Review: Filly Brook, E11

This temporary café-by-day, bar-by-night is the first occupant of the space to the right of Leytonstone tube set to host a series of similarly short term ventures. And it opened last week for a two-month residency.

FB will be keeping both caffeine and sugar levels of Leytonstoners high with Caravan coffee, Teapigs teas, pastries and gooey salted caramel brownies, as well as lunchtime savouries on a more healthy tip. On a weekend night it’s all change: the café becomes a bar and the drinks on offer include beers and bubbles on tap, wines selected by Noble Rot mag, and a selection of spirits from the East London Liquor Company.

Knowing our time together is limited, I’ve already stopped by twice. On Saturday lunchtime the place was packed, a queue snaking out of the door whereas, unsurprisingly, just after opening on Sunday morning I had the place practically to myself. The vibe? Altogether calmer.

The pocket-sized space has been white-washed, with the Filly Brook logo hand-painted in black on the back wall. Seating is either on the long bench along the window, or on retro orange plastic chairs at either one of three tables for two, or at a bigger sharing table. Wooden pallets have been re-purposed to create the counter, a makeshift bar and to house the speakers hooked up to a record player loaded with chilled-out 70s vinyl. The staff are super-welcoming, and a selection of the day’s papers encourage lingering.

Happily the food and drink live up to the stylish surroundings. The coffee is excellent, easily the best flat white I’ve had in E11, and the croissants buttery, flaky perfection. Asparagus frittata, with a salad of asparagus, broccoli and mange tout, was tasty and wholesome, but at £7 perhaps a little steep for the area. And it was a plate that didn’t quite keep me full until dinner.

That said, I have no doubt that Filly will be a regular hang for me during its eight week run. And I’m sure I’m not the only one hoping that the team have a successful pop up and decide to stick around and find more permanent premises.