eggbaconchipsandbeans

Tony's, Northcote Road, SW11

(UPDATE: Revisited January 2013. Tony's seems to be closing.)

Tony's is a bastion of ungentrification in Nappy Valley - fueled by the appetites of the stall-holders on the market.

A great ebcb. Strangely compelling texture to the egg. Like it's been cooked at least a couple of different ways. Some of them previously unknown to culinary science. Decent amount of bacon and irresistible chips.

And look at these fellows. Brilliant. The icing on the cake. Worth the price of the ebcb on their own. Hurrah.

The interior is redolent of all sorts of Battersea nostalgia. 60s Up The Junction type misery or the 80s squeeze version. A splendid place.

Maries Cafe, Lower Marsh, Waterloo

Marie's is a perfect example of what a cafe should be. Lovely friendly people. Great food and a sign of how cafe culture changes. You can have a big old British fry-up or a top Thai meal.

The ebcb has a certain Thai quality - particularly in the egg. Which makes it all the more splendid. Lovely chips too.

And there's a Thai feel to the condiments too.

Sarah's Tuck-In, Grainger Market, Newcastle

Sarah's Tuck-In is a brilliant place, pointed out to me by I Like. Inside the equally brilliant Grainger Market.

A top North East fry-up. A huge quantity of bacon, nice fat chips, the works. This’ll fill you up.

It's beautiful. Like a modernist sculpture.

And you could sit there all day and watch the world go by.

'you can watch yourself while you are eating'

Cherrytop Cafe, Paddington Street, London, W1

I love the Cherrytop Cafe. On the surface it’s just another cafe, but if you take the time to look you’ll see a really special place, a place that puts real effort and care into what they do.

Look at that fry-up to start with: I’ve never seen a neater EBCB, everything is lined up with military precision, smart rows of foodstuff presented for your delectation. And they’re not just neat, they’re deeply tasty too. Then take a second to examine that egg more closely – they’ve constructed an elaborate latticework of white over the yolk. I’ve never seen that before either, I can’t imagine what alchemical processes made that possible.

A lovely simple condiment display, with a generously stuffed sugar sachet bowl and nice full salt and pepper. No need to reach for anyone elses. You see the attention to detail?

There’s a note of quality in the fixings. This isn’t your bargain basement placemat or mug. There’s a nice floral theme, and nice heavy knifes and forks. Lovely.

And there’s a lovely warm glow to the place. Wood, nice lights, lots of glass and a purple monster thing ruling over the counter.

And the care extends to a smart bit of entrepreneurialism, a big sign in the window pointing out that an enormous fry-up counts as a diet meal in Dr Atkins’ world. Good work Cherrytop Cafe.