Market Cafe, Market Cafe do I like you or not?
I certainly come here a lot.
As uninspiring as it may be, the name is pretty accurate: Market Cafe is a café on Broadway Market. Another café in Broadway Market? Indeed, but this one is a bit different and, I have to say, was much needed. The first time I visited was when it hadn't opened yet: they were giving away free pasta tasters in the street, out of enormous metal pots. There was nothing inside yet, but I very much disliked the previous interior so nothing was still a huge improvement.
The pasta was great, the staff young and lovely and the atmosphere really festive. Thumbs up then, but there was much much more to get done before the opening day, and they could still very much fuck it up.
Instead, they put together really nice bric-à-brac furniture and, well, have the best windows you can ask for, they are huge and go all round. In the day it's just bright and gorgeous and in the evening it's cheerfully Hopper-esque.
The food - the food is really nice, the sides here are quite something in themselves; try the polenta or just the side salad - delicious.
The coffee is good and they can whip up an amazing whisky sour.
So why am I not sure I like it?
Well, the prices are a bit of a joke. An evening here can be a real blow to the wallet's heart and it's not like we're at the Boundary's rooftop patio, we're down the road in Broadway Market, we didn't expect a blow here.
I'm sure this encouraged the desired fauna: why have normal Hackney when you can have Alexa Chung? True, after the first unexpected blow you know what to expect and can choose not to come here... but can you?
Market Cafe is a bit of a magnet: it's packed with cheerful people, it's pretty and fun, the tastebuds are happy... if you live around here you might just end up there whether you planned to or not.
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