LA Café on Sutton High Street named in Good Food Awards 2024

LA Café, on Sutton High Street, first opened two years ago in May 2021, serving a mix of French and British cuisine.

The owner and chef at LA Café is Ankur Baria, who has been a chef for over 25 years, and said it was “amazing and very rare” to be named for a third consecutive year.

(Image: Ankur Baria)

Ankur told Your Local Guardian: “What’s unique about LA Café is that we produce most of the stuff in-house.

“Everything we do buy from outside is from the top of quality because we have connected with a market of people who understand quality.

“We don’t buy anything substandard or cheap.

“We make sure anything we buy outside, whether beef or tomatoes, is of the highest quality, sourced from the right places.”

The menu at LA Café features a continuously changing soup selection, with different daily specials.

Ankur said that they “never repeat specials” at LA Cafe.

Ankur explained that when he receives his supplies, he experiments with them to create the daily specials, ensuring he always has something new.

When it comes to the menu, Ankur said: “There’s always something unique, whether it be a main, drink or a dessert.

“There’s something new on the menu every day.”

(Image: Ankur Baria)

Ankur added: “We like to follow the basics, and we like to do everything in the best, authentic way possible.”

Everything at LA Café is homemade, and Ankur said, “Everything on the menu is made here; we make our croissants, we make our pastry, and we make our dessert.”

LA Café has already won numerous awards since its opening in 2021.

These include the Good Food Awards 2023 and 2024, Time and Leisure Food and Culture Awards 2024, Restaurant Guru’s Recommended Café, and Best Coffeehouse in Carshalton.

Ankur said the thing he most enjoys about running LA Café is the fact that he doesn’t have to “compromise anywhere”.

He added: “I love customers and customers love us as well.

“We can give them the best of food in the best possible way to the best of our knowledge, and there’s no room to compromise anywhere.

“That is what I enjoy the most.”

Ankur spoke about the loyal following LA Café has, which he cited was because everything on the menu appeals to everyone and anyone.

Ankur said: “We have loyal customers who come into LA Café every single day.

“Some get the same thing all the time, whereas others try something new daily.”

Ankur described his leadership style at LA Café as “leading by example”, and the work dynamics as a “flat hierarchy, where no one is no one’s boss”.

(Image: Ankur Baria)

He said: “Everybody’s equally trained, so it’s very easy for me to take days off because nobody’s causing me to worry about anything.

“We’re like a big family.”

LA Cafe is open between 6.30am and 4pm on weekdays, and 8am to 4pm on Saturdays.

(Image: Ankur Baria)

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