The Vanilla Bean Cafe – a little East London gem

This week I visited East London’s latest little gem, The Vanilla Bean Cafe & Gift Boutique situated in Epsom Road in Sterling. To say I was pleasantly surprised is putting it mildly.

Let me first say, I am foremost a teapot … but when going out, I indulge and have picked up a nice little cappuccino habit that has become very addictive. This is the first ‘measure’ of any coffee shop in my books … and in the case of the Vanilla Bean Cafe, they did not disappoint.

My second criteria is atmosphere. While indulging in my favourite cappuccino pastime, I like to be surrounded by a nice welcoming atmosphere. Again, the Vanilla Bean delivers with it’s light, airy decor, enticing gift boutique and wonderful outdoor patio seating area.

Third, it is all about the food! They menu was light and offered a nice range, but personally I could not see past the banana caramel pancake, which when it arrived, was so sinfully creamy and delicious, it disappeared in a flash and quickly moved to settle (hopefully not permanently) on my hips, waist, thighs, ear lobes etcetera … but we only live once … so it was worth it.

My fourth criteria is service. The staff were friendly, helpful and kept us informed on the progress of the meal. One of the waitron staff recognised my parents and made a special effort to come over and greet them, even though he was not serving us. His friendly warm manner and personal touch really topped off our entire experience.

My last criteria is price. Happily the prices were reasonable and we walked away happy that we definitely got our moneys worth.

In closing, I cannot however say that the Vanilla Bean Cafe & Gift Boutique is one of East London’s secret gems … because it is not. The secret is out folks! This place is bustling with families and friends who were obviously enjoying the warm atmosphere and overall relaxing and inviting experience as much as we did. PS Did I mention the cappuccino’s were great?