I was taking my mum back to Waterloo station last Monday so I decided to try breakfast at The Cut Bar (referred to as The Cut). This is a café, restaurant and bar located at the Young Vic Theatre. I must say that it was a brilliant breakfast with delicious options. They also serve lunch and dinner, which includes burgers, tapas and a good selection of wines and beers. If you’re looking for places to eat near Waterloo, the best breakfast near Waterloo Station or South Bank pre-theatre meals try The Cut Bar.
“Buzzy bar with a great breakfast and all-day menu which is the perfect place to meet friends whether you see a show at the Young Vic or not,” Homegirl London
The Cut Bar Menu
The food here is to a high standard with ingredients being sustainable, organic or free-range. We enjoyed a brilliant breakfast which is served from 8 am until 11 am weekdays and 9 am until 11 am on Saturday. On the bar counter, you’ll spot a pile of very tempting pastries and in-house baked muffins. You can enjoy one of these with the Allpress coffee or one of the guest blends which you will see chalked up on the board. If you’re hungry order the English breakfast which comprises of a sizeable spicy sausage, two poached eggs, bacon, roasted tomato and sourdough toast. Mum ordered this dish and thought it was tasty with great produce. For something smaller, you can enjoy bacon or sausage in a brioche bun or sourdough sarnie.
English Breakfast
Homeboy opted for the smoked haddock with poached egg and spinach on sourdough toast with hollandaise sauce on top. He thoroughly enjoyed this dish which made a change from eggs Florentine. Alternatively, you might prefer the other toppings on sourdough which included smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. Avocado, chilli and watercress with poached eggs. Or mixed mushrooms with Parmesan and poached eggs.
Haddock Hollandaise
I went for perfect pancakes. The dish was so much better than I expected it to be. You get a stack of four small but thick and fluffy pancakes topped with fruit and maple syrup. I’ve eaten a lot of pancakes, and these were fabulous. I spotted mum and Homeboy eyeing them so tried to finish before they had a chance to asked to try them!
Fruit and Syrup Pancakes
The lunch and dinner menu has a collection of dishes touching on global cuisines so caters for those who want no-nonsense food to the more adventurous. You can start with a charcuterie board for sharing or something like haddock fishcakes, falafel and deep-fried goats cheese. Mains include Thai raw slaw with chicken, line-caught yellowfin tuna, risotto of the day, Norfolk crab linguini and 28-day rump steak. Or you can enjoy a meat, chicken, pulled pork or Portobello and halloumi burger. They also have around six tapas dishes if you’re in the mood for sharing. Finish off with a strawberry Eton mess, lemon cheesecake mousse or chocolate and salted caramel fondant. Because this is also a bar, the drinks list is extensive so you’ll be in good hands.
The Cut Bar Interiors
Outside the Young Vic Theatre, you’ll find a few tables and chairs for alfresco dining. Look up, and you will also notice an open-air terrace above. In through the main door and to your left is the bar come restaurant. I’ve popped in a few times when I’m in the vicinity for a coffee during the day, and it’s always buzzy. You’ll find a mixture of locals, people who work in the area, theatre directors and actors enjoying a bite to eat.
Interiors
It’s a great space with plenty of seating dotted around. There are a couple of large tables with stools for larger groups or to share. The décor is casual and light industrial. One wall is dominated by a bar which runs the whole length. The mezzanine above gives the restaurant an airy feel. There is more seating upstairs which is the perfect place to enjoy a drink when you’re there for a performance.
The Cut Bar Information
Exterior
Cuisine: Casual food from breakfast to burgers and tapas featuring a mix of cuisines and global flavours
Price: Cooked breakfasts £7.50-8.50, mains £12-14, steak £16.50, burgers £11-12 and tapas £4 per dish
Website: The Cut Bar Website
Address: The Young Vic Theatre, 66 The Cut, London SE1 8LZ
Near: Waterloo and the South Bank
Open: Check the website for current opening times
Décor: Casual and light industrial
Seating: Outside on the pavement, ground floor, more bar space upstairs for theatre production intervals
Toilets: You can find restrooms on the ground floor towards the back
Reservations: No, but be mindful it will be busy just before performances and during the intervals when a show is on
Service Charge: No service charge because you place your order at the bar and then it is brought to your table
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Interiors and baked goods images from the restaurant website, other pictures by Homegirl London. Thanks: Mum and Homeboy for dining with me.
