Taste Tooting’s Top 10 Cafes and Brunch Spots
Welcome to the first part of my #SummerSoundbites series. First up it’s all about breakfast, brunch, cakes and of course coffee! Find out my top spots in Tooting to either have a lazy weekend brunch with friend or a coffee, cake and a natter with the girls (or boys). Luckily Tooting has it all and there’s something for everyone, so here we go:
1.MUD Tooting— An independent, laid-back, antipodean-style café located in the heart of Tooting on Mitcham Road. With a stripped back bare brick interior and copper piping and filament bulbs that distracts little from the small open kitchen and display counter of baked goods.They pride themselves on providing great tasting coffee, awesome brunches and freshly-prepared cakes and sandwiches in an easy-going all day dining place. Everything on the menu is super tasty with some of my favorites being the corn fritter stacks or their granola bowl, which is super filling and healthy. Everything you could want in a really great cafe and brunch venue!
2. Cut The Mustard — This is a little gem of a cafe located in the heart of Furzedown on Moyser Road, slightly off the beaten track but most definitely worth a visit! The menu ranges from salt beef, gherkin and mustard sandwiches to buttermilk pancakes with bacon and maple syrup and cakes a plenty for dessert, their mouth-watering brownie is melt in the mouth delicious! There’s plenty of seating inside, although the place does fill up at the weekend with hungry locals or why not sit outside, where you can watch the world go by whilst chilling on the shady terrace. A must visit!
3. Milk Teeth — A younger sister to Balham’s much-loved Milk, which is located on Mitcham Road, specialises in inventive Antipodean brunch and coffee and doesn’t disappoint. The menu consists of the usual brunch items you come to expect like the Young Betty, which is essentially a trendy eggs benedict, with terrific sourdough which you can add either dry-cure bacon, smoked salmon, or something that you don’t usually see on a brunch menu — smoked eel! The smoothies, juices and cakes are also great and I need to go back just to sample more of their delicious offerings.
4. Brickwood — Nested in the colourful Tooting Market this Aussie inspired neighbourhood cafes offers quality coffee and brunch menus with full table service. The menu ranges from their Native Mushrooms — mushrooms, spinach, pine nuts with poached eggs and ricotta on toast (yummy!) to a range of grilled sourdough toasties, wraps and salads. It’s also open late every Friday and Saturday evening for beers, cocktails and you can also book for private parties and events.
5. Pedal Back Cafe — A cycle café inside Tooting’s Broadway Market serving brunch dishes (the pancake stacks are yummy, very light and fluffy) as well as a selection of cakes (the Guinness and chocolate is a firm favourite amongst their regulars). There is also a bike repair area where you can book your bike in for standard repairs. It’s inexpensive and a chilled place to wait while having work done on your bike and it is also open in the evening where they serve a selections of beers, wine and cocktails. It’s basically a cyclists dream!
6. Graveney & Meadow — Although not strictly a cafe, I’ve included Graveney & Meadow on my list as it does offer an extensive brunch menu as well as coffee and cake options and mainly operates as a cafe in the day calling itself ‘a unique all-day community café and bar serving great coffee’. It also hosts baby and toddler classes on Monday, Thursday and Friday so a great place for tired mums to meet and catch up over a coffee or three! They really do have something for everyone.
7. Mac’s Cafe — Located in the Trident Business Center on Bickersteth Road, Mac’s offers delights such as Halloumi Brioche Burger with Tomato, Almond and Basil Salsa a range of salads and a selections of cupcakes from banana and walnut to lemon and pistachio polenta. They also operate regular collaborations, the current one being from the team at Rib n’ Mac on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with yummy wraps such as Pulled BBQ Chicken and Beef Brisket. Looking for something a bit different, then head to Mac’s.
8. Green Monkey — Down at Tooting Bec, Green Monkey is an organic coffee house and deli serving all natural foods. Their yummy dishes range from buttermilk waffles with bacon, poached egg and chilli flakes and smashed avo on toast with chorizo, egg, rocket and tomato chilli chutney to their delicious homemade cakes — the carrot and walnut cake is particularly good.
9. Tota — Smack bang in the heart of Tooting Broadway, Tota is by day a chilled retreat, serving fab breakfasts, brunches and lunches and by night it becomes a sophisticated restaurant with delicious mains and cocktails. The brunch menu has all the usual favourites like Huevos Rancheros, Sweetcorn fritters and Eggs Benedict and, to top it off, Tota was named in the Evening Standard’s top 50 brunches in London. So, if that isn’t a reason to try it then I don’t know what is!
10. San Remo — Tooting Bec Common Cafe — Although not the swankiest of cafes, San Remo is a Tooting stalwart for anyone who ever frequents the Common, whether it be for taking the kids for a run around, the dog for a walk or the Sunday stroller. This family run café is situated in a historic Victorian building in the middle of Tooting Common and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The café menu caters for all tastes and serves a full range of hot and cold drinks, handmade cakes, delicious meals and daily specials. They also have old favourites that are simply a must in park café, like a bacon roll on cold winters morning or a traditional scoop ice cream on a blazing hot summer’s day!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my round up? Please do let me know if you have any other recommendations for me to try, I love hearing from you. Also don’t forget to use the #SummerSoundbites hashtag!
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Until next time x
