Petitou (SE15 4AR)

63 Choumert Road

Peckham SE15 4AR 

http://www.petitou.co.uk/ 

A few years ago, the thought of going to a cafe in Peckham would never have crossed my mind. In fact, going anywhere in Peckham would have been unthought of. The words that sprangto mind were "guns, thugs and da hood".

Peckham, it seems, has undergone a Renaissance of sorts, a similar transformation to that which occurred in similarly down-at-heel neighbourhoods such as Shoreditch. 

“London Suburbia” is often a conundrum in any case… good areas with bad parts, bad areas with good parts, bad parts becoming good parts (rarely vice versa). Whatever its past, the future of this little part of Peckham is rosy, and can best be described as “gentrified”.

Petitou is tucked just off the main road (Bellenden Road), in a quiet leafy side street lined with terraced houses.

A former butcher's shop, it is utterly charming, both inside and out. We were fortunate to visit on a gorgeous summer's day, and found a vacant table on the terrace outside, shaded by a grand plane tree.

While the cake selection was limited to two (coffee walnut and chocolate banoffee), there are also pastries on offer. 

Not being a coffee lover, I selected the chocolate banoffee and was extremely impressed. It was rich and moist, a decadent mingling of flavours and texture. I couldn't have asked for a better slice of cake to be honest.

Ben enjoyed his coffee, made doubly pleasurable by the outdoor setting.

After our visit, we walked along Bellenden Road and picked out a few more potential cafes for a future visit, as well as some delightful gift shops with offerings guaranteed to lighten one's wallet.

I honestly would never have expected to come across something so lovely in a suburb with such a mixed reputation. 

I'm glad to replace some of my previous (negatively) biased perceptions of Peckham with something more positive, as there's a lot to enjoy in this neck of the woods thanks to cafes like Petitou. 

 

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

119 Lower Clapton (E5 0NP)

119 Lower Clapton Rd

London E5 0NP 

http://119lowerclapton.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/119LowerClapton

Naming your cafe after your cafe's address is pure genius and saves wasting money on signage. This is a bonus when you are on a tight budget, which is the impression I got from the interior design of 119 Lower Clapton.

But to be clear, I'm not criticising their fit out. Quite the contrary in fact. I admired them for creating a light and airy space, with a modern twist with such a simple premise.

The key I think is that there is no pretence here. Their tables are raw and glorious chipboard, with simple white chairs. The floor looks like it might be mdf, painted a matt grey. White walls are adorned with a selection of colourful artwork that is for sale. 

Clean white paper lampshades hang from the ceilings, the electrical ducting on show. Large windows look out onto the street, with no fancy embellishments or decoration on the exterior of the shop front.

Even the crockery is light and airy - clear Perspex cups, saucers and plates. Ben didn't like them, but I thought they complimented the minimalist and unfussy style exceedingly well.

There was a broad range of cakes and slices on offer, and I struggled to make my choice as it all looked so tempting. I selected a courgette and lime slice, but truth be told I was a little disappointed. I found it a tad bland, and not as good as that served at Franze & Evans. I regretted not ordering the cardamom and raspberry chocolate cake... maybe next time.

Ben selected a simple slice of toasted banana loaf, which was served with a hulking great slab of butter on the side. Knowing that the butter would be re-refrigerated and re-served to the next customer, and knowing that we were the next customer after the customer before us was not a pleasant thought . It would have been better to be given a little dish with a smaller serve of butter on the side, or even the option of individual single-serve packets. 

A communal butter dish is really off-putting unless you're at someone's house, and that someone is a good friend or relative, and even then it's not ideal.

Ever a man of few words, Ben declared the coffee "Good", which is in actuality a glowing recommendation from him.

All in all, I would go back. 119 Lower Clapton is simple and refreshing, like a glass of Pimms on a warm summer's day. 

CakeMyDayLondon Rating 

Piglit’s Tea Rooms at Pooh Corner (TN7 4AE)

High Street, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4AE
http://www.pooh-country.co.uk/ 

I don’t have children, but that’s not going to stop me from going to a Winnie-the-Pooh themed café in the Kent countryside when there is cake on offer. In fact, the shop is reputed to house the largest collection of Pooh-related paraphernalia in the world.

A cycling friend of Ben’s recommended we come here (the nearby Pantry Coffee Shop was a previous recommendation).

The sweet village of Hartfield is located near to the Ashdown Forest, which is where many of the Winnie-the-Pooh tales are set (such as the Hundred Acre Wood).

If you come to the café, I recommend timing your visit for a warm dry day so you can sit in the garden, which is an absolute delight. There are plenty of ornate wrought-iron tables and chairs (with chair cushions for comfort), and some of the sets have large umbrellas for shade (or shelter). 

The garden is bordered by flowers, and you can quickly lose track of time listening to the gentle buzzing of bumble bees.

The indoor café is a little ho-hum, so don’t bother unless you are desperate for cake.

Tea is served in delicate floral-patterned teacups and saucers, with generous teapots accompanied by a hot-water top up. By the time I’d supped, topped up and supped again my bladder was full to bursting. Stingy they ain’t!

Hands down, the Pièce de résistance was the cake. We both ordered apple & blackberry pie, mine served with custard, and Ben’s with ice-cream. It was absolutely delicious, and rendered us incapable of eating lunch as we were so full afterwards. I have to say that the plates on which the pie was served were really pretty too.

If I wasn’t already sold on Piglit’s Tea Rooms we then received the bill… £8.70… an absolute bargain for what we consumed.

No Pooh-Poohing from me. I’m coming back.

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

Swan Street Café (ME19 6JU)

21 Swan Street, West Malling ME19 6JU
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Swan-Street-Cafe 
@swanstreetcafe

West Malling is a quintessential picture-book town in the lovely Kent countryside. The high street has a couple of pubs, some antique shops, a few galleries, a smattering of little boutiques, all of which make for a pleasant stroll.

Swan Street café is tucked in a side street off the main road. It’s an attractive café from the street, with stylish black chairs set out on the footpath under a chic black awning. 

 

The well-put-together décor continues inside – large windows that capture the sun, chunky wooden tables and chairs, funky bright yellow lights.

The cake selection was disappointingly small on my visit, as was the slice of banana cinnamon cake I was served. My cake was tasty, but I would have liked the slice to be a little larger… I am greedy like that. 

Ben ordered a brownie which never arrived… he decided on balance that this was probably a good thing for his cycling diet, so didn’t pursue it. He settled for an espresso ("OK but not great") that was served with a big spoon in a big cup. Placed on its big plate, next to my big teapot and my big mug, my cake looked small. 

The ratio of tea-pot size to milk-jug size didn’t quite work, but it was not taxing to get a top-up of milk.

On the whole, I found the service a little lack-lustre. Too many people behind the counter not doing enough and not doing the little they were doing fast enough either. 

It was a shame that the counter was left cluttered with used milk jugs, cleaning products and screwed up paper towels. There’s a reason why chemicals are visually separated from food in supermarkets, and the same rules apply to eating establishments. 

I can’t say it was a bad experience at Swan Street Café, but it was merely a tad disappointing given the strong first impression.

But as a close friend of mine said to me “Cafes aren’t like Pokémon… you don’t have to love them all”.

CakeMyDayLondon Rating