Who doesn’t love a pancake? That’s the simple premise behind this bright new addition to Southwark’s Flat Iron Square, and it seems to be working – I had to wait 20 minutes to get a table on my visit. It’s easy to see why: the buttermilk beauties served here have just a hint of sourness, managing to be substantial and moist without stodginess. In other words, flipping perfect.
The intriguing menu is split into sweet and savoury. Take the Hummingbird, for example, with cinnamon poached pineapple, crushed meringue and a scattering of delicate flowers. Fancy, eh? Or the Instagram-ready Dutch Babies, which are baked in an oven and served in a heavy black frying pan, from which they billow like enormous Yorkshire puddings blotched with goat’s cheese, cheddar and parmesan. Sure, it’s a bit more fiddly than a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of sugar, or frazzled strips of bacon with a glug of maple syrup, but those are on the menu too if you’re in the mood for something more straightforward.
The dining space is covered in soft woods, with a white powdered ceiling and a wall of felt discs that dampen the hubbub around you. The light fittings resemble upturned stacks of pancakes with leafy vines spilling over the sides and large bulbs with spiraling filaments; when viewed from the roomy mezzanine, they become fetching hanging planters.
In short, Where the Pancakes Are makes a great brunch or lunch option as well as a nice place to go on your own if you’re looking for somewhere to cosy up and read a book. The best bit? You don’t have to wait until Shrove Tuesday rolls around for your next pancake fix.