Blighty Coffee - Finsbury Park, London

35-37 Blackstock Road

Finsbury Park

London

N4 2JF

Nearest tube - Finsbury park

Brunch menu available daily 9am - 3pm

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Blighty Coffee is easy enough to find and only a few minutes walk away from Finsbury Park tube station on Blackstock Road.

Delicious looking cakes and pastries tempt you in the window.  

I really liked the interior, this was the dining area at the front, really vibrant with plenty of natural light.

 I loved the logo, this neon version shone brightly on the wall.

 The front dining area was perfect to relax over breakfast whilst watching the world pass by outside.

Place your order at the counter when you arrive, there is a vast selection of coffees to choose from, they roast their own blends using monmouth beans.

 Out the back there are plenty more tables to choose from, we ended up sitting at this table.

It certainly had a homely feel to it throughout.

The back room extended into this impressive lounge area where Gandhi keeps an eye on proceedings and the piano invites you to "please play me"

Blighty Coffee hosts regular social events such as life art and portrait drawing lessons. Details of these can be found on the walls alongside artists work which is all for sale.

The 1940's theme is found beautifully displayed throughout.

Just when I thought I had seen everything I spotted the amazing garden!

I feel sure Winston Churchill would have been proud of the Winston breakfast served here!

Another really nice touch is the menu design.



 

 An impressive brunch selection can be found inside, turn up dressed in 1940's fashion and 5% is knocked off the bill!

The drinks arrived first, my wife had tea and I had a cappuccino, both very nicely presented.



 

 Blighty Coffee strive to pour the perfect cup of coffee everytime, it was one of the nicest cappuccinos I had tasted so definitely a job well done!

Even the coffee cups displayed the logo which was a really nice touch.



 

Every breakfast comes with free bubble and squeak, it arrives at the table served in a mess tin.

 A delicious mix of potatoes, carrots, cabbage and spices topped with red cabbage and a sprinkling of paprika.

Salt, pepper and quality branded sauces are neatly housed in a mess tin.

Another mess tin arrived at the table with a generous serving of beans and toast cut from a quality loaf and spread in dripping.

When the Winston arrived it looked stunning, the union jack in the sausage was a really nice finishing touch.



 

Served in an enamel shallow bowl it made it much easier to eat, far less chance of something falling off.



 

Paprika sprinkled on the eggs worked well and a large quality sausage sat alongside some delicious dry cured back bacon.

The mushrooms served with rosemary, onions and thyme were just amazing. This I was told was a staple of fry ups in the 30's and 40's, so delicious!

Seasoned tomatoes and a thick wedge of black pudding competed this great breakfast.



 

 Here is a birds eye view of the Winston, one of the nicest breakfasts I can remember eating!

The veggie Winston was really impressive too, my wife really enjoyed it.

Back in August 2014 when my BBC article was released online I received emails from numerous cafes from across the country asking me to visit their cafe for breakfast. Most were way too far to visit but one stuck in my mind as it really stood out from the crowd, that place was Blighty Coffee in London. The email I received said "I would like to invite the fry up inspector to come and try our Winston full English breakfast. It's based on the 1940's full English and comes with complimentary bubble and squeak and bread and dripping"

I really liked the sound of this and kept it in mind for next time I was in London. A couple of months after receiving the email and with a day out in London planned we were finally able to visit Blighty Coffee and try out the Winston..

Upon entering - As we approached the front door a delicious selection of cakes and pastries made us pause for a moment, very tempting indeed! We were here for breakfast though so headed straight to the counter just inside the entrance. A large coffee menu is displayed behind the counter, the selection of coffee on offer here is vast so you will be spoilt for choice. The dining area beside the counter is impressive with its brightly coloured walls and tables, there is a large "Blighty Coffee" neon sign on the far wall. As I headed through a corridor towards the rear I discovered just how big this place was though. The back room was even bigger than the area at the front and had a good selection of tables to choose from. A section of the back room was like a lounge with armchairs and a piano which you are welcome to play, you can dine in here too. 

With memorabilia from the 1940's and a distinct wartime feel this place is far different to anywhere else I have visited so far, beautifully transformed into somewhere very special. Artists work is exhibited on the walls and available to buy, whilst taking a look I noticed posters for a number of regular events that take place here. Being a strong part of the community was really evident, singing lessons, table tennis and art classes all take place here regularly. We spotted a back door and went to take a look outside, there was also a massive garden! Beautifully kept the garden had a lawn, patio area and covered section with bunting hanging, there are plenty of tables out here too so perfect in the warmer months. 

There are menus on the counter so decide what you would like, place your order and pay at the counter. Take the wooden spoon you are given and choose where to sit, there is cutlery, sugar, salt, pepper and sauces on each table. Sit back and relax as everything will be brought over when it is ready, you can always grab a paper to look at whilst you wait. I was quite happy just looking around me though at the artwork and 1940's memorabilia on display, this place looks amazing and feels really welcoming, loved it! 9/10

Service - All the staff we met here were really friendly, efficient and welcoming. We placed our order and were told we could sit wherever we wanted, it was a tricky choice but we chose the back room. First the drinks arrived and shortly after that the bubble and squeak, next the toast and beans arrived along with both breakfasts. Empty cups were taken ensuring we had enough room for everything and we were asked if everything was ok during the meal. Before leaving we spoke to Pedro the assistant manager, he was happy to tell us more about the place and very friendly too. We left as happy customers feeling very well looked after, perfect! 10/10

Contents - 1 sausage, 4 bacon, black pudding, bubble and squeak, 2 fried eggs, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms (with onions, rosemary and thyme) and toast spread with dripping. 9/10

Presentation - The use of mess tins and enamel bowls works perfectly here and adds to the atmosphere of the place nicely. Separate beans and toast served in a mess tin ensure the main breakfast isn't cluttered allowing everything to sit nicely together. A sprinkle of paprika over the eggs may concern some traditionalists but not a problem for me, they tasted great! The union jack flag on top of the sausage is a final detail that really sets it off nicely. 9/10

The food - The dry cured smokey bacon was excellent, I popped some between the dripping coated toast, added some Heinz ketchup and was in breakfast heaven! The sausage was a good size and good quality and the black pudding was a thick wedge with a nice course texture. A pair of free range eggs sprinkled with paprika and with runny yolks nicely intact found their way onto my other slice of toast. There were plenty of beans and the nicely seasoned tomatoes were full of flavour and cooked just right, none of your half cooked nonsense here. The thing that really stole the show for me though was the combination of mushrooms, onions, rosemary and thyme, so delicious! A really delicious breakfast that was such a pleasure to eat, I wouldn't have changed a thing! 10/10

Value for money - The Winston costs £9 and a cappuccino costs £2.50. I didn't need to eat again until the evening (I ate the breakfast at 9.30am) so no need for lunch! An amazing breakfast and stunning coffee, worth every penny for sure! 9/10

Veggie option - The veggie Winston, veggie sausages, asparagus, bubble and squeak, 2 fried eggs, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms (with onion, rosemary and thyme) and toast. £9

Overall - I loved this place, an independent community hub offering space for local artists to exhibit their work and events for locals to participate in. It looks amazing and the space has been beautifully transformed taking you back to the 1940's but perfectly combined with a modern feel. The Winston breakfast was just amazing, daring to be different with it's 1940's influence. Founder Chris Evans contacted me after my visit and told me "On our full Winston you may have noticed the rosemary and onion? That was a staple of fry ups that has died out now but was always there on fry ups of the 30's and 40's. Sausages were not on original fry ups because they were too expensive for working class people and baked beans are a relative newcomer from the 1970/80's, though we have included these on ours" 

Combine this excellent breakfast with friendly and efficient service in this amazing environment and you have a breakfast spot that just can't be missed, I can't wait to return again! 9.5/10