Tsubame

Outside this charming Japanese eatery, an imposing blackboard proudly proclaims its appetising dishes (and no less irresistible prices) to passers-by. If the lunchtime bento boxes (€8-12) don’t stop you in your tracks, then the list of petite dinner dishes (€3-10) should do the job.

The owners bring to this establishment all the thoughtfulness and delicacy familiar from their seafood joint Atao. Despite guzzling our takeaway salmon bentos in front of our computers, between gulps we were able to discern everything that makes a good teriyaki: fish cooked just right, sticky but not overly glutinous rice, aubergines marinated to perfection, and the freshest salad ingredients. And those who opt to eat in will appreciate the décor, which is an exercise in tasteful understatement – all white walls, wooden furnishings and potted plants, which do justice to the gracefulness of the eponymous bird (‘tsubame’ means ‘swallow’ in Japanese). A worthy rival to the nearby Ito.