The Doorstep Cafe in Epping Forest

This is my third visit to Bonhomie since it changed from Belgique. I have to say that I was not particularly impressed with my previous two visits, having always ordered the avocado on toast. The first time it was served on white bread without having been given the option to chose another type of bread. Also, it was literally what it said in the tin i.e. a sliced avocado on a slice of white bread, no dressing. The second time I said that I would like to have it on brown bread please. Again, it came as a sliced avocado on a slice of bread. Both times it came with a poached egg and a minimum amount of garnish. Nothing to do with the nice avocado on toast served in other local cafés. For this reason, when my friend suggested Bonhomie today,  I said that I wasn't a fan. However, as it was convenient for it is local, we went. Our waiter was a young man, that couldn't understand my foreign accent, despite my having been in this country for 20 years, my partner being British and me being a professional person developing my profession in the area. I repeated my order of green tea, avocado on toast (I thought maybe third time lucky), no butter several times but he kept asking for my order time and time again, to the point of making me feel embarrassed. It has never happened to me anything like it before. The young man tried to excused himself saying that it wasn't my accent, that it had been a long day (it was 11am). When eventually the food came, it was the saddest thing I have ever been served in a café - a slice of bread (brown, thank goodness) with a mushy avocado on top, again no dressing and this time, no garnish and no egg. Due to the previous embarrasment, I decided not to complain anymore, my friend and I laughed and promised not to come back again on future occasions. When I arrived home, I told my partner what had happened  and he said that I should have complained, that it was not right that I was charged full price when my food was so below par and it was actually missing ingredients. I thought about going back on the following day to personally talk to the manager. Then I read the review when the owner said to a customer to go to McDonald's when the customer complained about the service (?), and I thought that I had already been sufficiently embarrassed in this establishment. Therefore, I wasn't going to risk to be told to go to McDonald's (or somewhere else). Not sure if McDonald's will be my choice next time, but it definitely won't be Bonhomie.

Honestly the best cafe! We eat here regularly. Everybody loves the breakfast but I also go here regularly for lunch. The staff are friendly, the cafe is always clean and there is outdoor space out the back which is dog friendly (if you take your dog you have us the back entrance).

If you are in London you must try Fabio’s cafe, the best in town!

Fabulous small restaurant with a few tables outside. Tasty burger and crispy chips at reasonable price. Check opening hour before getting there.

Good food, good service and clean!