Is there anything worse than hearing people constantly bemoaning how everything used to be better? How London isn’t what it used to be, how this has been gentrified and that’s been ruined? Certainly, all this is true to an extent but moaning about it doesn’t change it and really, change has produced plenty for Londoners to like. Just be thankful that we still have the likes of E. Pellici, an institution – and we don’t say that lightly – in Bethnal Green.
A proper East End caf’, Peclicci’s is old school, it’s the F. Cooke pie and mash shop of greasy spoons. It may not have rare breed pork sausage, mashed avocado or sour dough (all very nice) but it does do the full English with a large dose of nostalgia on the side. Whether it’s nostalgia for a London you knew or one you wish you knew, doesn’t matter. It’s there. Drink it up with that builder’s tea as you look at the famous faces in the photographs that adorn the walls.
As a self-respecting café, Pellici’s doesn’t just serve your classic breakfasts, you’ll also find the likes of lasagne, lamb chops and ham, egg and chips on the Italian slanted menu. It’s a prime example of how to stay true to your roots and to comfortably accept that you’re slowly becoming a tourist draw. People visit E. Pellici from all over to see a little bit of old school London. While plenty of these types have disappeared (Lorelai, anyone?) we should make the most of what we have.
