The Table Cafe, Southwark & Battersea
After 17 years in only one venue, cult Southwark brunch spot The Table has branched into Battersea with a brand-new light-filled restaurant and a menu brimming with scrumptious breakfast dishes. The classics are well-represented – with all the Benedicts sitting neatly alongside the Full English, Full Veggie and Scrambled Eggs + Smoked Salmon – and cooked to perfection. But adventurous brunch-lovers should delve into The Table’s other delicious offerings, which made a name for it in Southwark (where the brunch dedicated restaurant still operates). Think Smoked Ham Hock with Chorizo Hash, served with wilted spinach, a fried egg and hot sauce, plus a black pudding, mushrooms or halloumi if you wish. Or go big with the Breakfast Stack, a mouth-watering combo of ham hock and chorizo baked beans atop a crunchy toasted bagel, with a Cumberland sausage patty, two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and a black pudding, with avocado or griddled halloumi.
I tucked into the delicious and wholesome-tasting Sweetcorn cake with baby spinach, smashed avocado, zingy tomato compote, an oozing poached egg and green sauce with chilli, plus an added pile of smoked salmon – refreshingly divine. But sweet-toothed diners are also well-catered for with an array of both sweet and savoury pancakes and waffles, with toppings to tempt anyone, from berries to fried chicken to coconut yoghurt (not all at the same time). Plus, any brunch naysayers in attendance can tuck into one of the special brunch burgers, ranging beef to sweet potato to chicken.
Wash it all down with a warming coffee, or kick-start your day with a fruity smoothie. Or (it’s the weekend, after all?), opt for one of the cocktails, from classics to breakfast specials. A mimosa will go down just right, thank you. By Olivia Emily
83 Southwark St, London SE1 0HX & 35-37 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1HG; thetablecafe.com
© Paul Winch-Furness