crystal palace station has just reopened its original station entrance after a period of refurbishment, and within it, the newly opened brown and green cafe sits. it's so lovely having this greeting you at the entrance to the station, and it is beautifully kitted out with the original victorian tiled floors, railway sleeper bar, bucket lightshades and all sorts of lovely little details. there are plenty of seating options and a wonderfully short but enticing menu. we went on a saturday afternoon and ordered from the brunch menu. my boyfriend had the breakfast and i had the veggie breakfast, although i was super tempted by some of the scramble options (scrambled eggs with marmite anyone?). as the breakfasts didn't list what was included, i was pleasantly surprised when my plate turned up with some halloumi, a fried egg, a fried tomato, rocket and a little pot of heinz baked beans. I think it was around the £5.50 mark, and it wasn't a huge heaping plateful of food (which i was glad for), so i think the £5.50 is justifiable, but erring on the expensive side. the breakfast also came with a round of pre-buttered toast. i like that they butter it for you, what a nice touch! my boyfriend's meaty breakfast was the usual sort of meaty breakfast, and he enjoyed it.
the girls working behind the counter were mega busy the whole time we were there, but the service was customer friendly orientated and relaxed. very good! i had a look at the drinks menu offering and i thought their ranges of coffees/teas were fairly priced, and i will definitely pop in there on cold mornings when i am too tired to function...although it will mean me having to leave the house that little bit earlier!
i also read somewhere someone suggesting that it would be lovely if it opened on a couple of evenings mid week and had an alcohol license - i totally agree and think this is a fabulous idea! what a lovely atmosphere to wind down with an after work drink. i know that the girls behind brown and green are still trying to figure out their ideal opening hours, so this might be something that they want to consider for the future.
so happy to have something like this on my doorstep, and i am sure we will make full use of it as crystal palace locals! read more