Given that Nunhead Green has a pub on each of its four corners, it really shouldn’t have taken this long for someone in the area to open somewhere decent to nurse a hangover. In this simple role, at least, The Habit succeeds: the welcome is warm, the coffee from nearby Old Spike Roastery is good and strong, and the brightly decorated space lends itself well to rustling through the Sunday supplements.
But while The Habit rejoices in decorative detail – hand-stamped napkins; little bunches of flowers from the local florist – for better or worse, the menu is far less fussy. You’ll find no waffly promises of provenance here. Which would be fine, of course, if only it translated to flawless food. The fry-up (not the Full English, not the house brunch – the ‘fry-up’) was solid, but a nine-quid breakfast really ought to come with more than one egg and something a little more refined than from-a-tin beans.
Families looking for some quick ballast may appreciate the simplicity, but others (and anyone who’s been to nearby brunch benchmark Pedler) may feel standards could be higher.