Think you know French toast? You've got nothing on the people behind Crome, London's first cafe dedicated to the indulgent snack.
It opened in St Christopher's Place (just off Oxford Street) in summer 2021, and like many new openings these days, aesthetics are important. Lilac is king, appearing in the awning and furniture outside the cafe, and continuing on the neon lights on the interior walls.
But that's enough about the look of the place — what are we eating? The food menu is very simply divided into two sections; sweet French toast and savoury French toast (if you're not into French toast, there's nothing for you here).
There are some commendably inventive options in the savoury column, including French toast with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, triple cheese sauce, chilli, and a signature cheese mix. Avocado, salt beef, black truffle cheese and poached eggs are just some of the other ingredients being put to tempting use.
Personally, we're all about the sweet stuff, and the Salted Caramel & Chocolate is at the top of our list (salted caramel sauce and cinnamon sugar, topped with Milky Bar, Kinder bars, Oreos and Ferrero Rocher. Oh ambassador, you are spoiling us).
The drinks menu is even more extensive than the food options, spanning your basic teas and coffees into the more Instagram-friendly coloured lattes, plus frappés, milkshakes, hot chocolates and soft drinks.
Oh, and the name? It comes from the Greek word, ‘khroma’ meaning compounds, layers and colour, and refers to the food science approach used to put the dishes together.
Crome London, 36 James Street, St Christopher's Place, W1U 1ES. No reservations taken, but you may have to queue for a short while on arrival during busy periods.