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London does brunch well, plain and simple. With so many spots to choose from, we at Time Out have done the legwork and compiled our latest picks for the best cafés in London – and there’s one that takes the crown, hands-down.
And the winner is… Oula in Fitzrovia. Tucked away inside Ibraaz, a six-storey cultural centre celebrating art in the form of music, film, exhibitions and food from the Middle East and North Africa, Oula is the creation of French-Tunisian chef Boutheia Ben Salem
Ben Salem launched the café as a self-described ‘living archive of women’s rituals and memory’ that honours matriarchal culinary traditions. The service is warm and unhurried, and though the pink-hued womblike interior may sound striking, it’s inviting, intimate and homely. The café opened in October last year, yet it has the ease of an establishment that’s been there for years.
Oula’s menu goes far beyond your typical avo toast. Our best bite is the half-moon filo pastry that’s ‘fried to perfection and finished with a generous squeeze of lemon juice; our new favourite brunch.’ The rest of the menu runs from kastrout (Tunisian-style stuffed baguettes with bread from Quince Bakery) to drô gourmand, a sorghum porridge served with pumpkin seeds, coconut chips and pomegranate. You can read Time Out’s full five star review of Oula here.
It’s the perfect spot to take your mum – or to simply treat yourself – out to a brunch that’s genuinely special and rooted in tradition.
Some of the runners-up on the list include Rons, a delicious all-vegan café in Peckham, and Pavilion Café in Victoria Park, a scenic spot with a Sri Lankan-inspired menu.
Read the full list of London’s best cafés here.
Oula, 93 Mortimer Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 7SS.
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