FOOD!

This bank holiday morning, (well sometime after 12), I went for breakfast with the one and only Jacqui Potato.

We were heading to Dalston Superstore but arrived to find it shut. We had forgotten it was a bank holiday – you know how freelancers don’t have timetables ;P

So we went to one of my favourite dinner spots two doors down.

Red Art café is a turkish eatery of the humble sorts. Nothing lavish, nothing pretentious, just bloody good food at a very fair price.

I hadn’t eaten there for breakfast before so we thought we’d give it a bash.

I chose number 9 which was a fairly standard Turkish breakfast as I understand, and Jacqui chose the number 2 which was a full english. We both ordered coffee and of course tap water. (Berlin learn from this… tap water is free and people don’t get shitty with you for ordering it here. Water = necessary for life!)

The coffee’s came first and the food followed shortly after in almost no time at all.

The coffee was strong as always and they even catered to my anal coffee needs of a “long black”, (which was not on the menu and rarely is on anyones menu). They did no fuss and the service was on point.

Jacqui’s cappuccino looked appetisingly frothy and creamy with the correct amount of coffee too.

My breakfast was a colourful array of freshly cut vegetables, yoghurt, honey, turkish sausage, a boiled egg, olives and feta. I also got some black pudding as extra.

The presentation was simple, satisfyingly divided into sections and pots; not gourmet, but I wouldn’t expect this either. The vegetables were crisp and vibrant, the yoghurt delightful, especially with the honey, and the meat well cooked and spicy with no nasty gristle.

My only criticism would be that the egg was not runny inside, but this did not ruin my meal.

Jacqui’s looked like a very full plate. Value for money is guaranteed with the english option. It was not greasy and she seemed to gobble it up with glee.

When it came time to use the toilet I knew from my previous experiences that I was to be greeted by a spotlessly clean and spacious lavatory with separate wash room.

Again I was not disappointed. After an extremely pleasant passage it was time to return to the table and ask for the bill.

We payed swiftly in cash, (there is a £10 card limit), and it is easy to spend under £10 and still be completely stuffed in this place – a true rarity in London. There is no compulsory service charge, Winner! I hate compulsory service charges and everything they stand for. They remove motivation and encouragement to individuals and can make way for unsatisfactory service that is still charged for, ruining the whole mealtime experience right at the end.

We gladly left a fair tip to the attentive and cheerful waiting staff who more than catered for our special requests and bemused morning demeanour.

Red Art Café Dalston, you achieve what many venues fail at in so many areas. You are not posh but you definitely have your priorities sorted and the hearts of many locals won.

Artpornblog loves you!

Visit it for yourself, get the real experience at Red Art Café on Kingsland Road, opposite the Tesco Express near the Rio Cinema.

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Written by Ted Rogers “Artpornblog”

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