Cafe Britaly
191 Rye Lane
London
GB
SE15 4TP
What’s the vibe?
Why, utterly Britalian, of course. And what’s that, you ask? Well, think a modern interpretation of la dolce vita...in Peckham. Co-owner Richard Crampton-Platt and chef Alex Purdie met while working at Soho’s Bocca di Lupo, and their slick, stylish take on a traditional greasy spoon pays tribute to the type of cafe run by Italian immigrants to the UK in the 50s and 60s. Plain white walls are hung with colourful, abstract, Matisse-style prints, bright pink bolster cushions sit plumply on charcoal grey banquettes, and deep purple Duralex tumblers adorn tables, while the restaurant’s teal blue facade proclaims its name in a fun, retro, fifties-style font. It’s a cute addition to vibrant Rye Lane, already no stranger to an innovative culinary enterprise, from Forza Wine to the Coal Rooms.
Cafe Britaly, interior
What to eat?
Crampton-Platt and Purdie’s stated aim is to make ‘Italian dishes more British, and British dishes more Italian’. So while the menu is, at first glance, quite simple, it features authentic local ingredients and an assured touch when it comes to the cooking. More unexpected items include the pizzetta crunch, essentially a small, deep-fried pizza pie which references Purdie’s Scottish roots, and translates to a moreish puck of salt-topped flaky dough hiding hot, oozing mozzarella and fresh, homemade tomato puree. The spicy ‘nduja Scotch egg is served with a tart, vinegary piccalilli which cuts through the richness of the sausage, while the fish finger roll uses sustainable coley, battered, with salsa rossa and tartare sauce.
Perhaps the most controversial menu item, however, is the spaghetti carbonara, which not only comes garnished with a caff-style fried egg but - going completely against canon - is made with cream. Purists, relax; egg is always stirred into carbonara anyway, and that cream is added with such a light touch that it only serves to add further emulsification. The result is a joyous plate of al dente spaghetti coated in a silky smooth sauce, studded with substantial chunks of guanciale. All-day breakfast includes the Full Britalian - of course - with fennel sausage, back bacon, black pudding, fried egg, beans, and fried pizza dough, while you’ll also find the likes of chicken Milanese, but also bavette steak with an olive, tomato and caper dressing or skate wing with salmoriglio (an oregano, lemon and olive oil dressing).
Desserts are worth sticking around for; pillowy, doughy maritozzo is stuffed with cloud-like cream and covered in chopped seasonal strawberries, while the chewy rice pudding arancini sits on a bed of sour cherry sauce. In short, any Italians even thinking about being offended should think again - and order that carbonara. Rule Britalia, we say.
What to drink?
There’s a good, and affordable, selection of wines and beers; the latter includes Tennents Super, as it transpires this is now seen as a hip drink by Italian teenagers (who knew?). Cocktails range from negronis - there’s one made with Auchentoshan single malt - to sbagliatos and various spritzes, while non-drinkers are well-catered for; order the Crodino, a luridly neon-orange beverage with a Campari-like bitterness cut through with grapefruit. It can only be a matter of time before they add Irn Bru to the list (hint, hint).
