Dreyfus Cafe is little independently owned cafe just down the street from my flat. It’s been open about a month and is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. I’ve popped my head in a few times for coffee over the past few weeks. Good stuff! And I reckon the coffee’s already mingling confidently among those in any list of top Hackney cafe offerings. But it wasn’t until yesterday that I finally managed to sit down for a meal there. I had breakfast, it was good and I’m keen to go back for more.
Word on the street is that Dreyfus opened with a sputtering start but that any early day wrinkles have now been ironed out. I didn’t notice any foibles during my breakfast, and the coffee was still impeccably pulled.
For brekkie, I had Finnish toast (essentially French toast served with fruits of the forest coulis) for the very reasonable price of £4.75. As the above photo suggests, I got an extra pancake and a piece of grilled bacon with maple syrup on the side as well (for research purposes only of course). Everything was tasty, and I was all carbed up with a pre-emptive reward for the impending afternoon of boring errand running.
The rest of the breakfast menu sound just as good … as do the sandwiches, eat-in hot specials, home made cakes etc. The kitchen seems to look north and east for inspiration. Nordic meatballs with lingonberry and beetroot sauce and mash (£8.75)? Pastrami, gherkin, sauerkraut, gouda and mustard on a rich rye bread (£4.15 out, £4.95 in)? A daily changing roster of cakes and desserts? I’m tempted to make this place a regular haunt.
They’ve got WiFi too and (at least for the time being) appear to be a pretty mellow place during the week, if already a buzzing hub for the local weekend brunch set on Saturdays and Sundays.
Dreyfus is located at 19 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0NS. Visit the cafe online at dreyfuscafe.co.uk. They post a lot of updates and specials on their Facebook page too:
facebook.com/dreyfuscafe
