With its two-year gestation period, Leyton’s Middle Eastern viennoiserie Farha (the Arabic word for “joy”) is arguably the area’s most anticipated arrival in a long while.
Situated opposite the undulating swathes of Draper’s Field, it stands alone on the stretch of High Road where E10 bleeds into E15, somewhat untroubled by anywhere nearby offering viennoiserie and next-level coffee.
And big news: the kitchen is headed up by former Morny chef Vanessa Campanelli, who’s since done time at the acclaimed Toklas, Fortitude in Bloomsbury, Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley and the inimitable Ottolenghi.
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The owners undertook the entire reno project while balancing demanding fulltime jobs and, more recently, a newborn baby. Nargis Shaikh is a Hackney primary school teacher by day (currently on maternity leave) and her husband Umar Raza a management consultant, with the pair having moved to Leytonstone a few years ago. “We struggled to find anywhere nice to go locally for some coffee and a nice bite,” she says, “so decided to open a neighbourhood spot for speciality coffee and food from the Middle East.”
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The location itself is refreshing. Grabbing the last table by the big window, the view over the park is not something I’d previously contemplated, surprisingly bucolic for this most urban of stretches. Meanwhile, the handful of sun-drenched low tables at the front give way to a tranquil rear room with skylight, limewash cured walls, and long benches adorned with stripy covers. This is, perhaps, the place to linger.
A couple of choices had already sold out, including one on my hitlist: the za’atar cruffin with whipped feta and sumac pickled onion. But my other top three were there on the counter: the uber popular chai orange bun, banana brûlée and roasted aubergine danish, all pictured above. Items for next time? Perhaps a whipped coffee ganache bun with hazelnut praline and dark chocolate glaze, a saffron pear danish or a bostock (a croissant loaf with orange blossom frangipane, blueberries and flaked almonds).
And the coffee menu — conceived by head barista Laura, who came 4th in the UK Barista Championships — is no afterthought. A long black using their South American house espresso blend delivers fruity notes of chocolate, while there are also Panama Geishas (a high-end floral coffee varietal) and special lots from Yemen, as well as pour-overs and the ubiquitous matcha.
In today’s Substack I speak to the owners about their story, their incredible eye for detail in the design-led interior, and chef head chef Vanessa reveals the secrets behind her stunning (and extremely complex) viennoisserie. I also rate my favourite of the three I’ve tried so far. If you’re a fan, read a much longer version here.
A long black costs £3.40, pastries £5.50-£6.70. 930am–4.30pm, Thursday–Sunday. 42 High Road, Leyton E15 2BP @farha.london
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