Wednesday 12 May 2010

Reynolds - Eastcastle Street W1

It is so easy to fall into the Pret/EAT/[insert chain store name here] trap when you work in Soho - basically there is a chain on each corner selling pre-packaged sandwiches, salads, soups etc.  To be fair they are not bad - fresh ingredients, relatively healthy etc but there's something depressing about eating the same thing week in/week out.  I have tried going to small independent sandwich shops but with a few exceptions they are pretty average in central London - I can't stand those bowls full of coronation chicken mush or dried out escalopes slapped between stale sliced bread and slathered with cheap mayo - vomit.  The great coffee places often come with good food - so yes, you can get a great lunch at Fernandez & Wells or Lantana or Kaffeine - but they don't have the quick fix/ in and out in 5 minutes convenience of Pret etc.  So you can imagine how happy was I to discover Reynolds - there are now two outlets within close proximity to my work (I suppose that sort of makes them a chain - but only a small one...)  All the things that the chain sandwich shops do wrong, Reynolds gets right - their philosophy is to eat "little and often" hence their motto "Let's Graze".  Given I love eating I am all for this way of life because it basically means you can forget structured meal times and simply shove food in your face all day long.  In moderation of course (I haven't quite got that bit right yet).  I love their chicken and sweet potato wrap and the goats cheese, beetroot and puy lentil salad.  And guess what - they do a pretty good flat white, in an 8 oz cup.  Even better you can accompany it with a Borough Market chocolate brownie.  Have I got you interested yet?  I really like this place - in particular the Eastcastle Street branch.  The big boys could learn a lot from Reynolds...

4 comments:

  1. I had pretty ordinary coffee from the Charlotte Street branch - but I'm willing to give them another chance!!

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  2. Sorry to hear that - the flat whites I have had from the Eastcastle St shop have been consistently good.

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  3. The worst coffee shop I've ever seen! The coffee was disgusting, the walls were coming down...and the food... pretty awful... Don't even think to go there! You'll just waste your money!!!

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  4. Eek - I seem to be alone in liking their coffee!

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