Beatroot
92 Berwick Street Soho London W1F 0QD
Smack in the middle of bustling Berwick Street market, this bright, welcoming vegetarian café keeps prices low by serving all its food in cardboard cartons. Even if you plan to eat at one of the (usually shared) tables, either indoors or out on the street, you still start out by choosing what size box you want – medium is large enough for most appetites – and pointing out what you want to fill it with.
The menu, ninety percent vegan, changes daily, but there always seems to be a coconut-based curry, a pasta bake and a warming soup. The sausage rolls are made with soya mince, the shepherd’s pie with lentils and mushrooms. The hot food is good, though it’s best to choose a single dish rather than cram a strange melange into a single box. Salads tend to combine better – the Greek salad with feta cheese is recommended – and you can also get simple vegetables, raw or lightly steamed.
Many takeaway customers simply grab a juice or smoothie – the breakfast smoothie, a blend of bananas, strawberries, oats and dates, sells well early in the day – and they also serve organic coffee. Top prize among the various cakes and baked goods has to go to the chocolate and rice-crispie clusters.
