Please note, Breads Etcetera has now closed. Time Out Food editors, May 2018.
This bakery-cum-café has been going strong for the past decade, and come noon every weekend, there’s a queue of up to half an hour, out the door and on to Clapham High Street, for a table. So what’s the attraction? What the Danes call hygge, the Germans call Gemütlichkeit; a relaxed cosiness, created by smiling staff and toasters on the table. An enormous basket of freshly baked sourdough loaves sits on a counter-top in the middle of the room: white or wholemeal, rye or seeds, and all still wonderful despite the change of baker. The idea is to help yourself, cutting off as many different slices as you dare, and toast them at your table. This ‘DIY’ option costs £6.50, and as the staff point out, the only slightly dearer all-day breakfasts work out better value as you then get the bread for ‘free’. Not that you’ll have much room for extra toast, as the breakfast portions are huge; the ‘super duper huge omelette’ overflows even the large dinner plate it’s served on. The vegan and vegetarian options are particularly strong, from the fruit and nut french toast to a vegan version of pyttipanna (Swedish bubble and squeak). In the evenings, the emphasis changes to an Italian menu, with – of course – sourdough-based pizzas among the options. Note: it’s cash only.
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