Perfect pancakes near Roman Road

Beside the Bow Library, you’ll find the charming Cafe Creme on the corner. Whether you’re up for a light snack or a hearty meal, they can help. On Shrove Tuesday the friendly family-run business will be serving up several homemade pancakes with strawberries, blueberries and banana. They have several choices, there’s a pancake with maple syrup, lemon and sugar, Nutella and banana, or a pancake with bacon and maple syrup. All of them are served with a scoop of ice cream and flavoured drizzle on top.

Mae + Harvey on the Roman go all out on Pancake day. The pancake day menu will feature the classic lemon and sugar and the favourite chocolate ganache and hazelnut with banana. They’ll also have some creative savoury twists like portobello mushroom and gruyere cheese, as well as hot smoked salmon with creme fraiche and dill. Their pancake mix is a recipe inspired by chef Oliver Rowe, a regular at the cafe, who showed them his ‘puff pancake’ recipe from his latest cook book. The result? They’re deliciously light and fluffy.

Roman Road’s Loafing, which reopened in March 2019, is a key pancake day stop, offering delicate, mouth-watering crêpes. Loafing’s owner, Susie McDuell, explains how their most popular dish is a vegan option: a thin buckwheat flour galette filled with homemade sun-dried tomato pesto, mushrooms, onions and spinach. Susie’s topping of choice is Nutella and ice cream, which also features on their menu. And what’s her secret? ‘You’ll need fresh ingredients and the right technique to create the perfect crêpe: thin, colourful and beautiful’, Susie says.

Cafe East is one of the most popular stops on Roman Road. With their daily queue outside becoming a feature of the pavement, you know they’re doing something right. While you can get a whole full English with your pancakes here, as well as just dessert pancakes, all the options are served with pleasing-to-the-eye exotic fruits. They’d recommend the popular ‘Lost in London’, which does two pancakes, scrambled eggs, streaky bacon, Cumberland sausage, two hash browns and beans.

Nestled inside Niyazi Usta Artisan Bakery, next to Akdeniz Supermarket, you can find Gözlemes made on demand, for a very affordable price. Not strictly a pancake, a Gözleme is a savoury Turkish stuffed turnover. This bakery, which is owned by their neighbours Akdeniz, sell a range of produce including Turkish pastries, baked fresh every day. Inside the bakery, a lady wearing traditional Turkish dress makes golden, buttery Gözlemes that are cheap as chips. You can choose from minced meat, spinach and cheese, and potato fillings. 

If you walk all the way to the eastern end of Roman Road market, you’ll find Sweet Talkers Desserts. Their crepes are a permanent fixture on the menu, promising the most indulgent spot for a sweet treat this pancake day. Choose from a variety of flavours and toppings, from Strawberry & Mango to Ferrero & Nutella. Don’t be fooled by the simple sounding Cinnamon Crepe, this creation is served with butterscotch sauce, a scoop of pistachio ice cream, chocolate shavings and crispy wafers, all topped off with a swirl of whipped cream.