A strong Americano with fresh croissant can be very hard
to find in the British Antarctic Territory – the same can easily be said for
the more metropolitan former maritime territory of Surrey Quays. Unlike the neighbouring ‘borough’ of Bermondsey,
which is fortunate to boast a smorgasbord of cafés and restaurants, finding lunch in Rotherhithe can be a
chore to say the least. So, it was with great
thirst and ravenous curiosity that we made our way along Bermondsey Beach and
arrived at ‘Coffee and Cream’, the new café forming part of the impressive, if
a little off the beaten track, Greenland Dock community.
A video rental outlet in a former life, this shop had
lain dormant for over two years, before an entrepreneurial duo decided that its
fortune lay in coffee rather than DVDs.
Inside, the overall theme of the décor works well given the compactness of the café: bold whitewashed walls, an inviting shiny red counter and trendy (if a little uncomfortable) black half-cylinder shaped chairs. Each table was decorated with a lightly scented pink tulip and tasteful red and black coasters.
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| (Photo used with kind permission) |
Selina, one of the partners in the enterprise, gave every
customer a warm and genuine welcome: it was refreshing to receive a decent
service with a smile. The menu at ‘Coffee
and Cream’ includes: coffees, teas, milkshakes, smoothies, patisserie, baguettes,
salad and a rather mouth-watering breakfast menu, including a ‘full English’ for
us more discerning Bermondsey customers!
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| (photo used with kind permission) |
Lasagne and salad with olives is an easy meal to get wrong, but this
offering was truly delicious. While the portions were a little smaller than
expected after our trek across Bermondsey Beach, the rich creamy sauce oozed over
the layers of fresh pasta and soon melted in the mouth. (One small point: although served with love and care, the coffees would have quenched better our thirst if they been a few degrees warmer).
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| (Photo used with kind permission) |
In addition to the menu, ‘Coffee and Cream’ offer an
interesting range of speciality food products to take-away including juices, preserves,
crackers, pastas, sauces and old-fashioned confectionery, sure to be a hit with
the local quayside families. The café also displays art and is currently exhibiting a
selection of rather fine photographs taken in Turkey and France, a precursor to
their first exhibition planned for the evening of 20th June.
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| (Image used with kind permission) |
'Coffee and Cream' fills a rather large hole in the area's collective stomach, and does so with style and panache. So, why not follow Selina and her friends on twitter @originalyummie. Better still, pop in and
sample her simple yet rather fine menu – oh, and on your way out, pick up a bag
of spicy pasta sauce, and some bonbons to suck on as you catch the C10 bus back
home to Bermondsey Beach.
Coffee and Cream, 12 Russell Place, London SE16 7PL
Nearest station: Surrey Quays (Overground)
Twitter: @originalyummie
Telephone: 020 7252 2865
Buses: 1, 47, 381, P12, C10
Happy to say that this is re-opening on Thursday 10 April under new management - do pop in and see us ;)
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