i've always been a little wary of bar italia, it always seems so aggresively part of 'the scene'. whatever that scene is. but it turns out to be the perfect place to sit outside and have a cup of tea on a sunday morning, when there's not much else open in soho. i know tea's not really supposed to be the thing you have there, but they give you a nice big cup.
it's a nice place to just sit and watch the world. there seem to be a load of chinese kids going to school on sunday morning. reminds me of the misery of going to sunday school, but they seem a lot more motivated than I did.
It might not be relevant, but Bar Italia has a blue plaque on the front. It's the building where television was invented (or one of them, I guess). It just sort of adds some weight of history to the place ...
Posted by: Ivan | May 17, 2004 at 01:36 PM
This is a good cafe, though as you suggested, spoiled by a rather self-consciously hip clientele.
I was also here early on a Sunday a few weeks back, being about an hour early for an appointment. The poseurs reading their papers outside made me laugh. This is the kind of cafe you can find all over the place in Italy or Spain.
With the TV, music and general rushing around, it was all a bit too frantic for my taste, even at 8am on a Sunday. It was compensated for however by the best-looking waitresses I've seen for ages!
Posted by: Patrick | October 14, 2004 at 08:20 PM
Worth noting that Cafe Italia next door on the left (see the first photo above) has an upstairs section that's usually quiet even when every other cafe around there is busy. Great for reading the paper with a cup of tea. They have sash windows you can pull open and watch the world go by.
Posted by: Patrick | January 13, 2005 at 07:47 PM
salut moi khalid hamraoui 22 ans celebater old hamdan dar el jadida N 139 rue 2 beni mellal maroco tele 062.11.94.81. maroco
Posted by: khalid el hamraoui | April 19, 2005 at 12:11 AM
There is a song by Pulp called 'bar Italia' about this place.
Posted by: fryupfan73 | May 31, 2005 at 03:31 PM
sou brasileiro
Posted by: mazo | June 17, 2005 at 10:04 PM
ciao a toutti
Posted by: younes | November 26, 2005 at 07:52 PM
Bar Italia is undoubtly the best cafe in London. I have been going to it since I was 12-on the way to chinese school :-(
I think the only reason it is intimidating is because of the mad Italians running around shouting at each other and the fact everyone knows each other, but I assure you it is a great atmosphere with fantastic people working there.
It is also great at 4.30am, after a night out, waiting for the tubes and trains to work again.
siedasi con un caffè e guardi il mondo andare vicino...
Posted by: Lukas | June 28, 2006 at 11:45 PM
Bar Italia!!!!! it's owned by my family and it's become a part of me, the culture is so rich and so is the coffee, the best in the world. Also owned by my family is caffen italia, nino's paninos, little italy etc. so go there aswell if you get a chance!
Lucia
Posted by: Lucia | October 07, 2006 at 05:00 PM
Am I right in thinking this place never closes?
Posted by: Gary Cook | November 14, 2007 at 02:37 PM