Tashas

Natasha Sideris may not have the instant name recognition in London as she does in other parts of the world, but with the latest opening of her cafe-cum-restaurant chain at Battersea Power Station we doubt it’ll be long before we start to see Tashas popping up all over the city. There’s a feeling of being welcomed into the home of a friend, albeit a very chic and modern home, with coffee table books, fruit bowls and plants dotted all over the space that provide a sense of instant comfort. 

Tashas brings a South African charm with its hospitality. Attentive service can at times seem a bit overbearing but you’re never left wanting and that attention to details carries through the service, menus and decor. The fact that it still manages to retain that family-run feeling despite the success of the chain is also a real feat. 

At a glance the menu is incredibly simple. It’s classic cafe food that you can find all across the city but here each dish has such a sense of creativity, with fresh and colourful plates of food that are as delicious as they look. An open tuna mayo sandwich may not sound like anything particularly memorable but this interpretation of the classic was really remarkable; a green goddess dressing adds an extra level of creaminess that mayo doesn’t quite do on its own, coupled with celery and chopped green salad to give the dish a satisfying crunch. 

This was followed by a sweetcorn scramble on toast. Despite a long list of ingredients, nothing felt out of place and a combination of fluffy eggs, crispy bacon and crunchy onion added an abundance of flavour and texture that made each bite different from the last. 

Generous portions meant that by this point we had no room left to continue eating, and yet it was hard to put the spoon down when presented with the almond frangipani sweet toast. Intensely sweet on its own, the frangipani mellows when combined with the freshness of the strawberries and cream. Upping the game for cafes in the area, Tashas is a top spot for brunch, lunch and dinner. 

Tashas cafe is all about beautiful food, stunning environments and friendly service. Inside the cafe, you'll be greeted by an easy-going elegance and some warm hospitality, to make you feel like the cafe is a home away from home. The food is designed to be uncomplicated and comforting, yet bursting with flavour and creativity. Each dish is selected because the restaurant feels it is the very best, and ingredients are chosen because of how they are grown, raised and farms by a selection of handpicked suppliers and artisans.

The classic menu includes breakfast that is served until 2pm, with plant based options available for many of the dishes. Enjoy the classic fry up in full or mini size, packed with eggs, wild mushrooms and onion sauté, innova potatoes, sticky orange and mustard pork sausages and tomato. Or, try the sweetcorn scramble with scrambled egg, creamed corn, grilled corn, parmesan, fresh coriander, spring onion, coriander cress, crispy bacon and aleppo pepper butter.

At dinner time, enjoy nibbles of a sundried tomato dip with chickpeas, sundried tomato, parmesan, pine nuts, fresh herbs and melba toast, or beef tartare with cornichons, capers, mustard, shallots, parsley, quails egg yolk and shaved radish. Follow up with a quinoa beetroot and edamame salad, or some easy eating salmon teriyaki - made with Norwegian salmon, rooibos teriyaki glaze, black rice, pickled cucumber, kimchi, coriander, fresh ginger and limes. Perhaps you'll then enjoy the cornflake pork schnitzel with slaw, a mustard and orange marmalade glaze and creamy potato salad, or a beer battered eggplant with a spiced lentil ragu, plant based feta cheese and pea shoot salad.

Make sure to try out the non alcoholic cocktails, whether choosing the No-Groni, Tashas Passion Fruit Mojito or Turkish Delight Rose.