Fabrica (E8)

Espresso (£2.40 I think)

Brownie (£2.50)

Arrving at Dalston Junction I didn't exactly have a plan of where I was going, so finding Fabrica in Kingsland Road was a pleasant surprise.

Walking in you're greeted with heat (useful in Winter), and a selection of European languages. At the bar - which is more of a breakfast bar than a wine bar - there are different cakes and pastries ranging from £2 to £3.50. Along the bare-bricked walls there are bottles of Fentiman's rose lemonade and coca-cola lined up on one side, and pieces of art on the other.

Savoury foods like salads and sandwiches are available to feast on. Made with artisan bread, you can watch the huge legs of pork being sliced for you.

The cosy atmosphere is encouraged with the amount of tables and chairs crowded into the small space. If you are lucky enough to get a squishy armchair, pat yourself on the back, but otherwise, you run the risk of breaking a creaky and weak wooden chair. There's a sense of community like in Le Pain Quotidien as there are a couple of tables there to be shared.

Aside from the safety hazards of the rough wooden tables aching to give the customers splinters, the lack of personal space, and the smell of oil by the bathrooms, Fabrica is one of those cute places worth going into to have a (quick) coffee, and reading a few of the weekend newspapers.

Coffee-wise it's quite good, but doesn't reach the standard of very good, as it's quite watery and a little cold. On the brownie side of things, chocolatey but dry, and a little small to cost £2.50.

Would I go there again? Hmm, there are better places, but I haven't seen any better ones round here. Yet.


Fabrica is near Dalston Junction station, which can be reached by Overground.