• Added: 10th of April 2008
• Area: Temple
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London EC4Y 8AA
020 7353 2264

bigal76 said
Comfort lunch from Casella
The mission: continue to find small, independent (well, 5 or less outlets) lunch food outlets that offer something worth seeking out.

Today’s chapter: After a difficult morning at work, I really didn’t fancy another mayonnaise filled super-something from one of the sandwich chains. Enter: Casella. A small Italian sandwich and pasta bar, just off the Blackfriars end of Fleet Street.

Look in the window and you’ll see the usual array of Italian sandwiches. Having had a selection of these previously, I can say that they’re good value and the ingredients do actually taste of the ingredients: prosciutto is moist and flavoursome, artichokes tangy etc. They have a good variety of sandwiches and rolls/ciabatas with generous fillings at good prices (e.g. £4 or less). If there’s nothing you like, they’ll slice something fresh from the array of salamis, cheeses and cured meats proudly displayed in sandwich counter, and stuff it into a crusty roll.

If you’re in there, you’ll see lots of Italian customers walking straight past the sandwich counter to the little dining area at the back of the shop where you can order one of the cook-to-order pastas, which change daily. I had a Spaghetti Bolognese to take-away today, to use as a pasta yardstick. I was very pleased with the quality of ingredients (chopped vegetables and herbs clearly visible in the sauce - not a quick pour from a jar), the pasta itself was quite nice, and the portion generous. I’ll be back to try more of their seemingly home-made pasta specials.

I’d highly recommend Casella as a good value and decent quality cheap eat just off Fleet Street – to take something away, or for a quick sit-down lunch with a friend.

• Added: 16th of December 2007
• Area: Monument
• Category: Restaurants

London EC3V 0BL
020 7626 5180

bigal76 said
When only a steak will do
It's nice when you're invited to a red lunch on the company. Red meat. Red wine.

12 of us were seated in reasonable comfort at an oval table opposite the bar in the centre of the restaurant. We were granted the fixed price menu and some nice bottles of Red.

From the fixed menu on offer I chose the prawn ceviche to start. The prawns were large and meaty, but didn't suffer from tasting plain like some large prawns at chain restaurants do. Tasty.

Main was a wisely chosen steak - a lovely cut with enough, but not too much fat, cooked to medium perfection as requested. Yummy potato sides too.

Dessert choice was the chocolate truffle cake, which was extremely rich, so much so that I had trouble finishing it, but some may see that as a really good thing.

The service in particular was impressive without being intrusive. All staff have an earpiece and collar microphone to communicate the whims of their whingey clients. The 3 girls attending to our table remembered all the orders of waters, wines, beers, and food for everyone without having to ask twice.

Be warned - one trick they do pull at Gaucho is to appear at your tables with a boxed bottle of their fine wine, recommending it for your choice of food. Be sure to check the price before accepting - friends had a very nasty surprise on the bill after falling for this one.

Despite the place being rammed with pre-chistmas business lunchers, we ate in good time, and all were able to chat to their third of the table without yelling.

I'd go again - especially if the company offers to pick up the tab.

• Added: 16th of December 2007
• Area: Temple
• Category: Food and Drink

London EC4Y 1JU
020 7583 6060

bigal76 said
Fuzzy's Grub
Some say it's a City secret. Fuzzy's Grub between Bank and London Wall is so secretive, it isn't even on their own website. Trust me - walk up Coleman Street, in the block between Bank and London Wall, and there it is, hiding in one of the laneways running off Coleman Street.

I had high hopes of finding a replacement for my beloved Birley's Salt Beef. I had a roast beef with roast vegies at about 1:30pm one day. Quick and helpful service. Lovely fresh thick (i.e. 1 inch thick) slices of bread, a generous portion of sliced beef, and a good shake of roast potato/onion/something else looking suspiciously like aubergine.

Value was excellent - 4 and a bit quid in that area normally buys you a piece of prosciutto and cheap cheese on an focaccia. This was a brick of fresh bread and roasted goodies.

The meat was good, but not in the same league as Birleys. I had a bit of an issue with the vegies, they were a bit soggy and past it, but perhaps I struck a bad batch towards the end of the lunch run. In the interests of science and research, I'll give it another shot.

Good comfort food, generous serve, but the soggy roast vegies and Carvery-esque meat taste let it down on this occasion.