I was pleased to discover that the charm of the original Ray’s Jazz cafe in the former Foyle’s store on Charing Cross Road has been recaptured in this new venture located in the old premises.
Known as The Old Cafe, the place feels a lot like the old Ray’s Cafe (albeit more sparsely furnished) and is a world away from the hideously shiny new Foyle’s cafe that has opened up in their relocated flagship store a few doors up the road.
The new independent cafe is run by some of people involved in the original business, and they have managed to retain the same relaxed and laid back vibe.
I liked it here a lot. In fact, it’s now my favourite west end cafe.
The prices aren’t the cheapest in town but the coffee was excellent, as was the Portuguese custard tart. The food looked pretty tasty too.
Like the original cafe, the venue hosts exhibitions, events, life drawing and small concerts.
Performance space.
There’s comfortable seating and free wi-fi available.
The Old Café is located at 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, close to Tottenham Court Rd and Leicester Square Underground stations.
Check their Facebook page for opening times, but they usually open at 8am and close at 8pm in the week with some later events.
Chat about the cafe on the urban75 forums.
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Is there still jazz and blues playing in the cafe?