovely 60s music and friendly staff.


Drinks are from a slightly limited menu and on the pricier side but they do sell the 40oz Breton ciders which are great sharers. 


There is a very small outside space which you can reserve if you ring ahead- I'd suggest doing this if you're in a group of more than 3-4.


Clifford.spent most of my youth working in this place long before it became a café,as this café was my dad Charlies shop for over 20 years, it is fantastic to be able to go back and sit in here,the staff r friendly in this cosy café long may it last


I stumbled across this cafe by chance and I'm glad I did! The beauty of living in London (and big cities around the world) is that while you trip over a Starbucks on every corner, you can usually find a cute, original coffee shop. And this is one of them. Upon entering we were greeted by the resident cat - but instructed not to feed him or he'll get fat. We then ordered two Americanos and took a seat at a quirky table with an antique bong and antique camera. It has a great vibe and the best bit is that two coffees cost me £4!! Right by Waterloo station! The interior has the feel of a flea market with items such an old fashioned pushchair in the window. We will definitely be visiting here again!


Good brick and brack but bad service - prob 20 mins to get a drink and it wasn't too busy.


Really cosy little place, two floors, chilled vibe. Had a small selection of bottled beers, only one option when i asked for red wine, a cabernet sauvignon but it was lovely. The staff member serving drinks was really friendly. They don't serve food. Funky decor. Would definatley recommend.

0 of 1 found helpful

Wanna earn your 'Hip' & 'Arty' stripes? Then this is the place for you.. Pretentious as all hell with lots of student-types in very expensive looking scruffy clothes - clearly money is required to qualify as an artist. One nice waitress and one very rude young girl with seemingly a lot to prove. Upon entering I think we disturbed the quite, intelligent 'aura' of the place and this was made quite clear by our hostess.

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