Whether you've been there or not, the Ace Cafe is one of those places that looms large in the minds of motorcyclists around the globe. I don't know what bike nights are like where you live, but here, it can definitely vary. I suspect that's true of most places; the vibes are largely determined by who shows up, right?
To that effect, London's Ace Cafe posted a notice on its website regarding the evening of this upcoming Friday, August 28, 2026. The headline here is, "We run the cafe--not the road."
It goes on to state that for the past six weeks, the Ace Cafe has been closed on Friday evenings and has not been hosting its usual bike night at that time, largely due to "anti-social behaviour on the public highway" just outside the Cafe.
The Ace Cafe staff who wrote this message also say they prioritize "the safety and wellbeing of our staff, customers, neighbours, and the wider community" and say that it "must always come first." Which is indeed what you'd hope any customer-facing business would say, to be honest.
Just before that paragraph, it states that "Ace Cafe London has no authority over the public highway, and the relevant authorities have not provided the policing required to address these ongoing issues."
The current owner, a man by the name of Mark Wilsmore, spoke to MCN about this latest round of Friday night closures. He said it isn't the first time this has happened, but what makes this situation a bit strange is that he says the police have yet to follow up with the Cafe about the bad behavior that's causing such a problem.
So what is this behavior? "Making a lot of noise and allegedly riding dangerously" on the North Circular Road is how MCN describes it.
We get it, you're excited to be at the Ace Cafe. So why would you start trouble and wreck it for all the other riders who've come by? Isn't it better to just go, see some cool bikes, hang out with some cool people with shared interests, and go for a ride? Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought that's what all of this was about.
