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Please note, With Jam and Bread has now closed. Time Out Food editors, July 2018.
Even though the name refers to ‘The Sound of Music’, there is nothing saccharine, Austrian or mountainous about this café in Lee Green. Its location is fairly far from the plush outskirts of Salzburg too, situated as it is on a busy road in south-east London. The large glass front however does a good job of muffling the traffic noise, and inside it’s a mixture of sleek wood and bright white walls.
The tea (or should that be ti?) selection and the drinks were the strong point. Loose-leaf offerings included a gunpowder tea that was strong but not over-mighty. The excellent espresso was made with beans from Dark Fluid, a local coffee roasting and brewing collective that appears at Brockley Market each week.
The savoury selection was well-executed but a touch unadventurous. Sandwiches on offer included: a tuna melt; a cheese and ham toastie constructed with delicious sourdough; and a hummus and roasted vegetable focaccia roll, which was satisfying, although the bread was not quite as robust as I would have liked.
Tomato and basil soup was fresh and perky, and the accompanying walnut and raisin bread rich and deep, but I wasn’t sure about the combination of the two. Rather than plunging such a fine creation into my bowl, I ate the bread by itself. A couple of slices of a crusty white would have worked better.
The cake range was similar in tone to the sandwiches. A few pastries joined the reliable café triumvirate of lemon and poppy seed cake, carrot cake and brownies. The almond croissant was a bit doughy but I quite like them like that.
The excellent drinks outshone this cautious menu of simple dishes but I would imagine that some diversification might occur soon. For SE12 residents though, With Jam and Bread must already be one of their favourite things, and rightfully so.