From the people behind popular Aussie café Brickwood, Nue Ground is new to Clapham’s Abbeville area with a menu running from morning ‘till late. Similar to the sister spot, dishes are creative and colourful, but less Aussie and more globally inspired to make this café decidedly different from Brickwood. It’s also the founder’s first steps into dinner, with a focus on small plates such as roasted potato wedges, grilled aubergines and vegetables crisps, as well as flatbreads topped with spreads like artichoke purée (don’t worry, there’s hummus too).
For brunch, Nue Ground serves every breakfast staple but with exciting twists. Your pancakes? They are made with buckwheat and topped with salted tahini, peanut cream and banana curd. Waffles? Nue Ground prefers them savoury, formed of chickpeas and courgette with poached eggs on top. Even a full English breakfasts gets an upgrade, balancing bacon and sausages with beans in homemade sauce. It’s a massive portion and likely to become a popular hangover cure.
There are simple options too, like eggs or avocado on toast, but simple isn’t to say boring. A grain bowl with greens, hummus and chickpeas might not sound enticing, but the turmeric-spiced hummus was so creamy and smooth, the chickpeas had the perfect crunch, and quinoa couldn’t have been fluffier. I don’t even like quinoa, but I loved this.
Address: 32 Abbeville Rd, London SW4 9NG
