A small place that at lunchtimes can have a queue out the door and down the street. You still get served in good time though. I always go for a generously sized chicken or beef pho - tasty and filling. They also sell some interesting exotic canned drinks. Really like this place.
Love love love this place! Don't work in the area anymore so my only request is to open more locations and open on weekends please �
Brilliant place,staff couldn't do enough even at peak trading lunch time. Great food,will be visiting very soon,well worth the travel from Manchester on my little brothers recommendation this Tuesday.
Finally managed to get in the door after skipping many times due to the huge cue.
Next time I will join the cue as this deliciously fresh and tasty light summer spring roll lunch is well worth the wait!
Lovely food!
Wietnamska kuchnia głównie na wynos, lokal w środku bardzo słaby. Jedzenie niezłe, trochę masówka ale i tak nieźle. Przynajmniej można zjeść lunch we dwójkę poniżej 20£, a to w Londynie rzadkość.
Most probably the best Vietnamese pho i have ever tried so far. Friendly staff, and the price just right. I tried as well the fried spring rolls, crunchy and delicious!!!
If a queue is a correct measure of a quality then let it speak in favour of City Caphe. :) A good variety of products that are warm, fresh and tasty. A little bit too crowded to eat in peace inside.
I used to come here almost once a week when based nearby. Their flavours are authentic and their menu offers hot soups and rice salads and baguettes. Their vegetarian phô is extremely flavoursome and full of really good quality tofu, a little steep now at £7. Queues at lunchtime are long but move quickly.
There is no greater Banh Mi sandwich in all of London than to be found at City Caphe. Nothing more need be said. The queues/lines can be long, but then quality does not come easy.
As a lunch takeaway, the menu is short and sweet, yet long enough for options to go with ones mood. Almost all the Vietnamese classics that you can think of are available. Pho (the classic flat noodles soup), Bun (Vietnamese vermicelli salad), Bánh mì (Vietnamese Baguette), Summer Roll (Vietnamese fresh roll wrap).
17 Ironmonger Lane London EC2V 8EY Open Mon-Fri 11.30am to 4pm www.citycaphe.com
City Càphê is one place that I would definitely recommend. Nestled into a side-street near Bank in the city is an odd place to find a small family run Viet restaurant – nearby workers had obviously cottoned onto how good it was though, evidenced by the queue snaking out of the door and down the street. My desire for a banh mi wavered momentarily when I saw said queue, but I joined the end, and was able to check out the menu through the window. Despite it moving fairly quickly thanks to the quick service inside, it still took just over 10 minutes to get to the front and order, having grabbed a box of summer rolls out of the refrigerator on the way.
I used to eat pomelo a lot when I was a kid, especially during mid Autumn festival. I remember we used to make a lantern from the pomelo skin. It was nice to see it being used as an ingredient for a dish, its refreshing taste went well with the dried squid, which could be quite fishy on its own. The scallop was pan-fried on the shell, giving it a beautiful charred look on the outside.
Chargrilled Pork Bánh Mi, thanks to the stronger flavour of the meat. The tasty chargrilled pork, complete with requisite smoky flavour, can also be had with Bún - Vermicelli salad or Com - Jasmine Rice, both of which I preferred to the sandwich.
The Food Connoisseur
+4.5
City Càphê has been on my to eat list for a few years. I didn’t realise Bank was only minutes away from St Pauls where I work. Hidden on a side street along ironmonger, queues usually form as soon as it hits 1pm. Julie and her family run City Càphê, the menu on offer is very simple, popular Vietnamese street food. Banh mi’s, pho, bun, summer rolls, and spring rolls. Now that I’ve been here many times, the best comfort winter warmers are the steaming hot beef pho. Cupping my hands around the napkin wrapped piping hot pot; I slurp away the heavenly pho. It is simply scrumptious the broth is rich, with plenty of flavour and has plenty of fresh herbs, bean spouts. The chicken version is almost as good, but the beef one is the winner for me. The banh mi’s are pleasantly Crunchy, baked fresh, has lots of textures.
When Julie from City Caphe announced a two night dinner pop up it was a no-brainer to get tickets. Lunchtime there is always packed and with good reason - who wouldn't want to eat hot freshly made tasty food rather than a sad sandwich from Eat?
City Caphe on Ironmonger Lane seems just another Vietnamese takeaway shop, and I was once fooled by its recyclable crockery and a menu typical to any Vietnamese joint in London. After many visits, however, I began to feel this little paired-down shop IS the best Vietnamese food outlet in London. The proprietor Julie and her family run this small business with heart and soul. This, as you will see when at the shop, has earned them strings of very loyal lunch-crowd followers (in other words – possibly one of the longest and fastest-turning queues in London).
Following my late arrival last time , I made it back to City Caphe nice and early so I didn't miss out on the bahn mi. I had the classic pork sandwich with an iced Viet Coffee and both were brilliant. The bitter coffee, sweet condensed milk and ice combo
The Food Connoisseur
+4.5
City Càphê has been on my to eat list for a few years. I didn’t realise Bank was only minutes away from St Pauls where I work. Hidden on a side street along ironmonger, queues usually form as soon as it hits 1pm.
Julie and her family run City Càphê, the menu on offer is very simple, popular Vietnamese street food. Banh mi’s, pho, bun, summer rolls, and spring rolls. Now that I’ve been here many times, the best comfort winter warmers are the steaming hot beef pho.
Cupping my hands around the napkin wrapped piping hot pot; I slurp away the heavenly pho. It is simply scrumptious the broth is rich, with plenty of flavour and has plenty of fresh herbs, bean spouts. The chicken version is almost as good, but the beef one is the winner for me.
Used to come for lunch here back in 2012 and was very pleased that it was still here. Their rolls are amazing. Just a bit expensive but the portions are a good size :) I had the classic ‘spring rolls bun’. I didn’t expect the rolls to be fried but was very nice all the same.
Quick review of a place popular with my uk coworkers. Tried the beef pho, summer rolls, and the pork bun (which strangely translates to noodles and not sandwich). Pho has rich broth and comes with a packet of sprouts, julienne carrots, cilantro, and lime. It really hit the spot on one of those cold rainy London days. Shrimp summer rolls were tasty - fresh and wrapped neatly enough to ensure nothing came out. Most days there’s queue but it moves pretty fast. So great place for a fast fulfilling meal.
City Càphê is my go-to spot for Vietnamese food when I'm in a hurry. Despite the lunchtime rush, the service here is lightning fast. The best part? The food remains consistently delicious and fresh. If you crave a quick, satisfying Vietnamese meal, this place won't disappoint!
Always crowded at lunch time but they are very organized and you will get your order very quick.
My fav is the chargrilled pork with the rice, the flavors remind me the ones I have in Asia, I was less fan of the pho but i def recommend the place.
This place is only open for 3 hours a day over the lunchtime period. There is always a queue it's that good. Very little seating, but most take out to eat at their desks. There are a few local spots where you can sit and enjoy your takeaway.
2022. many times .
hot noodles, pho and bun are tasty. prices were increased, sadly.
but I don’t recommend cold one.
This is by far one of my favourite Vietnamese spots.
Everything is fresh and delicious making it a perfect lunch spot. There are only a few seats in the cafe itself so it mostly caters for takeaways but that doesn't impact the taste or flavours of the food.
Relatively small menu to choose from, but they do everything really well. Personal favourites include the prawn summer rolls, the pho, the bun noodle salads and the bun hue soups.
This place is the only thing I miss about working in the city as it's open 11:30am to 3:30pm.
Food was OK but the veicelli noodle tofu salad didn't have enough sauce or flavour sadly.
So good! Even better than in Hong Kong where I'm from. The portions are huge. My bun hue not overly spicy or salty, the brother is light yet flavorful, and the spring rolls are massive and stay crunchy even after almost an hour. Very authentic, a lot of staff ensuring speedy service, and no credit card for amounts under £15. I'm stuffed!
Excellent Banh Mi - Vietnamese style pork, pickles, coriander, chili in a baguette - soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. Yummy! Quick and friendly service.
This is one of my favourite places to have lunch on my work break. The service is friendly and smiley and the food comes very quickly!
They have a large range of dishes from summer rolls to Bahn mi. I have never been able to get a Bahn mi because they always sell out and my break is after 3 so come early to avoid disappointment.
It is cash only so have that in mind when you go.
Food is always delicious and it's packed at lunchtime but worth it.
It's all about quick and comforting meals here. Perfect for the winter. Portions not too small. Everything was delicious as it should be. The pho was mild and pretty good. The nems were good as well. Limited seating.
I had the lemongrass Tofu vermicelli salad and I've never had such flavoursome tofu before. Good portions too. I was very satisfied.
I started frequenting city caphe about five years ago when I worked on Gresham street and it was just around the corner. Although I work slightly further away, it is still well worth the journey and I usually get lunch here at least once a week. In my opinion, it has the best pho in London. The other dishes are also delicious but the pho is the star for me. Prices have increased, but prices have increased everywhere and I’m happy to pay the current rates given the quality.
Food is good. I had beef soup.
Really nice.
I used to come here almost once a week before the pandemic. This place was closed for 2 years in pandemic and I thought it was going to be close for good. Thank god they came back. It’s about twice more expensive compared to 3 years ago but food is always the best in town. Oddly better than any in London. Started to accept credit card for petty amount. I love this place!
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