BRICKWOOD

“This café, just over the road from Clapham Common tube, is one of the new wave of Antipodean-style cafés that make much of their brunch menu (served  here until 3pm), and their coffee – all the equipment and beans here are tip-top. The two-floor interior’s fashionably rough and ready, and there’s a yard at the back with outside seating ­– not catching on the sun on our midday visit, but this didn’t deter hardier diners.

The dishes are attractively presented with smears of colour and pretty leaf garnishes and sprouts, but at heart, this is simple food based around baking, hot grilled sandwiches and fry-ups. The eggs were perfectly poached, the fried bits perfectly fried. And the flavours worked, even odd combos such as beetroot, corn fritters and halloumi, and an extra of smashed avocado.

On both of our visits months apart, the service was amateurish. Waits were long, orders forgotten, coffee clumsily made, and – on one visit – the meal bill given as a verbal total, rather than itemised so that it could be checked. Be warned too that with add-on prices for many ‘extras’, the bill can come to more than you might expect.”

Review By; TimeOut April 2014