Candid Café

Very hidden and lovely café. Went there on a date and think it’s the perfect place to take someone for a coffee. The coffee itself isn’t the best but the atmosphere is great. It’s got a lovely interior with wooden chairs, sofas, candles and fairy lights. And don’t forget the big windows and nice view over the backyard! Occasionally gets quite busy but have managed to get a seat by the window most of the times I have visited this café. Do recommend!

Tucked away behind Angel station, I never would have known this café existed without doing a local Unilocal search of the area. Following the signage up a rather commercial looking building, the journey into the café was reminiscent of finding off-​the-​beaten-​track venues in Eastern Europe. The café is cozy, and staff were attentive. We found that the license is set up so that if you order alcohol you must also have food to share. The food and coffee we did try was nothing to rave about but if you’re looking for something a bit different and more relaxed that what you normally find on the high street, check this place out — bring a book or a good friend and you’ll find a quieter space than most to catch up.

I never thought I could find such a hidden gem in North London but hey!!!
This little café, hidden in the second floor but easy to find ! to its fun signs around the place, is cozy, with a retro vibe and amazing food for any time of the day. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, they have food for everyone.
We went during lunch time and we were pleased to see a quite nice arrange of dishes, but decided to go for the beetroot risotto. It was delicious. Risotto and salad, fresh and tasty, just for 7£. Quite a bargain!
If you decide you prefer a nice tea with cake, feel free to order one slice (or two) from their selection and enjoy the cozy velvet sofas or arm chairs.
I will definitely come back again.

«Where are you taking me???», said my friend. I was taking her to Candid Café for our pre-​theatre meal. My friend could not believe that there is a café on the 2^nd floor. The stairs leading up to the café were dimly lit. When we got to the 2^nd floor, there was a sign that read ‘Candid Café. You’ve made it!’. We pushed open the door, it was dark and then there was another door… creepy…and we finally made it!!!
We were surprised to see the actual café and how lively it was. The ambience was warm, the friendly staff welcomed us. I asked for the menu and the waitress told me it was on the wall. Hahaha how corny! We immediately ordered our meals and drinks.
The waitress said we could sit anywhere. Most of the tables were taken or reserved. There were some cosy sofas but would not be suitable for eating our dinner. I asked a couple of women who were sitting at the long table with ‘reserved’ tags on the table if the seats were taken. My policy is ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get!’. I got us 2 seats! Apparently their guests would not be arriving until later (in an hour’s time).
I had the tamari salmon with rice and salad £9 and mint tea £1.70. I was surprised to find the salmon had its skin on! The salmon skin was crunchy while the meat was tender and juicy. The salad was fresh and light. The Greek rice pilaf was just the right taste for me. The rice had a subtle flavour of saffron but the colour was a brilliant yellow. A little goes a long way and I appreciate the effect on making a dish a brilliant yellow with a mellow flavour :)
There were no lights on the ceiling, in the dining area. There were, however, lots of candles used to light the dining area. The candle lights created a dark and gothic look to the ambience. Oh, so romantic! I will definitely take my future date to this café, to see how he would react. Hehehehehe…

hmm, nothing to be excited about. my coffee was very weak, not tasty at all, cheesecake was OK, bit too creamy. I was given dirty cutlery and I didn’t like the stale smell of the place, like some sort of an old shoe cupboard. It also looks shabby and tatty. I didn’t feel any vibe so left quite quickly.

Wonderful, sort of forgotten looking real old school style/​arty café. I loved all the retro furniture, pottery and glasses.
Home made food and no wi-​fi makes you forget all about the every day world, because Candid Café will make you feel almost like in a Fairy land.

YAY for great new finds!
Jules recommended this place for book group, and I’m glad she did. It’s located on the second floor of an art gallery type thing. The venue itself is quite eclectic and homey, without the pretentiousness of hipsters invading.
I had some hot chocolate to start which was warm and welcoming. They do booze as well, but after my weekend bender I needed a bit of a break.
The food is quite simple, but delicious. We started with olives and bread and some bruschetta. The bruschetta was fresh and cheesy, and the bread was garlicky and there were a ton of olives to go around. I had the roast chicken and it was cooked quite well with a side of rice and salad. There’s also a good amount of vegetarian stuff on the menu, if you’re that way inclined.
Dessert was three different cakes we split. Very nice and not very expensive.
It’s definitely worth checking out.

I found this place a few years back through some friends and it hasn’t changed much since than. Big wooden tables, candles, fairy lights, sofas and comfy armchairs combined with fresh flowers and art works on the walls. It’s not easy to find, but you’re gone be ok if you follow the half horse statue up the stairs.
The food is simple, but delicious and plenty. Only … When they say smoothie on the menu they mean Innocent smoothie. That’s the only niggle. Otherwise the perfect place for a lazy afternoon, especially as the cakes were amazing. Even Grant said so!

Great place to tuck-​up in with your laptop and let the day passby.
I’ve only had coffee but the staff was friendly. And my writing group had plenty of space to get to work.
Not five stars because 1. liquor can only be had if you’re consuming food. 2. Minimum spend to use a debt card.

Gorgeous little secret nook to take someone on a coffee date or to read a book. The décor is a mixy matchy and really eclectic and right around the corner from Angel station.
The desserts looked divine and the teas are delish.
Most def returning!

I really like this spot for a place to get away from it all! Been here twice now and eaten once. The food is good value and healthy, but a little light on flavour. I love the décor upstairs, particularly the Sapphic imagery ;)
But it deffo loses points for the gross loo. All it needs is a bit of TLC and a lick of paint to not be so icky! I think it has 4 star potential for sure x

Tucked away discretely in the backwaters of Angel, this cosy café has that ‘artist’s hang out’ feeling about it.
Go for cake and tea.
And to day dream.
And marvel at the miscellaneous collection of arm chairs and coffee tables.
And feel like an ‘artist’ whatever that feels like.

OK so maybe coming here for lunch was a big mistake. They really seem to specialise in being somewhere to enjoy an afternoon’s reading with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. But I was hungry and am on a mission NOT to eat at a certain burrito joint every time I come to Islington and this place has been on my Unilocal radar for a while now.
The place is charming but my lunch (chicken in onion gravy with rice and salad) was not, neither was my partners’ (cod fillets in tomato and olive sauce with rice and salad). I can get better food than this at any market in London for half the price, in fact I reckon £8 for this was a rip off for what was, essentially, half a plate of rice, a quarter of a plate of salad leaves and one unspectacular chicken breast tossed on a plate with a spoonful of onion gravy over the top. Ditto for the cod.
The space is lovely, and if you’re the sort of person who loves sitting somewhere relaxing with a book sipping coffee for hours on end then this is probably your kinda place, just don’t go eat there, you’ll be mightily disappointed and cursing the fact you didn’t eat at one of the many, many other far superior places to eat in Islington.

I like the Candid Café quite alright: I like the fact that you have to go up to the first floor (first floor by British standards) and that you then find yourself in a rustic room full of worn furnitures. I like that they have a large communal table at which a bunch of people can communicate with each other; and I like that they have quite a generous outside seating area where you can enjoy some quite and piece away from the huzzle and buzzle in Angel…
…yet what I don’t like about this place is that I never feel welcome. I mean, the whole café is decorated in such a way that you want to feel at home and enjoy a cup of tea or a nice lunch, but somehow the staff never made me feel as if I was welcome there. As for me, I like to have a little chat, even if it’s just about the wether, but the people here always seem to be too busy even when I’m the only customer.
Still, if you’re in the area… give this a try and who knows, maybe they’re just not nice to me?

This is one of my favorite cafes in London. It is hidden in a building where as you climb the stairs you wonder if you will ever reach any place civilized. The first time I came here with a friend, I was completely surprised, pleasantly. I love the way it is decorated, with candles and velvet sofas. It was warm and inviting, but quarky. I never tried the food here, only the teas and coffees. They were quite standard, but cheaper than the other cafes in the area (Euphorium and Tinder Box).

The first time I was going to eat here for brunch on a sunny day, I turned away because it was confusing how to order your food and get it to the courtyard. I am still a bit turned off by that setup because you don’t necessarily get «service».
But what I didn’t realize is that they have this amazing room with great tables, illustrious couches, candelabras and full-​on ambiance.
You order and then go to your table. They don’t have a full liquor license, so if you want to get a drink, you basically order up a bread and olives plate. It is a great place to meet up with a friend or go on a first date. The salads and soups looked lovely as well.

Shhhhh… Candid Café is a secret. Well not that much of a secret but secret enough for me to take 8 years of living in London before I stumbled upon it. I don’t know, maybe I’m not mixing in the right circles.
So I came here when it was raining and I desperately needed the loo. Creeping up the staircase of what I thought was an abandon building in search of the ever elusive London toilet, I wondered into a cosy little hole. This apparently is the Candid Café, serving fresh homemade cakes, tasty teas and playing soft classical music throughout. You’ll be served by a very rude lady and don’t think about chatting or laughing loudly, this is an arts café, fine arts.
It’s the perfect spot for a bit of afternoon reading or getting around to penning that novel you’ve always wanted to write. I really like it, I just don’t love it.

This is a great little café, hidden away at the top of a funky building an Angel. I’ve had two vastly different experiences at Candid, the first one very good and the second a bit disappointing.
The first time I went to Candid I was greeted by a young and smiley waitress at the top of the stairs. She took my order and very kindly explained to me that I would need to order some food to go with my glass of wine (apparently due to licensing constraints). I found a nice spot inside and the wine arrived soon thereafter, soon to be followed by my plate of olives and bread. In short, the service was good, the staff was friendly, the food was tasty and plentiful, atmosphere was nice, etc. etc.
I expected something similar the second time around, but was rather disappointed after a very strange experience. After stepping up to the counter, the waitress (not the same as the last one) took one quick look at me, didn’t say a word, looked down, and continued whatever she was doing. It took the waitress a few good minutes to really recognise my presence. When she finally did take my order, I felt like she was doing me more of a favor than actually helping a customer. I ordered the exact same thing last time: a glass of red wine and the plate of olives and bread. The food arrived first but was about half the size of the same dish I had the time before, and not nearly as tasty. Another 10 to 15 minutes later the wine arrived brought by the same waitress (who almost seem to be looking at me in disdain — weird!)
The difference between these two visits was like night and day. The only thing I did was dress differently. I wore casual clothes on my first visit but a suit on my second visit. I admit, I was the only person there dressed as if I had come straight from work, but is that a good enough reason to be treated so poorly?
Because my first visit was so good, I’m tempted to give it one last try. I guess I had better dress down, though!

After checking the trusty Unilocal iPhone App and reading Derry N’s review that involved November, sleet-​whip and wombs, I knew I couldn’t pass up a trip to Candid Café.
(I mean, I’ve only been to one womb before, but I thought it was pretty great, so why not give it another go, hey? Especially since this one promised to deliver the sweet nectars of life: coffee and wine.)
After trekking down a small alley directly behind Angel tube station, then up three flights of freight stairs, I walked into my version of coffee shop heaven. Candles and cushy chairs, exposed wooden floors and large squared windows, long communal tables and small private round desks — this babies, is a life changing communal space experience.
I only had £2 on me, which is lucky because it was prime cake+white wine+siesta time and Lord only knows this would have been the perfect spot to indulge. However I responsibly spent £1.50 on an Americano, and went on with me day, leaving my heart and tummy to lust for the day I return.. .
Which will most likely be tomorrow.
And maybe the next day.

This is a café made for sleet-​whipped November days if ever I saw one. You enter the womb-​like space by finding the discreet entrance down an alley off bustling City Road and climbing three flights of stairs. A large but well-​heated room greets you, with friendly staff serving comfortingly thick and filling food in boho surroundings with, crucially, a large window to stare out at the horribleness that you are missing outside.
Ideally I would spend more than an hour in the Candid Café, preferably not on a day where I had to be anywhere else. There are comfortable vintage chairs to while away some quality reading time on. The coffee and soup are what I usually go for, but the sandwiches are good too. All the food looks very healthy and wholesome, in fact. Prices are correspondingly above budget-​level, but it seems justified for the experience.

Artful thinkers and good friends, here is place for all to unite!
Really it is like your mates house, where you can go and have a nice meal, read a book or just talk art or anything for that matter.
The patio area is cozy and the good thing it is not on the high street so you really get that feeling of seclusion in a green area. The desserts are tasty as well, at £3.80 for a cheesecake and if you are after some alcohol please note that it will only be served with your meal. Good, it keeps the sanity. The Candid Trust also offer art classes so give it a minute to see if there is anything you might be interested in. Drawing? Painting? Keep an eye for any exhibitions in their above space, usually have very interesting artists.