Café East 

Not to be mistaken with the Café East Vietnamese restaurant with the same name in Surrey Quays. Café East is a vibrant bubbling halal, vegan, veggie, café located you guessed it in the East End. Perched along Roman Road it is almost impossible to get seating on a Saturday. The only café on Roman Road with endless queues has been proven to be a very popular spot for locals and anyone who wants a good brunch.   

They don’t have a website but the current social media presence on their Instagram page boast over 12k followers. Going into Café East blindly without knowing what’s on the menu, and only going by social posts. 

Owner background 

Mustafa Has is the person behind Café East, graduated from a graphic design he saw the opportunity to turn number 426 into a café. The inside has small square tables and can feel cramped but it’s exactly how Mustafa wanted it to be. The interior is full of tropical vibrant colours, and framed photographs and records are placed on shelves on the exposed walls. 

Service 

Each staff has their own station and it was difficult to grab a person to take orders, there was one to take orders, another to ask for the paper bill but then you have to go to the tills at the from to pay.   

Menu 

The menu at Café East is extensive with the usual café items and also food with a twist, waffles & pancakes on one page, club sandwiches, mains, pasta, gourmet burgers, wraps, salads, breakfast & brunch, make your own, omelettes, and jacket potato. There are fresh juices, mixed juices made to order, a selection of milkshakes, teapigs tea and more. 

Best of both worlds 

For the indecisive, the pancakes & waffle items have both sweet & savoury ingredients. The Posh Breaky came beautifully presented, a selection of fresh fruit, waffle, berries dusted with powdered sugar. Popping red cherry tomatoes, soft fluffy scrambled eggs, thinly sliced avocados, and spicy beef sausage on a stick. It was great to navigate around the plate, starting with the savoury beef sausage it’s not your typical long minced meat in a skin. At first glance, it looks like salami slices but its sure packs a punch with the spices. I like to judge a chef by their cooked egg techniques. Scrambled eggs perfectly cooked creamy and smooth. Waffles are crispy on the interior and not soggy and the fresh fruits is a great way to end your meal. 

It’s no wonder why Café East is very popular with people willing to queue, they serve up great dishes using fresh ingredients without being too presumptuous. 

Café East 

426 Roman Road, London E3 5LU England