Restaurants

The customers patiently queuing down the street for a takeaway at peak hours attest to the perennial popularity of this veggie hotspot. The space inside is scarcely less cramped. Heavy wooden tables line the whitewashed brick wall at the back – good for people-watching if you’re one of the many lone lunchers. Vegetarian staples are served in rustic bowls from a central counter manned by laid-back yet efficient staff. The Indian masala soup had us hooked with its hearty texture and punchy, addictive spicing. Mains range from that old favourite quiche to seasonal stews or daily changing options like pasticcio: a Greek pasta bake layered with flavoursome béchamel and tons of vegetables (spinach, button mushrooms, sweet cherry tomatoes, chunks of aubergine, courgette roundels and fresh parsley). Many praise the desserts, but our coconut flapjack was cloying, smelled horribly of oil, and had indiscernible coconut. Old-school rainbow hippie trousers can still be spotted at Food for Thought, but this being Covent Garden, you get all types: couples, middle-aged women, and shop workers grabbing lunch. An unpretentious, reliable stalwart.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008