It must have been a couple of years ago that Pat told me about Café in the Crypt but due to bad timing on my part and an insatiable hunger for dim sum I hadn’t been to the Café until just this past weekend. Bad timing because not long after Pat told me about the café, St Martin-in-the-Fields then embarked on to what turned out to be an over two year refurbishment programme. The £36m refurbishment was finally completed in November last year and though a visit to the café was high on my agenda opportunities since then have seen me going for dim sum instead. Darn that insatiable hunger! But finally last Saturday I ventured in.

Café in the Crypt is a canteen-style café located underneath St Martin-in-the-Fields serving mainly British food from full English Breakfasts to lunch to afternoon teas. The floor is apparently lined with gravestones (hence the crypt) and with the brick-vaulted ceiling above you it certainly makes for a quite an attractive, atmospheric and unique meal venue. Strangely considering you’re dining with dead people around you its not creepy at all! Its a surprising hidden gem that is somewhat of an oasis in the buzzing West End. However, that’s not to say its quiet and tranquil like the church next door. Enough people know about the Café to make it quite a buzzing venue itself though I do have to note that today most of the clientele seemed to be of, shall we say, the more elderly persuasion!

At lunch today the Café offered a selection of hot lunch dishes (veg, chicken, beef, pasta options) but there are also sandwiches and baps (fresh and also some packed), salads, soups (which seemed to be the popular choice of the day) and a whole hosts of desserts. Think a brasserie and that’s what you have at the Café. The Café also provide you all the condiments you could imagine (free of charge) plus there is a large tabled filled with jug of water if you want to skip buying a drink. The desserts looked very good and included pudding and custard, crumble, chocolate cakes and crème brulee. I succumbed to temptation and for £3.50 picked up a large fantastic-tasting crème brulee. It was more than enough to share between two. For my main meal I had a beef stew which, for about £7, was quite good value and came with potatoes and leek. Tasty and filling.

As the Café is buffe-style, if there is a negative to Café in the Crypt is that you have to fend for yourself in finding a seat to enjoy your meal. With a partner as least you can “reserve” the seat but if you’re on your own you will have to gamble that you will eventually find a seat to sit down. However, most diners here don’t tend to linger too long so turnover is pretty quick and the staff in the Café seemed quite good at clearing the tables. Also, what better way is there to make friends than to share a meal? 🙂

If you’re after something basic (think meat and two veg) but filling and wholesome and decent value for money then the Crypt is something for you. Be warned, however, that more and more people are finding out every day about this little gem so don’t be surprised if when you next venture down that the line snakes out the door! Try the crème brulee – you won’t regret it!