Barring one pretty incompetent and/or disinterested weekend staff member, BREW on Northcote Road couldn't get better. I came rocking up to this fully packed cafe at 12.30pm on a Saturday and asked for a table for three. Some tables were available outside, but the unpredictable English June weather had it feeling more like a brisk March morning than a sunny summer afternoon, so we opted to wait for a table inside, although this was only after we had been rudely rebuffed by said incompetent server and reconciled by the manager. The manager of the day, I have to say, was incredible. Friendly, hospitable. He directed us to some stools along the pavement outside and took our drink order. He even offered us some blankets. We were soon seated inside, though, and our warm coffees arrived promptly. They were perfectly good despite not claiming Square-Mile- or Monmouth-sourced beans. They didn't blow my mind, but they would certainly be worth going out of your way for if you're in Clapham (BREW seemed to do some pretty all right take-away coffee business). They were obviously crafted by an experienced barista on a la marzocca machine. On to the food. Well, the menu was full of breakfast/lunch amazing. This place has lazy SW weekend brunch written ALL over it. We ordered blueberry pancakes, the daily special (roasted salmon, roasted vine tomatoes and scrambled eggs served on sourdough toast), a chorizo scrambled egg on sourdough toast and a side of homemade Boston baked beans. Everything tasted fabulous. Seriously delightful and moreish. Usually, I can find at least ONE criticism when it comes to food (I am one picky bitch), but I was at a loss. I ate my entire meal and considered getting a slice of the homemade banana bread. Or a muffin. Or one of the croissants. Or a piece of cake. I settled on another coffee, which was just as good as the first one. I should add, I saw the barista sampling coffee behind the counter as he worked, which is always a good sign. The service was unobtrusive and always readily available if you needed to flag someone down for something (the place is rather small inside, after all, and they had at least six people actively serving customers, although one of them was the aforementioned absent-minded and completely ineffective server, which I'm choosing to believe was the exception rather than the rule since the rest of the service staff we encountered was fabulous). So there you have it. I loved this place. As for the price, it wasn't what you'd call inexpensive. But I'd say it was excellent value for money - well worth the quality and experience in the end! £30 for three brunch mains, one side item and six americanos, not including service. Cash only. read more

See all

The food at brew is certainly worth the trip, and I have often dropped by in the week for a quick lunch. However its a different story on the weekends, we managed to grab a table inside this Sunday, and the small eatery was overly crowded. I was sitting on 'the aisle' which meant I had waitresses knocking my elbow every time they passed by. The food is great though, this time round service was a little disappointing. Our waitress would not swap two poached eggs that came alongside a haloumi and sourdough maincourse for some mushrooms, a bit of a let down considering the fact that it was a pricey main, (and my wife is not a fan of eggs). So we kept the eggs (as we were paying for them), and I end up eating more than I need to. My toasted banana bread served with honey yoghurt topped with pistachios was a real treat, and our friends were equally happy with their Turkish Pide dishes. Great brunch, just make sure you arrive early to beat the rush. read more

See all

Brew is one of our favourite 'locals', although being more than a quick walk, it's in a nice location on Northcote Road and easy enough to get to. The coffee is consistently better than the main franchises in the UK and on par with some great Melbourne coffees. Loving the flat whites, which hit the spot better than more milky lattes. Staff are friendly and don't rush us out, even when it's busy. Wifi is a bonus, and often entices me to hang around a little longer for a second cup! Food is yummy and fresh, and there are often very creative and interesting dishes on the specials board, It can get crowded, a tad cramped and noisy, and busy at peak hour over breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, so be willing to wait. Love the little Australian touches. A flavour of home. read more

See all

WOW. I am so glad for Yelp and coffee connoisseurs like Larissa for bringing these awesome cafes and South London brunch hotspots to my attention! Brew is fantastic!! Besides the small and cramped interior, I think its worth the wait (however, if you're about to pass out if you don't get to eat in the next 10mins - then there's plenty other cafes to choose from on Northcote Rd) and would seriously advise you overcome your overwhelming need to go elsewhere and wait out the suggsted 10minutes in what felt like -10 degrees temperatures over the weekend cos people, its worth it! Once inside, its nice and warm and wafting with the wonderful scents of brunch - an intoxicating mix of scrambled eggs; fried bacon; freshly flipped pancakes and frenchtoast...and last but not least...the hypnotic aroma of good good good coffee! I won't bother listing out the brunch menu as they do tend to change but needless to say its always a delightful and intelligent spin on you're typical brunch faves..but I must dedicate a few thousand adjectives on the quality of the eggs used! Initially, I thought the golden, orangey hues of the scrambled eggs that came out on my friends' plate were flavoured with something like saffron but as I pierced my fork into poached eggs on my sourdough bread - I was pleasantly surprised to find the same deep rich orangey-red yolks slowly oozing out! OMG - they were not only a sight to behold, but a taste to take my breath away! Coffee? Well, lets just say it was fantastic and any cafe that knows how to make a proper piccolo or double machiatto, has my immediate endorsement. However, last but not least - they're Vahlrona hot chocolate is a definite must have after brunch! I'm such a big fan of this place!! Oh and extra credit points to Brew for providing guests with individual warm throws for the brave diners who chose the outdoor seating (or were just that keen to be seated and dig into their fave Brew dish). read more

I'm with team Larissa on this one. Apart from some very old little girl they made waitress one day, this place is a killer brunch joint. Wondering around this area of south London you are spoilt for choice when it come to a lazy breakfast on the weekend. The influx of young families and working professionals has resulted in a thriving café culture. That doesn't mean you won't fight for a table though. Even 3 attractive ladies, such as my party was, had to wait before being seated. The breakfasts here are really tasty. A British twist on American classic, fabulous coffee and great value for money. The bread you get is sourdough, your beans will have bits of tasty bacon in them, and the pastries all look pretty homemade. But even with all this charm the place still remains clean, tidy and efficient. read more

What's not to like about an Antipodean coffee and brunch place? Half of Clapham certainly seems to agree given how rammed Brew is at the weekend. Their MO is pretty simple: straightforward brunch dishes with a little more inspiration than a Full English and decent coffee, and they do pretty well. First off: there's not a whole load of room to manoeuvre in here. Tables are stacked pretty closely together and even with the covered outside section (complete with blankets in winter) it's pretty rammed and a little claustrophic. To be honest, they could probably do with upscaling a bit, but then again I'm not sure how busy it is during the week so maybe it wouldn't be economical. I don't mind the crampedness all that much, but it doesn't do the service many favours. The service here has been generally good, but the staff seem a little flustered at times which is totally understandable given the number of people and the little room with which the staff have to, you know, do their job. Anyway, that aside. First time I went I had a bacon and avocado sandwich with a toasted banana bread on the side. Both were good, my only mini gripe being that the avocado was a tiny bit hard, but then again we are in the UK; all in all, simple dishes put together well. Personally, I'd prefer the banana bread with butter rather than yoghurt but, well, I'm a fatty so... The second time I went I had a chicken burger. Now...this would have been all fine, but the chicken was probably a day or two older than it should have been. Not enough to make me ill, but it had that slightly off taste. In one of my more British moments, I said nothing. I hate waste, and it was still *edible* so that combined with my desire not to rock the boat overrode my sense of right as a customer. For better of for worse. The rest of the burger...I mean, it was nice although nothing particularly special; the chicken was a tad on the dry side too. Not a horrible experience, but the kitchen staff should really watch out for stuff like that. And as a customer I should really make more noise. Brew does Allpress coffee - not my favourite, but it's pretty decent and far better than your bog-standard, so I'm happy with that. All in all, I'd go back here again, for sure. I like their menu and it always has attractive options on it; that said, it does need a few improvements to send it over the edge and for me to think "mm, this is pretty awesome". Maybe it's a little je ne sais quoi, or perhaps it's something utterly tangible that I'm not discerning enough to be able to pick out explicitly. I'm not sure. But if you want a decent breakfast, then you could do much much worse. read more

Brew does serve dinner now, starting around 6pm... It accepts credit cards too. read more

i'd been to Brew once before for cake and coffee with a friend. On that occasion we both left our cakes unfinished as they were not good at all. (It should be noted that I rarely ever don't finish a piece of cake. Cake is one of life's joys). My more recent visit was for brunch with family & friends. I had the banana pancakes. My pancakes were good, though lacking a proper amount of syrup. The portion, for the price, wasn't very big. I liked them, but still don't get the hype of many other reviews. Everyone else enjoyed their meals, but none of us were wowed. Seating is cramped. I don't enjoy having to climb over something to find a seat and then have to move tables for any of us to get in or out. Some of our food was passed over, rather than directly to us as even the servers couldn't quite access our shoved-ino-the-corner table. The tables had trouble holding 2 meals due to their size. That was less than idea. Overall: good food, but nothing to shout about; fair service; overly crowded and cramped seating. Maybe better to just go for coffee? read more

We went to brew for a Sunday brunch. We both had the poached eggs (£7.90), which is a platter including 2 water tasting (wasn't patted dry) poached eggs sitting on 2 extremely hard thin slices of sour dough bread. We were also given hard cold butter, which was a challenge to spread given our bread was hard as rock and cold. Husband also ordered orange juice (£5.5/glass -whoa, right?-), which had more pulp than juice in it. Very disappointed with the overall experience as food lacked flavor and quantity (put a little bit on the side, like avocado or sliced tomatoes?) for the price we paid. Not recommended. read more

Malteser Milkshakes!!! The drop of a star is cause the milkshake is the smallest milkshake I have ever seen, but just so tasty! I ate the Melt thing with Poached egg and pesto on top and it was so fresh... Really loved the place, and would love to come back on the next trip read more

If your adventurous and love great then a visit to one for the Brew's - Clapham, Wandsworth, Wimbledon and now Putney where they have a fire pit and bed to enjoy your brunch on, is an expiring like no other. The specials change regularly and you will fine the staff delightful. Just remember at peak times on a Sat and Sun you must be prepared (as its good food) to be packed so its a squeeze...so you'll make friends with your neighbours. This is great indication the food is amazing !!!!! read more

The boy and I were wandering down Northcote Rd on a Sunday morning in search of pancakes--there was always the old greasy spoon cafe but...what's that on the specials menu at this little hole in the wall called Brew? Blueberry pancakes with caramelized banana and maple syrup! The blueberry pancakes were beautiful--thick fluffy ones with a crunch along the outside edge and a nice dollop of creme fraiche to balance the sweet syrup. We also got the sweet corn fritters with avocado, aioli, bacon, and tomato jam. I've never had corn fritters that weren't nugget shaped so these pretty, pancake shaped ones were an elegant surprise--the savoury version of the blueberry pancake special. The fresh juices were also impressive, with the apple lemonade arriving with a foam on top tasting like fresh lemon zest. We sat half in the sun and half under the awning--very pleased with this place! read more

Pretty disappointed. I always see this place packed full so wanted to see what the fuss was about. It was busy at all, lots of empty tables however the service was below average. We asked a few normal questions which the waitress had no idea about. Just everything that I thought would be standard service seemed a bit of an effort. I got the duck burger which was yum but chips stale and cost me £14 :/ next time I'll be going to GBK. read more

Don't let the line scare you away, there's a reason for it. The food here is pretty simple but done great. The simple, chorizo and toast is pretty tasty. Matter of fact, anything chorizo would be a good decision. The selections are huge and they don't need to be cause they do a few things really well. The juice menu is pretty good but pricey. I like the fact that they have specials that change all the time, shows that there is a chef there who isn't just looking to put out the standard breakfast fare. Tip - be prepared for tight quarters, the place isn't big, seems to be popular and has customers fitting in everywhere. Check it out! read more

Very cute, very tasty and most importantly, very warm when escape from the elements was very necessary! Located on charming Northcote Road, just a hop and a skip from Space NK and other delights, Brew provides a perfect coffee crash pad. The capp I sampled was pretty good and my companion was supplied with what can only be described as a vat of tea, and not bad value for the volume! Carrot cake was extremely good I hasten to add;crumbly, light, tasty and nutty it surpassed my expectations, which is a rare occurrence. This place is great in the summer for their frozen fruit drinks, but til hot days arrive, I long to return for poached eggs. Yum. read more

There are only positive things I can say about this place. The owner and staff are very friendly and helpful. We go in with two kids and they are very accommodating. The chef makes the most delish food and everything we've had is so yummy and creative. We even pop in for coffee Togo and Tony always remembers how I prefer it. Thank you! read more

I am going to be kind and give Brew 4*, why doesn't yelp allow for half stars?! It deserves 3.5. We arrived around 11am on a bank holiday Monday and had a small wait. Thankfully they were sitting people next door at the Indian Restaurant (slightly strange). I had the treacle cured bacon sandwich with avocado, which I extremely enjoyed. The bacon and the tomato jam went perfectly together. I thought the pot of aioli was slightly pointless, as it really didn't accompany the flavours of the sandwich. The flat white was slightly disappointing, but can we really expect everyone to know how to make a good coffee? Overall, it is definitely worth a visit for an area that is lacking in non-chain breakfast/brunch spots. read more

I really love Brew. It's just so solidly good. Fresh-tasting, delicious food, really good coffee, decent service. You can always count on it. This morning I went for Turkish eggs (poached eggs, hung yoghurt & hot chilli butter with toasted pide) - such a great dish & the eggs are always perfectly poached so you can mix the runny yolk in with the yoghurt. The treacle-cured bacon is always a winner side and the fresh juices make me happy (they're too rare in London). read more

Despite Brew having been around for a while, and me having walked past it many times, this is a recent find for me - and I'm glad that I finally decided to walk into and sit down to eat at this place. It's simple food (with an interesting spin) done amazingly. The balsamic field mushrooms with pesto are great, as is the scrambled egg with chorizo - and the portion sizes are large. They also do a great side dish of beans with ham hock and chorizo which is well worth sharing with your brunch partner. And don't let the size of the place and inevitable queue put you off. It tends to go quickly and is worth the wait. read more

Went for brunch and was really pleased. Good flat white and cappuccino. Would recommend the blueberry pancakes (£10.90) or the Eggs Florentine (£11.50). It's a tad on the expensive side but the ambience is cool and there's some nice patio seating. read more

Really small cafe in a nice, central location in Clapham Junction. Came here on a Sunday at 2pm as part of a group of four and was seated quickly. The menu is really varied with loads of interesting brunch options so found it hard to choose! All our food was gorgeous (club sandwich, scrambled egg variations..) and would love to come here again soon to try something else! Sides were quite pricey but overall the bill was average for a nice brunch. read more

Brew sadly has been a constant disappointment. The coffee is mediocre at best, tasting bitter and burnt. It's a nice spot to sit outside, but the owner's recent violent behaviour loses a couple more stars. I highly recommend the nearby Birdhouse and Story Coffee for much better coffee from nicer people. read more

This little place gets packed out at weekends but is the perfect place for coffee and a light meal. I often go here to catch up with girlfriends. It's always buzzing and part of it is outside so in the summer it's popular but it's also a cozy little place for the winter time too! read more

http://www.putneysw15.com/default.asp?section=info&page=conbrewroadrage001.htm - Let's just say that this incident happened outside 'The Priory'. Personally, I patronise establishments where I don't feel likely to be attacked by my host. Avoid - overpriced & unoriginal. read more

I love this place, there's loads of choice on the menu and it all tastes amazing. It feels very authentic and is the definition of brunch. The only thing is I think it's quite expensive and can be really hard to get a table but at least you know it's in demand! read more

A MUST visit for the banana bread and Malteser milkshake - maybe not the healthiest brunch but can always go for a run on the common first and a great way to start the weekend...! Small place and always busy but lovely food and staff. read more

Absolutely delicious food- the sweetcorn fritters are delicious. Nice poached egg and avocado dishes. Good Bloody Mary's, Juices and Coffee. It's always packed but they always manage to squeeze you in. My only criticism can be that as it is quite small it can get quite hot in there! read more

We used to love this place (still kind of do as it is great), then a lot of the friendly staff left and there is a rather surly manager whose mission in life seems to be to cajole the older diners and seems to think us younger folk don't spend the cash or something. Have been for breakfast and lunch and food is always delicious and fresh. Coffee is the real forte, but guys, £2.50 for a double espresso, are you serious?? It has no milk and on that basis even the expensive chain stores only charge £1.50-£1.75 and I can get it under £1 at some great coffee shops. Last time we couldn't get a table so decided on takeaway coffee, 15 minutes! Mr Surly was even more surly than usual and made it quite clear we were an inconvenience. If you don't want to sell takeaway coffee, then don't, but how dare you make us out to be a pain for availing ourselves of a service you offer! read more

We went to Brew to have a lovely breakfast, but once we arrived around 4pm we were told that no savoury dishes were served as breakfast finishes at 3pm. We told the staff that their website advertises all-day breakfast, but they simply did not care and got rude! Afterwards we called them again, hoping that this first impression was an exception, but it turned out to be the rule: the next answer we got was Yeah, ok, cool. Bye. Is that how you treat your customers? Certainly not me! If you promise something on your website which turns out not to be true, an apology and a quick fix is in order. We were treated in a rude way, and their website is still advertising the non-existing all-day breakfast, after over a week ago. A company that operates like this should be avoided there are better options around! read more

This place is great. Good friendly service and great quality food. Local sourced foods and the wines seem to mostly be from New Zealand. I have only eaten there in the evenings. It is known as a brunch place, but passing it over in the evening is a mistake. Luckily the "brunch place" label means available seating. I'm anxiously awaiting the new Fall / Winter seasonal menu. The weather is not quite supporting the Summer fare. read more

Given the experience I had in Brew today I'm very doubtful as to whether the other suspiciously lengthy reviews on here are genuine. Here's my rather more succinct Prices = expensive, even for Northcote Road. Service = poor Card paying facilities = non-existent Manageress = rude and off-hand Northcote Road, now a mecca for those seeking a bit of SW cafe culture, has better. Save your money and avoid. read more

We had to queue to get in, but once my food came I realised why! We were sat outside, and they provided us with blankets etc. as it was raining. I ordered the Turkish poached eggs which were FANTASTIC I have never found anything else like them anywhere else in London. Perfect brunch place if you are around C-Town and I highly recommend the Turkish Eggs! read more

came into this tiny restaurant on a week day and was surprised by how full it was. brew was wonderfully toasty warm inside and service was quick. i had the corn fritters which were pretty good, the combo of the sweet jam and the avocado on top of the fritters was a little odd. i think i would have prefered one or the other, not both at the same time. the corn cake itself was nice though and came out nice and hot so you could tell it was freshly prepared. only downside was that i felt a little rushed by the staff, like they were trying to get me out quickly. read more

Popped in to Brew with my daughter.... we sat outside under the heaters wrapped in the blankets they provide and ate yummy cakes and drunk tea. My daughter had just had her hair cut in Edward James over the Road ( A-mazing by the way) we then went to the little toy shop for a treat (tiny but has everything!!) popped in to trotters for new hair clips for school and then BREW.... Love love love BREW and Northcote Road is just brilliant read more

i never thought coffee and food could get this good, the latte was the best around almost as good as fanny adams in blagdon great staff too read more

I agree about the lovely food and coffee, and yes it is a little crammed. Surely though 'ilovegoodfood01' wouldnt even have had a table to sit at had there been less. The cafe has a great atmosphere and is by far better now than the the frenzied and disorganised environment prevalent last time i visited a year ago. I had a super brunch there a few weeks ago on what was a very busy Sunday, and I have to say in his defence the manager was charming and had everything under control. The organisation required must be very important and it can only be down to his management and leadership that Brew now regains the lively yet high quality environment that it so much deserves. I'll be back for sure read more