Time Out rating:
<strong>Rating: </strong>4/5
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<strong>Rating: </strong>3/5
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Time Out says
Thu Oct 18 2012
The domed pavilion on Victoria Park’s boating lake is nowadays a fine café, populated (during weekends at least) as heavily by young Hackney trendies as rampaging family groups. Proceedings were given a lovely lilt on our latest visit by an understated jazz trio.
All the tables were outside (covering fair acreage), so it was possible to grab a seat even in the midday rush – though we would gladly have queued for the food. From an extensive all-day breakfast menu (three types of eggs benedict, kippers, pancakes, things on toast, three variations on full english), we plumped for the Farmhouse (fried egg on toast, magnificent black pudding, sausage, bacon and disappointingly flavourless own-made baked beans). Of the select lunch list (two burgers, salad, BLT on focaccia with aïoli), a beetroot, ricotta, puy lentil and watercress salad needed a more aggressive cheese or heavier seasoning, but was accompanied by excellent focaccia with frills of shaved courgette baked on top.
Cakes were a hit: chocolate brownie a mite dry, but not oversweet; grapefruit brioche a pleasantly grown-up surprise. Best of all, the pretty young waitresses were well drilled and knowledgeable.
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