The Fern House - as close to the perfect cafe as I have come... in London
On Abbey Road in St Johns Wood is a gem of a cafe, The Fern House. It combines the quaintness of home with quirky decor and the coffees aren't to shabby either. The owner is an Iranian who grew up in France and loves to spend his spare time at antique actions. Once you know this, you can see that his has put a very personal touch on the place which makes it out of the ordinary.
The cafe has both outside and inside seating areas, both very comfortable and furnished with a collection of antique pieces purchased at auctions that somehow all work. Rather unique is the fact that if there is something that you particularly like, check the price tag or ask as everything (tables, chairs, decorations) is for sale.
The food is good, deli style, but nothing spectacular. The menu has some variety that would suit breakfast or lunch with sandwiches, soups, cakes and quiches. Its a shame that they appear to buy in most things rather than prepare the food themselves. Although the salad is always and unexciting base of iceberg lettuce, the presentation definitely has some flair. Today I had a mexican chicken sandwich with salad and my wife the quiche with potato salad, coleslaw and salad. Aside from shaking my bottle of drink with the lid partially open, this meal lived up to my previous experiences as quite unexciting but perfectly edible.
Personally, I will in future focus my visits on breakfast as their croissant are the butteriest, fluffiest you will have in a long time with excellent coffee providing the perfect companionship. Free newspapers, books and magazines as well as free Wi-fi make it an excellent place to spend an hour or two to relax. I correct myself that the atmosphere is so good that I wouldn't hesitate to stop for an afternoon coffee either. By the way they also serve wine or beer if you prefer.
I give The Fern House 5 stars for atmosphere, 3 stars for food and 4 stars for value for money. To make it perfect they would need to replace iceberg lettuce with mixed leaf, speed up the service a bit and give the food a more homemade feel. Even without these improvements, it is still arguably the best cafe in the Maida Vale/ St Johns Wood area.