Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 8 and Version 1 of Nico, SE25 6XP

Version 8 Version 1
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Cafe in [[Locale South Norwood|South Norwood]].
Small cafe in [[Locale South Norwood|South Norwood]]. It [https://twitter.com/Andr6wMale/status/1085866298897137664 opened] in January 2019.
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It [https://twitter.com/Andr6wMale/status/1085866298897137664 originally opened] in January 2019 at 208a Selhurst Road (see <a href="https://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?id=Nico,_SE25_6XP&version=5">older version of this page</a> for a description of the old premises), but [https://twitter.com/NicoCafeSe25/status/1167349260943278080 moved across the road] to number 241 by the end of the year.
The ground floor seats about a dozen people with a combination of three tall stools, a couple of basket chairs, a wing-backed leather armchair, and six upright chairs at a long, reclaimed-plank communal table. Fresh flowers sit in vases on the tables, potted plants stand in corners, and a candle flickers against the mirror that occupies one wall. Art books are displayed on shelves, and both 2D and 3D art hangs here and there. In the basement is another seating area, dimmer and cosier.
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The new premises have seating for around two dozen people, half of it on long communal tables and the rest divided between regular upright chairs, a couple of small armchairs, and three tall plastic stools. A mirrored pillar adds interest in the centre of the room, while bunches of flowers stand in large and small vases.
[[Kake]] visited on a Friday lunchtime in March 2019. There were two other customers when I arrived a little before 12:30pm, and others were in and out throughout the afternoon, some seemingly regulars. Music was playing, not too loud.
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The table tops are wooden planks with spilled wax melted on here and there, the ceiling is covered with a large decorative paper cut-out, and fairy lights intermingle with trailing plants. A fully glazed frontage gives plenty of natural light.
The kitchen space is small, and hence so is the menu, but it's a well-chosen selection based on poached eggs on muffins plus panini. They also have a selection of house-made cakes.
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[[Kake]] visited on a Friday lunchtime in February 2020. There were half a dozen other customers when I arrived around 12:30pm; this roughly doubled over the next hour, but an hour after that there were only three of us left. Music was playing quietly on a record player.
[[Kake]] tried one of the poached egg variations, "Ellie's favourite", comprising two poached eggs on a halved muffins with hollandaise, pesto, and sundried tomatoes (&pound;7.50) <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/40488371973/ photo]</small>. It was pretty good. The yolks were mostly runny, and the hollandaise was a competent vinegar-forward rendition. The pesto and sundried tomatoes made a really nice change from the usual eggs benedict/royale/florentine, and the fresh parsley added yet another flavour note. I'd order it again.
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I went for the open faced toasted sourdough sandwich with seasonal vegetables and a choice of cheeses/meats (&pound;6.50), choosing brie and proscuitto as my options <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49572998441/ photo]</small>.
Earl Grey tea was made with a bag, but came in a stylish (albeit fragile) glass teapot, and the cup was pre-warmed. They also have around two dozen Pukka teas.
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The "seasonal vegetables" consisted of radish, apple, tomato, and a very small quantity of asparagus, which was a bit surprising as I'd only really consider the apple to be plausibly in season in the UK in February. However, they were all fresh and well-flavoured (even the tomato), and showed some good knifework. Red rice and toasted pumpkin seeds were scattered on the top for a pleasing extra dimension of texture, and it was all finished with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil.
Service was friendly and helpful, and very patient with a rather talkative customer.
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Overall the sandwich was very good, and I'd order it again, but I wished it hadn't taken an hour and a half to arrive. The staff member doing front-of-house said this was because there was only one person working in the kitchen, but it did seem quite unnecessarily slow.
They have WiFi, which doesn't require a password, and several usable power sockets including one with phone chargers ready plugged in.
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They have a very large range of Pukka teas, as well as Earl Grey and English breakfast. A mug of Earl Grey tea (&pound;1.80) came ready-brewed, with no option to adjust the strength.
Child-friendliness: They have at least two highchairs (IKEA Antilop without trays), and there's a pull-down nappy change table in the toilet (which is unisex, and in the basement). There was a baby in a buggy present on our visit.
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They have WiFi (ask staff for the password) and at least three plug sockets, and are explicitly welcoming to laptop users.
Accessibility: A step to get in. A narrow, steep staircase with a bend at the end to get to the toilet; at the time of our March 2019 visit this had a handrail on one side most but not all of the way down, but they told us they're planning to put a handrail on the other side and to make sure there's a rail all the way down.
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Accessibility: No steps to get in, and none to the toilet (a single large cubicle with grab bars, a low sink, and a pull-down nappy change).

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* Photos of the menu as of February 2020: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49572998556/ food], [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49573225342/ drinks]
* [https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d17567274-Reviews-or10-Nico-London_England.html TripAdvisor comments
]
* Photos of the menu as of March 2019: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/40488372293/ food], [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/47401447352/ drinks]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], February 2020. Opening hours obtained from a member of staff, February 2020.</div>
address='241 Selhurst Road'
category='Breakfast,Cafes,Child Friendly,Featured Article,Free Wireless,Laptop Friendly,Step-Free Access'
<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], March 2019. Opening hours taken from sign on door, March 2019.</div>
address='208a Selhurst Road'
category='Breakfast,Cafes,Child Friendly'
== Line 34 == == Line 31 ==
latitude='51.397487'
latitude='51.397322'
== Line 36 == == Line 33 ==
longitude='-0.076074'
longitude='-0.075865'
== Line 38 == == Line 35 ==
map_link='http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=533826&y=168306'
node_image='https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49572998771_d668502546_m_d.jpg'
map_link='http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=533841&y=168288'
node_image='https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7861/47401447652_5a462bca5c_m_d.jpg'
== Line 42 == == Line 39 ==
node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49572998771/'
node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/47401447652/'
== Line 44 == == Line 41 ==
os_x='533826'
os_y='168306'
os_x='533841'
os_y='168288'
== Line 47 == == Line 44 ==
postcode='SE25 6XP'
summary='Small cafe in South Norwood.' summary='Cafe in South Norwood.'
postcode='SE25 6XU'
summary='Small cafe in South Norwood.' summary='Cafe in South Norwood.'

Small cafe in South Norwood. It opened in January 2019.

The ground floor seats about a dozen people with a combination of three tall stools, a couple of basket chairs, a wing-backed leather armchair, and six upright chairs at a long, reclaimed-plank communal table. Fresh flowers sit in vases on the tables, potted plants stand in corners, and a candle flickers against the mirror that occupies one wall. Art books are displayed on shelves, and both 2D and 3D art hangs here and there. In the basement is another seating area, dimmer and cosier.

Kake visited on a Friday lunchtime in March 2019. There were two other customers when I arrived a little before 12:30pm, and others were in and out throughout the afternoon, some seemingly regulars. Music was playing, not too loud.

The kitchen space is small, and hence so is the menu, but it's a well-chosen selection based on poached eggs on muffins plus panini. They also have a selection of house-made cakes.

Kake tried one of the poached egg variations, "Ellie's favourite", comprising two poached eggs on a halved muffins with hollandaise, pesto, and sundried tomatoes (£7.50) photo. It was pretty good. The yolks were mostly runny, and the hollandaise was a competent vinegar-forward rendition. The pesto and sundried tomatoes made a really nice change from the usual eggs benedict/royale/florentine, and the fresh parsley added yet another flavour note. I'd order it again.

Earl Grey tea was made with a bag, but came in a stylish (albeit fragile) glass teapot, and the cup was pre-warmed. They also have around two dozen Pukka teas.

Service was friendly and helpful, and very patient with a rather talkative customer.

They have WiFi, which doesn't require a password, and several usable power sockets including one with phone chargers ready plugged in.

Child-friendliness: They have at least two highchairs (IKEA Antilop without trays), and there's a pull-down nappy change table in the toilet (which is unisex, and in the basement). There was a baby in a buggy present on our visit.

Accessibility: A step to get in. A narrow, steep staircase with a bend at the end to get to the toilet; at the time of our March 2019 visit this had a handrail on one side most but not all of the way down, but they told us they're planning to put a handrail on the other side and to make sure there's a rail all the way down.

See also:

  • Photos of the menu as of March 2019: food, drinks
Last visited by Kake, March 2019. Opening hours taken from sign on door, March 2019.

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