There is a pleasing symmetry to Barney Goff’s projects, most notably his latest – a bijou café cum bistro devoted to desserts in London’s Broadway Market. The name, after all, is a gentle homage to his late father James Goff, the property developer whose name is synonymous with the gentrification of Shoreditch. Indeed, Goff fils’s first project under the Sans Pere banner was a lifestyle house in Great Eastern Street that includes a patisserie, homeware store, specialty coffee bar, architectural studio, and, of all things, an ethical property sales and lettings office.
Whilst the latest Sans Pere is considerably less ambitious and set further afield, it still bears a sense of optimistic eclecticism that Goff père would have recognised. The interiors are the work of Atelier Baulier featuring an unexpected powder pink façade that leads into an interior anchored by an L-shaped grey and white marble-topped bar, Louis Weisdorf for Gubi lamps, hexagonal stone floor tiles and low-set wire stools.
Whilst there are several savoury plates like cheese and charcuterie platters, and avocado tartare, the marquee attractions are to be found in the desserts and cocktails sections of the menu. Here, pastry chef Roberto Mele works up zhushed up version of poached pears served with crumble and Cornish clotted cream, and Crème brulée filled with Jersey cream alongside Alphonso mango sorbet and hazelnut ice-cream churned from Guernsey milk. Chase it all down with an espresso martini.
