The Convenience (E9 6DF)

Brooksby's Walk
London E9 6DF
http://theconvenience.co.uk/

The Convenience, located on cafe hub Chatsworth Road, is housed in the men's half of a former public toilet (the woman's half still remains a public loo). Sounds gross, doesn't it, but it's not. Honestly!

 

The former public convenience has been transformed into a stylish little cafe/bar. Interestingly, the cafe is run during the day by NANA (http://www.wearenana.com/). 

 
High ceilings give it a light and airy feel, with gleaming tiles in a pretty shade of pale green, and a petite bar tucked into one corner. Best of all, there is a large roof terrace that spans the length of the entire building, accessed via a flight of stairs inside.


 
On the day we visited it was dry and sunny, so we headed straight upstairs. Umbrellas provide shelter from the elements, and there is plenty of seating available from which to do some people spotting along the high street. 

 

I also spotted a BBQ tucked into a corner... a lot of potential here!

 

As far as cakes go, the selection was limited to two, thereby rendering this venue more bar than cafe. Two cakes... two people.. made the selection easy! Ben had the coffee & coconut, and I had a slice of what was described to me as "an apple-based twist on the Victoria Sponge". I can't say I loved my cake. I found it a bit dry, and lacking in oomph... it needed cream or icing just to give it some moisture.
 
 

Ben enjoyed his coffee, and I have no complaints about my tea, other than observing (not complaining) that the water was the hottest I've ever encountered and I burnt my fingers on the teapot!

I wouldn't come back here insofar as seeking a cafe experience is concerned (cake selection was just too limited). But I would recommend it as a convenient (pun intended) spot to chill out on the rooftop watching the world go by.
 

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

The Brockley Mess (SE4 2QZ)

325 Brockley Rd
London SE4 2QZ
www.thebrockleymess.com/

Brockley Road is dreary. Super dreary and totally uninspiring. We ended up here after a potential café find turned out to be closed, and The Brockley Mess came up on a google search as being in the vicinity. 

As we drove up the road, I expected the worst, but we agreed to have a look inside.

I’m so glad we did! This café/bar/gallery is a great find.

Firstly, the staff are extremely friendly, courteous and very attentive. Top marks guys!

Secondly, I was won over by the décor. So simple, yet very effective. 

The café makes great use of colour, with funky mismatched vibrant wallpaper strips covering part of one wall, and an unusual tiled feature wall by the entrance. 

This is contrasted by two huge black and white blown up vintage photographs (stretching floor to ceiling) which dominate the space but don’t overpower it.

There is a small section of the café towards the rear that is used as a gallery. To be honest, I think they should just put some chairs or lounges in the centre of the room to increase their capacity. Out the back is a little courtyard.

I’m not sure what this is used for, but I think more could be done with it in terms of seating for customers. As it was, we were fortunate to get the last table, so the café has enough footfall to justify more seating. 


 
The cake selection was adequate, but not prominently displayed to make it a feature (the cakes were tucked into an alcove). 

I ordered the lemon drizzle, and was a little apprehensive as came rather unadorned (ie: no icing or creamy filling). You can see from the photo that it looks quite plain. I needn’t have worried, because it was incredibly moist and flavoursome. 

Lemon drizzle cakes, if made badly, have a tendency to dry out, but whoever made this one obviously has some skills in the kitchen. It really was surprisingly good.


 
You can also see from the photo that Ben ordered toast. He’s really letting the team down here.

The tea was good. Coffee was good.

But really, The Brockley Mess wins out due to its uber fantastic customer service and appealing design. If only the rest of the shops on the street could take a leaf out of their book!
 

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

Fee & Brown (BR3 1AY)

50 High St
Beckenham BR3 1AY
http://feeandbrown.com/

We spotted Fee & Brown on a drive-by, and as Ben was feeling in need of a pick-me-up we decided to stop, attracted by the well-presented shop front. Although you should never judge a book by its cover, a visually appealing street presence can do a lot to draw in customers.

Inside, the visual effect was just as pleasing, with the elegant interior painted dove grey. We sat at a bench seat along the front window, overlooking a grand church across the road. 

Ben wasn't keen on the fixed seating inside, but it didn't bother me. I guess one drawback of doing this is that it makes the interior space less flexible, so wouldn't be suitable for parties or large groups (although there is a large bench table in the back area).


 
My only critique is that they should really do something about the courtyard space out the back. It was a jungle of weeds and undergrowth, and I was surprised to learn that the cafe has been operating for 2 years. It wouldn't take much work (or money) to turn this into a fantastic outdoor dining area, and it seems such a waste not to use it, particularly over summer. 


 
As we had already caked and cafe'd at The Brockley Mess earlier in the day, I was not intending to partake of cake this visit. My resolve crumbled the instant I walked through the door of Fee & Brown. 

The cakes.. wow. An undeniably tempting selection was laid out before me, and I caved in... trading a healthy dinner in favour of a rich, delectable slice of carrot cake instead. It was moist, rich, flavoursome with a smooth butter-cream icing.
 
 

Even Ben, who has been eschewing cake in pursuit of maintaining his (cycle) racing weight decided to have a slice too, and opted for a delicious plum and ginger. Ben rated the coffee highly.

I loved the pretty, feminine, brightly coloured crockery - it's these little details that add to the aesthetic of a place and help the ordinary become extraordinary.

I would highly recommend a visit to Fee & Brown, provided you come on an empty stomach, because the cakes really are too good to resist!
 

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

Mouse & de Lotz (E8 2EB)

103 Shacklewell Lane
London E8 2EB
http://mousedelotz.com/

Mouse & de Lotz is a super petite little cafe that appears to be exceptionally popular... during our visit the traffic through the door never let up. Despite this constant stream of patrons, we were fortunate to get a seat, perching on a couple of stools crammed against a small ledge running along one wall. There is also seating outside, with benches running across the front windows.

 
The interior has a lovely rustic yet clean design, with nice touches throughout, including artwork on the walls, wooden benches and a large wooden bar featuring a huge selection of goodies. Altogether it was very pleasing to the eye.
 
 

I selected a giant slice of the carrot cake. Now this is really embarrassing to admit, but I’m writing this review a few weeks after my visit, and for the life of me I can’t remember what I thought of the cake!! Clearly it wasn’t bad, since I would have remembered. 

I would have also remembered if it was the best carrot cake I’d ever eaten. So I’m guessing it must have fallen somewhere between the two extremes. It looks great on the photo, so I’m going to proclaim that it was very good.

 
 
Tea was great. Coffee was great. I loved the crockery.

And the more I think about it, the more I believe the cake was great too. But there’s only one way to be sure, and that’s to go back again for another visit.

It’s a hard life being a cake reviewer, but I’m prepared to take one for the team.

CakeMyDayLondon Rating