Haberdashery is a brilliant example of the ‘make-do-and-mend’ café, not just in its aesthetic of vintage crockery, cocktails in jam jars, and hand-written labels, but also in its multifunctional appeal. It also sells books (lovely novellas by local press Peirene) and prints, tea sets, groceries and old-fashioned sweeties, as well as hosting sales, launches and monthly themed supper clubs.
Given the (well-handled) weekend waits for one of the tightly packed tables, the tucker has to be good – and it is. From a stunning window display of cakes to the handspan-sized bowls of glossy hot chocolate, this is a professional affair. Brunch might involve a veggie breakfast – nicely fried egg, soft rather than crunchy hash brown, halloumi, a big moist mushroom and excellent greens – or french toast with maple syrup and cinnamon bananas. For lunch, there are the likes of falafel burger or Scandinavian meatballs with Danish cucumber salad and teacup soup. Weekdays are quieter, while in summer trestle tables in the gravel backyard provide more space.