Restaurant Review: Saphi

It's a cafe really, but I always say Restaurant above and as Van Morrison said it's too late to stop now.

I was reading an interesting piece by a Substack writer from Wigan whose eloquent column is called Well Good Blog. I don’t know his name – if it’s a he (and if he actually exists and isn’t a parody of a clever bloke who loves his grub) - but they like to sing the praises of working class culture, hot buttered toast made from white bread, takeaways in foil dishes, that sort of thing. The piece that piqued my interest was called “Small Treats Culture” - the way that life these days is so down to the bones of its arse that something extra from Greggs is sometimes the only thing that can get you through the next 24 hours.

At the time I didn’t really give it much more thought but then yesterday morning I went to get an early train to Kent from Denmark Hill in South London and discovered that it was too early for my railcard to be valid. I did some quick mental arithmetic. I could either pay the extra, or have breakfast in a nearby cafe and get a cheaper ticket later. Breakfast won, which is how I found myself in Saphi.

I’d heard about Saphi recently on the East Dulwich Forum. There’s the well-established, well-located FCB cafe at the front of the station with tables on a large pedestrianised area (as well as the Phoenix pub). but Saphi is round the back, on Windsor Walk, where there is another entrance to the station that I never use. I imagine the only people that ever use it are heading to King’s College Hospital, either as patients or staff.

I’ve rarely been to KCH since my youngest daughter was born there. They say the birth of your child is one of the most memorable days of your life. They are right – while my partner was in hospital I picked up an unforgettable anchovy pizza from the much-missed Pizzeria Castello at the Elephant and Castle. I saved her a slice of course. I’m not a monster.

Anyway, back to Saphi, which is inside an old renovated part of the station. If you sit on their terrace and crane your neck you can just about see the trains pull in and out of Platform 1. It’s a beautiful space. Bright, light, woody. Everything you’d expect a modern cafe to be.

And it was packed. Mums with babies in prams, students (probably medical), commuters. People with their laptops out starting work before they’ve even got to work. Suckers (as the kid who plays Tom Hanks’ friend in Big says).

At the counter there was a dizzying array of baked things. Small treats city. I really couldn’t have anything too sugary or chocolatey, so like the Whiteadder I am I chose an energy ball. Date, cacao and coconut. Larger than a squash ball, smaller than a tennis ball. Filled with datey goodness. It was only £2.90 but the kind of thing I would never normally have. A real indulgent small treat.

My coffee of choice was a cappuccino with semi-skimmed milk (£3.80). No flaked chocolate or fancy squiggles on the top like in the recent Amandaland episode where the cafe drew something that looked like a gynaecologically accurate vulva on Amanda’s drink. The concession to I-saw-you-coming pretentiousness, however, was that it wasn’t served on a saucer. It was served on what I can only describe as it’s own personal artisanal wooden mini-tray. I repurposed it to put my energy ball on.

Saphi doesn’t have a wide ranging menu. I asked if they did fry-ups and received quite a sympathetic look but a firm no. They do sell fresh bread and bagels though. I couldn’t see much in the way of fillings but later saw a picture of a bagel menu online offering fillings and schmears so that gives me a superb excuse to return.

Anyway, I took my drink and ball onto the terrace and craned my neck to watch the trains through the drizzle. This’ll set me up for the day, I thought to myself. And do you know what? Well Good Blog has got it right. This is what it has come to. A £6.70 small treat is all it takes and I’m good to go.

Saphi, Windsor Walk, SE5