The Broca, Coulgate Street

Brockley's newest cafe. the Broca, opened for business this weekend, with a special promotion offering customers any drink or pastry for £1, for the rest of the week.

The Broca is a jolly place, with staff to match, and has made a brave attempt to establish pavement-cafe culture on Coulgate Street - something that won't be easy, given that cars considerably less picturesque than a Morris Minor are generally to be found crowding the street.

The area is already reasonably well-served for coffee shops and the Broca has direct competition for the commuter crowd in the form of the recent arrival that's opened on the southbound platform.

Brockley Central is no coffee afficianado and hasn't tried either place's stuff, but it can vouch for the apple juice served by the Broca. If anyone who cares about their coffee wants to compare the two, please post your views.