Lantana Cafe

13 Charlotte Place, London W1T 19N, 020-7637-3347



Photo by Suzie Blake

If you're looking for a nice weekend brunch, or an inexpensive and healthy lunch, I recommend Lantana as the place. It's small, not so quiet, and can get very busy during meal-times so arrive early. Their menu veers on slightly exotic versions of everyday dishes -- toasted banana bread with rhubarb berry compote and greek yoghurt, for example, or coconut poached chicken salad with mango and avocado salsa and Nam Jim dressing. The quality, in my experience, is also very good, so you can trust that your dishes will be well-made, and well-eaten on the wooden tables arranged with photograph-lined walls for a trendy ambiance. The prices are not too high (you can get a decent meal for 10-15 pounds) so what is stopping you from checking out this place just off the bustling Charlotte Street? (I might add that when I went there for brunch, I sipped on one of the most enjoyable lattes I had ever tasted in London.) Also, take-away has been started for the busy times, so if it's a beautiful day and you fancy a picnic in Regent's Park which is not too far away, Lantana is your place!

Cafe Seventy Nine

79 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 8UY, 020-7586 8012


* Image by Jimmy Kyriacou: http://www.inprimrosehill.com/

After living in London for nine months, I have to admit to falling very hard for the tradition of afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream. Luckily, a good friend recommended to me the absolute best place in all of London for homemade scones served so hot that they melt with the cream in your mouth. This tearoom also doubles as a cafe, and though I did not try the lunch or dinner dishes, the reviews look good. The staff was friendly in personable, the atmosphere cozy.

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