Trendy is definitely THE word to describe 202 at 202 Westbourne Grove. This cafe, which is known for its fantastic brunches and lunches, sits at the back of a Nicol Farhi shop in Notting Hill and in fact it seems this is where the Notting Hill-ites come for a bit to eat and to people-watch. That’s certainly the feeling I got when we walked into the restaurant this morning – it felt like all eyes were on us trying to see if we were some sort of celebrity or something. A wierd feeling!

So, breakfast being one of my favourite meals of the day followed closely by dinner and lunch (ha ha) I was looking forward to checking out what 202 had to offer. The breakfast/brunch menu has some of the usual breakfast options – scrambled eggs, porridge, pancakes, bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese – and some of the more interesting combos such as tiger prawn club or chorizo, blackbean & manchego quesadila with avocado salsa which border more towards lunch options. However I had my eye on the French toast with crispy bacon & maple syrup.

French Toast with Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup	Sliced to show the yellow yellow eggs

I wasn’t disappointed. The French toast was delicious. Covered in a delicious egg batter (the colour of the egg was unbelievably yellow) and fried till it was crisp on the outside but nice and tender on the inside the giant thick slices of bread, in combination with the maple syrup, were a perfectly light balance to foil the saltiness of the crispy bacon (be warned the bacon is extremely salty and a touch smoky). The portion was probably about right for a £6.50 dish and I came away feeling satisfied though not over stuffed.

Other than a bit of a posy feel to the cafe, 202 is a perfect place for Sunday brunch – good ambience in a very brightly light restaurant area at the back of a clothes store. The staff are at all times friendly and efficient and our food and drink were delivered in quick time. It can apparently get quite crowded but as we got there just about 15 minutes after opening we were seated straight away. I’d love to come back and check out the outdoor eating area in the summer.