Review: Cafe Cecilia

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

Duck off the fray of Broadway Market and along the canal and soon you’ll come to the very unassuming facade of this wonderful little restaurant. This is chef Max Rocha’s (brother to fashion designer Simone Rocha) first solo venture and although it’s fairly fuss-free, it still manages to feel special. It’s all white walls, gray marble bars, black and white photos, simple wooden tables and a little open kitchen at the back. The menu is short, the decor is minimal, and the food is exciting, making it one of the most talked about restaurants in town.

What’s the crowd like?

This is a place to see and be seen thanks to its stylish family connections—diners dress up and fashion folks flock here—but it also remains impressively down to earth. East London couples get up early to start their weekend with breakfast here, well-dressed children tuck into chunks of sourdough bread while their parents enjoy a nice bottle of orange wine and on Sunday you will often spot the whole Rocha family having lunch together.

What should we be drinking?

Similarly to the food menu, the drinks list is short and sweet. Cocktails lean towards the classics and refreshing combos like vermouth and soda and white port and tonic are the perfect start to a meal. There’s a few choice beers including Guinness, a nod to Rocha’s time growing up in Dublin, as well as some tasty English ciders and sparkling wines. You can get a satisfying glass of Montepulciano for a reasonable £7 a glass or try a more unusual Slovenian aromatic orange natural wine for £9.50, or just opt for a bottle as there’s many good options for under £50.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.

You can see the impact of Rocha’s time working at The River Cafe, St JOHN, and Spring in the lovely little daily-changing menu. There’s Italian prowess in the sage and anchovy fritti, marinated peppers and aubergines, and freshly-made pasta such as spinach farfalle with walnut sauce. Then there’s a love for classic meat dishes with the pork and apricot terrine and onglet with chips and peppercorn sauce and playful comforting puddings like deep-fried bread and butter pudding with cold custard (a dish that requires a lie down straight afterwards). And the nod to Spring is the celebration of seasonal fresh produce. But the real highlight here has to be the Guinness bread – served with salty butter to start, as an ice cream to finish or with boiled eggs and sweet Coolea cheese for breakfast, it’s what keeps locals coming back.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?

All in lacey white Simone Rocha tops, the glamorous staff are relaxed, in control and seem to all be friends. They chat about the food with ease and aren’t phased by toddler tantrums, navigating around pushchairs or managing big groups with dietary requirements.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?

Forget gastropubs, this is the place to go for a hearty yet sophisticated Sunday lunch. Bring your partner’s parents if you want to get brownie points or a lover for lunch after a particularly good date. It’s effortlessly chic and will have you googling Simone Rocha blouses before the mains arrive.