If there is one café that I have loved during lockdown it's SUNDAY. I visited this place for the first time a couple of years ago when I wasn't even living in London and I was just visiting for a few days - even then this café was super popular, and for a good reason.
The café SUNDAY is located in Barnsbury near Highbury & Islington station, hidden away off the main road, but still a not so hidden gem. On weekends it's known that there is at least an hour waiting time to get a table - I know this, because I was in that queue - but in the end, once you take a bite full of fluffy pancake you forget all about that. The cafe is small, yet cosy and it's the friendly neighbourhood café that everyone loves and I can definitely see why. They also launched their own brunch book last year with their famous recipes and I'm very happy to have added that to my cookbook collection.
Ever since the lockdown happened, I have been craving their pancakes and since all I do is walk and go for coffees I didn't mind the exercise from Hampstead all the way to Islington. I've actually done this twice already since the first stack of pancakes only made me want it more. I ordered the pancakes with caramelized banana - obviously -, an oat chai latte and a slice of their blueberry crumble cake. The pancakes are super fluffy and remind me of the pancakes I had at Bubby's in New York City. The blueberry crumble cake was amazing too and I definitely prefer that over the coffee & walnut cake that I had last time.
I also highly recommend the courgette fritters, which is usually the dish that I go for if I am in a savoury mood - or to share when I'm with a friend. Every time I've been there the people that work there have been super friendly, which makes me like the place even more.
It's save to say that the pancakes from café SUNDAY are my favourite in London and I will probably go for a walk again this weekend to get some more, either in Barnsbury or here in Hampstead where they have their second location (it's currently closed because of the pandemic). In these crazy times it's important to support your local cafés and I will 100% keep doing that!
What is your favourite café in London?