London’s EL&N coffee house comes to Golden City

Take a back seat, Cape Town. Jozi has pipped you to the post with the country’s first branch of a hot London café.

Not content to be merely the British capital’s hotspot for Insta-bragging, EL&N claims to be “the most Instagrammable café in the world”, and if you want to test the theory you can pop into Jozi’s own branch as of this weekend.

There are 32 of the stores in world capitals from Milan to Dubai and four in London, from Carnaby Street to Park Lane. Now Joburg has its own branch (it opened on Thursday), where you can order a broad range of fare from a tomahawk steak main course to something from the pizza bar, an all-day brunch or sip mocktails and speciality lattes.

EL&N stands for “eat, live and nourish” and they promise to provide the Insta generation with “a maximally photogenic backdrop that is Instagrammable, yet stylish”.

The famous café and lifestyle chain from the UK is known worldwide for its innovative menu, eye-catching interiors and speciality coffee.   

The design of the store features a bespoke “tree of light” chandelier with more than 500 LED bulbs, painting a glow over the Barbie-worthy pink and green interiors and the brand’s neon slogans across the walls.

The development team at EL&N have brought a touch of Mzansi to the Mall of Africa menu with new steaks and grills, as well as the brand’s first pizza bar, offering 11 rustic wood-fired pizzas. Brunch classics are on the menu, with a range of speciality coffee, all-day brunch dishes and patisserie.

 “We are over the moon to celebrate our first opening in South Africa at the Mall of Africa. We’re bringing a touch of London to Johannesburg with our unique designs and an incredible menu offering,” said EL&N founder Alexandra Miller. DM