Cafe Foy
An independent riverside cafe bar on Quayside, from morning coffee to evening cocktails.
Cafe Foy is an independent cafe bar at 2 Quayside, on the River Cam. Its own description sets out the idea plainly: good food, good wine and good conversation beside the water. The day starts with coffee and brunch, moves through lunch, and on the later-opening days runs into cocktails and small plates.
What it serves
The website puts toasties at the front of the menu and calls them famous. A daily specials board sits alongside, and the cakes and sweet treats come from a local bakery. The wine list draws on Cambridge Wine Merchants, and there is a seasonal cocktail menu. Brunch, lunch and drinks menus are published online, and the cafe advertises occasional evening supper clubs through its social channels.
The site quotes two outside comments: the Cambridge News on the "idyllic" riverside setting and generous portions, and The Tab on the toastie's cheese pull.
The name
The cafe explains "foy" as an old French word for a feast, a drink or a gift given on setting out on a journey. It also notes the motto of Magdalene College, "garde ta foy", and a Cafe de Foy that once stood in the Palais Royal in Paris, with which it says it has no connection.
Practical notes
Opening days differ from most cafes: it is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, shuts at 4.30pm on Monday, and stays open until 9pm Thursday to Saturday. Private hire is offered for up to 25 guests inside, or 60 with the outside space. Festive dining and private events can be booked by phone or email.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
