The Front Room Cafe is my local N4 eatery located just off Stroud Green Road at Tollington Park. I always enjoy eating and hanging out here because it is a home from home but with much better food and coffee! It is consistently great in terms of friendly service and good, honest food. If you’re looking for the best breakfast North London, best brunch North London, coffee shop Finsbury Park, N4 cafe or restaurants near Finsbury Park then do give The Front Room Cafe a try.
Interiors
The Front Room Cafe Menu
I know the menu off by heart because I eat there at least once a week. It’s unpretentious and cooked from scratch on their premises. I love their Eggs Florentine which I think is one of the best in London. You can tell the sauce is fresh, and you can hear them whipping it up. This dish always has lots of spinach and is just perfect. Alternatively, you can opt for their Eggs Benedict or Eggs Royale if you prefer.
Eggs Florentine
I often dream about the pancakes, which are also made to order and are lovely and fluffy. I have mine with natural yoghurt and seasonal fruit which also comes with some maple syrup. You can choose to have your pancakes with bacon if you want to go all New York.
Pancake Special
The fry up is pretty good, and my meat-eating friends always enjoy The Front Room Breakfast, which is their full English. It has everything you want, Cumberland sausage, bacon, eggs, hash brown, beans, mushrooms plus some toast. The veggie version is also great but comes without the meaty parts. You can also have the sausages, eggs and bacon as a sandwich or just beans on toast. They serve muesli for anyone who wants to be healthy, and this comes with fruit and yoghurt.
Full Cooked Breakfast
There are always specials for lunch which includes a soup with roll, homemade quiche in different flavours with a side of salad, plus a few other dishes. The Gourmet Burger is a top seller with wedges and salad. The Croque Madame and Monsieur also go down a treat. Other dishes include meaty or veggie bangers and mash with onion gravy which is just the best for sheer comfort. There are a couple of chicken dishes. The meatballs with tagliatelle is always a winner. The salads are delicious and quite filling. I love the halloumi salad and the goat’s cheese one. There are a selection of sandwiches if you want a quick bite.
Gourmet Burger with Wedges
The cakes are delicious which they make on the premises, and they tend to mix these up and bake something different each day. Due to popular demand, they now have gluten-free cakes. The offering will include Victoria Sponge, Lemon Drizzle, Berry Cheesecake and Mocha Cake, and sometimes there will be my favourite which is Coffee Cake. The Allpress Coffee is my preferred coffee of choice, so I always have about three cups when I’m there. Teas are by Twinings, and they have a selection of smoothies, freshly squeezed orange juice, an eclectic wine selection and bottled beer. The alcohol is served from 11 am onwards until closing.
The Front Room Cafe Interiors
The interiors take up two rooms which have been joined together by knocking down a wall, so it’s quite spacious inside. It’s decked out like a sitting room, hence The Front Room name. The backroom has shelving across one entire wall, and it showcases a fascinating collection of unusual objects. You’ll find typewriters, vintage radios and kitsch ornaments mingled with an array of books. Art is often displayed on the walls so you can enjoy a visual feast while you eat. With bare brick walls and mismatched vintage wooden tables and an assortment of chairs, it’s a very charming place.
Interiors
They have an expanse of windows so you can get a view of the buzzy street outside. Because they are just off the main food strip of Stroud Green Road, they have some seating on the street. With a great mix of locals and creative types from musicians to scriptwriters, actors, artists and bloggers, it’s a buzzy place to hang out.
The Front Room Cafe Information
Cafe Exterior
Cuisine: Home-cooked food
Price: Eggs Florentine £7, Full Breakfast £7.50, Pancakes with Fruit £7, Gourmet Burger 9, Quiche £7 and Salad £8.50
Website: The Front Room Cafe
Address: 158 Tollington Park, London N4 3AD
Near: Stroud Green Road
Open: Check the website for current opening times
Wi-Fi: Yes
Décor: Eccentric front room
Seating: About 30-35 inside plus outside seating
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: TFRC. Thanks: Homeboy eats there with me every time.
