I went to Sutton's LA Café, but calling it a ‘café' doesn't do it justice anymore
There are places you visit once, and there are places you return to again and again because they keep surprising you.
LA Café is firmly in the second category.
I've been there several times since I first discovered it last March, and each time I visit, the expectations are a little higher.
Somehow, they always manage to meet them.
Just before their fourth anniversary, I stopped by again, and once again, I left impressed.
It was a warm Friday just before noon when I dropped in, ready for something light but satisfying.
I ordered a peach and lemon iced tea, expecting the usual chilled drink to keep me cool.
(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)
What I got instead was something that made me pause.
It was crisp and delicate, a perfect balance of soft peach and sharp citrus.
Not too sweet, not too sharp, and far from artificial.
Just clean, refreshing and exactly what I needed.
I've had plenty of iced teas before, but this one really stood out.
The word "refreshing" gets thrown around too easily, but here it applies in the truest sense - it reset my mood for the day.
At LA Café, the specials change every single day; that's one of the things I admire most.
You never know what's coming, but whatever it is, it's always worth trying.
That day's special was a wagyu beef burger with seasoned chips, served with truffle and hollandaise.
(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)
I'll be honest - I had no idea what wagyu even was.
Ankur, who's as friendly as ever, explained it to me.
Wagyu is a Japanese breed of beef known for its high level of marbling and rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavour.
It's not the sort of thing you expect to find in a local café.
But that's exactly the point: calling LA Café a café doesn't do it justice anymore.
Yes, the word is still in the name, but this place has evolved into something more.
With its ever-changing menu, high-quality ingredients and thoughtful presentation, it feels much more like a bistro.
It's casual but ambitious, and local but impressive.
The burger itself was one of the best I've had in a long time.
I took a photo first, of course, but ten minutes later, the plate was empty.
The beef was juicy and rich, the bun held its shape without overwhelming the filling, and the hollandaise added a silky finish I didn't know a burger could benefit from.
It wasn't messy or overloaded, just well-constructed and satisfying from start to finish.
The chips were golden, crisp on the outside, and fluffy inside.
The seasoning gave them life, and the drizzle of truffle and hollandaise added a layer of indulgence without making them too heavy.
They didn't go cold, they didn't get soggy, and I didn't leave a single one behind.
One of my favourite things at LA Café is the set of little squeezy bottle sauces they leave on each table.
I always go for the chilli one.
I physically can't eat a dry chip, and this sauce saves me every time.
It's warm rather than fiery, smooth rather than overpowering, and it cuts through the richness of the chips beautifully.
I'm convinced it would make even the plainest plate of fries worth finishing.
By the end of the meal, I was full for the rest of the day.
Not in a weighed-down, regret-my-lunch kind of way, but in a comfortably full.
It's a rare feeling to leave a lunch spot feeling like you got everything you wanted without anything overdone.
That's what keeps me coming back to LA Café.
There's a standard here that never slips.
Whether it's a quick visit for a drink or a full plate special, everything feels considered.
The team know what they're doing, the menu stays exciting, and the food always lands exactly where it should.
As they head into their fourth year, it's clear that this place has outgrown its original label.
The word 'café' may still sit above the door, but this is a bistro through and through.
It's rooted in Sutton but would hold its own anywhere.
It continues to surprise me in the best way, and I already know I'll be back sooner than I should be.
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