Strada - High Street Italiano

Strada restaurant interiors are simple, yet rather sophisticated in dark red tones and dark wood beams and flooring. It claims to showcase Italian food of the amalfi region, but frankly has a gamut of recipes from all over. The quality of the food is consistent, with pretty authentic, well researched recipes and honest prices. It's never going to beat that gem of a trattoria you discovered in Sorrento but for a high street pizza and pasta joint, it packs quite a few punches and offers more exciting options that Pizza Express. They serve old fashioned italian desserts, home made (or at least it seems!) and of decent proportions and the set lunch menu: main and glass of wine for 7.95 with seasonal variations. The basket of rosemary and garlic foccaccia is served crispy and straight out the oven, the wine list has a delightful spicy and fruity Primitivo di Salento by the glass as well as by the bottle, a wine you rarely see on the high street. 

Examples of mains that are worth trying are:

Linguini alla Pescatora, muscles, clams, squid and shrimp, all in their shells as they should be, with a pungeant tomato and garlic sauce made with proper plum tomatoes.

Rigatoni Speck e Gorgonzola is indulgent and creamy with real speck, not smoky bacon as you sometimes find in chain restaurants.

They also pride themselves on their wood-oven fired pizzas. Which are large and thin based with fresh toppings.

If you have to choose a pudding, go for the Torta della Nonna. mascarpone tart with pine nut topping. They offer to serve it with ice-cream, but it doesn't need it at all, enjoy as it is!

In some branches service can be slow on weekends and friday nights, sadly this depends on where you go. The further you head out of the centre, the better the service gets seems to be a general trend.

Strada website

Thai Express - Chancery Lane

If you're exploring Fleet Street, Holborn and Temple and want something more exotic than a pub lunch which will be served quickly and keep you happily filled until a late dinner pop into this little Thai lunch spot on Chancery Lane. It's very popular with the local business men and women who need to get a good lunch in 30-40 minutes, but it's not a place where you'll be rushed out the door if you've got the time to hang around. Don't worry if you pop in and it seems full, there's a 70 seat area downstairs!

There's a special lunch deal where you choose your meat type (duck and seafood cost a pound more), then pick either a rice-based curry dish or a noodle-based stir fry dish from 5-7 pounds. Throw in a special offer starter, pork satay, spring rolls or a hot and sour soup and you still won't be paying more than about £10-£12 per head. There's the usual green and red thai curry, but also a sweet and creamy yellow curry with lemongrass and coconut milk packed with peppers. The ginger and spring onion stir-fry is well-balanced and portions in general are generous. 

The only slight let down are the spring rolls, the usual frozen, deep friend shtick. But the mains are filling, tasty and attractive.

They organize business lunches and catering. 

Thai Express Website

Sofra - Tasty Turkish in Covent Garden

There's more than one Sofra, and its sister chain Ozer - dotted about all over London. For a pre-theatre treat or a really delicious, light but incredibly varied and generous lunch try the £13 healthy option set-dinner which changes according to the seasons. For your money you'll get eleven taster dishes. For example: a rich and creamy houmous, crunchy fresh fava beans in yogurt, tabouleh, roast aubergine salad, spinach and feta cheese borek, chopped walnut, pine nut and herb salad, baba ganoush (smoky aubergine and tahini dip), tender lamb kofta, spicy chicken skewer, a couple of tasty beef meatballs and several other delicious tidbits. A glass of red or white wine is included. If you're new to turkish and eastern  mediterranean cuisine, this is the best way to taste a lot of things without feeling heavy and stuffed afterwards. Olives and fresh bread are brought to the table, the waiters are courteous and all rather good-looking! If you're not into set menus, the duck tagine with plums is simply SCRUMPTIOUS!

Every dish is unique and shows off the simple flavours of their core ingredients despite the  different blends of spices and herbs. The ambience is intimate and classy. Plus it's right round the corner from Covent Garden so ideal for a good pre-theatre nosh.

Sofra website

Song Que Cafè - Best vietnamese in Shoreditch?

Lying half-way up Kingsland Road, fifteen minutes from Old Street tube station the mint green cantine-style interior of Song Que heaves with hungry diners. There are several other vietnamese restaurants and cheapo cafès along this road, but this is the only one with the serious queue at the door, and don't let that put you off, the waiter would free a table up for you if it costs him his daughter. This is no-frills, no trimmings, good-quality comfort food. Mains cost an average of £6 and are extremely generous. Flavours are bold and service is fast with some pretty witty banter coming from the staff. Don't expect to be fussed over and to lounge about once your plate's been cleared, there's others waiting behind you. Do, however, expect friendly and efficient service and a tasty and extensive menu.

Tried and tested:

Spring rolls - crispy and golden but a tad greasy for my taste
Vietnamese summer rolls - these were divine, full of fresh flavours and good texture
Pho Tai (rare beef noodle soup) - heart-warming and delicious, but could've been just a teensy bit more generous with the meat.
Pancake with prawn and chicken - light fluffy egg pancake with crispy beansprouts and very tender prawns
Grilled squid with ginger and spring onions - the squid was fresh and not at all rubbery
Chilli salted squid - this was a strong dish, popping with chilli
Lemongrass chicken with peppers - again, a real fiery kick of lemongrass and crunchy peppers for texture
There's jasmine tea and a varied selection of vietnamese bottled beers as well as the regular beers.


Cost: about 14 pounds per head for two courses and a drink.


134, Kingsland Road
London
E2 8DY
Closed Sundays
Children Welcome