Georgina's (CLOSED)

This low-key café/brasserie has found its niche, targeting the affluent daytime population of Barnes – many of them women and several toting baby buggies alongside their designer handbags. White walls and furniture and a large skylight make the wedge-shaped space bright and appealing. Takeaway coffees and fresh pastries are dispensed from the display counter by the door; at the back is a small enclosed courtyard. Breakfast, lunch and brunch are the mainstays, with dinner available at the end of the week – and then only until 9pm. Start the day with a fruit platter, an excellent cheese omelette or build your own breakfast. Avocado and tomato on toast was just that: unadorned (and under-ripe) slices. Tastier and better value are the toasties, including a rich and moreish version with aubergine, onion relish and blue cheese. You’ll also find half a dozen Mediterranean-style salads and uncomplicated main courses (beef and lamb burgers with chips, grilled prawns with stir-fry vegetables). Children get a wider-than-usual choice, from pancakes with banana to salmon with veg. Drinks encompass cocktails, decent coffees, freshly made smoothies and juices (the zingy carrot, apple and ginger is recommended). Young staff are well-meaning, but service tends to falter at busy times.