I don’t think Terry’s has changed much since it was founded in 1982, and it’s all the better for it. As London’s only caff with its own brand of tea (yes, it’s as good as Yorkshire Gold), this traditional joint is an absolute goldmine for good old British nostalgia. And the food is very good too.
Founded by, you guessed it, a former Smithfield butcher called Terry, the caff is now helmed by Terry’s son Austin, but still gets its meat from the Farringdon market. In fact, most of Terry’s ingredients come from London’s finest food suppliers, with fish procured from Billingsgate, coffee supplied by Monmouth and bread sourced straight from the ovens of St John Bakery. Keeping the spirit of Old Blighty alive, inside Terry’s is stacked with black and white photos of the East End, beat-up boxing gloves and old football boots, vintage plates and Union Jack flags.
Not surprisingly, the food is a proper English affair, with an all-day breakfast of mega fry-ups, bacon sarnies, ham, egg and chips and Billingsgate rolls – whopping St John buns stuffed with a generous portion of meaty scallops, thick, smoky bacon, earthy black pudding and topped off with an indulgent spread of Café de Paris butter. Terry’s also dishes out pies, steak and chips, reuben sandwiches, homemade fish fingers and a selection of traditional puds. Snagging a table here might require a bit of forward planning – on a Wednesday lunchtime the place was almost all booked up – but you’ll be rewarded heartily.