Over the last few years, London has gained a reputation for its varied and excellent food venues, offering an unrivaled variety of cuisines, styles and concepts. From craft beer pubs to street food and upmarket dining to casual brunch, London has it all. In particular coffee places all over the British capital recognized early on that if you served great and honest food alongside your freshly roasted coffees, you could attract a wide spectrum of customers that would otherwise choose to go elsewhere and please those who were already coming anyway.
At a stone’s throw from one of London’s tastiest tourist attractions, Borough Market, is a brand new outlet from coffee roasting and restaurant legends Caravan. Only open since a few weeks and still largely under the radar of most tourists and London foodies, this cozier outpost south of the river offers a great opportunity to experience Caravan’s exquisite range of coffees and delicious dishes that have made Caravan King’s Cross one of the best all-day food and drink spots in the city.
The Bankside venue is hidden down unassuming Great Guildford Street, away from the main throng of foot traffic but still excellently located for any visit to Tate Modern, the Shard or Borough Market. The interior is warm and friendly, sporting a massive bar along the wall, large windows all around and lots of wooden furniture.
Take a seat on the bench by the far left side of the restaurant and get a commanding view of the action inside while enjoying the sunshine on your back. The coffee menu offers Caravan’s well-known variety of outstanding single origin coffees and blends while non-coffee options include Kombucha, juices and classic brunch cocktails.
The food also speaks for itself. Hearty and healthy items such as Jalapeño cornbread with beans and a fried egg or Salt beef brisket hash with pickled cucumber and poached eggs will get you ready to start your day, at any time of the day.
For a part of London that has long stood in the shadow of more vibrant Eastern and Western suburbs, Bankside certainly makes up for its lack of funky shops and glitzy villas by offering outstanding art, modern architecture and great walks along the river Thames. Caravan Bankside is a certainly a welcome addition to this underrated part of the city.
