Music and Beans
Brunch, Salads & Burgers
461 Green Lanes, Harringay, N4 1HE
£
Music and Beans is situated on ever vibrant Green Lanes and is probably the first warning sign of gentrification due to its hip staff, artisan feel and choice of playlist. I chanced upon the place whilst waiting for Tom, who has recently moved to Seven Sisters, to get a haircut at a nearby barbers. Music and Beans operates as a cafe, a music shop and a music school - with decor of guitars hanging on the walls, various cables and instruments for sale in the rear, and a soundproof rehearsal room at the back. Drawn in by the warm smells, simple but cosy surroundings, and interesting variety in music, I ordered myself a Chai Latte (£2.4) and sunk into one of the sleep-inducingly comfortable armchairs towards the back of the cafe.
I must admit, my Chai Latte was really disappointing - pretty much a warm hot milk with sugar, and devoid of any trace of spices at all. However, the relaxing rap music (yes, it's possible) and overall chilled out atmosphere kept me there for an hour whilst I read my book and blended in with the laptop lovers and catch up queens around me. It's never too late for breakfast, as the couple sat opposite me proved when they ordered a 'Music Breakfast' (full English - £9.5) and Smashed Avo with poached eggs on Sourdough (£7.5) at 4:30pm. Both options looked out-of-this-world-delicious, so much so that I decided I simply had to come back the next day for Brunch myself.
After some ridicule and convincing, Tom agreed to come to 'the most Clapham place on Green Lanes' for some grub. We got there around half 2 on Sunday, and were welcomed by a live Trombone player with a fantastic haircut and neon Adidas jumper. We ordered two smoothies - a Sunshine and a Vera (£4.5 each), which were both fresh, delicious and bursting with flavour, if not a tad overpriced...
For food I went for the Crispy Roti (£7.5) whilst Tom opted for the only meat option of a Music Breakfast (£9.5). My roti was a thin layer of very-crispy-indeed filo pastry, bursting with potatoes, feta and herbs. The roti was accompanied by two poached eggs, a salad, some yoghurt, and chilli oil, which all went surprisingly well together (although I did need to ask for a piece of bread, which they gave me for free, to mop everything up.) Tom's Music Breakfast consisted of streaky bacon, lamb sausages, mushrooms, homemade beans, and sourdough topped with smash avocado and a poached egg. For the price, there was a lot included and although I didn't majorly rate the taste or width of the skinny lamb sausages, Tom claimed it was one of the best full English options he'd had.
Overall, the food at Music and Beans is really good, including both the classics and some original and interesting options. The live music really set the tone for a chilled out Sunday, whilst the atmosphere leaves you feeling comfortable and relaxed. Whilst I will undoubtedly make my way through the numerous Turkish restaurants on the strip, I will almost definitely be back to my 'Clapham' home-away-from-home soon enough.
OVERALL RATING: ****
https://musicandbeans.co.uk/
