One of the things I miss most about living in Vancouver is living next to Whole Foods. I know, I…read moreknow, we have Whole Foods in London too - but seriously, the salad bar here has nothing on the ones back in North America. But enough about Whole Foods, I'm writing a review for Chop'd! I love salad bars...Why? Well I'll be honest with you, I'm lazy and hate buying and chopping everything up to make my own salads at home to bring to work - also I always forget to bring dressing and putting it on in the when you're making it makes it soggy by the time you're eating it. Thank god for Chop'd and it being 5 minutes from work. Long lines but they go quick - the staff are great. Prices are decent (under £6), portions are HUGE, bonus - skip getting a carry bag and get an extra veg for your salad!

I love this place! I've been here a few times and every time and loved it everytime! You can pick…read morethe Base (2 leave and about four different geains) and all the toppings. The house topping are lots of veg and an egg and you can pick three, or four if you take bag you can have four! Fab idea!!! Then you pick you protein, chicken, salmon, falafel.... And many many more. You can pick as many garnishes as you wish herbs and nuts and croutons and tortilla chips. There are about ten dressings to pick from the yogurt and mint is yum and so is the balsamic. They then mix it all up for you! Fabtastic! And for only £7. You can always pick a premade salad and then have small snack pots to pick from too. I have never tried any of these but they all look great! So go try and get mixing!

I think I'm addicted to salad from The Willow. I end up going there for lunch at least once week…read more I'm not sure I've ever seen salad as comfort food, but here it definitely is. They normally have 5 salads on the go and you get to choose which ones you want in a box. I normally go for all five! It's much more interesting stuff than just lettuce, tomato,onion, cucumber - the salads often contain roast squash, gnocchi, seeds, lentils, broccoli and lots of other nutritious ingredients. I normally go for the large box (£5.95) but the medium (£3.95) should be enough for most people. They also do freshly made soup for £2.50, and a soup+medium salad combo for (£5.95). The people who run it are very friendly too. The only down side is that the salad is so good, by peak lunch time (1pm) the queue can be 10-15 mins long. I try to beat it by getting there at 12:15, but even this tactic doesn't always work.

I am a regular and I would stake my life in defending this place. Amazing salad and amazing staff…read more One of the best places in the area by far for a good lunch!

loved everything here. if you come as party of 3 and order 3 mains then you get all 6 sides…read more Large portions, plant forward with fresh veggies, great flavors, priced accordingly. mediterranean inspired, and had the prawns and sea bream, and aubergine. nice tart dessert

We wanted to grab a quick bite before leaving for the airport on our last day in London, and…read moreOttolenghi Spitalfields fit the bill. I'd wanted to check out an Ottolenghi while we were in town anyway, and it seemed like a great place to get pastries for my husband and kids and something more interesting for me. We walked over from our hotel at around 12:30 on a Saturday, with the goal of getting back to the lobby by 1:00. Ottolenghi was nearby, tucked into a cute, very British sort of alley. Thankfully, the place was quiet, and we were able to sit and eat a fast lunch. The set-up was a little bit confusing, with a take-out operation in front and a larger cafe area with table service. The cafe seats were maybe not available for take-out customers, but I was able to talk to the host and get a table for a short dine-in situation, with food selected from the take-out section. The boys got croissants, but I wanted some of the lovely savory pastries and deli salads on display. Weirdly, I wasn't allowed to get the first thing I asked for, a tartine with sugar snap peas that was take-out only for some reason I cannot imagine. But I did get a brioche laden with courgette, pitsachio, and mint, as well as a summer deli plate with my choice of three salads. I went with the green beans with roasted pineapple and jalapeño dressing, the roasted carrots with pistachio, lemon, charmoula, and ricotta, and the roasted lemon and sweetcorn tabbouleh. Everything was fresh and tasty, and we were able to eat and leave in like twenty minutes flat. Service was fine, despite the arbitrary withholding of sugar snap peas. Ottolenghi is a London icon well known in America, and while I don't think it's as exciting as, say, Dishoom or St. John, it's also an easy, casual place with multiple locations, where you might get some good food on the go.

Dropped by Salad Junction again recently. Salads still…read moreamazing as ever, although i made a little faux pas and ordered over my alotted amount. The staff should have warned me of the extra cost, but they didnt so i ended up paying £7 instead of £6. They also didnt warn the woman in front of me who clearly had no idea of the rules. Problem is they've done a refurb on the place, which although looks wonderful, they havent put the vital information, rules and cost up on any boards yet and dont tell you as you order what the deal is. I'm sure they'll have it all back up there soon though. And the salad was amazingly delicious as ever

It's lunchtime again, and althrough Shoreditch I'm getting…read moreso hungry, my stomach will glitch What's this place? So close and so function Why it's the one and only, Salad Junction! Love me a good, bespoke salad Fresh veggies all mixed, make my hunger invalid! I get in queue and immediately see The workers are hurried, helping people impatiently I was rushed, I was pushed, I had to order with haste Even if the salad is good, the people leave me with distate Had a falafel salad that was a little above bleh Combine that with the people, and this place is just meh I went to the website and as an upside You can order online, and rude people, nullified!! Not a horrible place and since it's so close I would come again, but only online, my order I'll compose

I had a really nice brunch here with my friend on our last full day in London. It's a cute little…read morecafe that is bright and cheerful, and everyone there seemed to be just be so happy and enjoying their mornings. We asked for iced coffees, and were served a delicious, creamy, sweet drink that was definitely more indulgent than regular iced coffee, but so tasty. We both also ordered the french toast, because it just sounded SO good and we couldn't resist. The bread was hearty and thick, with plenty of delicious cinnamon and vanilla flavor. It was topped with blueberries, bananas, and of course maple syrup. We opted to add bacon, which added a really great salty element to the otherwise sweet dish. I usually prefer savory breakfasts, but this was perfect! Definitely worth a visit if you're nearby and hungry!

Avocado toast was good but the toast was cold. I also asked for the eggs over-medium but they were…read moreover-easy. Did not bother to ask for a new one.

How are you supposed to order when you want basically everything on the menu?…read more We rolled in with a party of 6 at 10:20pm -- right before closing -- and they still welcomed us in and didn't rush us at all. The vibe was great, a little chaotic in a fun way, and the staff was genuinely kind and fun to be around. Honestly, this place is a must try. The food was so good I didn't even take pictures, but I recommend the chicken wings, tom yum, and ORDER ROTI! But everything was amazing.

This restaurant had some of the best Thai food I've had in my life (and I'm from New York and have…read morebeen to Thailand). The portions are decently sized but I highly recommend going with a group and trying a little bit of everything. Regrettably, they don't have desserts, but our waitress was so sweet and put a candle in a shot glass of pina colada for our birthday girl. She gave us great service and recommendations all night. The restaurant itself was very lowkey and trendy. You can dress casually or dress up if you're feeling it.

Wonderful late dinner last night. Delicious small plates of hummus, koftas, lamb kebabs and grilled…read morechicken. Service was exemplary as we arrived just before the kitchen closed. The desserts were equally delightful. Very nice atmosphere.

Had an amazing dinner at Amber tonight! We sat at the chefs counter and it was like watching a…read moresymphony. The kitchen is so well organized and it was so much fun watching them put all the dishes together. We got the atom (labneh dip), fried cauliflower, pita, smoked potatoes, steak, courgettes, hummus gnocchi, and the mango baklava, and cloud cheesecake for dessert. Every dish was amazing. Seriously don't sleep on the hummus gnocchi because it's a sleeper hit! Also the cauliflower might be the best I've ever had. The cocktails were ok and the service was friendly but not overly attentive. Highly recommend!

We had a big family lunch at Dishoom when we were in London last month, and it was everything I…read morehoped for, an Indian restaurant unlike any I've encountered at home. I feel like all my friends who've been to London have come back talking about this place, and I'm happy to join their ranks. Dishoom was also one of a handful of dining options recommended by my hotel concierge for a party of 11, including kids. Booking was easy, via SevenRooms, no phone calls or emails necessary. It's a large restaurant, and part of a popular chain--I guess they have things figured out. The space was great, open and casual, exposed ceilings and eclectic decor. Lots of fans, which my three-year-old appreciated. Service was friendly and attentive. I started my lunch with a drink, a refreshing green India Gimlet, gin and Rose's lime with celery bitters and fresh dill. I also tried and liked a sip of the New Permit Room Old-Fashioned, a slightly sweet cocktail with coconut-washed bourbon, Pedo Ximénez sherry, and Medjool date liqueur. There was only one menu available for a party of our size, a pre-set family-style group feast for eight adults, to which we added a pre-ordered platter of lamb chops. I loved the variety of dishes that came with this meal, and every one of them was ridiculously delicious. (There was less available for the three small American children, but they loaded up on hotel breakfast and snacked on naan and colorful puffed crackers.) The first round brought trays loaded with keema pau, okra fries, and bhel, along with lime, cilantro, and sauces for serving. The keema pau was incredible, probably my favorite dish of our lunch, if in part because it was 100% new to me. It was a spicy, aromatic blend of minced lamb and peas with dill and lindi pepper, served with toasted, buttered buns to make little sliders. So much flavor, it almost explained, by itself, why the British could never leave India alone. The okra fries were warm and crispy, and I loved the bhel, a crunchy snack of puffed rice, peanuts, and Bombay Mix tossed with pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind, and mint. The main course was another giant spread: chicken ruby, house black daal, awadhi jackfruit biryani, and chilled broccoli salad, plus our charred lamb chops, with sides of roti, naan, and raita. The chicken ruby was the highlight here, a fragrant, comforting curry with tender chicken in a buttery makhani sauce. The house black daal is a Dishoom signature, and it was lovely, cooked for over 24 hours. The biryani was fluffy and nice, studded with jackfruit, barberries, and sultanas. The broccoli salad was a fresh hit of green, enhanced with pistachio, mint, red chillies, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dates, and lime. The lamb chops made for a hearty entrée with a lot of flavor, the lamb marinated, grilled, and finished with Kashmiri chilli sauce. The thin, griddled roomali roti and the fresh-baked naan were both great accompaniments, as was the minty, cucumbery raita. For dessert, we had a choice of kulfi, creamy ice pops available in mango, pistachio, or malai, the original flavor touched with caramel. All three were superb, so cold and milk, easy to throw down the hatch. This was, it turned out, an enormous feast, but everything was so delicious and well balanced that I didn't notice how much I was eating until I got up. I was still full several hours later, when we went to dinner. If you want to eat Indian food in London, you should definitely find your nearest Dishoom. It's a wonderful restaurant, with top-notch food and no hassle. I certainly intend to go again.

I was finally able to try Dishoom on my last trip to London and we came by with a large group so…read morewere lucky to try a variety of dishes. First, I started with the mango lassi which was so fresh and naturally sweet. I loved the fennel seeds on top for added flavor. Such a great start to the meal. My favorites of the night were the chicken ruby (a must order and crowd pleaser), lamb biryani, and black daal. The chilli chicken was also a super flavorful app to share and the garlic naan was great as well. Everything is nicely flavored and I appreciate how patient and understanding the staff were with the food allergies and restrictions our group had. Definitely a must in London!

As we were heading toward Spitalfields, my friend was telling me of an amazing Caribbean place…read morewhere her and her friend ate amazing wraps each Sunday. Supposedly, this was the only healthy food the friend would eat. Says a lot, right? We rounded the corner and I spotted *beetroot* and *carob & ginger* cubes! My taste buds are salivating and I'm looking around noticing all the brightly colored food. I may have been bouncing with foodcitement. My friend dryly said "this is it". I was only in a snacking mood, so I ordered their raw food sweets. They were £1 each and I tried the carob & ginger and beetroot with dates, almond, and fennel. The beetroot cube was the revelation. It actually made a worker behind the next counter stop and ask me what it was. The carob & ginger was good, but since I'm a ginger fanatic, I was hoping for more. It lacked the sweet or spicy bite I yearn for. Regardless, this is a must go to destination. I hope to go next Sunday with an appetite for a roti wrap or rainforest box. Yum!

The Caribbean Roti Wrap has to be one of the tastiest things I have ever erm.. tasted. Basically…read moreit's a Wholewheat CornSplit Lentil Roti spread with Sprouted Hummus, Salads & Dressing on the top. And only £5. It's made with raw, organic and living foods and it's truly amazing how one can really taste the difference in quality using these ingredients. The freshness makes my body sing. I'm being a bit dramatic here but they really make delicious food. The salad box is gorgeous with ingredients like quinoa, wild rice and avocado. Cakes are wheat, sugar and egg free. Rainforest sell at other markets as well: Wednesdays at Swiss Cottage Market & Old Spitalfields Market Thursdays at Hammersmith Lyric Square Saturdays at Chelsea Market Sundays at Alexandra Palace Farmers Market & Old Spitalfields

Very nice Burmese restaurant near Shoreditch High Street with elegant decor and good food…read more The jungle fried chicken (10 GBP) was pretty good as it was like an elevated version of normal fried chicken with a nice crispy exterior and a spicy sauce. The braised beef curry (21.50 GBP) had tender chunks of beef in a sauce but not too much other than that. I thought it could have benefited from a few more things on the plate. The coconut noodles with chicken (17.50 GBP) was sort of like a pho with the noodles and other ingredients in a flavorful coconut-infused broth. The noodles were cooked well and the chicken was tender. The interior of the restaurant is quite nice with a slightly upscale yet still casual vibe, good for a date or more intimate meal with friends. The staff are pretty friendly and the service speed is decent. Overall, Lahpet is a very good choice if you are looking for a slight twist on ordinary Southeast asian cuisine with a nice environment.

Solid Burmese restaurant with a lot of vegan friendly options and cute warm ambiance! Haven't had…read morethat much Burmese cuisine but the highlight was the tea leaf salad - sour, pickled flavors with crunch and tons of texture! So fun and dynamic to eat, I would definitely order this again. Service was great as well, I feel like the waiters came by just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed at all to finish the meal and they even let us overstay once already closed. Definitely curious to try other dishes on the menu