Visit to the ACE Cafe, London

[Fatt Max]

Well roll me in honey and throw me to the lesbians,

I had the great pleasure of enjoying breakfast at the ACE Cafe in NW London this morning.

For those of you who do not know the place, the ACE was an iconic biker hang out in the 50's and 60's but had to finally close its doors late 70's / early 80's (I think, Google it for the real dates)

Anyway, it has now re-opened and once again is establishing itself as the hub for bikers from all over the world. I'm in the UK at the moment and the ACE cafe is literally at the end of my parents road so it would have been rude to pass it by. I rememebr my dad taking me and my brother up there to look at the bikes when we were kids, thats going back 35-40 years.

The clientelle is a mixture of biker and businessman during the week but at the weekends the place is heaving (it was whene we arrived in London last Sunday). They stage huge events for all sorts of things, from scooters to classic cars, bikes to BIKES and everything in between.

Made me think how successful something like this would be in NZ but have snapped out of that dream cos I have another 3 weeks of pissing it up here in the UK to do, and thats all my money gone.

I've attached a few piccies, it really is a great place and well worth a visit if you ever get to London

243682243683243684243686243685

[chanceyy]

looks awesome Max, how is the food there ??

[FJRider]

looks awesome Max, how is the food there ??

Who cares ... it's the Ace Cafe ...

It would have to be at least edible ... for Max to eat there. If it wasn't he would have said ... THAT I am sure of ...

[gwigs]

I,m jealous...I,d love to go there myself,I,m interested in the history of the place, the Ton Up Boys..and cafe racers.Pics please....:yes:

243690

[popelli]

Don't know how long you are over in the uk for but try and get out of London and see the real england

For a proper petrol head meet (read bikes hot rods sports cars etc) try 2nd tuesday of the month in a village named ashby folville

Beer is better as you travel northwards

museums worth visiting

National Motor Cycle Museum

Sammy Millers Museum

Haynes Car Museum (crap manuals but excellent collection)

Avoid Beaulieu Auto museum - over priced and not worth the money

[Katman]

Don't know how long you are over in the uk for but try and get out of London and see the real england



They don't come much more "real england" than our Fatt Max.

[Usarka]

Ahh NW10. There is nothing more london than me ol' Dollis Hill.

How much for a pint these days Max?

[Bikemad]

triumph factory tour is well worth a look Max if you are headin north and its free........just ring first to set up a time........... if your doin the National Bike Museum get there early cause you will need all day to take it all in.The V8 Norton there is simply stunning :drool:

[merv]

I too can certainly recommend the National Motorcycle Museum. Went there a couple of years back and posted my story here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/91576-What-did-you-do-in-the-holidays-National-Motorcycle-Museum

Max is the Ace back in its original building?

[Sketchy Snr]

Awesome dude, thanks for posting and the pics. :niceone:

[baptist]

[QUOTE=popelli;1130119618]Don't know how long you are over in the uk for but try and get out of London and see the real england

:laugh::laugh::laugh:Nuts!!! London IS England, further North you go the nearer you get to the border (at the Watford Gap):niceone:

Beer is better as you travel northwards
:rolleyes: Chiswick, the Griffin Brewery? Reigate, Pilgrim Brewerys Crusader ale? not to mention Youngs special and Courage Directors et al... and Dogbolter:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool ::drool::drool::drool::drool: I think London and the South more than holds its own in beer, please forgive us Whitbread:facepalm: before I left (12yrs ago) they seemed hell bent on buying every small brewery they could get their greedy paws on.

Haynes Car Museum (crap manuals but excellent collection) Ahhh you gave me nightmares then, never have books been so frustrating and wrong.

Anyway Max enjoy your trip you jammy git... and have some Pie, mash and stewed Eels in liquor for me:yes:

[Smifffy]

Hey Max; have you lost weight?

:innocent:

[JimO]

Hey Max; have you lost weight?

:innocent:

just making room

[cheshirecat]

Ah kendal mint cake, Cumberland sausage, Devon Tribune and the Wandsworth one way system- might be me in a couple of weeks .

[Berries]

I think London and the South more than holds its own in beer
One word. Shandy.


Ah kendal mint cake,...............
Picked some up in Queenstown this week, bit of a hike down memory lane. Bloke says he is getting some of the chocolate covered stuff in soon so I may have to clear him out.

Max - Can you bring a giant bag of Minstrels back for me ?

[Bikemad]

and some Gems and skinny licorice sticks for me please Max...........yum yum

[popelli]

[QUOTE=popelli;1130119618]Don't know how long you are over in the uk for but try and get out of London and see the real england

:laugh::laugh::laugh:Nuts!!! London IS England, further North you go the nearer you get to the border (at the Watford Gap):niceone:

Beer is better as you travel northwards
:rolleyes: Chiswick, the Griffin Brewery? Reigate, Pilgrim Brewerys Crusader ale? not to mention Youngs special and Courage Directors et al... and Dogbolter:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool ::drool::drool::drool::drool: I think London and the South more than holds its own in beer, please forgive us Whitbread:facepalm: before I left (12yrs ago) they seemed hell bent on buying every small brewery they could get their greedy paws on.

Nottingham beer festival over 600 different hangovers on tap - damn its north of the border for the southern shandy drinkers

Haynes Car Museum (crap manuals but excellent collection) Ahhh you gave me nightmares then, never have books been so frustrating and wrong.

try the red room every convertible you could ever imagine in red except an mx5 and they have a genuine crocker in the speedway display



you really need to get outside of the m25

[baptist]

One word. Shandy. :laugh::laugh::laugh: Went up north drinking a few times in the old days... Banks and Bass in Branston...:sick::sick: go all the way to Orkney though and the Skull Splitter is erm... just as it names says:drinknsin:drinknsin:confused::confused::apint ::drinkup:

Have to say after passport control Nottingham and Rugby have some good watering holes.

Kendal mint cake... yummy always had that in my Bergen in the Army... and Bakewell Puds :drool::drool:(not in my Bergen!!!)....

[baptist]

[QUOTE=baptist;1130119752]

you really need to get outside of the m25

But then you miss the Great British Beer Festival...:shit::shit::shit: and the Pigs Ear (if its still going, not been home in 12 years)

[Scouse]

Jaffa Cakes Mmmmmm Mmmmmmm

[cheshirecat]

Stinking Bishop and old port

[baptist]

Jaffa Cakes Mmmmmm Mmmmmmm

Found them the other day in Paknsave!!!! the Henderson branch had a British corner full of goodies... twiglets, smiths crisps...:drool::drool::drool:

As for beer... a nice pint of Spitfire or Winter Warmer would go down well right now...

[admenk]

We just came back from the homeland, with a case full of Jaffacakes and Cadburys minirolls. :yes: Didn't have room for the Banks' Mild though :angry:

And sorry Baptist, I don't even class anywhere inside the M25 as being part of the UK ! :innocent:

[NONONO]

Chips, real fking chips, oh and a pie, and some peas, with gravy, and a curry that does not taste like vinegar, and BIKE magazine, and the papers, oh and EXTRA STRONG MINTs, and a pint of Bass, and Grandstand, Final Score, the Shipping Forecast....
Fck it, I'm going home.

[cheshirecat]

Cod, Yorshire pud, banter, Daily Mirror, FT, Frenchies in Soho, Bldy 'ell, you've got me going now, just's well winging owt this sat.
That Max has a lot to answer

[GrayWolf]

Well roll me in honey and throw me to the lesbians,

I had the great pleasure of enjoying breakfast at the ACE Cafe in NW London this morning.

For those of you who do not know the place, the ACE was an iconic biker hang out in the 50's and 60's but had to finally close its doors late 70's / early 80's (I think, Google it for the real dates)


Maxx Mate,
if you have time dont forget the 59 club, AND a friday night visit to the Burger bar on Chelsea bridge..... if they are still going???

[Berries]

Batter bits.

[KiWiP]

Beer is better as you travel northwards


Bollocks

Shepherd Neame, Kent Spitfire or Bishops Finger
Hall and Woodhouse, Dorset, Badger Bitter
Charles Wells, Bedford Bombadier.

To name but a few.

Northern beer, Tetleys (well they make tea don't they)
Newcastle brown ale, pasteurised muck
Boddingtons , just nasty nasty nasty

Ding Ding round one

[Berries]

Being from Nottingham I get called a southerner by my Geordie relatives and a northerner by all the soft southern shandy drinkers. Can we define a boundary?

You have managed to pick three northern beers that are available internationally which always causes quality problems, yet quote three southern breweries that nobody outside CAMRA or SOBA would know about. I might as well talk about the Castle Rock (http://www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/) brewery because it is better than any of the ones you have listed but very few on here will have heard about it. For better known beers I'll put forward Bass and Pedigree from Burton on Trent seeing as they are fairly local, and Theakstons make a pretty good brew as well. In the end the locally brewed stuff is always better.

I had a Bishops Finger once, was sore for a week. But that's your southern water for you. Did you know the Ganges is cleaner than the Thames? Less bodies apparently.

[growlley]

it's the Country's arse hole instead

[Usarka]

it's the Country arse hole instead

Good point, Hull, Middlesborough, Manchester, Blackpool, Stoke, Liverpool etc etc etc. All have much more to offer than London.

[Berries]

You missed out Bradford.

[Garfield]

Stinking Bishop and old port

Old Speckeld Hen, Tangle Foot and Monkman's Slaughter ...and my favourite... Spitfire from Shepherd Neame in Faversham.....:drinkup:

[imdying]

a curry that does not taste like vinegar

Fck it, I'm going home.

That's cause of all the Indians living their. Enjoy.

[GrayWolf]

Ok you lot,,,
lets put this arguement to bed

Newquay Steam beers...... available in the So'west.... probably produce one of, if not the strongest beers in the UK.

Orrrrrrr REAL Scrumpy, not scrumpy jack... but the stuff with bits floating in it, served by a local pub, brewed by the 'local farmer'..........
rocket fuel, nuff said!!!!!

[brumax]

try a McEwans Champion, nearly as good as montieths,
and dont forget to visit Glenfiddoch distillery and get yer free dram