Station Café, Kensal Rise
Station Café
17 Station Terrace
Kensal Rise
NW10 5RX
020 8969 3922
by Stephen Fry-Up
Cautiously, we entered. At three o’clock the place was empty, save – of course – for the staff, and a doddery old timer at the corner table.
“Easter next week.” The old timer spoke; thank god it was not to us.
“Sure is, Mike.”
“You open Easter?”
“Open every day except Christmas, Mike.” (Here, perhaps, a note of pride?)
“Doubt I’ll even make it to Christmas.”
“’Course you will Mike. You’ll be here every day for the next ten years.”
“Ten years? I bloody well doubt it.”
“Alright. Two then.” At that the waiter went purposefully outside to stack some tables or something: one gets the impression that, at the Station Café in Kensal Rise, this conversation might be a fairly regular occurrence.
In my state of semi-confusion – what was I doing in Kensal Rise of all places? How had I even got here? – I was impressed by the waiter’s air of no-nonsense affability: he’d be friendly but no way was he going to stand and chat all day. “Not with all them tables to stack, boss,” he might just have said. I was also impressed, oddly, by the tablecloth – green gingham if I recall – and a particularly ugly-chic repro clock thing on the wall.
But the food! Get to the food! Well I shall, and it was mostly fabulous. Masses of mushrooms, crunchy hash browns, piping hot beans, adequate egg, cheaply peppery black pudding (which I rather like) and quite perfect bacon (fried right to the brink of blackness). And it all came to £4.50, I think. In short, the Station Café is great. And it’s right by the overland station, so you can get back to Hackney pretty sharpish too.
17 Station Terrace
Kensal Rise
NW10 5RX
020 8969 3922
by Stephen Fry-Up
Cautiously, we entered. At three o’clock the place was empty, save – of course – for the staff, and a doddery old timer at the corner table.
“Easter next week.” The old timer spoke; thank god it was not to us.
“Sure is, Mike.”
“You open Easter?”
“Open every day except Christmas, Mike.” (Here, perhaps, a note of pride?)
“Doubt I’ll even make it to Christmas.”
“’Course you will Mike. You’ll be here every day for the next ten years.”
“Ten years? I bloody well doubt it.”
“Alright. Two then.” At that the waiter went purposefully outside to stack some tables or something: one gets the impression that, at the Station Café in Kensal Rise, this conversation might be a fairly regular occurrence.
In my state of semi-confusion – what was I doing in Kensal Rise of all places? How had I even got here? – I was impressed by the waiter’s air of no-nonsense affability: he’d be friendly but no way was he going to stand and chat all day. “Not with all them tables to stack, boss,” he might just have said. I was also impressed, oddly, by the tablecloth – green gingham if I recall – and a particularly ugly-chic repro clock thing on the wall.
But the food! Get to the food! Well I shall, and it was mostly fabulous. Masses of mushrooms, crunchy hash browns, piping hot beans, adequate egg, cheaply peppery black pudding (which I rather like) and quite perfect bacon (fried right to the brink of blackness). And it all came to £4.50, I think. In short, the Station Café is great. And it’s right by the overland station, so you can get back to Hackney pretty sharpish too.
posted by London Review of Breakfasts |
11:03 AM |
6 Comments:
FLEEEE back to East London, very amusing Stephen, the conversational sample evocative and hilarious.
I've eaten there, it's not brilliant but the portions are incredibly generous...
Went there yesterday, and was very impressed. The Mega Breakfast (not named after the album by The Chap, apparently) came to £5.40 and was bigger than my head. I didn't need to eat again for the rest of the day, and I'm usually a four meals a day kind of person.
Such a brilliant cafe I love it and the portions are great by David Miller
Love this cafe my favourite so far loving the big portions aswell lol frm Mr Miller
Must say I do love my stations cafe the big proportions keep me goin .keep up the good work team by ALi kyriacou
cafe is too nice been going for time dnt fink ill stop going by jack gibbs
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