Why the River Cafe is quintessentially Fulham

Is it part of your matchday experience?

Credit: Chris Guy

If you head to Craven Cottage via Putney Bridge on the District Line, then you’ll know all about River Cafe.

You can’t miss it; as you flood out of station’s overflow gates, it’s right in front of you. And if you, like me, rock up around lunchtime, it’s the perfect place to grab some pre-game scran.

It’s not to be mistaken for the posh, Michelin-starred establishment just up the road in Hammersmith - though many neutrals might mistakenly assume that’s where Fulham fans love to eat before a match.

No, head in this River Cafe, and you’ll feel right at home. It’s proper Fulham. It’s been a family business since the 1960s - the current owners have been there since the 1980s or 90s, a family member tells me. Football shirts and scarves adorn the walls and ceiling - plenty of them FFC.

The whole place is like a time capsule - and that’s not to be derogatory in any way.

Striking white and blue wall tiles, Vitrolite ceiling panels (the history of which is described here), varnished wooden chairs and well-cared-for formica tables take you back to the halcyon days of the good old-fashioned British caff, which has long since made way for trendier eateries that are more likely to offer smashed avocado on toast or Greek yoghurt with chia seeds than Full English breakfasts or bacon butties.

You may well recognise it when you’re inside; the cafe’s featured in a bunch of films - including King of Thieves and Dead in a Week - as well as fashion shoots, with brands like Axel Arigato snapping its wares there.

The cafe tells me that the attention is partly from football, but partly due to its charm.

“The cafe is quite unique, and it’s very old-fashioned. It’s got a good vibe And cafes are beginning to dwindle. There’s not so many places like ours anymore, and some of the famous ones are going now.”

How does River Cafe describe its relationship with the Fulham Faithful?

“Oh, strong -very strong. My husband always says to anyone who comes in ‘I’m a Fulham boy, I’m born and bred; I was raised here’. He’s a local - and this is family run.”

And it’s message to any fans yet to sample its goods?

”Come have a look, support us. We’ve got a pictures of Fulham players, we’ve got the Fulham kits. We’ve just got another signed Fulham top [for the wall]. So we try and support [the club] and we need as many supporters [as we can get].”

So, if you’re not already a regular, why not take the tube to Putney Bridge and grab yourself some grub before the Whites pick up the dub?