Bring on the grub! Café Football in Stratford’s Westfield Mall.
Café Football opened last December in Stratford’s Westfield Shopping Mall and offers football terrace food – but with a difference. Owners Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have brought in chef and restaurateur, Michael Wignall, to turn football grub into gastro pub fare.
Menus at Café Football organise food into the shape of football formations, there is a display of Ryan Giggs’ boots and lots of kitsch football slogans thrown in for good measure. Desserts include the pistachio-garnished Chocolate Turf, and Wignall’s Half Time Orange – which is citrus parfait, orange jelly and butterscotch sauce.
Main courses have equally kitschy names. The Wizard Burger is lamb with harissa sauce, while The Special One is a grilled chicken burger with goats cheese. Side orders are suitably good including very flavoursome chunky chips. For something more unusual try the Asian slaw, while the green beans get a thumbs up from me.
Bruno, our waiter, is just one of the enthusiastic staff at Café Football. Julia in the Sweet Shop is equally excited to explain all about her goodies. I order a scrumptious caramel salted ice cream and a dark chocolate sorbet with a shot of plantation rum for hubby. Decadent!
Café Football wants to be known as a restaurant, not a sports bar. And you might be fooled by the interior as there are so many TV screens inside. But, none the less, it is a great night out and you can wash down your grub with beer or with a very decent bottle of California Viognier.
Wash down your grub with an excellent California Viognier.
So get booking quick for the World Cup! See you there.
Café Football, The Street Westfield Stratford City London E20 1EN
Venue phone: 020 8702 2590