Almost as turbid as the Clapton Ponds
it stands next to, with its creaky double-fronted exterior and
unremitting drab decor, Don's, Lower Clapton Road E5 seems
to be perpetually on its last legs. Orders are written in felt-tip
pen on an ancient piece of plastic on the counter which is then
wiped clean. Says caff classicist J. Hourrigan: "The cafe's
run by the eponymous Don and his ancient Italian siblings in
their 80s (all of whom came from Lucca in the 1930s). They've
been there all their lives. It sits just around the corner from
where Harold Pinter was born. Don's was once a stables. Wooden
interior, high ceilings, never full! Open til 2.00 pm most days. |