Old Spike Elephant & Castle

old spike takes breakfast seriously. not in a performative way, just in the way that actually matters when you're trying to start your day on southwark bridge road without surrendering to whatever chain happens to be closest. the espresso is the anchor here, and the dessert options give you a reason to stay longer than you planned. tea drinkers aren't an afterthought either. you can build a whole morning around this place, or a whole afternoon, depending on what you need. it's the kind of spot that shows up reliably for the neighborhood it's in, which is a harder thing to pull off than it sounds. start with the espresso, then reconsider leaving.