As gloom looms under the dastardly light of the credit crunch, cheap and cheerful is where it's at and O'Girasol's Portuguese café-cuisine is certainly looking after the wallets of SE27.

The Venue
Situated on the ever-bustling Norwood High Street, O Girasol is beacon of Portuguese joy in this part of Southeast London. The larger-than-life mural of a sunflower beckons in tired shoppers to rest their weary feet over a cup of tea and a custard tart. Inside is clean, bright and filled with the standard utilitarian trappings of a high street cafe, with yellow, beige and brown being the palette of the day. One wall houses the semi-open kitchen and also a glass chiller displaying fancy cakes and pastries.

The Atmosphere
There are many established cafes along Norwood's main drag but none as popular as this friendly newcomer which consistently fills its tables all day every day. The service is quick, efficient and despite being faced with food-flinging toddlers, is always accompanied with a friendly smile. O'Girasol's is popular with the mother and baby crowd but at lunchtimes becomes the domain of the local workers in for a cheap feed. The weekends draw in a younger crowd, most of whom are in desperate need of a hangover-busting breakfast and an hour with the papers. Easy listening FM drowns out the sound of frying bacon and percolating coffee giving the place a nice relaxed atmosphere.

The Food
O'Girasol certainly has a grip on the basics from a decent full English (£5.10) to omelettes, salads and fried stuff with chips. A fine range of sandwich options including ciabattas, paninis and filled croissants are also on offer starting at around £1.80. The BLT sandwich is a triumph and comes freshly made with soft white bread and filled with griddled back bacon, crispy iceberg lettuce, thick slices of fresh tomato and the all-important smear of creamy mayonnaise. There is an ever-changing specials board which often includes Piri-Piri chicken, rice and salad for a smidge under £6 or a chicken Caesar salad at £4.95. On a good day you can even get grilled sea bream 'with veg' for less than £7. For many the highlight of the menu has to be the authentic Portuguese custard tarts. Sweet, flaky pastry is filled with a dreamy custard cream and then topped with caramelised sugar, one is never enough but at £1.20 each it's certainly not rude to have two.

The Drink
Being a proper High Street caff, there's your standard mugs of builders’ tea with eight sugars on offer, as well as the posh coffees; lattes, cappuccinos and mochas. On the cold front there are bottled juices, cans of fizzy pop including a delicious passionfruit variety and chilled bottles of mineral water.

The Last Word
Whether you have a Saturday morning hangover or just a midweek grumbling tum, O'Girasol is a great little independent cafe which offers a good range of decent food at wallet-loving prices. A welcome sight in West Norwood.

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