What's For Lunch?

Londonist presents a weekly series about that most pressing of daily concerns: where to go on your lunch break.

City Snacks
29 Theobald's Road WC1X 8SP
Average Lunch Price: £5
Rating: 4 out of 5

As Russell Davies noted in his A Good Place for a Cup of Tea and a Think blog, City Snacks' "optimistic sign, slanting excitedly towards the future" is a lovely example of urban advertising. Anyway, it lured us in for lunch. Inside, City Snacks is an orange Formica wonderland, which according to Classic Cafés is "notable for its wall-to-wall Formica wall coverings." Panettone boxes hang from the ceiling, giving a festive air to the café while a Robert De Niro/Al Pachino photo collage and a mildly violent Taxi Driver poster add a sense of danger to your meal. Fast and friendly table service and a long standing self-imposed no smoking policy make this a clean and efficient choice for lunch.

It's not a bad option for takeout either. Although a queue out the door is the standard scene on weekdays round 1:00pm, its effectively managed and diminishes briskly. The fact that the queue has a large percentage of regulars is a good sign, especially considering the plethora of lunch options in this area.

The food is good. On a recent visit, the Chicken Escallop Salad Ciabatta was enjoyed with a side of chips and a cup of tea. Yes, 'Chicken Escallop Salad Ciabatta' is a mouthful. So much so that, in retrospect, ordering the chips was a mistake. The ciabatta was more than ample. It's a pity too because without the chips, this review would be a rave about how a very filling lunch cost less than £5.00! With chips, the bill totalled £6.30.

Words and photography by Tiki Chris © 2007