I must confess that my idea of a gentle awakening in the morning is a nice cup of tea listening to BBC Radio 2. M1lk, a daytime cafe in Balham offers quite the opposite experience. From artisan speciality coffees to innovative cuisine at breakfast and lunch, you’re more likely to hear deep house playing on the speakers at 9am rather than Chris Evans.
What drew my attention to M1lk in the first place, wasn’t their music taste but their ability to beautifully present their food. From Kurdish baked eggs with chorizo and spinach to sweetcorn fritters with halloumi and smashed avocado – M1lk’s instagram page had certainly enticed me.
With one failed attempt to visit already under my belt (warning, it get’s very busy), my dining partner and I decided to pop-in on a rare weekday morning that we had off from work. We were sat in the awning outside, but it was still warm enough – (fyi this is a very overdue review).
The service at M1lk is laid back, but that gave us time to admire the artful dodge of a distressed interior, and to puzzle over why their logo reads ‘M1lk’ – or how you would even pronounce that.
Two breakfast teas and one fruit smoothie ordered, we soaked up the last rays of summer.
Served in a glass milk bottle (you’d never have guessed it!) my blueberry, banana and apple smoothie was rather delicious.
Keeping things simple, we both ordered the ‘Eggs Bene’ with Smoked Salmon.
Two tiny poached eggs balanced nicely on a slice of white toasted sourdough bread. The salmon was served sashimi/sushi, lightly smoked and draped over the corner of the toast. A peppery homemade hollandaise sauce complete the dish with some edible greenery. Everything was wonderful except the sourdough which was far too stale, I could barely cut it with my knife and fork without it flying across the table.
Stale bread aside, M1lk is worth a visit for its “hipster vibe”, Workshop coffee beans, regularly changing menu and sashimi cut smoked salmon.
Details
ADDRESS: 20 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9RG
CONTACT: 020 8772 9085
OPENING HOURS: 8am – 5pm Monday to Saturday and 9am – 5pm on Sunday
WEBSITE: www.m1lk.co.uk
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/M1LK
TWITTER: @m1lkcoffee
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/m1lkcoffee
Just another London foodie 