Both Brockley and New Cross are hubs of creativity in South East London, with Goldsmiths students and staff often residing in the areas. In addition to art, restaurants, pubs and bars, there is also a great variety of local independent cafes. Here are the cafes in SE14 and SE4 you need to check out.
Outside The Broca. Pic; Oli Bates.
The Broca coffee shop was created by Erin and Rob in 2007. Their inspiration came from coffee shops in Western Canada and Berlin, and their café features found objects, second quality equipment, and ethical products. The interior is colourful and super cosy, and the environment is friendly and relaxed.
Located right next to Browns of Brockley, directly across from Brockley station, Broca is often filled with young people working on their laptops or reading. Although they do not have wifi, you can usually reach the station wifi, and there are some outlets. They have great coffees, hot chocolate, pastries, and groceries in the front.
The Brockley Deli is a beautifully presented café with baked goods, soups and sandwiches, featuring a small seating area. Zoltan Abbott, director, tells Eastlondonlines that you can expect “great coffee, fresh porridge, filled savoury croissants in the morning… award winning wines that you won’t find in supermarkets” and more.
They have recently extended their opening hours on Saturdays to host a wine bar and live music from a resident singer/songwriter. Speaking about the interior design, Abbott says: “The Brockley Deli is clean and almost Scandinavian in feel, bare wood and white shelves paired with black iron stools and tables.”
They welcome people to work here, offering wifi with a couple outlets. Abbott also tells Eastlondonlines: “We offer ten percent off to all Myatt Garden parents every day of the week before 12 and are very keen on local collaboration and partnership.”
Outside Browns. Pic; Oli Bates.
Browns of Brockley is directly across from Brockley station, and features coffee, sandwiches, salads, cakes and pastries. They carry coffee courtesy of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, based in East London. They also have Northiam dairy products and serve bagels on the weekends.
Speaking about why he decided to open Browns, Ross Brown tells Eastlondonlines: “I was really in love with specialty coffee. I had been to Portland, Oregon and seen how great coffee could be, and wanted to bring some of that back to London.
“We are definitely not the cheapest shop, but I hope that the price in some way reflects the quality we produce from the farmers picking and sorting individual beans with their hands, to the staff that work in our shop being paid properly.”
Browns does not offer wifi or outlets, but they welcome anyone who wants to enjoy coffee.
Outside Out Of The Brew in New Cross. Pic; George Webb.
Out of the Brew, opened just last year, was an exciting new addition to the New Cross coffee scene. Not only is the café well designed and painted a cloudy blue, but also doubles as an art gallery and event space. Their coffee is from Black Sheep Coffee Company, beer from Fourpure Brewery, wine from Dynamic Vines, and tea from Brew Tea Company.
They have a lovely garden space to enjoy the warmer weather as well. They pride themselves on using products only from local or small businesses. The café is usually filled with people on their laptops or meeting with friends.
Red Lion, the newest addition to the New Cross coffee scene. Pic; Holly Patrick.
Red Lion is the newest addition to the area, opening this past December. They are a modern café featuring speciality coffee, craft beer, wine, and food. Right around the corner from Goldsmiths University and next to Fordham Park, this café rests nicely on the corner.
They offer table service, with someone promptly arriving with a glass of water once seated. They have speedy wifi and lots of snacks and baked goods to keep you going.
Birdie Num Nums, directly across from Goldsmiths. Pic; George Webb.
Located across from Goldsmiths, Birdie Num Nums if often filled with students on their lunch break. The café has been a family run business for three generations, supplying coffee, homemade cakes and pastries, afternoon tea, as well as sandwiches and alcohol.
They have a good amount of seating and cute vintage décor, featuring beautiful floral tablecloths.
