{"id":34475,"date":"2025-08-27T21:26:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T20:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?p=34475"},"modified":"2025-08-28T08:10:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T07:10:08","slug":"cars-coffee-cafes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/cars-coffee-cafes\/","title":{"rendered":"Cars, Coffee & Caf\u00e9s"},"content":{"rendered":"

If we were there and if we could have heard them behind their big smut-suppressing scarf, likely the first words the first driver would have said to their passengers would have been \u2018where shall we go?\u2019 And very likely the answer, because this was Britain after all, would have been \u2018cup of tea?\u2019<\/p>\n

Today, the beverage of choice would more likely be coffee, in one of its many milky or frothy variations, but driving out for a drink with mates has been at the heart of motoring since Karl Benz said \u2018…and I call it der MotorWagen.\u2019 We owe it to ’50s and ’60s bikers for popularising existing truck stops like the Ace Cafe, which served as useful assembly points for mass jaunts to the coast. The sight of all the bikes and greasers proved so evocative that it inspired a whole new type of bike, the Caf\u00e9 Racer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While the marriage of burger bars and cars proliferated in the USA, here in Blighty, for decades, the idea didn\u2019t really catch on beyond bikers. A few small venues popped up, like the wonderful Gilks Cafe in Kineton, but the sense of a \u2018trend\u2019 was missing.<\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t stop fans of two and four wheels congregating, of course. What could? Morning \u2018Cars & Coffee\u2019 events have been springing up in fields and the forecourts of classic specialists for years, while endless Club events, of course, cater for our deep desire to get together and talk machines. Given the opportunity, we all love to meet other enthusiasts and feel that sense of connection and shared joy.<\/p>\n

COVID, the rise of Instagram and the demise of the traditional boozer created a perfect storm for the avalanche of \u2018cars and coffee\u2019 caf\u00e9s that we lucky enthusiasts are witnessing today.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It began with Caffeine & Machine, which took a hugely popular event in Dubai and transposed it to the Cotswolds. Based around the idea of a traditional \u2018road house\u2019, C&M has become the template for the raft of caf\u00e9s that have followed. Namely, create a car-themed bar or caf\u00e9 with ample parking. Add in some simple carb-based food, run some themed events and, well bingo.<\/p>\n

C&M caught on because it was the first, and it cleverly harnessed the Insta generation. Other venues have taken a more low-key, less glossy approach. The Motorist in Yorkshire, The Piston Club in Warwickshire and the biker-oriented Baffle Haus near Pontypool have all put their love of wheels first and foremost.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So what is it, beyond a love of good java, that fuels these caf\u00e9s? Of course, it\u2019s obvious. We are passionate about our machines. We want to use them<\/a>, we want to explore and to go to new places. And often, when we go there, we want to meet people, like-minded people who get why we love the drama and the detail of two and four wheels. They might be people we know, or more likely people we don\u2019t. Caf\u00e9s are those meeting points, places where we can converse over food and drink, making connections flow more easily.<\/p>\n

Whenever I go to a motoring caf\u00e9, I\u2019m always struck by how relaxed it is. Nobody is getting lairy with anyone else. It\u2019s never about to kick off. There\u2019s just the burble of engines and the hum of conversation, interspersed with enthusiastic shouts and with laughter. You can arrive alone and wander, and whichever one you visit, you\u2019re guaranteed to end up talking to someone. Before you know it, you\u2019ve whiled away 30 minutes debating whether the Stag was stymied by its engineering or construction, or the differences between the C-Series engine in the Austin Healey and the MGC. This is the sort of stuff that would get rolling eyes anywhere else, but at a motoring caf\u00e9, you know you\u2019re in good company.<\/p>\n

The growth in motoring caf\u00e9s means that, today, whichever direction you turn out of your drive, you\u2019re likely to find one. That is fantastic for our shared love of machines.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Below, in no particular order, are some of our top caf\u00e9 choices. There are many more – let us know which ones you love – and we might have missed.<\/p>\n

Our Top 10 Favourite Caf\u00e9s:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Piston Club<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Gilks’ Cafe<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Caffeine & Machine<\/a> (several venues)<\/li>\n
  4. The Motorist<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Baffle Haus<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Gasoline Juice<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. NY500<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Ace Cafe<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. The Drive at Haddo<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Re:Fuel<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If we were there and if we could have heard them behind their big smut-suppressing scarf, likely the first words the first driver would have said to their passengers would…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":33775,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[819],"tags":[15,199,1646,963,693,11,14,325,16],"yoast_head":"\nCars, Coffee & Caf\u00e9s - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Caf\u00e9s with an automotive theme are cropping up all over the place. 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