Open Mon–Fri 8am–11pm; Sat 9am–11pm; Sun 9am–6pm
Co-owner Mark Casiraghi greeted us at the door of Bloom like an old friend. The venue intends to be a ‘neighbourhood rendezvous’ according to its website. And that’s what it’s fast becoming. It’s already packed for weekend brunches. ‘We’ve shortened the menu to cope with the rush,’ Mark admitted. There was a varied mix of locals during our evening visit including friends with a baby, couples and a group of young guys enjoying a beer on the terrace after playing football.
The eaterie’s bright contemporary interior – oversized colourful low lighting, exposed brick walls, white canteen-style and comfy leather seating with a lite-pop soundtrack – emphasises the relaxed, friendly feel. There’s plenty of space so mums can get their push chairs in, a children’s play area hidden in the back and a smart front terrace for alfresco dining, drinking and smoking.
The simple menu is well edited and well priced. We chose a couple of bar snacks to start – Chalkidiki olives and broad beans (fried and salted with chilli), which tasted more like nuts than beans (£2.95 each). Both were a little on the salty side (as most bar snacks tend to be). My friend was torn between jerk chicken and the grilled rib-eye (£10.95), but finally settled for rib-eye, swapping coriander mash for garlic mash. Her hearty portion featured a well-done steak instead of her requested rare. My bowl of butternut risotto with aged parmesan, rocket and balsamic was satisfying if a little heavy. A shared dessert of chocolate mousse (£4.95) was the perfect combination of rich in taste but light in texture. We followed our generous-sized glasses of wine – pinot grigio (£5) for my friend; Tin Roof chardonnay (£4.50) for me – with peppermint tea (Teapig, of course; £2.20).
‘I’d say Bloom is an example of a good neighbourhood restaurant, café and bar,’ my friend said afterwards. And I’ve no doubt that the gracious owners will ensure its success as one.
