Strand, Sandwiches, Cakes, Etc Restaurant Guide

“Cakes to die for!” say fans of this tiny Scandi café in a cute Covent Garden cut-through, with a handful of seats outside in summer. Top Menu Tip – Prinsesstårta (a Swedish cake, layering sponge, cream and marzipan).

“Decent croissants and the best brews”, delivered by “unfailingly lovely service, however long the queues”, still win legions of fans for London’s original cool coffee shop group, even if it has real competition these days from more Antipodean-style challengers. “They’ve been my top choice for over 35 years, but I can no longer cope with the uncomfortable seating at the OG Covent Garden outlet, so SE1 it is”, which is “perfect to combine with a Borough Market visit”. There’s also a third branch at Bermondsey’s Spa Terminus.

“Viennese in style” – this “elegantly understated” sibling to The Wolseley sits on the easterly fringe of the West End, and is “very much a power location”: “the ambience is perfect for business meals – bustling but not too noisy – with well-spaced tables and comfortable seating”; and “obliging” service that’s “efficient and warm”. Its “Mittel European brasserie menu with schnitzel/goulash/wurst etc” is “nothing special, but it is consistent and very acceptable” and “with something amongst the selection of dishes that anyone and everyone can eat”. “Despite the loss of founders Corbin and King, it is mercifully unaltered under its new ownership” with ratings practically identical to last year’s. Top Tip – “fabulous for breakfast”, whether you are dealmaking or not.

“One of the few remaining eccentric Soho sites left” – this “long-established fixture” was founded in 1871 by an exile from Paris. “Individual, exceptional and entertaining”, “the food still makes it a destination” – “including wonderful cakes better than any chain”. It is, though, “very busy, clearly on the ’to-do’ list of many tourists”.

This “small, often crowded” independent coffee shop by Soho’s Berwick Street market is a pilgrimage site for caffeine junkies, as the source of Antipodean ‘third wave’ coffee culture in Britain since its 2005 opening. And yes, “the coffee’s very good”.

Cafe by day, wine bar by night, all "inspired by the cafés found along the winding streets of Puglia’s picturesque city, Lecce".