You know that feeling when you have so much love for a place you’ll drive a million miles.
You are in Chelsea, there are a million places to eat but you’d rather drive 40 minutes across
London to sit down at your favourite hang out without a reservation knowing the staff will welcome you with open arms, squeeze you in, put you in a cupboard to feed you your favourite dessert, magic a table from nowhere just for you because you too are part of the good vibes energy provided at this particular establishment.
The Greenberry cafe is the kind of place authors include in novels, film directors capture in movies because it is one of those one a kind places that can transport you in a moment, something only the best restaurants on the planet can do.
And the best thing of all if you can get a seat it’s not expensive and the entertainment from the hilarious staff is no extra charge. Don’t ask to remove the nominal service charge, you’ll be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Expect the food you order to be longingly admired by the table next door and friendly banter to ensue. You might find yourself seated next to actor Brian Cox or journalist John Snow, musician Robert Plant, there are loads of celebrities who frequent the Greenberry cafe to fade into the food and devour the dark chocolate brownie and salted caramel icecream, one of their signature desserts.
The menu never changes, except for the Greenberry salad which is different everyday for regulars who like to be surprised.
The skin on fries I tell everyone are the best in London and although the brunch dishes come out with alacrity smoked salmon, scrambled eggs with haloomi for a treat, the chicken avocado salad is popular, I see load of people order that and the blue cheese and caramelised pecan salad too, I always order the Haas avocado and fresh salsa on sourdough, I should try something else for a change but I love it so much I am always looking forward to it long before I even arrive at the restaurant.
I am in two minds whether to publish because selfishly I want to keep this incredible spot a secret, all to myself and yet it is the crowds flocking from far and wide for a piece of the energy (and the delicious food) that make it what it is.
It took a while, several years of choosing this spot over all others to become those kind of patrons where the jokes get riskier, and way funnier and to feel like you are with friends every time you step over the threshold but the Greenberry cafe is a shining example of the reason people return to a favourite spot over and over.
It reminds me of the Annie Lennox song lyric, Money can't buy it, baby Sex can't buy it, baby Drugs can't buy it, baby You can't buy it, baby [Chorus] I believe that love alone might do these things for you.
I am not going to mention anyone by name, they are all incredible and if you want to get yourself on first name terms you have to do the work yourself.
Like I said at the top, the Greenberry Cafe keeps the property prices high in Primrose Hill, it’s a reason to move in for sure.