Chamomile is another Belsize Park cafe working against the grain of commerciality by serving up all sorts of wonderful food and drink in a refreshingly bright and cheerful environment.

The Venue
The beautiful thing about the cafes in Belsize Park is that the ceilings are exceptionally high and the shop fronts are almost entirely made of glass. This does two things for a café - it creates an enormous sense of space and it ushers in copious amounts of natural light which is all very pleasing for anyone who may be sitting inside.

At the exciting end of England’s Lane you’ll find Chamomile, a blue fronted cafe with a few chairs and tables outside under a blue canopy. A very popular venue indeed, it is often filled with hungry and thirsty local folk who fancy something they know and trust. Interestingly, looking around at the walls, it feels as though someone’s home has been converted into an open-plan cafe. Some walls jut out further than others and if you walk to the end of the counter and up the stairs you’ll find what would ordinarily be a wide hallway, only they’ve filled it with tables and chairs.

At the end of this hallway is a set of French doors that open up onto a little balcony ledge which has been beautifully filled with overgrown pot plants. It’s very picturesque and the table positioned in front of it is most probably the most sought after table on a summer’s day. The pale terracottas, blues and salmon colours that have been used to decorate the walls keep the cafe feeling light and summery all year round whilst the blackboards displaying the day’s specials on the walls around the counter maintain a sense of tradition.

The Atmosphere
Being so popular, Chamomile’s atmosphere is never dull. The staff are chummy with the locals and welcoming to the newcomers. The music in the background is very much drowned out by the sounds of all the conversations taking place at the same time but in case things do get quiet you can rest assured that it’ll be there.

The Food
Chamomile serves a variety of foods from your greasy all-day breakfasts through to your slightly more healthy salad and fish dishes. They also offer a selection of burger and chips combos. The burgers are pretty serious here, they’re the kind that require you practically have to dislocate your jaw in order to take a bite – you definitely get more for your money. They also do soup, sandwiches and pastries. The almond pastry is a bit bland and nothing out of the ordinary, but they do heat it for you so that the almond filling is nice and warm when you bite into it.

The Drink
As you would expect, chamomile tea is on the menu. How could it not be? Various other teas are available as well as your usual selection of coffees. Those looking for something cooler might be interested in one of the juices or milkshakes.

The Last Word
One of the busier cafes on England’s Lane. If you’re looking for a cafe that cares about the presentation of their food and has a lively atmosphere during the day this is the place for you.

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