Front Room Cafe

[Deleted User] · May 2010

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WillM · May 2010

@Misscara - I prefer my Eggs Benedict like that as well... but most London and New York hotels prepare them with ungrilled ham, and often with unbuttered muffins. Obviously over-cooking the eggs there's no excuse for, but I'm just saying the Front Room's not *that* bad.

princess_l · May 2010

Front Room has warmth and character, I reckon, even if their food can be a bit hit and miss (more hit than miss IMHO but I have been there a few times when they've run out of spinach - bah).

[Deleted User] · May 2010

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Philistine'sMonster · May 2010

Oh dear, oh dear. Clearly this is the greatest tragedy ever to befall this once proud nation. Suicide pact, anyone?

[Deleted User] · May 2010

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robert horsley · May 2010

I am part owner of the front room and felt it important for me to respond to the comments made here, to clarify who we are and defend our intentions. Polly and myself opened up the front room three years ago with much anticipation and excitement as to how our cafe would integrate into the community of stroud green. We have always wanted to run our own cafe to create a social hub for the community to make friends and bring people together, I feel we have achieved this and am very proud of the front room. The food has always been important to us and although we were not experienced caterers before we feel absolutely passionate that our customer receive good quality food at reasonable prices, if I was to brake down how much each dish cost and what we have to pay out a week I can assure you we feel that what we charge is fair. We have to admit to making mistakes along the way but have gained more experience and better qualified chefs, because without good food we are without customers. On the whole we have a large regular custom base that continues to return to reflect customer satisfaction. It pains us to think that some of the people on this site feel so scathing about us and welcome an opportunity to rectify any mistakes that were made either by returning for a complimentary meal or to come in to speak to Polly or myself. We by no means want to mislead our customers and hope that the customer would have read through the menu before ordering and is satisfied with the choices they make, our staff are instructed to be clear on the dishes and drinks that we serve so as to minimise any disappointment that may arise.
The kitchen staff do wear protective hats, have short hair or are asked to tie their hair back, in the rare occasion of a complaint of hair in the food all we can do is apologise, I can assure you we are very careful to avoid these kinds of errors and do care very much about the quality our customers receive.
Our coffee is made with a double shot gun to ensure a strong shot, the staff are trained to use the same strength every time, if you have been served a weak coffee please come to us to reorder your coffee, it is our business to make it good, we know how important it is. In-fact the general complaint about our coffee is that it is too strong and customers often asked for extra milk. Unfortunately you cant please everyone but we work very hard to please the majority. We put our personalities out their everyday day in that cafe and it is a reflection of who we are so we want all our customers to have a satisfied experience every time. We do take on board negative criticism and want to continually improve our cafe and do not shy away from making changes and listening to you.
Rob

krappyrubsnif · May 2010

Bravo Robert! It was high time you had a chance to defend yourself against the ungrilled ham and sticky table brigade on this site!

Arkady · May 2010

Aye, Bravo Rob. Never been in before, but will swing by now on the basis of this robust defence! All the best A

[Deleted User] · May 2010

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Papa · May 2010

I rarely breakfast or lunch out, but on the times I have been to Front Room is has delivered. Never the best I've had, but nearer the better end of the scale. They also occasionally when I work a Sunday make me a coffee early of a morning before they have opened properly. I like that. Yes, a quick glance at the punters does always deliver the same feeling I get when I see a Clapham/East Dulwich/Crouch End smug cafe. But that's a good thing. We've got plenty of workers caffs dishing out bog standard breakfasts and an independent business trying to break the mould and working extremely long hours deserves praise. Front Room is a greater force for good than it is for evil and should be celebrated for that. Well done Robert. Perhaps Front Room is Joe Cole: might not be your bag and may not always play the best game, but has the potential for flair and interest that others don't and always appears to be trying. I'd rather have it than not by a low way.

lizbet · May 2010

Had a coffee at the front room this morning and it was the best coffee I have bought from there. It was actually the best coffee I have had in Stroud Green or Crouch End - hopefully it's a change that will be kept up. As I drink my coffee black it was good that it wasn't scorching hot either. So many coffees seem to end up burnt when the temperature of the water in the machine is too hot. I like the front room and don't feel it's overpriced - value for money does not necessarily mean the cheapest. Tesco "Value" would be case in point.

princess_l · May 2010

Nice one Robert, it's great that you're responding to comments on here and I hope the feedback you find on here helps you to get better and better.

jandb · May 2010

I like Papa L's footballer analogy. Does SG have an Emile Heskey?

Papa · May 2010

Cheers Jandb I reckon SG's Emile Heskey is the Larrik, rarely scores but puts in a solid performance and makes those around it play better

[Deleted User] · May 2010

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JungleFaceJake · May 2010

It still looks rubbish. Maybe it is just my affliction to white people with Dreads.

If it was a footballer I would say it was more Graham Le Saux.

Can play a bit, but thinks he is a gem amongst the shit because he can read, and read the Guardian at that.

Not the Le Saux had dreads.

andy · May 2010

Or maybe it's Graeme Le Saux because it's underrated and the victim of lazy stereotypes.

JungleFaceJake · May 2010

Maybe

But Le Saux was pretty crap really and often, to his own admission, thought himself better than those around him.

I am not that lazy... I just hate pretend desperate trendy's and trustafarians.

And eggs Benedict if I am being really honest...

And I very much love N4 and the hilarity that this site brings to my day.

Keep up the good(?) work

missisclack · May 2010

Cheers Rob, for taking the time to respond (I was equally impressed when the Sugar Lounge did the same thing in response to criticism on this site a month or 2 ago).

I don't really come in the the Front Room much, not for any particular reason (well, maybe the hair in the eggs, just don't tell Krappyrubsnif that I mentionned it again). However, you've told us that you care and we're feeling the love, so maybe I'll be back soon....

gardener-joe · May 2010

Eggs Benedict? I only had this once in Front Room ... never again; I can vouch for cold ham, and hard muffins.

But, I keep going back to Front Room because it is seems like a cool place to meet non-'Stroud Green' friends, the m/f staff on Saturday are (have been, so far) kinda cute, and the coffee is OK ... and now that I have eaten through some of the breakfast menu, I am settled on poached egg on toast and a latte as a safe bet.

If you hanker after Eggs Benedict done well, and not the cold ham & hard muffin experience you get in Front Room, the guy in Mare e monte really knows how to do these ... really! BTW - for solo breakfasting with a newspaper for company Mare e monte is definitely is the place to go.

Papa · May 2010

If only Graeme Le Saux had had dreadlocks, that would have been absolute genius. I had a mate who insisted for a while Le Sox was the best left back in the world.

WillM · May 2010

@ Misscara
Really? I'm a caterer by trade and a trained chef, and have worked in London hotels and restaurants (and in Paris and Amsterdam as well). I have never seen nor heard of Eggs Benedict served with ungrilled ham and unbuttered muffins.

That's the default way to serve it at the Lanesborough for a start, I *think* at the Wolsey, and certainly in various upper-end New York hotels. I agree it isn't the best, but that has been my experience.

> All I'm ssaying is that with a bit of extra care and effort they could vastly improve the food and the customer experience, but they don't really seem that bothered.

Not so sure on that... I've been in there most days this week and had an excellent experience from beginning to end. Each to their own, I guess.

[Deleted User] · May 2010

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lewisash · May 2010

I have two preferences when it comes to SG breakfasts; if I want cheap I go to the Sunshine Cafe, if I want good produce and a warm atmosphere I go to the Front Room. Don't recall ever having a bad experience, never had Eggs Benedict there but I can vouch for the Eggs Florentine which was very good when I had it. Everyone makes mistakes and if anything was wrong i'd let them know. It isn't a cheap breakfast but you have to pay for good produce.

I went to Mari e Monty before I moved to the area, haven't been back since but remember it being good, I shall have to make a visit. Keep meaning to pop into Ariana's, it looks good and sounds good now.

Surely something we can all agree on is that SG has a good breakfasting opportunity for everyone.

ADGS · May 2010

I just made my first visit to the FRC and was very much impressed both by the veggie breakfast and the general ambience.

tosscat · May 2010

Hang in there Misscara, I have a new avenue to explore.

Why do they allow people to table hog at busy times? I've been turned away on a Sunday before because there was someone nursing a tea and beggering about on the Internet on a table for 4.

dorothy · May 2010

Can't you just plonk yourself down in a space? Don't think anyone's ever bothered to seat me in there, although they're always pleasant enough.

The poached egg tasted of vinegar at the weekend.

I don't really want to keep pulling at the thread, but I checked how Delia does Eggs Benedict. She refers to lovely hot buttered muffin and crisply grilled pancetta.

ADGS · May 2010

I think the egg anxiety may be getting to them, I was asked if it was OK that my fried egg was ever-so-slightly broken.

Ian · May 2010

We went in there recently for the first time in ages - I used to go there a lot but my Saturday lunch routine changed. I have had a bit of a downer on it in the past but the coffee was a lot better than before, they moved a person who was on a table for 4 on their own with a laptop and the food was fine.

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