Imperial Cafe

Reviews

• Lynne T.

  star star star star star 4 June 2026

  The Imperial is Cafe-tastic. Cooked breakfast and a mug of tea for £3.20. Amazing.
  
  I popped in at ten o clock and the place was rammed. I was lucky to snag a table and ended up sharing it (but that just added to the hustle-bustle friendly atmosphere). The food was yummy, the tea was great.
  
  This family-run cafe has loads of loyal customers (and I think that most of them were there yesterday morning!) and it's easy to see why. There's lots on the menu, from breakfasts to steak pie and chips to a simple sandwich and everything is fresh and good quality.
  
  Yesterday, half way through my breakfast, all the staff came to the front of the cafe with birthday cake for one of the regulars and everyone sang happy birthday. How cool is that?
  
  If you're a fan of the greasy spoon (and who wouldn't be?) I heartily recommend the Imperial Cafe.

• Rachel W.

  star star star star star_border 4 June 2026

  The Imperial Café is practically an institution on S[lott Road. Joe, the owner, has been serving the community with eat-in meals and takeaways for nearly twenty years.
  
  In a lot of ways the café, a sedate medium sized establishment, looks like it could be an extension of the doctors waiting room next door, or a scene from Cocoon before the geriatric cast became strangely invigorated... it's essentially a place where people of mature years go to while away their morning, and so there are a fair amount of hazy, glazed eyes staring blankly out of the window. That's not to say that it doesn't attract younger clientele as well, it's just that the OAP's of Splott patronise the place in their numbers.
  
  I'm not sure if the pensioners get some kind of special discount here, as they do in several fish and chip shops across the city, but the prices are pretty amazing anyway, so I guess that this is what makes the café so popular. There's also quite a few items on the menu that will appeal to the older generations, like faggots, homemade corned beef pie and gammon, as well as various forms of the time honoured favourite, fish and chips, including scampi, plaice and cod. Joe makes a good selection of homemade pies, and manages to put a roast dinner together for less than a fiver... no wonder he's so popular!

• Rebecca B.

  star star star star_border star_border 29 May 2026

  I got dragged to this café very reluctantly but it's actually not as bad as I expected. I loathe greasy spoons because I never feel like eating a cooked breakfast, but for those of you who do, even I have to admit that this place offers excellent value for money. You can grab a full cooked breakfast and a cup of tea for just over £3, and the portions are pretty substantial so you probably won't be buying lunch the same day.
  
  It gets pretty heaving in here around early to mid morning, and lots of customers seem to be regulars, which is always a good sign. If you're after a really belly-busting fry-up, this cafe seems to be a pretty safe bet for consistently good breakfasts.

• Jamie M.

  star star star star star_border 27 May 2026

  Imperial is very much a  no frills greasy spoon cafe. However these are the sort of places you get the best cup of tea, big portions of food and possibly a heart attack (This is unfounded).
  
  The other good thing is you get real value for your money, a fiver shall fill you up for the day, cure the hangover and give you a great cuppa.
  
  Staff are really friendly here as well, lovely people who give a great service. It maybe no frills but you can't always buy a great service.