If you look at my map of London speciality coffee shops, you'll notice that there's a bias towards central and south-east London. But I've been trying to expand my horizons and hop on my bike or the Tube to visit more coffee spots further north and west of my Bermondsey home. One such outing was to Bühler and Co in Walthamstow last weekend, where I was able to sample both the coffee and the brunch.
Several people, including a helpful reader, have recommended Bühler and Co to me and I took the opportunity of a free Sunday to catch up over brunch with a friend who lives in the area. From Walthamstow Central Tube, it's a ten-minute walk to the café's Chingford Road location. The grey shopfront contrast with the front window's bright neon colours, and it's just as colourful inside. The peachy walls matched my choice of brunch dish (spoiler alert!), and the walls feature artwork, which is for sale.
There are a few tables in the front room, with some good social distancing precautions in place. For more seating options, head to the back, past the coffee counter and kitchen, and you'll reach a covered patio area and then a further room at the back. We booked in advance, which was lucky as it was very busy on Sunday brunchtime.
The coffee is from east London-based Climpson & Sons. There is a V60 filter coffee on the menu, but it was espresso-based drinks only when we visited — well, alongside the teas, juices, smoothies, cocktails, wines and beers, that is. I had a piccolo, which was well brewed, sweet and smooth.
It took longer to decide what to order from the extensive vegetarian brunch menu. Taking inspiration from cuisines from around the world, the menu also includes vegan and gluten-free options. I almost always order savoury brunch dishes, which I generally prefer, but sometimes sweet dishes are just too tempting to pass up. This was the case with the brioche French toast with maple-poached peach, elderflower cream, thyme and pistachios. It looked amazing and tasted just as good, the flavours working perfectly together. Even though it was a generous portion, I managed to finish it. My friend enjoyed her mozzarella quinoa balls with beetroot hummus, and I was also eyeing up another customer's gado gado — an Indonesian dish.
Meg and Rosie Bühler's eponymous cafe is a lovely neighbourhood eatery with friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. And if you need somewhere to walk off that french toast, the formal gardens and water features of Lloyd Park are just a few minutes' stroll away.
Bühler and Co. 8 Chingford Road, London, E17 4PJ (Tube: Walthamstow Central). Website. Instagram.
For 140+ more of my favourite coffee shops in London, check out my London speciality coffee guide.
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