Shot

‘Simple, Healthy, Organic, Tasty’: that’s the concept behind the acronym at this new café aimed at City workers chasing eternal youth. Dreamt up by a DJ and fleshed out by a chef and a nutritionist, Shot aspires to be both virtuous and delicious, but slightly misses the mark.

My sweet potato and quinoa fishcake (singular) did hit the spot, even if the raw cabbage salad underneath was more chore than slaw. The coffee (supplied by Nude among others) is great, the breakfast menu looks decent, and if you’ve been looking for a place to buy bone broth in the legal district… well, here it is.

The real problem is the weird spa-like interior: white tiles and menus on screens, discreet R&B and aggressive air-conditioning. It’s off-puttingly clinical. Presumably that won’t bother the lawyers popping in to pick up lunch al desko, but it’s hard not to feel the concept would have been better served by a recipe book. I’d love to cook some of these dishes at home, but after 20 minutes inside Shot I was itching to bolt into the Old Bell for a pint and a pork pie.