Fat Cat Cafe

I so rarely get a chance to spend time in Stoke Newington but whenever I find myself in the area in the morning I always try and stop here! They have a really good breakfast takeaway deal…4.99 for sandwich and hot drink…
I’ve only ever had a bacon and egg bap here and a coffee takeaway and I am usually on a bike and usually have 10 minutes before I’m due somewhere… I do that annoying thing where I leave my bike outside and anxiously order a bacon sandwich (foregoing the drink) and then go back outside to watch my bike cause it’s a hassle to lock it. The staff are always great and are willing to run it out to me. If they are real busy I lock the bike up but if you’re stopping by in the morning during a weekday, there is usually no queue.
They use delicious fresh, hardy bread and are generous with their bacon portions. I know I tend to say that lots of places have amazing bacon, or the best bacon in London, but this sandwich is DELICIOUS! One day I will travel up to stoke Newington for a relaxing breakfast on a weekend and you’d better believe I’d believe I’d be coming here to sample something else!

I love Fat Cat. The breakfasts are just sensational and the staff are friendly and relaxed. Wholeheartedly recommend the American-​style pancakes. Clearly a place to bring your babies but the other non-​babied clientele never seem that bothered (unlike some places in Stokey). If only they would fix the freezing draft in the middle of the restaurant it would be perfect.

My friends brought me here for Brunch on a Sunday recently, as they live in the area and frequent Fat Cat for their Eggs Benedict. One of them love them so much, he hasn’t ever ordered anything else from there!
I’m going to caveat this review by saying maybe Fat Cat had an off day as my friends come here fairly often. I wasn’t too impressed by the food or the service, however.
The menu is a few brunchy items, lunchy items and sandwiches. The pancake stacks look good, although I opted for the steak burger. For £10.95 + £1 for mushrooms, it was a fair price, as it came with a small side salad and potato wedges. I asked for the burger to be cooked pink and after the server re-​confirmed what that meant, the burger still came out thoroughly cooked. It had good flavour and the Fat Cat sauce added to it’s charm. The cheese on it was good quality so top marks for that. I was disappointed with how crumbly the whole burger was as it fell apart after 2 bites.
We had to ask for water several times but the server was apologetic when it did arrive. I also ordered a coffee which never came so we followed up after we ate. When it arrived, it was the wrong coffee. Close but not quite but as we aren’t super picky, we just went along with it.
The staff handled it nicely and gave us a small discount for the troubles. I’d definitely go back for another visit as there is a reason the café is busy. It was doing a steady trade!

One of my favourite places for breakfast in Stokie. The prices may seem slightly high but they are justified by the quality of the food. Nicely presented with healthier or heartier options. The service and feel of the café are laid back although there can be a lot of young kids on week days. Wish they had more tables as it can get very busy on weekends and wifi at least on working days.

This place was recommended by my friend who lives locally. It was a saviour to me, as i was feeling a bit rough after a night of catching up with friends! We sat outside, so it took us a little while to get served, as they were pretty busy. The girl who served us though was very friendly, and the food came out fairly quick. I had the full breakfast and my friend had Eggs Benedict. Both were really good, although that was also the hangover talking!

one word. rubbish

I stumbled across this café on my first visit to Stoke Newington this weekend (shameful as I have lived in London for over 20 years). Really cosy, very friendly– I wish this could be my local so I could pop in for breakfast next weekend… A couple sitting at the table next to me were tucking into a full English and a plate of eggs benedict, both options looked enticing. However glacing at the menu I decided I wanted someting a bit more filling…
Two minutes later I have ordered a salmon en croute with seasonal veg and my lunch companion has ordered beef and mushroom pie with mash potato. Both meals were delicious– clearly home made and with care. The salmon was fresh and the portions were generous. Very homely, simple cooking. Perfect after browsing the various vintage shops and trendy boutiques of Stoke Newington and very reasonably priced! Breafast cost approx £6−8 and no main course cost more than £10.

The Fat Cat Café is one of my favourite breakfast/​lunch spots in northeast London. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed (they are child and dog friendly), the staff are incredibly welcoming and the food is spot on. When you first sit down, you are routinely brought a jug of tap water and glasses — just in case. This in itself says a lot about their attitude.
It’s not much to look at from the outside, which is what first drew me to the place. It completely lacks any trendy pretense while ticking all the boxes that attract a more alternative crowd: The food is ethically sourced, the furniture looks wonderfully jumbled together, they have a community message board on the wall and occasionally exhibit works by local artists.
I love their bacon and eggs on toast — great bacon from the meat man at Stoke Newington Farmer’s Market — as well as the beef burger, but I’ve tried a number of things from seafood stew (amazing) to liver and onion and have never been disappointed. There is a good little selection of classic English cakes — such as Victoria sponge, walnut and coffee, carrot cake — but unfortunately I’ve never managed to save space for it. The main course portions are not stingy! And they’ve recently started doing dinners. At 15 pounds for two main courses definitely something to try.
But what stands out the most is the friendly service. Always trying to make everyone feel welcome, they accommodate any special requests you may have. You want extra water with your espresso? Less milk in the cappuccino? Cheese on a sandwich that doesn’t normally have it? Not a problem. No matter how busy it gets, you will get the attention you need. Which leads to the only downside: They do get busy at times. Which means you may have to wait a while because all food is made fresh. But you will be warned ahead rather than just left sitting there. So why not pop next door, grab a newspaper and enjoy the fact that good things come to those who wait?

Good café. Organic and free range (very Stokey). All day breakfast. Club sandwich £6 and decent coffee. Will return