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Please note this venue has closed. Time Out Eating & Drinking editors, Oct 2016.
Homely charm and attentive service are the order of the day at this small Battersea eaterie. Basic furnishings include cream walls, plaid-upholstered benches and trimmings that range from a cubby-hole filled with a curious assortment of bric-a-brac (Glenmorangie ‘golf gift set’, gaudy wooden parrots, pan pipes) to a wall decorated entirely with display packets of breakfast cereals, jars of conserve and teas.
What makes the atmosphere distinctive, though, are nice touches such as pre-chilled glasses and an endearingly plain-spoken host who wishes punters ‘buen provecho’ in between cheeky admonishments like ‘These olives have stones in: don’t break your teeth and blame me.’ A curious menu mixes food from Britain, Indonesia, Morocco and Italy, with dishes including grilled halloumi in a fragrant, freshly blitzed green tomatillo sauce, and a rich spinach tagliatelle.
However, the relaxed, down-to-earth vibe and a £5-£7 breakfast menu of croissants, omelettes and fry-ups suggest Galapagos is at its best as somewhere to start the day.