eggbaconchipsandbeans

Bridge The Gap, 171F Battersea Park Road, SW8

This is a welcome site. You find yourself between Vauxhall and Battersea early in the morning. Somewhere round there. Maybe you're visiting a delivery company depot because they've failed to deliver your package. Maybe you're picking up a new chum from the Dog's Home. Maybe you're lucky enough to be local. Anyway. It's cold and early and, frankly, a bit miserable. And you see this. You're happy. And soon you'll be full.

Because the ebcb is genius. It's huge. You get the sense that some cafes, when confronted with an ebcb order draw in their horns a little. They shave something off the amounts for each individual constituent part. It's going to be a big meal anyway, why not save a shilling here or there on the overall package. If only to fit it on the plate. Not at Bridge The Gap. Full measures on everything and a plate that can cope with anything you might throw at it. You could fit a tomato and some mushrooms on there if you wanted.  Look at those chips! You could use them as beach defences. Pile them at the shoreline and no tank would pass. They're tasty, plentiful and practical, what more could you want? And they're not skimping with the rest either. A couple of bacon rashers, like mini steaks. A very fair bean apportionment. (And good beans too) And a nicely contained egg. Not wide, certainly, but thick. It has mass that egg. This is a good, cheering, heartfelt breakfast. Let's have a closer look:

Marvellous. Hurrah for Bridge The Gap.

Lovely, complete condiment set. With a nice little stand/container. Not sure what it's for really, except keeping the condiments close together. But it keeps the condiments close together.

And I like the menu system. Big pictures, up by the counter, lots of set options. Lots of temptation.

I love these kinds of chairs. So simple and practical. And, especially when it's empty like this, ordered and pretty. Must be a lot of anxiety about the colour choice though, once you've chosen you're stuck for a long time. This green is a good choice though, distinctive and bright. This is a great place. Must go again.

Platial location

Jack's, 252 Lavender Hill, SW11

Jack's is a good response to the lazy cliche of cafes in decline. It's a successful, energetic business serving big old fry-ups to regular folk. They've upgraded fixtures and fitting, they've acknowledged the presence of modern tastes, they've got their own website, but they still do a quality ebcb.

Those chips look like they're swarming, a school of chips swimming around the bacon reef. I guess that would make the beans the sea or something. And the eggs would be the er, I don't know. The analogy collapses at that point. Suffice to say - delicious, the melty bits are properly melty, the crunchy bits deliver hefty crunch. Very good.

It's a clean, well-lighted place. (Is that almost a quote?) I'm as enthused as anyone by the down-at-heel, just-about-to-die vibe of some classic cafes but I also really like the bustle and life of a good, new cafe. There's nothing as human and social as a great little cafe, full of people and food and tea and shouting. Not that there's many people in this picture, it was very early. But you know what I mean.

I like that it's balanced somewhere between an American diner feel and a classic British one.

Good big mug. Lovely.