Deli West One

Unlike Mishkin's - a faux London homage to the New York Jewish deli - this is the real thing, a properly kosher deli run by Jews (two of them New Yorkers).

A 'Jewish deli' is what most Londoners would call a sandwich shop. On our visit the counter and tiny dining area were packed with well-wishers - many of the men wearing yarmulkes. Yep, this is Jewish central station, a social club that also serves proper Ashkenazi (East European Jewish) food - and its arrival is very timely, with the closure of Gaby's Deli in Charing Cross Road imminent.

The core items, mainly for takeaway, are the salt beef or pastrami sandwiches, in white or rye bread. These are simple dishes, but ones you need to get right. Our pastrami and salt beef were initially hard to tell apart: both thin-sliced, both generously stuffed, though the pastrami was fattier. They were both good meat, though kosher prices are always high because of the supervision required: £8.50 is a lot for a sandwich, even if it does come with big pickled gherkin.

'The Deli Half & Half', also at £8.50, is a better option for variety: half a sandwich (still huge), with a starter or side dish. The chicken soup had a wonderful rich stock, and can be ordered with either noodles or a matza ball - this version bigger than a golf ball, yet light.

Alternatives include the beef hotdog, turkey or tongue sandwiches, plus of course chopped liver. As is the way with Ashkenazi food, spice and herb flavours tend to be muted and one-dimensional; this is not the colourful, more zesty cooking of the Sephardim (the Jewish diaspora from Spain that spread across North Africa and Asia).

Deli West One appeals primarily to kosher-observant diners, but it's also worth a look if you're interested in a generous slice of London culture.