A review of The Pavilion

Image by Howard Barlow

Victoria Park, Crown Gate West, Mile End, London, E9 7DE.

I remember coming to The Pavilion before I moved to London and being shocked at how expensive the menu seemed. Now I’ve lived in London for a while, I’ve come to realise that the kind of consistency they deliver is worth paying for.

There aren’t many places that you can go to on any day of the week, even when they’re really busy, and still receive a hearty, spectacularly cooked breakfast. Whether you’re in the mood for a full on fry up or some decadent pancakes (piled three high and smothered with poached fruit and honeycomb butter), you can’t go wrong.

With a menu centred on breakfast, you can feast starting at around £5 although pastries etc. are obviously cheaper. There’s a full hot drinks menu as well as freshly squeezed juices and cans of fizzy pop (organic of course). The coffee is all expertly poured. We had two lattes and a cappuccino on my last visit with a heart, fern leaf and swan casually swirled into the top.

In the summer they pile the tables outside and pretty much treble the capacity. Despite the pond being drained this summer, it’s still a lovely place to while away a few hours and as soon as the water fills back up it’ll be even more idyllic. In the winter it’s a bit more of a squeeze inside. If you’re squeamish around either children or dogs, you might want to steer clear as their entry policy is extremely inclusive.

The Pavilion have a website and are on Twitter.