Nika Jazee couldn’t resist a new array of flavours.
The wide range of pastries in the front window acts like gravity on your stomach, pulling you in to a modern interior with chestnut brown tables and colourful paintings on a strictly white walls.
I step inside. As the bitter aroma of ground coffee beans soaks into my clothes, I am being greeted by a tall man with a big smile, Salim Kebir.
Salim is the 46-year-old owner of La Table Des Saveurs (the table of flavours), a new cafe down the Bow-end of Roman Road which specialises in pizza, open sandwiches, cakes and coffee.
Before setting up La Table just four months ago, Salim managed high street coffee shops such as Eat and Pret. Originally from Algeria, raised in France, the multilingual host speaks English, French and Arabic depending on the customer.
Salim first came to London 21 years ago. After a month he found work as a kitchen porter in the West End. He taught himself English, and after 14 years he became a cafe manager. After seven more years of managerial directives to meet targets and pressurise staff, he had finally saved up enough to strike out on his own.
At La Table Des Saveurs, Salim shows his passion for pizza. At Christmas he opened the door for children to come in and make their own – turning the cafe into something of a local community centre.
If you’re in the area for the whole day, Salim recommends starting with coffee and a pastry, coming back mid-morning for cheese cake, apple crumble or blueberry muffin. Then a tasty crepe for lunch, and finally, freshly made pizza for dinner.
My rating: 4 tomatoes out 5
For more information, visit the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Table-des-Saveurs/807463819299712?fref=ts