Clementine Cafe by Anna Higham Opens in October
Bringing the beloved Quince Bakery spirit across the road with a new all-day British café
Clementine, the new all-day café from award-winning pastry chef Anna Higham, will open its doors to the public on Saturday 3rd October 2026 in Islington. It sits directly opposite her much-loved Quince Bakery.
Built on the same philosophy that has had queues stretching down the road since Quince opened in February 2024, Clementine extends the Quince experience into a dedicated breakfast, brunch and lunch setting. Open Wednesday to Sunday, the 20-cover café will carry Anna’s hallmark seasonal sensibility and deep-rooted commitment to British produce and baking traditions.
The menu changes with the seasons. The autumn opening edition moves through the day with quiet confidence. Mornings begin with porridge topped with Ivy House cream, panela sugar and apple compote; tattie scones with scrambled Cacklebean eggs; Scotch pancakes with Abbey Farm butter and poached plums; and Staffordshire oatcakes with Gothelney Farm bacon and Appleby’s Cheshire cheese. Sausages are bespoke from local butcher, Stella’s made using Quince Bakery breadcrumbs and just a touch of sweetness from their quince paste. Find it in Clementine’s Sausage sandwich on Quince Bakery’s Batch bread with housemade brown sauce.
Elevenses bring the bakery’s much-loved warm scones with Ivy House cream and jam, and the iconic brown butter buns to the cafe. At lunch, expect a Westcombe Dairy cheddar toastie, chicken and tarragon pie, a late summer vegetable soup, and a Ploughman’s lunch of Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese, Gothelney ham, pickles and country bread.
The afternoon offering leans into Clementine’s sweeter side; oat cookies, figgy meringue cake, and more of those scones. Throughout the day, the drinks menu spans coffee from Allpress and Red Bank, and a rotating seasonal cordial list featuring combinations such as fragola grape and damson, and peach and fig leaf. Postcard Teas supply a selection of flavours, including a special blend in collaboration with Clementine, available only at the cafe.
Leading the kitchen is head chef Marcus Westlake, who joins Clementine from Forno, with previous experience at the much-loved east London restaurant Brawn. Marcus brings a wealth of bakery knowledge alongside a deep appreciation for produce-led cooking. He is developing the menu in close collaboration with Anna, before taking the reins as head chef.
Anna Higham, Owner & Head Baker, comments:
“The goal at Clementine is to continue the community feel we have built at Quince Bakery with a similarly joyful and creative menu. We’ll be keeping the same focus on British traditions and working closely with the best suppliers, which is really at the heart of everything we do.”
The interiors are designed by Dan Wilson Studio, the team behind Quince’s warmly considered bakery, and carry the same visual language into a distinct new setting. Drawing on the clean lines of Shaker design and the handcrafted spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement, the space is built around oak, slate worktops and a tiled fireplace; practical and welcoming in equal measure, with the feeling of stepping into a home kitchen. Carpentry is by Herb Palmer, whose work spans Quince, Brawn and Tiella, and the walls are finished in a bespoke colour developed with British paint brand Atelier Ellis. Outside, the façade will be painted in clementine leaf green beneath a clementine-coloured awning, with a lit fibreglass clementine above the door to come.
Clementine’s roots lie in community support. Earlier this year, Quince launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised over £30,000 to fit out the new cafe. This followed in the footsteps of Quince’s original 2023 appeal and the response was a testament to the loyalty Quince has built in Islington and beyond.
