Does Tart London Serve The "Tastiest Of Tarts"?
Last Updated 20 June 2018
With its vegan-friendly menu, no reservation policy and card-only payments, Tart London seems a logical fit for a yuppified Clapham food scene. The tart-based bakery is unashamedly bold, claiming to make the “tastiest of tarts”, “amazing coffee…and juices, obviously”.
You might ask why juices is an obvious, but step inside the café and you'll soon understand. Exposed brick walls, grey pendant lighting, vibrant artwork; there is a touch of the foodie-grammer’s kitchen about the decor.
Juice is an obvious.
Launched in 2015 by partners Jason Smith and Adam Harrison, the bakery strives to elevate “the humble quiche to become a much more exciting and, above all, tasty pastry-case-of-goodness”. Savoury tarts, unsurprisingly, take pride of place on the menu.
There is a reasonable selection, from spinach, bacon and chestnut to butternut squash, walnut and stilton. There are also vegan and gluten-free options.
The café also offers a wide range of vegetarian-friendly salads, including roasted cauliflower with chickpea and currants, and wild rice, broccoli and orange.
We order the chorizo and feta tart, and a large salad bowl, with a portion of each of the salads. We try two of the juices too, obviously.
The tart-for-one is a decent size and comes with a choice of up to two salads (at an extra cost). Tucking in, we wonder whether “tastiest of tarts” is in fact a bold claim. The pastry is flaky and thin, allowing ample room for the filling, which is luscious.
We are equally impressed by the salad. A large bowl of mixed salads is perfect for the gluttonous diner; the variety of flavours and textures is heavenly.
As for the juices, they are delicious too. Our personal favourite is the apple, kale and lemon — though the ginger, lemon and thyme is zingy too.
Satiated but seduced by the enticing cake display, we order a portion of red velvet cake, and banana and peanut butter bread. Both are a slice of moist, sugary decadence; any post-salad feelings of saintliness are quickly dispelled.
Does Tart London serve the “tastiest of tarts”? They’re certainly the best we've had in a long time.
Tart London, 25 The Pavement, SW4 0JA.
Crowd funding: Tart London is hoping to expand to five units by 2019 and is seeking public support. You can make a donation here.