If you are ever wondering on where in south east London might be good to meet a friend for bunch or lunch, I have just the place for you.
Recently I went to check out the newly opened bakery cafe in East Dulwich called TART, that focuses on, you guessed it, tarts – not the sweet variety mind you, although there are a few options, but the savoury. Tart (not to be confused with the food columnists) opened earlier this year in East Dulwich following the success of their Clapham Common cafe. It’s nestled on Lordship Lane at number 65.
From the outside it looks like any other chic neighbourhood cafe, but step inside and you will find all the original tiling from David Greig the grocers. The building is in fact grade II listed for its authentic 19th-century interior and is full of character. It’s the perfect place for a coffee, breakfast or a tart or two for lunch.
The doorway on the far right in the photo above leads out to a beautiful, light conservatory which we, along with every other diner, opted for as the sun was shining. The menu, which is a one pager (menu’s should never be too long – alarm bells always go off in my head if they are) is split into ‘brunches’, ‘terribly tasty tarts’, ‘scrumptious salads’ and ‘mmmm sweet heaven’. The drinks menu had a number of wonderfully sounding juices and smoothies, as well as coffees and teas. My dining companion and I opted for a red and green juice, packed with fresh fruits of their reciprocal colours. I can honestly say they were the tastiest fresh juices I have had in ages – full of natural flavours and wonderful thirst quenching in this hot weather; we ordered two more they were that good. There is the option of brunch cocktails, but I’ll have to try them another time.
As for the food, we debated on what to try as it all sounded so appealing. In the end we opted for the following:
Sautéed mushrooms on cornbread, a poached egg, rocket, pine nuts, garlic herb crème fraîche and truffle oil
Royale: poached eggs, smoked salmon, spinach, capers/gherkins & hollandaise in a short-crust pastry case
Butternut squash, kale, sage, walnut and stilton tart and two salads – roast carrot, lentil and rocket salad with a tahini dressing, and a sweet potato, spinach, chilli, pumpkin seeds and a masala yoghurt. The combinations sounded so good, and thankfully tasted equally so.
The portions were generous and the pastry on the tart was baked to perfection. If you ever buy a tart/quiche from a supermarket, these tarts at TART were way superior. The menu is also reasonably priced – with a tart and two salads coming in at just under £10. The brunch options were also well thought through and my sautéed mushrooms on cornbread hit the spot. The staff were friendly and accommodating, being attentive without being intrusive.
As an aside – for those who are potentially interested in investing in a food business – Tart are currently raising capital to open a third bakery as well as supply tarts to the wholesale London market. If you are interested you can find out more information on the Seedrs website.
It was a spoiling lunch with fresh tasting, healthy choices and highly memorable tarts that had a great selection of fillings and light, crumbly pastry. Check it out if you are in either East Dulwich or Clapham Common.
Tart: 65 Lordship Lane, London SE22 8EP, no booking necessary, dogs welcome.
I was a guest of Tart Bakery and all views and opinions are my own.
chilliandmint.com 
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