Spinach, Crystal Palace… the ultimate family-friendly restaurant

Last week, I had lunch with one of my favourite people in what is now one of my favourite places.

Spinach Crystal Palace welcomed us with open arms, which is always a huge plus when there’s a lively five year old in the mix.

Spinach is the ultimate family-friendly restaurant, and on the day I visited, multi-generational dining was the order of the day.

Grandparents were out in force and such a nice sight in the height of the summer holidays.

I’d been meaning to visit Spinach since it opened six months ago and it didn’t disappoint.

Breakfast, brunch, lunch or teatime, these guys have you covered from 8am until 5pm, seven days a week.

I was pleased, not only to see so many egg dishes available, but top grade eggs used in their creations.

Yolks the colour of a burnished sunset – that’s what I like to see.

What did we eat? Avocado toast for my daughter and sweetcorn fritters with salsa, tzatziki and halloumi for me.

I loved my dish – the deeply delicious filling was not dissimilar to an onion bhaji, in texture. I suspected chickpea flour but gluten free flour was confirmed.

I’ve long thought that I may be intolerant to the gluten my heart desires so this was a win win for me.

Spinach makes everything from scratch, cakes and pastries to salads, incorporating all the colours of the rainbow.

These guys are the masters of salad and will happily create dishes full of fresh flavours for you to take home and pass off as your own at barbecues.

Leave it to the experts, I say.

It is as if the menu were written for me, packed full of all the flavours that make my heart sing.

Courgette and Feta Fritters and Baleadas – tortilla wrap, with refried beans, spinach, crushed avocado, Feta and chilli sauce, are just two examples.

Good food aside, one word sums up the Spinach experience: joy.

Joyful staff, joyful customers, everyone here was full of the joys.

The warm weather no doubt helped but it’s more than that.

The Spinach team clearly cares about the customer experience and puts it at the forefront of everything it does.

Every single member of staff was watching the floor so there are no ignored customers here.

While this is as restaurant life should be for the diner, it so rarely is in my experience.

There is private dining space for up to 30 for hire during the day or in the evenings.

SPINACH, 69 – 71 Westow Hill, Norwood SE19 1TX
www.spinach.london/spinachcrystalpalace/

 

Pictures: Spinach