A little-known cafe in London lets you mingle with adorable cats while you eat your lunch – and you don’t have to pay the extreme prices charged by dedicated cat cafes
If you’ve ever wanted to pet a cat while you enjoy a coffee and a sandwich, you need to visit this little-known London cafe. There are a couple of specific cat cafes in London that allow you to mingle with feline friends, but you often have to book in advance, and a one-hour session with the moggies can cost as much as £17 – and that’s without buying a coffee.
But there is one location that doesn’t charge you extra to spend time with the on-site cats, because it’s not marketed as a dedicated cat cafe. Of course, this means you’re not guaranteed to see the cats as they’re allowed to roam around and do their own thing, but if you’re lucky, you could spend the afternoon with a furry friend for the price of a latte.
The cafe is Stepney’s, situated within the Stepney City Farm. The farm is home to four farm cats, and they often come up to the tables in the cafe to say hello to customers – and try to get their paws on your pancakes.
A woman named Mariya shared the cafe on her TikTok account as she encouraged others to check out the location for themselves, as she said she had found the “cheat code” to cat cafes.
She said: “If you want a cat cafe experience in London without paying cat cafe prices, I accidentally found one. This is Stepney’s, a cafe in a working farm, and I keep coming back here because of the farm cats.
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“I swear, every time I’ve visited, the second the food arrives, they just appear out of nowhere. They’ll sit next to you, try to sniff everything, and even try to climb onto the table because they’re convinced it’s their lunch too.
“They’re actually really sweet, though. You can pet them, and they’ll hang around while you eat, and it feels like such a random little hidden spot. Just don’t take it personally when you finish your food, because they immediately lose interest and move on to the next table.
“It’s honestly one of the cutest cafe experiences I’ve found in London, so if you love animals and good food, add this one to your list.”
Stepney’s opened on the farm in May 2025 and is run by Natasha Sayliss and Florence Creffield. The cafe is shut on Mondays, so it operates from Tuesday to Sunday, and is open from 10am until 4pm.
Stepney City Farm is located in Stepney, and the entrance can be found on the roundabout leading onto Stepney High Street and Belgrave Street. The farm is open the same hours and days as the cafe, and visitors can meet farm animals, learn how to grow food, and try their hands at various arts and crafts.
The farm has an extensive education programme, with over 5,000 school children benefitting from funded classes, tours, and projects every year. Stepney City Farm is free to all visitors, and their website indicates “everyone is welcome”.
Commenters on Mariya’s video were eager to visit the cafe for themselves, with many saying that it also seems like a much healthier environment for the cats than some cat cafes.
One person said: “And unlike cat cafes, I won’t feel uncomfortable for the cats.”
Another added: “This also feels so much nicer than normal cat cafes!”
A third wrote: “Thank you!! I’ve been looking for a farm to bring my child to, this seems so perfect.”
