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<strong>Rating: </strong>3/5
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Time Out says
Wed Oct 19 2011
This bijou brunch spot, just off the Uxbridge Road, was called the Cupboard in its previous incarnation. The name was apt; it is tiny, but the current one implies an additional sparkle. The new owners have opened up the space, adding a full kitchen (before, there were only microwaves) and somehow squeezing in more tables inside and out. The result is a friendly neighbourhood eatery that, while compact, doesn’t feel too tight.
Square Mile Coffee is FedExed in from deepest east London. The La Marzocco machine was used to create good, creamy cappuccino, although it was a little too milky; the teas are from Sherston Tea Company. Breads and pastries come from Flour Station – a citywide supplier to cafés and delis of the upper calibre. There are also a rotating selection of own-made cakes. On our visits, glazed lemon poppy seed muffins, carrot and walnut cake and dense nutty brownies were stacked on cake stands.
Brunch is served all day and includes eggs Benedict with a light, lemony hollandaise, wilted spinach and a generous thick slab of ham – but also runs to buttermilk pancakes and French toast for those who like their mornings sweetened. Daily lunch options (soup, quiche and lasagne) are chalked up on a board and a plank of rosemary focaccia sits on the counter, waiting to be sawn into generous sandwiches.
The café is also open for light dinners (charcuterie, sourdough bread, steaks), with a small selection of wines kept along the walls (there is also an off-licence), but all-day brunching seems to be the main draw.
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