Toads Mouth Too for sale

When we were first thinking about moving to Brockley, back in about 2005, researching the area online was tricky. No one with access to the internet seemed to have anything to say about it.

One of the few things Google had to teach us was that there were two local cafes that people liked: Moonbow Jakes and Toads Mouth Too.

Both places were born at a time when the most common complaint from local businesses was that too few customers were interested in eating out (today, the more common complaint is from customers, that there are too few options available to them). They shared druidic names, loungy layouts and veggie-friendly menus. They were well-loved and well-worn. If Bagpuss was a café, he would have been one of these two.

Moonbow’s closed a couple of years ago, replaced by the slightly slicker Brockley Mess. Now, after months of speculation, Toads Mouth is on the market.

Toads Mouth isn’t perfect. The menu is a little limited, the service a little erratic and the tendency for the same people preparing the food to handle the money has been a consistent grumble from BC readers over the years. However, the Toad’s labyrinthine layout is nice and intimate, the portions are tasty and generous and the garden is one of the best places to be on a sunny day. The waiters have always been friendly, in our experience.

Perhaps new owners could iron out some its flaws, but they will have a tough act to follow and we hope that it doesn’t lose its charm.