Cafe (British)

"Caff" redirects here. For other uses, see Caff (disambiguation).
The Regency Cafe in Pimlico, London, is a well-preserved Art Deco-style 1940s British cafe.
A modern example of a British cafe. Note the "breakfast served all day" sign displayed in the window.

In Britain, a cafe or café (/ˈkæfeɪ/),[1] also known colloquially as a caff[1] or greasy spoon,[2] is a small eatery typically specialising in fried foods or home-cooked meals.

Though it uses the same word origin as the term "café", it is distinct from the more European style of coffeehouse or bar.[3][4][5] A British cafe does not usually serve alcohol.[6] It is commonly an independently owned business; the only notable chain of roadside cafes is OK Diner since the demise of Happy Eater in 1997 and Little Chef in 2018.

  1. ^ a b "CAFÉ". Cambridge English Dictionary. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  2. ^ Smith, Duncan (13 February 2015). "Cafe culture: The survival of the traditional British 'caff'". BBC News. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  3. ^ Take the Kids England, 3rd. Fullman, Joseph. New Holland Publishers, 1 June 2007. p. 21
  4. ^ Britslang: An Uncensored A-Z of the People's Language, Including Rhyming Slang Puxley, Ray. Robson, 1 April 2005. p. 216
  5. ^ Shorter Slang Dictionary. Fergusson, Rosalind; Partridge, Eric; Beale, Paul. Psychology Press, 1994
  6. ^ "Definition of 'café'". collinsdictionary.com.