What: Beam
In a nutshell: Blackstock Road gets a Mediterranean cafe with British influences
Summing it all up: Three times Time Out neighbourhood cafe winner Beam is coming to Blackstock Road with its quality weekend brunches and a dedicated evening menu.
The low-down
Highbury residents have been wondering for a while who would take over the premises of the old Il Bacio on Blackstock Road. Now all is revealed. It'll be the second branch of Beam, a North London cafe which has another branch in Crouch End.
The mother and son team who own it are long-term Crouch Enders (who also run a bistro in the area), but say their background is Mediterranean, so expect a menu with dishes that reflect that. So breakfast covers shakshuka and a Med brekkie with grilled halloumi, sauteed potatoes, olives and yoghurt with harissa along with a full English with a Warman Cumberland sausage and Norfolk smoked bacon on the plate. For mains, you'll find salads, wraps and burgers as well as grilled kofta with bulgur wheat kisir or salmon with grilled asparagus and sauteed potatoes.
Weekend brunches are big news here - obviously, there's avocado on artisan bread, but you'll also find buttermilk pancakes and French toast too as well as plenty of Allpress coffee.
New to the Highbury cafe will be a dedicated evening menu which they say "will draw on the flavours, tastes and ingredients of the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean".
More about Beam
Where is it? 178 - 184 Blackstock Rd, Highbury, London N5 1HA
When does it open? 24 September 2018
Soft launch offer: 50% off food after 6pm until 8 October
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @cafebeam/
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