Rooftop Café

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Time Out says

Mon Jan 28 2013

By Susan Low

You’ll need good orienteering skills to find this new café. Ring the buzzer, take the lift to the second floor, then stumble up an unmarked back staircase. If you’re lucky, you’ll emerge into a café that’s all clean lines and pale wood, like an Ikea self-assembly pack. (Take the phone number – if you get lost, the friendly staff can send out a search party.)

The Exchange is an ‘incubator’ that provides office space and business expertise to start-ups. The café is its de facto canteen, but is open to the public too, and also serves dinner on Thursdays and Fridays.

The open-plan kitchen is run by Australian chef Magnus Reid, who has put together a short but modish daily-changing menu. Wines, from the same suppliers used by Brawn and Terroirs, are well chosen and sensibly priced; bread is from the excellent Paul Rhodes Bakery.

A starter of pear and Berkswell cheese soup was creamy-textured, sweet and earthy. The flavour combos worked well enough in main courses of crunchy potato cake topped with a portobello mushroom and poached duck egg, and in the lamb cutlets with smoked aubergine, even if both dishes played it safe. But the bread and butter pudding lacked the airiness we craved.

The large outdoor terrace will come into its own in summer, and will doubtless become the café’s main attraction.

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Venue location

Address:
Rooftop Café London
SE1 9SG

Cross Street:
28 London Bridge Street
Phone:
020 3102 3770
Website:
www.theexchange.so/rooftop
Opening hours:
Meals served 8am-3pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 6-10.30pm Thur, Fri.
Transport:
Tube: London Bridge tube/rail
Price:
Main courses £9-£11. Dinner for two around £55.
Map
1. Rooftop Café
  - London
    SE1 9SG
  - 020 3102 3770
  - www.theexchange.so/rooftop
  - 51.505068,-0.088102

Categories:
Food and drink
Facilities:
Eating and drinking facilities. Restaurant

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Comments & ratings

(3 ratings)

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Rosie Whitehall Tue Mar 26
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Love this place. Food is perfect cafe food, executed with skill and understanding of flavours. Staff are friendly and welcoming but not overbearing and the space and atmosphere is unique and warm (in a good way!), which isn't always easy to find. Modestly priced. Definately coming back. Excellent

Rosie Whitehall Tue Mar 26
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I really like this restaurant, I've already been twice on a Friday evening. The food is good and reasonably priced, the staff are lovely and there's a great atmosphere. Really like that the music is just the right level to have a proper conversation. And they do an argentinian red that I've been trying to track down in wine shops to enjoy at home but can't find it anywhere so I'll have to keep going back!

Frances Sat Mar 16
Rated as: 5/5
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I have been here twice now with my boss, the food is really good and locally sourced, the staff are freindly and welcoming. Magnus is happy to chat about the food and makes it feel personal. Im looking forward to the opening of the Roof terrace in a few weeks

Wayne Wwhitwell Thu Mar 14
Rated as: 4/5
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I went to a great pop-up that Magnus Reid did last year so was excited to see what he produced in this new permanent location. He didn't disappoint, food just the way I like it; great flavours with a focus on seasonal quality produce, not fuss for the sake of it. Excellent value for money and with a great view it's the new hidden gem for London Bridge.

Chloe Hewitt Tue Feb 12
Rated as: 4/5
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