43 Exmouth Market,
London,
EC1R 4QL
0871 971 7340
The ViewLondon Review
Possibly the world’s smallest chain, Cafe Kick offers fun, food and table football in its spacious, Gaelic-style bar.The VenueCafe Kick is bright, colourful and fun, with a self-consciously European vibe. It feels like a retro French place, complete with slightly rickety little tables, plastic ketchup dispensers and table football where you might more commonly expect to find a pool table. Upstairs is open and light with huge front windows where you can watch the crazily dressed folk of Shoreditch wander by, whereas downstairs is more of a cosy drinking den.
The AtmosphereThe atmosphere at Cafe Kick is trendy, but not aggressively so. The crowd is noticeably young and fashionable, but you won’t feel left out if you’re not done up to the nines. Daytimes are fairly quiet, though they get a sizeable lunch crowd, and it’s busy of an evening, when the volume goes up and the bright young things flock in. Since it is bang in the middle of the nightlife centre that is Shoreditch, it goes without saying it’s a great first stop of a night before heading off to a club in the area.
The FoodCafe Kick has a menu of fairly cheap, light meals that can be hit and miss – sarnies in particular suffer from extremely tough bread – but it hits more than it misses. Their rich, home made soup of the day is usually worth a second look. It’s a nice place to meet for a casual lunch with friends.
The DrinkThey do take their international touch seriously at Cafe Kick, and accordingly there’s a nicely chosen selection of imported beers and other drinks. A glass of Ricard, the French aniseed liquor that makes a pleasant long drink with water, is a perfect complement to the French style of the cafe, and they mix a pretty good cocktail. Some of the drinks are reasonably expensive – you pay for the air miles on a few of the beers – but there are plenty to choose from if you’re watching the pennies.
The Last WordA fun, popular spot for a drink or lunch in continental-style surroundings right in the heart of Shoreditch.
Cafe Kick has been reviewed by 3 users