Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a café, usu. cheap and cheerful.

1920		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Reformed Pub’ Sporting Times 17 July 1/3: It’s up to them to call / It a restaurant, or club-room, or a ‘caffy’ or a hall.
1930		(con. 1910s) D. Mackenzie Hell’s Kitchen 66: The owner of this ‘caff’ was a negro.
1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 39: The only time he’d bin to that caff the wagon had come through St. Albans.
1946		S. Jackson Indiscreet Guide to Soho 114: He has probably had sausage and mash in a Soho ‘caff’.
1954		R. Fabian London After Dark 55: They scurry in and out of cheap kaffs.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 189: An all-night caff in Edgware Road.
1959		C. MacInnes Absolute Beginners 44: He lived a high old life [...] smashing crockery in all-night caffs and crowning distinguished colleagues with tyre levers.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 8: I had some eggs and bacon in a kayf just around the corner.
1966		B. Reckord Skyvers I i: Brooksie’s in the caff. Wants us there.
1979		R. Barker Fletcher’s Book of Rhy. Sl. 21: I took her for some Lillian Gish / Down at the chippy caff.
1989		D. Waters Heathers [film script] Don’t blame me, blame Heather. She told me to haul your ass into the caf, pronto.
1997		D. Farson Never a Normal Man 161: I had a cup of tea in a nearby caff.
2001		K. Waterhouse Soho 189: What you didn’t do was go to a caffy.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 165: In the caff at the lorry park.
2009		T. Black Gutted 62: By the time I got to the caf [...] Debs seethed.
2010		K. Richards Life 207: One greasy-spoon caff wouldn’t serve us.