Small, cosy and delicious! Just about the three words that come to my mind when we think of the all-time-classic (by now) Lantana Café in Fitzrovia, London!
Shelagh Ryan, Michael Homan and Caitlin Ryan, opened the first Lantana Cafe in 2008 to introduce to London everything they loved and missed about the thriving Australian cafe culture. Taking its name by the famous Australian flowering plant carried from South America to Australia by immigrants, it pays homage to the hardship of making it abroad!
With relatively great specialty coffee, Lantana is surely much more than that. We love their delicious egg dishes which is more or less the reason for queuing up in the cold for a few minutes before the next table becomes available. So if you’re looking for a weekend brunch, make sure you arrive promptly – they take no reservations!
It’s always full with a predominantly young, hip crowd, and the friendly staff seemed to match: tattooed waiters with plenty of beards and man-buns on show. The food is delicious – from smashed avo toast to Maple French toast and Corn Fritters, anything they put in front of you will be devoured. We recently tried again their mediterranean-inspired egg dish with chorizo, wild rocket and poached eggs – oh so delicious!
When the weather is good they also bring out just a handful of tables and stools on the small pedestrian street so chances are you’ll be in for some (fingers crossed) sunshine too… apart from a kickass brunch and a great cup of coffee!
