It was Friday the 13th - my boyfriend was working the following day - and my friend, well, she's single. We have both been trying to catch up together for weeks now and finally we organised a brunch date at the Goodlife Eatery, Chelsea, on Valentines Day. I had heard lots of good things about the cafe and seen photos of vibrant bowls of goodness online; I was so looking forward to trying it out.
We arrived around 12pm; the place was busy, people were squeezing in around the tills at the entrance hawking for possible leavers to snap up a seat (thankfully most of those people waiting were grabbing takeaways and smoothies to go). The inside is quite small with wooden tables and chalk boards - it's rustic and earthy interior go hand in hand with it's hearty and natural healthy menu.
They sell everything from nourishing salads and sandwiches, to warm comforting foods and, an amazing variety of all-day weekend breakfast dishes, as well as refrigerated snacks like, chia pudding and raw key lime pie, gluten free and dairy free cakes, cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies and coffees - including lattes with splashes of cold almond milk beyond the usual soya milk as the only dairy free alternative.
I shared a Goodness Bowl: lentil salad, spelt salad, caramelised onion humous, GF seed crackers, avocado, zucchini fettuccini and sweet potato falafels, washed down with a big shaker cup of their Pink Panther smoothie: strawberry, raspberry, avocado, rice milk, baobab powder, GF oats, Madagascan vanilla topped with dried gojis all finished of with their Paleo Chestnut and Almond Waffles, with fig jam, coconut yoghurt (and I may have asked for a bit of nut butter on side - which - you really should too!). The food was delicious and we didn't wait long.
It is the perfect place for a clean eating brunch date but I would recommend going on the weekend so you can enjoy their all day breakfast menu.
Although more places like this are popping up around London and around the UK, we're still falling short of healthy eateries in comparison to places like LA and across Australia however, this place is definitely near the top of the list. Most current places serving healthy food cater for vegans and vegetarians only but, the Goodlife offers meat options too, like grilled chicken, prawns, salmon and beef - making it an even better place to grab some food with friends as there is definitely something for everyone, even if you're not a health nut - this place could certainly turn you and will make you see a salad in a whole new light! The menu is moderately priced too considering where it's situated and the food is worth the cost.
By the time we had finished our food and chatted there was a growing qeu outside the door to get in, running past the nearby shops along side it and I am not surprised!
You can take a sneaky peek at their menu here.
Yes, yes I did wear a jumper that says KALE on it to go for lunch ;)