THE SCENE It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon, we’re strolling along Wimbledon High Street and we stumble across Brew Cafe. It has a wide open front, large wooden tables and groups of friends and families catching up on the weekend gossip while tucking into eggs, sourdough toast, pancakes and steaming cups of tea and coffee. And yes, for the lazy among us, Brew serves ‘brinner’ – its fantastically tempting breakfasts morning, noon and night. Life is good.
THE GRUB Simple dishes done oh-so right. We went for the perfectly poached eggs on thick sourdough toast with a side of deliciously crispy and salty-sweet maple syrup bacon; a generous eggs royale with vibrant pink folds of salmon bathed in a creamy Hollandaise sauce; more thick toast, this time piled high with mashed avocado, cottage cheese, lemon and salt; and, for ‘dessert’, blueberry pancakes with banana, maple syrup and crème fraîche. If your mouth’s not watering simply at the sound of these dishes, it certainly should be as each one is totally delicious and perfect for mopping up a boozy weekend. Brew also adds little touches that make all the difference: soft-boiled eggs served up in egg boxes, a pot of Vegemite on your table, and a manager that encourages the staff to welcome you to the cafe like you’re friends coming to their home for breakfast. There are more substantial meals on offer too, with burgers, steaks, risottos and fish cakes offering to fill bellies come evening.
BEHIND THE BAR There are a handful of beers and cocktails for you hair-of-the-dog fans, but the freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, shakes and wide selection of teas and coffees are what it’s all about at Brew.Bill please Breakfast items (served all day) average at £8, lunch £10 and dinner £13.
VERDICT With the Aussie philosophy from its Antipodean founder of serving up top-notch food in casual surroundings, we’d say they’ve nailed it.
21 High Street, Wimbledon, SW19 5DX (also 45 Northcote Road, Battersea, SW11 1NJ). Tube: Wimbledon (also Battersea). brew-cafe.com