What would you want in a Biker Café?

What would you want in a Biker Café?

Author
Discussion

TypeR

1,123 posts

240 months

Saturday 20th April
quotequote all
A decent ride there and back is important to me more than anything else. Clean and tidy premises. My favourite places are normally situated at airfields because I like planes and aviation. I’m not too bothered about the cost of the food because I’m not going every week, so an extra quid or two doesn’t make too much difference.
Kemble near Cirencester has a great cafe and some interesting planes including a 747 breakers yard. Wellesbourne has a Vulcan bomber to poke around and Old Warden near Bedford has all sorts of older planes flying in and out.
There’s always a number of other bikes to look at if that’s your thing, the riders tend to be old timers like me though. No patch clubs or doughnuts in the car park.

Biker's Nemesis

38,690 posts

209 months

Saturday 20th April
quotequote all
Biker9090 said:
Cane back from my first bike night of the year at The Iron Bull on Thursday.

The whole place is now effectively taken over by bolshy tts in waistcoats saying "Fukarwe" or "Savages". Shame as it used to be a nice place.

So somewhere that doesn't allow glorified gang colours would be nice......


The Vale Cafe in Rothbury is thankfully devoid of types like that, a good mixture of all sorts gets there on a weekend.

The Cafe isn't a hipster type affair either.

epicfail

196 posts

136 months

Sunday 21st April
quotequote all
The Iron Bull isn't far from me, I've never been - anywhere called Iron Bull Roadhouse suggests it is somewhere I'll not want to be, looks like I might be correct.

Newlands Corner and Portsdown Hill are probably my favourite places near me - lovely views, both are not exclusively biker stops.

If I'm on my T140 somewhere flat to kick it over is preferable - but that's probably a niche requirement.


BlackG7R

683 posts

182 months

Monday 22nd April
quotequote all
Personally apart from a decent parking area, a building with a bit of character / memorabilia etc. Good wholesome basic grub that can be ordered quickly and easily.

Every time I go to the Super Sausage there's a queue out the door, so I just don't bother ordering anything.

Went to Caffiene & Machine recently, great venue, but it was being run by teenagers, and it was a disaster area as far as food ordering was concerned. Food was good when it arrived, but it took an hour and a half !!

horsemeatscandal

1,241 posts

105 months

Tuesday 23rd April
quotequote all
BlackG7R said:
Went to Caffiene & Machine recently, great venue, but it was being run by teenagers, and it was a disaster area as far as food ordering was concerned. Food was good when it arrived, but it took an hour and a half !!
I had a similar experience. It's a cool place with a nice vibe, not the usual fat, old blokes talking bks. But the staff were a bit gormless and it felt like it was leaning towards being a bit cliquey.

The game has changed with car/bike places now. I went to The Motorist for the first time on Sunday. Really nice facilities, cool shop, food was class, great staff, family friendly but thankfully not family-orientated (we were with friends and their kids). 0% beer on draft which is quite rare. Very busy so I ended up in the muddiest part of the field but not really an issue. On the way there I passed Squires, which I'd heard of but never been, and my first thought was 'cant think of anything worse'.

Marquezs Stabilisers

1,232 posts

62 months

Tuesday 23rd April
quotequote all
BlackG7R said:
Personally apart from a decent parking area, a building with a bit of character / memorabilia etc. Good wholesome basic grub that can be ordered quickly and easily.

Every time I go to the Super Sausage there's a queue out the door, so I just don't bother ordering anything.

Went to Caffiene & Machine recently, great venue, but it was being run by teenagers, and it was a disaster area as far as food ordering was concerned. Food was good when it arrived, but it took an hour and a half !!
Food at Super Sausage is certainly basic - I went once after it won the MCN "best cafe" award and was not impressed.

Omaruk

625 posts

160 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
Common theme of poor food and drink in most bike cafes, probably extreme but exemplified here

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-04-27/biker...

Biker's Nemesis

38,690 posts

209 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
Omaruk said:
Common theme of poor food and drink in most bike cafes, probably extreme but exemplified here

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-04-27/biker...
UB40.

Hugo Stiglitz

37,163 posts

212 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
What I'd want in a biker cafe?

No bikers.

No really. I'd never go anywhere near such a place.


MDUBZ

863 posts

101 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
I wouldn’t go as far as no bikers, but I try and avoid the the type of place that turns into a static type meet (cars or bikes), the fun comes from riding or driving it rather than listening to people talking through their adenoids about their pride and joy or giving unsolicited opinion.

Just give me lots of parking, clean facilities, a nice atmosphere, and decent slice of cake or bacon roll and coffee for under £10.


JulianHJ

8,744 posts

263 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
HairyMaclary said:
Basically the Bike Shed in London but not in London.

Plus decent bacon. I went to the 1066 at the weekend and the bacon was crap. Every bike cafe is the same. Cheap greasy spoon ingredients and most of the time not cheap. Squires was the same.
1066 Cafe is apparently a rat hole.

Edited by JulianHJ on Sunday 28th April 19:32