After a big night out on Saturday, we were sorely in need of a proper breakfast, but where to go on a drizzly Sunday morning in Tottenham? A quick google offered up The Garden House as somewhere nearby on the High Road that would be open at 9am; and so it was that four adults, three kids under six and a nine-week old baby descended on it – a rather noisy bunch to say the least.
The interior of The Garden House. Photo: André Ainsworth
The Garden House appears at first glance to be a small space, but looks can be deceiving.
We entered a restaurant which seemed to be never-ending, lined with floor to ceiling bookcases down the right hand side and looking like a well used library. The bar is at the end of the very long room, which was filled with the hubbub of patrons enjoying their food and conversation.
We were welcomed by a friendly waitress within seconds of arriving, who helped us put tables together and get settled before Katy the owner came over for the orders. Katy, who previously worked at that mainstay of family dining Giraffe, has run The Garden House with her father for 12 years, and they are experts at dealing with families.
She took the kids’ orders first so as to keep them occupied and then came back for ours. This was a breath of fresh air, as so often restaurant staff don’t realise that children need to be fed with alacrity for the sanity of their parents, not to mention that of the staff and fellow diners.
The Garden House special. Photo: André Ainsworth
The Garden House do a great deal for the kids’ breakfast where you choose any three combinations for them plus a fruit juice for £3.50, handy when everyone wants different things – it definitely saved us a few tears. Katy even took our screaming baby away to give us a moment of peace whilst we decided what to order; Milly promptly stopped crying and sat happily in her arms.
The food came quickly and to say the servings were good is an understatement. None of us actually managed to finish our food but not for lack of enjoyment.
The garden. Photo: André Ainsworth
I had chosen The Garden House special, which at £7.50 was the most expensive. It came with a boiled egg, grilled halloumi, sucuk (Turkish sausage), feta cheese, bacon, and olives, amongst other treats. I wasn’t really sure how this would all go down as a breakfast and I’m happy to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.
The sucuk, halloumi and feta, alongside raw tomatoes and cucumbers, were packed with flavour and woke me up from my hangover. The warm Turkish bread was delicious with it; I’m now firmly converted to the Turkish breakfast.
My partner enjoyed the Istanbul breakfast, essentially a smaller version of my special at £5, and the English breakfasts (also £5) consisted of the usual eggs, bacon, sausages etc., were cooked well and definitely hit the spot.
Oh, and there’s a garden, a beautiful little oasis with a piano outside as well as a fully licensed bar. I can definitely see us spending a few warm summer evenings out there.