Ideas for re-fit of Mon Petit Chou

[AnotherPaul]

Good to hear there's a redesign on the cards, it is much needed.

I agree with many of the comments already made but would like to add:

? new seating throughout, inside and out, the current mish-mash looks shoddy and is uncomfortable

? better artwork on the walls, some of the art on show has been 'challenging' and the black chalk boards are neither helpful or attractive

? open earlier as well as later, cafes which make croissants should be able to sell them from 7am

? more style, less bitty decor, darker sophisticated environment

Things to keep:

? Lays crisps

? friendly staff

? window seats

? milk shakes

Good luck.

[Jeremy]

Do they want to become a proper restaurant for the evenings, or keep it in a cafe style format?

Becoming a fully-fledged restaurant and bar is going to be difficult while they have the counter along the side - as long as that's there, it will always look like a cafe/bakery. But it could work as a pizzeria/ice-cream parlour/dessert emporium, perhaps with a line in Irish coffee, boozy hot chocolate, bottled beers, and fresh fruit smoothies (not the rubbish "smoothies" they sell at the moment).

If they want to become a proper restaurant, I think they need to ditch the counter, get wooden furniture, less bright decor, and make the place feel more comfortable.

[captain_paxo]

In my opinion the thing that has to go is the office-style fake ceiling. Nasty. I do love Mon Petit Chou - pleased to hear refit on the cards.

[esme]

Totally agree with Jeremy's comments above that "it could work as a pizzeria/ice-cream parlour/dessert emporium" but I have to say I love the smoothies (tho saying that the last one I had was almost frozen and too icy to drink during my lunchbreak!)... the breakfasts (veggi and carnivorous) are the best thing ever, as are the tuna melt paninis, and the cafe lattes are a reason to pop in.

The menu def needs a revamp, tho please don't go up to The Bishop prices! I'd say due to the size it'd be best kept as a nice cafe, serving baked potatoes (as someone mentioned above the salad with salad cream should GO!), sausage and mash and that type of thing.

Uncomfy chairs and you feel crammed in - mostly couples or 3-somes so yes smaller tables and less crowded would be good. Garden is a yard and needs Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen to stop by as has great potential - more plants, maybe a bit of colour (brightly coloured umbrellas?) and new furniture as again benches uncomfy and look worn out.

Staff are generally lovely and efficient, there were a few mistakes where recruitment was concerned a few months ago (non english speaking and very slow, getting stuff wrong etc. - my friend once got a plate of beans without the spud!!!).

Overall somewhere I go at least once a week on a weekday and then again at the weekend for breakfast or a coffee...

[BellendenBear]

there's no "aberdeen steak house" in ED. think on...

[wee quinnie]

Are all the prices going to shoot up after the refit?

TBH - I really think they have the formula right as it is.

[mummypig]

I love MPC, it's the friendliest cafe on the lane but you're right, there's something not quite "there" about the interior.

I've always thought the counter should be across the back, this would free up the space inside, it would be more welcoming and the counter would be next to the kitchen. The loo could be put back to where it used to be (the current loos are SO tiny).

Re design, Please can we get away from boring old wooden floors, mock suede, Farrow and Ball (I hope this was a joke), beige beige boring beige. I too like the tables but I can't think why. Don't like the scrapy chairs.

In terms of the licence, what I think Lordship Lane really needs is somewhere open at night that isn't a pub or a bar per se, but where you can go and have tea or coffee or alcohol or milkshake - whatever - no minimum charge ie you don't feel under pressure to buy a meal. But it has to be "adult" (not in that way!).

[mummypig]

Sorry to go on, but the other thing i like about mpc is the fact that it isn't crammed with prams - probably because there is no space for them for all the scrapy furniture. This keeps out the people who can't work out that you can actually leave a pram outside a cafe without getting arrested. Before anyone yells at me i have kids of my own, i just like going places where i'm not tripping over other people's prams. So, MPC, make sure you have lots of furniture in your new-look cafe.

[Fuschia]

I seem to recall there is a sort of yard at the back. Having a cool shady green outside area would be great (a la old style Blue Mountain Cafe)

[Bozza]

I'd like some really good coffee, for me the best coffee in london you'll find at:

'Caff? Vergnano 1882' - next to royal festival hall.

'Flat White and Milk' in Soho alos do great coffee.

I'm also a fan of:

'Le Pain Quotidien'

Ok 2 of these are chains and I'm not great fan of chains - that said if you could offer somthing along these lines that would be great.

[val]

Monmouth coffee Borough Market

[macroban]

Go retro.

Late 1940s utility.

If you get the Nippies' uniform right you won't be able to keep the young men of East Dulwich away.

[citizenED]

Go and have a look at the Lemon Grove, opposite Sainsburys in Forest Hill. For a smallish cafe I think they have it about right.

[New Bhoy]

Firstly get rid of the crap waiting staff. recently went in and recevied awful service. they need to take account of people who may want to order items which are not exactly on the menu - example: my mrs wanted a bacon sandwich (they have bacon baguettes on the menu) to be told that it was not possible. I asked - do you do wholemeal toast - answer "yes". so then can we have a bacon baguette without the baguette and have toast instead. Answer - No......WTF not??? just back form Australia on holiday where the service was impecable in every eaterie we went to.

Secondly - get a proper breakfast menu. the choices seem to be either pre-made croque (with salad and vinagrette????) or full english with different versions. what about porridge, granola, pastries etc etc. eggs benedict would not go a miss either.

[Domitianus]

Shu.Kurimu.Sensei Wrote:

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> Sad to hear about the alcohol licence, there's far

> too many blow ins and localish residents walking

> around LL loudly at night as it is and way too

> much vomit on the side streets, especially on the

> short cuts going up to Barry road.

>

> Some woman was on Frogley Road simultaneously

> urinating and vomiting outside the bakers last

> weekend.

>

> Why anyone feels the need to get drunk over the

> age of 21 is beyond me, it's just pathetic.

>

> Time for the killer clown to do some late night

> patrols and go on a real killing spree like his

> brethren from Killer Clowns from Outer Space!

What happens at the age of 21?

[aicardo]

some useful comments here, especially the salad cream, what is that about? I assume no one French works there?!

A few ideas:

currently there's too much going on, no conistent style or theme e.g. chrome chairs, plastic ceiling (hence the refit I suppose!)

take a leaf out of London's greatest food offering... Le Fromagerie off Marylebone High Street, wooden tables (a mix of communual and cafe style), stone floors, neutral / earthy paint, simplify/edit the menu (fewer and better).

http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/

Pick a theme and stick with it, if French choose rustic and simple, it's easier to do, tastes better (can be cheaper) and difficult to get wrong. Booze will never be an 'issue' if it has a food/cafe focus.

I think Franklins has a good idea of theme on its Deli, a bit bare but the feel is right. Worth paying a few places a visit, London is packed with great cafes, esp Shoreditch, Chelsea and Soho.

Some more ideas for inspiration from across the UK and NYC...

http://www.barbakan-deli.co.uk/

http://www.deandeluca.com/

http://www.busaba.com/

http://www.thebreakfastclubsoho.com/

http://www.degustibus.co.uk/

http://www.petershamnurseries.com/

[Emily]

I LOVEe the croques with the salad and dressing! The coffee is also excellent and I like the free papers, the staff and the friendly owner. But the chairs are uncomfortable and it feels poky and officey - not relaxing. I only go there on my own, if I have hte kids with me I go to Jacks which is much more family-friendly and cosy. THe seats outside are great - keep them for sure.

[AdaDoom]

aicardo Wrote:

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> some useful comments here, especially the salad

> cream, what is that about? I assume no one French

> works there?!

>

What's salad cream got to do with the French?

[RosieH]

What do they put salad cream on? I've never had salad cream in there, only vinaigrette

[reetpetite]

RosieH Wrote:

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> What do they put salad cream on? I've never had

> salad cream in there, only vinaigrette

Me neither and I love their dressing.