Number 1 son has decided to flee the genteel West of London for the edgier charms of the East. The irony is lost on none of us, as one entire half of my family spent their lives trying to move the other way…

But times change and the Yuppie steamroller continues its swathe of hipster destruction from Hoxton, through Cambridge Heath and into Bow, although it seems to hit a shuddering halt at Roman Road Market…

However, several hundred yards short of the new frontier, we find part of the nouvelle vague of chi chi eateries, the Zealand Cafe (located on Zealand Road, so easy to find)

We came on a glorious spring day, having bathed ourselves in gentrification walking from Columbus Road flower market in Hoxton via Victoria Park. There were a few tables outside, which allowed us the full al fresco dining experience.

This is a cafe plus. Of course you can get the obligatory all day breakfast, but if you fancy something less cholesterol-soaked there are plenty of options.

Oh, and they have beer…

My charming companion went a little off piste on this occasion. She has frequently declared my omelettes the greatest on the planet (they are genuinely my superpower, as are roast potatoes: not a brag, but an empirical truth). But still she insists trying them in foreign climes on occasion…

Today, she went for a cheese and mushroom omelette (I really put my foot down when she was wavering over having feta, which has no place at all in any hot, egg-based dish). And it was pretty good. It tasted great, and had an amazingly fresh salad with it. *But* it did suffer from the most common of omelette mistakes: it was a bit overcooked, which makes the eggs a little stiff and rubbery. The secret? Cook the mushrooms in the pan before you add the egg, grate the cheese directly onto the omelette, and remove and fold it when the eggs are lightly brown. Then leave it for a minute or two, and the cheese will continue to cook without overcooking the eggs. It’s foolproof (as several fools I have taught this method to will attest)

In honour of #1 son’s vegetarianism, so as to give him a head start on local places to eat, I had the falafel and humous salad, which really was excellent. Very, very fresh salad and really well dressed with a light dusting of sumac. The falafels were good, but I have had better (Thanks to Mo’s wife, who had ruined restaurant falafels for me forever).

Service was not exactly with a smile, and when I asked for tap water, only one cup appeared, which seemed a bit odd. Good value, though, and worth a trip if you find Victoria Park a little too full at the weekend.

Conclusion

Overall rating: 4.25/5 (I think I need to move to marks out of 10…)

• Food: 4/5

• Drinks: 4/5

• Service: 3/5

• Ambiance: 5/5

• Value for money: 5/5

• Would we go back: 5/5

Zealand Cafe: https://m.facebook.com/zealandroadcoffeeshop/