The Windmill Restaurant, at 18 High Street, (Tel 0208 521 8455)sells all manner of Expressos, Cakes, Pastries, Bread and Pasta. Their menu also extends to a 'full' English breakfast to compare with that sold at Queen's Cafe, consisting of four pound fifty's worth of "Eggs, bacon(2), sausage, beans, mushroom, tomato, toast".
This is not the only concession this Portuguese restaurant has made to life in Walthamstow - it carefully displays the flag of St George when England might encounter Portugal at sports the locals may care about like football and at other times pronounces on its door that it is local and proud of it.
The restaurant sometimes advertises a few small local art events of passing interest in the window, though there are none being advertised at present.
The Windmill restaurant, its "Full English" notwithstanding, is a little outpost of civilized gentility south of Hoe Street, with cleanliness, decor and Tapas from about four pounds a dish minimum - Garlic Bread at one-fifty does not count as Tapas in my book: Fish Cakes; Chorizo for three-ninety-five, Clams Marinera (Mediterranean Style) for four ninety-five, Portuguese Sardines; Mediterranean Prawns in Piri Piri sauce at five pounds ninety-five. If by describing them as 'Mediterranean' it is intended that this prawn dish reminds us of a particular cuisine, I think it would be clearer if we are told where exactly. It is a long way from Gibraltar to the shores of Syria. If they mean that the prawns are cooked in a Portuguese style, why not say so? I do not however think the geographical position of Portugal facing the Atlantic should mean it counts as a Mediterranean country when we are discussing the sources of seafood, and so it might be better to describe them as Atlantic Prawns.
If on the other hand they really are flying in the prawns freshly from the Med, all I can ask is -why? Please source seafood locally - we are an island and we do have a fishing industry producing prawns which the locals are proud of. Why not support it?
The main courses such as Grilled Beef Skewers (Madeira style) retail for a shilling short of ten quid as a main course, while Portuguese Cod Cream is seven pounds ninety-five and Lasagne is five pounds ninety-five. All meals are served with saute potatoes or fries, rice and vegetables unless stated otherwise, which is only proper.
For those interested in these matters, the Windmill restaurant, while indicating on the door that it is sympathetic to the needs of breast-feeding mothers, has not joined the Waltham Forest Community Toilet Scheme: its toilets are actually for Customers Only.
They have quiet spells, but I have also seen times when there is standing room only in the evening.
Historians will be interested to know that in 1910 building was the site of J Sainsbury's store.
I'm not too keen on the Community Toilet Scheme as a replacement for fully funded local authority provided public conveniences. Pubs are fine as they are geared up to accomodate multiple bursting bladders and they are adult environments. If I'm sitting in a restaurant or caff the last thing I want is to have to put up with a procession of toilet goers past the table. Nor do I want to have to queue up for ages when I want to evacuate the first half of a bottle of red or mug of tea. The 'facilities' in this particular establishment are just out of view of the main restaurant area. If I am a customer in there and my children want to use them I do not want to be wondering what colourful local High street character might be lurking down there. I don't blame the proprietor at all for ducking out of this 'half assed' 'half baked' & half thought out scheme designed to save the council money rather than provide a proper public service. Please don't think I am indifferent to the plight of those experiencing renal distress. My old man has long had issues with the lack of places to wipe a kidney but this crappy scheme is no panacea. I expect any half competent council to provide proper, safe and attended public toilets in the commercial hub (ha ha) of a borough with a population of 250,000 people. Those insane TARDIS things that sane people always fear will open mid-micturation certainly do not provide 'best practice' as the duplicitous management consultants advising our municipal leaders would probably phrase it. The council should just cut the crap and provide the basic services everybody is crying out for.