A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of discovering a hidden gem, a tiny café/bakery/brunch spot/lunch spot/sharing platter spot/wine bar/live music venue that does a lot and does it very very well!

Flour & Flowers is on Hackney Road and is a new business that seriously deserves your immediate support (and you can thank me for the discovery later). The wonderfully welcoming owner Giada opened her beautiful café just two days before lockdown, after painstakingly decorating it entirely by hand with the help of her best friend (including 3 am wallpapering). The result of her handiwork is absolutely stunning, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the incredible ceiling installation and the interiors are gorgeous and full of personality!

The window is full of beautiful cakes and pastries (made personally by Giada) on quirky tiered stands and platters with parrots and eagle heads, and there are a couple of outside seating tables by the entrance. Upon entering you are hit with a garden of vibrant colours, from the fresh flowers for sale dotted around, to the striking installation of green foliage, flowers, autumnal leaves, and hanging bulbs that are suspended by a trellis on the ceiling. Beautiful and mismatched wallpaper (expertly hung by Giada and best friend) covers the walls alongside striking and colourful artwork and a collection of mirrors of different shapes and sizes. The overall effect is one of entering an exotic secret garden that you never want to leave!

The size of the space adds to the secret garden feel, with only four tables in the main dining area, and another little room at the back which is more of a mini private lounge feel. This little room is full of mismatched furniture, cushions, candles, and shelves with plants that give it a warm homely feel that makes you want to keep ordering things and never leave. Due to the small number of tables, I would visit mid-week when it’s slightly quieter to avoid disappointment!

This eclectic flower garden is a bakery and coffee shop by day, but later on, it becomes a wine bar with delicious sharing platters a couple of well-made cocktails and on Friday and Saturday evenings plays host to live blues music – an excuse to go back again and again and always experience something new!

Whilst we sat down admiring the beautiful venue we were kindly given some Prosecco in these stunning coupe glasses that I just love – they gave me very Gatsby vibes!

We ordered the goat’s cheese tartine on sourdough bread with honey and walnuts – this was absolute perfection I could eat it again and again and again. The bread was incredible, the goat’s cheese creamy and delicious and the honey and walnuts were the perfect combination (can you tell my mouth is watering writing this).

We also shared a Cheese and Charcuterie plate which was comprised of Saucisson Sec, Coppa Piacentina, Pecorino Sardo, Scamorza, and my ultimate favourite Gorgonzola Dolce which was so so tasty! This was served with incredible bread that I could eat baskets and baskets of, as well as cornichons and pickled onions (if you know me you know that I eat these out of the jar for a snack, so I was in heaven!)

We then finished off our meal with two fantastic Aperol Spritz, the colour of which just went so perfectly with the entire venue! They also do Espresso Martinis which I would imagine would be perfect to sip while listening to the live band on Friday and Saturday nights!

You can also bring paradise to you – because Flour and Flowers deliver! Because they make everything just for you, you need to give them 24 hours warning so that Giada can bake up a storm, and the minimum order is £12, check out the menu here.

I have got to come back to this paradise for coffee and pastries some time as everything looked and smelled absolutely divine – so watch this space for a follow up review!