Restaurants

Hidden in the basement of a jewellery centre in the heart of the diamond district, this dairy café is a gem. It’s nothing fancy – just a dozen metallic tables and café chairs, and a counter offering hot and cold dishes. A treat for vegetarians, it serves a mean breakfast of scrambled egg, baked beans and toast, and also provides passing tourists and the many orthodox Jews who work nearby with fresh, appetising-looking bagels and rolls for lunch (the vegetarian sausages and burgers look less appealing). For afters, there’s a superb fruit salad, with passion fruit and mango replacing the usual apple and grapes. If you go on Thursday or Friday you can enjoy a bowl of hot and spicy cholent: the slow-cooked dish usually only found in Jewish homes on the Sabbath. This version has no meat, but is a hearty, deeply satisfying blend of pulses (kidney, butter and white beans), potato and onion. The Garden isn’t a place to linger, but as a quick stop-off for a warming meal it offers great value.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008