The Top 10% Breakfast: Nora

What’s the story behind Nora Cafe?

“I came to this country 12 years ago. Back then, I didn’t know the difference between a scrambled egg or a poached egg, but I knew what I wanted to do. So I worked hard, pulling 70-hour weeks in coffee shops and restaurants to provide for my kids and build up my experience so that one day I could open my own shop.

Nora is a lucky name meaning ‘light’, so that’s what I called the cafe when we opened here in 2019. It was my first business experience here in the UK, so I started very small with just me and one waitress opening up every day at 6:00 and focusing everything on the customers until closing at 15:00. It was going well, but then of course the pandemic came.

The pandemic was hard, but I’ve always believed in myself and my dream, so I knew it would turn out ok. You’ve got to find the positives in challenges, and when we reopened in 2021, we started building again, step by step. Now we’re here and we’re happy.”

What’s your most popular dish?

“I always say we’re a traditional English breakfast cafe, so our set menu breakfasts are very popular, especially with tourists. Then, of course, the avocado is very trendy, so every day we prepare that fresh (with extra on the weekends) for our Crush Avocado with poached eggs on a muffin. The Eggs Deluxe is a firm favourite too. (It’s like the Crush Avocado but with extra spinach, smoked salmon and hollandaise.)

But our number one dish is the breakfast potato hash. I remember discovering it through locals seven years ago, and there’s no one else in the area who makes it. People come here specifically for it and we have four varieties on the menu – traditional, Spanish, Turkish and vegetarian. They’re delicious and very reasonably priced. It’s also one of my daughter’s favourites.

Some people might say we have too many options, but I don’t want customers to get bored. If they like it here, if they trust me, then they can try something new every day – potato hash, Traditional Set Breakfast 1, Traditional Set Breakfast 6, omelette, pancakes. With a ‘simple’ menu customers don’t get that choice and they have to go somewhere else to try something new. But here, they’ve got lots of options.”

What’s your favourite dish?

“I love our Nutella and fruit pancakes and our berry French toast. But I have to say my ultimate is our Burger on Fire. It’s simply one of the best burgers you’ll try – beef burger with cheese, bacon, chorizo, lettuce, fried onion, jalapeño and hot chilli sauce. I love it and I love making it.”

How did it feel to be a Toast the City finalist and TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice location in 2025?

“I work so hard and put everything into the cafe, only focusing on bringing the best experience to my customers. Then suddenly I get this mail and when I opened it, I was shocked. ‘Best Breakfast’. Travellers’ Choice 2025. 4.9 stars. I cried.

I think with my heart and I trust in karma – if I serve bad food or if people are unhappy, then I will be unhappy. That’s the circle. But I’m happy. And the nomination, the TripAdvisor Award, they were amazing and I’m so proud that people love what we’re doing here.”