Visited on Monday for lunch with my mother. Tough critic…read moreindeed she gave her grilled chicken gravy and veg the home made 5 * seal of approval. Followed by apple crumble and custard she was over the moon n. I had spicy lamb burger and delicious chips.'excellent value for money. Can't wait for planned expansion coming up including cocktail bar.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!…read more It's a place I have been visiting for a good 7 years now and not once have I walked out thinking 'what on earth was that?'. The food is amazing, the music is great and the best thing of all is that it won't burn your pocket. I can't really think of a downside, If you're visiting East London and find yourself craving for some delicious Mediterranean food then this could be the right place.

The mouthwatering window display of handmade cakes and patisseries often tempts me on my way home…read more My favourite is the delicious fruit tart (see photo) with fresh fruit and a sumptious patisserie cream filling. Great for a lunchtime panini too!

It's a little bit dingy inside this E17 cafe. They offer tea, coffee and have a window full of…read moretantalizing pattiserie cakes. Sadly I didn't think they tasted as good as they looked - I wasn't blown away but they were pleasant enough. What was even more pleasant was the price. Just over £5 for two cakes, a tea and a coffee. Awesome-stow strikes a win again. But staff could be a wee bit friendlier!

I learned about the Hornbeam Community Cafe (or rather The Gleaners) on a podcast. Back then, I…read morestill lived im San Francisco, but I quickly bookmarked this place as it sounded right up my alley: worker owned, using up surplus food, community-centered... I now live in London and so one beautiful sunny Saturday morning, I got on my bike and rode out to North-East London (between Walthamstow and Lea Valley). And it was all that I'd hoped for: the food was tasty, the atmosphere was just so welcoming and the people working there were super friendly. The clientele is a very nice mix: there was a bohemian-looking gentleman reading the newspaper while eating his curry, two Bengali women chatting over a cup of chai and a young chap typing away on his phone. The Gleaners Cafe is truly a Community cafe: they operate on a scaling price list and you pay what you can afford. Their menu has different symbols: a star (being the most affordable), a triangle, a circle and a square - the latter being the priciest option. When I was about to pay, the lady asked me what I want to pay and I said "the regular price" (I meant the square) and she clearly ignored my comment. She asked me: what symbol would you like to pick. At that point it dawned on me that what is "regular" for me, is not regular for someone else. I also bought some homemade jam and next time I might try their home-brewed kombucha or water kefir. They also seem to make kimchi, but that wasn't available during my visit. 6 stars!

This little community oasis is located on a busy street filled with fast food, phone shops, and a…read morevehicles rushing up and down Hoe Street. I've dined here twice and enjoyed my second visit far more than the first. The first time, Club Mexicana, a vegan enterprise usually in the form of a food truck, took over the restaurant for the weekend. We had high hopes with visions of BBQ jackfruit tacos and other fabulous vegan Mexican inspirations, but we were told that they didn't have any and settled for the Mexi-English breakfast, a plate of tacos, and one brownie. The brownie was cardboard dry and we had to wait an hour for our food while we noticed that two other parties that came in after us were served. We asked the Club Mexicana women at the counter and they couldn't explain why the food had taken so long; the first one didn't apologize and walked away, but the second one was deeply sorry for the delay, saying some of the food had run out and the kitchen staff had to make more. My fiancé was quite upset that we weren't told before we had to wait an hour for our food and I was ready to walk out when the plates arrived. The dishes were good, but not outstanding, likely affected by the bad taste of service left in our mouth. However, I did want to give the Hornbeam a second chance since it was a plant-based (though I'm told they serve eggs on the weekends), community center with ties to a local organic farm network and a small farmers market on Saturdays from 10am-3pm. I wanted to get some fresh-farmed carrots with flavors that none of the supermarket roots have, so I convinced my fiancé to head back the following weekend and try out the regular menu. The two ladies that greeted us with smiles this time at the counter were much more friendly than our first experience. The vegan flapjack and chocolate-chip oatmeal cookie were yummy, sweet, chewy confections. And the other customers were quite willing to make friendly chat on this mid-Saturday afternoon. The whole experience was calm and relaxing. The English breakfast used the same vegetables from the farmers stand outside, which had terrific, local produce and was accompanied by two pots of house-made relish, green tomato and a rhubarb ketchup. The condiments were a welcome addition to our food as the baked beans and separate chickpea patty were lacking in much flavor. The Earl Grey tea was lovely with soya milk and the rest of the veg sausages, salad, and other bits were good. With the friendly and helpful service and welcoming vibe, this cafe will be on our rota of repeat visits. Parking? Free after 4pm on Saturdays and all day on Sundays. There's some on the front end of Bakers Ave, a side street bordering the cafe, but check the signs to make sure the section where houses are situated isn't just for residents with permits. If you need to pay per hour, you may need to duck into the shops listed on the sign to purchase a permit or use the online app.

This is a nice little coffee shop / bakery on the high street, you can find a whole range of…read moreartisan breads, cakes and pastries all freshly made and very tasty. They also have a good range of teas and coffees which are of high quality. The staff are always friendly, and they use the wallspace inside for exhibiting the work of local artists which is a nice way to get involved with the local community. The only drawbacks are firstly that it's a bit pricey, but then these places usually are so that's only to be expected. Secondly though, if you're eating in the seating area always feels a bit claustrophobic - quite simply because it is a very small space! I'm not sure if there's anything they could do about it, but it would be great if sometime in the future they moved to a bigger shop and had a more roomy seating area.

Lovely flat white, Portuguese tart and chill vibes. Cute spot, and I'll go again when in that area.read more

The gallery has only just reopened following a major refurbishment in fact parts of the grounds…read moreand Lloyd Park are still not quite completed yet! The new look is fantastic and currently sporting Grayson Perry's wonderful Walthamstow Tapestry for another few weeks. There is far more interaction, more history about William Morris himself, and Morris &Co, including big fat books of Morris designs. And it's all free! You can very easily get round the beautiful venue in 40minutes if you're not lingering about too much, but there is also a fabulously well-appointed cafe now, giving a great reason to just hang out and chill, overlooking the beautiful grounds. Highly recommended and almost on my doorstep!

This is a gallery founded in a house once occupied by the titular Morris, and is mostly concerned…read morewith him and his Pre-Raphaelite colleagues. It is in a creaky old building and access is a problem, there is a manual ramp which has to be trundled out by staff to let in wheelchairs, and then the visit is limited to the ground floor. Recent reductions in opening has also limited visiting this gallery. Saying that it is set in a large park, which also until recently was a pleasure to visit, now it is very dowdy and uncared for. There is a cafe and toilets in the park, but have very limited opening hours and are quite far away. With all this against it the exhibits are glorious and well worth the effort of a visit

I walk past this place every morning with the dog I'm currently taking care of, and two times out…read moreof three I can't resist getting an egg roll. Not *that* kind of eggroll mind you, but a couple of tasty fried eggs on a brown roll with butter for less than two quid. It's cramped inside, so it's better for takeaway, but I saw a gent just yesterday with a proper full English breakfast sitting at the window. Decent java as well.

Dear Village Bakery,…read more At 7.30 in the morning, I'm sure you're well aware that cars and motorbikes are kahuning far too quickly down Orford Road for me to risk walking my 7 yo daughter down there. And filling the small amount of space between the tables and chairs outside your shop with plastic pallets wasn't entirely reasonable; nor so was it for one of the staff to barrel out and scream "IDIOT" and other colourful abuse when my child tipped one over accidentally while carefully inching her scooter through. I'd probably have just chalked that shitty behaviour, and my daughter's subsequent tears, as a blight on the school run but you weren't done, were you, Village Bakery? On returning alone after dropping her off, you, the owner, burst out of the shop shouting at me for walking past with my phone (?!) - in the road, I should add - and demanded in a voice only slightly lower than Krakatoa erupting to know what my "problem" was. I asked if you thought it was OK for a member of your team to shout abuse at a woman and child in the street. You said it was. I told you that my daughter had cried; you replied - in front of another small child presumably in your care - "I don't give a fuck". You told me I am an awful parent for not immediately running back to tidy up the mess outside your shop that my daughter had inadvertently made worse. And then you delivered your parting shot: "Maybe you should've had 'em when you were younger, before you became an old bag". Now, I've always been fiercely supportive of small businesses in Walthamstow and before this morning I would never have contemplated posting negatively about one on social media. But you know what, Village Bakery? When you scream at my child in the street and try to belittle and humiliate me for having a baby in my mid-thirties, you've pissed on your local business chips and then some. Sharing as the "older" mums of Walthamstow - because I daresay I'm not the only 43 year old with a kid in primary - should probably know what you think of us and our offspring before making an informed decision about where to shop. No love, Me

Bestest best experience in London ever .. Food 10/10…read moreService 10/10 Value for money 10/10 Staff 10/10 Clean and warm !! Definitely will come again ** we forgot a jacket and one of the staff was running in the street to give it to us .. Bless him Thanks Horizon staff for nice experience :)

This is the best place for coffee and cake in Leytonstone…read more The staff are very freindly and helpful. They take your tray to your table if you've not enough hands. The coffee is great and the cakes add inches to your waistline as soon as you walk in the door, so be careful! There is also a great selection of savoury sandwiches, falafel etc.

Just what you want from a tea shop - a good selection of well priced tea, a raft of cake, lunch…read moreoptions and bunting. Oh and proper tea pots with loose leaf tea. Based on a Devon/Cornwall tea room and only five weeks old at the time I visited there is an air of tranquility to the place and community...the two owners were happy to chat new faces as well as regulars. There's also a community noticeboard and a selection of handmade crafts which can be purchased as a reasonable price. I had the Team Room Blend, a popular choice it seems as the following two other people also opted for it, as well as a tea cake. The tea arrived in a proper teapot with cup and saucer and was easily enough for three cups. It was also a lovely blend, not too strong but with a distinct edge to it from your regular English Breakfast. The tea cake was a good size and came with butter which had already been warmed (a wonderful small touch) so was easy to spread. All in all very tasty. I have no doubts that if I lived nearby this would be a regular haunt, but as I'm not I bought a gift voucher for a friend who is and hope she enjoys it as much as I did. Will certainly be going back next time I visit.

Good location, just by Wanstead station in case you need refreshments to withstand the journey to…read moreor from the East End. Wanstead is a picturesque little village and has many good things going for it already, a nice tea room was a great addition. The place isn't big, but the decor is quaint and lovely, and the service is good. The crockery is colorful and nicely mismatched, for the ones who appreciate a little bit of character with their tea. The tea itself... they have a reasonable amount of choice and I went for a raspberry/vanilla infusion; let's say I might stick with the traditional english breakfast next time. I had the teacake, wich was very nice, and if you are willing to take my advice then ask for it to come hot and already buttered to the table; this way the teacake absorbs all the butter and changes texture slightly, which is what you want. Butter on the side just isn't the same. The cake selection also looked great and I'm planning to try a few next. They have a cute little garden at the back, it was a bit too cold to sit outside on that day, but if sunny I'd totally go for that spot. :)

I stumbled across this place in Borough market and I'm so glad I did. We got the Bienenstich as…read morerecommended by the owner and it was arguably the best pastry I've had in London. We were already stuffed to the brim from eating our way through the market but I had no issue finishing the cake. It was definitely sweet but not stodgy. My only regret was not going back to get another one. If you're ever at the market please do yourself a favour and grab something from their booth!

I was in the process of leaving London and so obviously I was thinking that I should be organizing…read morea little leaving party at/with/for the office. Yet, I didn't simply want to tell my office mates to meet me at the nearby pub for a drink - that wouldn't be me. Instead I was thinking that I should organize a Farewell-Kaffeeklatsch. Come again? - Well, let me explain. A Kaffeeklatsch is a German tradition from rural Germany and the literal translation for Kaffeeklatsch is "coffee-gossip". Typically, a group of housewives of a given German village would get together at someone's house to eat cake, drink coffee and gossip the hell out of everyone not attending. Moreover, the women would take turns hosting these get-together and trying to outdo the previous hostess by baking an even elaborate cakes or tarts. But back to my funeral cake: I was thinking that since my leaving of London is a sad affair - at least for myself - I should host a Kaffeeklatsch and serve up some traditional German funeral cake. A traditional German funeral is followed by a wake at the local pub where a certain kind of cake is served: Butterkuchen & Bienenstich. The former ("butter cake") is a sort of crumble and the latter ("bee-sting cake") is a cake, which is a three layered flat cake: yeasted dough, followed by a layer of custard and topped with a layer of buttered-almonds. Having said all that, I was in need of some Bienenstich & Butterkuchen. Unfortunately, I couldn't bake it myself, as all my furnitures would already be packed up at that time. And so I started researching German bakeries in London. I ended up calling the German Deli, which I knew from having visited Borough Market. I asked them if they knew anyone who would be able to help me out with my query and the person on the other line put me on hold briefly and passed me on to her colleague from Artisan Foods, who sat at the desk next to her. Having "true" Germans on the phone made me feel good about this and so, without even bother trying their cakes first, I ordered a plate of each aforementioned cakes. I agreed with Susann, the friendly lady on the other line, that I would pick up the cakes at Borough Market. The bakery itself is in Hackney Wick, but they sell their goods on various Farmers Markets around London. The day of my very own "funeral" arrived very soon and I was very excited to share some traditional German cakes and customs with my colleagues. Right on the dot at 15:00 (traditional German coffee-time) I announces that cake has been served in the kitchen...and the herd started to move. It was really fun listening to my colleagues commenting on the cakes. While the Butterkuchen was liked well enough, they really loved the Bienenstich. I'm trying to remember some of their exact remarks and comments, but I can't quote any of them word-by-word. But believe me when I tell you that the words "heavenly", "to die for", "OMG", "can I have another slice" and "where in the world can I get this" have come up repeatedly. All in all, I have to say this was a wonderful funeral...and best of all: no one had to die!