On the advice of
@PSDInteriors, (see his
design review here), I decided to visit Brunswick House Cafe today. Brunswick House Lassco is a Georgian townhouse in the middle of the gyratory system in Vauxhall (to the west of St George Wharf). You've probably driven past it, and wondered what it was. Whilst it's slightly outside of SE11, it's one of my favourite haunts. When I first discovered the house, in the depths of winter, with the fires burning, I thought it was a quirky private collector's museum (it is, really). A brief enquiry revealed that
Lassco is actually an antique salvage company, selling everything from copper baths to Bakelite radios, and doorknobs to stained glass. The house is huge, spans several floors and has a properly kitted out ballroom, study and dining room, amongst other rooms. It was rescued from squatters several years ago, and is slowly being refurbished. I imagine that when it stood in 3 acres of parkland, it was the talk of the town. Now it looks out over the gyratory, it's slightly harder to pretend that you're part of the landed gentry, but fascinating to visit nonetheless. Imagine my excitement when I heard that they had opened a cafe. Apparently, it has been open for a month now, but I failed to spot that...
Consequently, I paid a visit at the first opportunity and discovered a veritable storehouse. The cafe is based in one very large room in the house, offers an outside seating area (slightly loud, on account of Wandsworth road, but very full nonetheless), and seems to sprawl backwards inside the house, offering additional rooms for expansion, depending on the number of customers. The best part is that all of the furniture is for sale, so you could find yourself eating at a salvaged table on a stool or a chair, looking on to an exquisite mirror or a veritable array of old-fashioned clocks.
On account of time, we (I took the other
SE11_lurker too) only had a bite to eat, but the coffee and hot chocolate (made with bitter cocoa) were excellent. They offer a full range of Portuguese snacks, including those inimitable custard tarts and muffins, as well as more traditional fare, such as banana bread and croissants. I ordered a croissant, which duly arrived with a delicious rhubarb and ginger compote. They also offer a variety of flavours of home-made ice-cream. Prices are slightly on the steep side for some items, but this is "up and coming Vauxhall" and the venue is probably not a place for common folk to meet. We felt that £4.80 was slightly too much for tomatoes on toast, but it did look very nice! On the other hand, drinks and snacks etc. seemed reasonable (at least according to London prices). Expect to be surrounded by slightly bohemian types with out-of-town houses, large enough to store antiques (and their accompanying large purses!).
Take a look at the menu below, and note that Afternoon Tea & Brunch are available on Saturdays only, and Breakfast and Lunch from Tuesday - Friday. Although... as we were leaving, I noticed that somebody was scribbling on a blackboard that suggested that the cafe would be open seven days a week, so perhaps they're experiencing phenomenal success. The staff were friendly and helpful, so they deserve it. We'll certainly be returning to sample some more of their wares in a week or so, and I recommend it to readers...
In other news, I'm afraid I cannot recommend Aqua Riverside Brasseries (inside the St George Wharf complex). The service we experienced was abysmal, and we had the misfortune to be served by a waitress who had an entirely "don't give a toss" attitude to all of the customers. The white coffee we ordered was undrinkable, and a request for milk was met with a shrug of the shoulders, and a repeat request five minutes later. Perhaps others have had more luck, but that's one we'll not re-visit.
On the way back, we passed a new cafe (with a highly unmemorable name) at 351 Kennington Lane (next to The Eagle). In previous incarnations, the shop was a mini supermarket, a tattoo parlour and a deli. It seems to have been closed for over a year. I hope the new lease lasts a little longer, as that part of Vauxhall always looks rather subdued and abandoned. If anybody has the name of the cafe to hand, or has been to sample the food (we were rather full by that stage, having munched our way through the Oval market and on to Vauxhall), can they leave a comment?
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