A spot of lunch at Borough Market

I've been really enjoying working next door to Borough Market for the last five months and now that this is drawing to an end its time to answer that all important question; where’s best for snack time?

Over the last couple of years as the tourists have started to flock there, the market has absolutely filled up with places for a quick lunch or a grilled snack. The snob in me thinks this is terrible and would prefer it to all be about buying artisan grown carrots, rather than pushing through crowds at posh burger. However, the hungry (read very, very greedy) luncher in me thinks its fantastic to have somewhere more interesting than Pret to grab a bite. So on with the list.

Right let’s start with the bad. Café Brood “Borough markets most famous café (or grill food or some such rubbish)” its also probably the worst, its just lucky that it has a good lactation next the cathedral and right by the main secondary entrance. £4 something sandwiches that are rubbish and overcooked steak sandwiches at over £5 a pop with soggy bread from too much tomato where everything just taste of Tzatsiki, NEXT. Flower Power bakery, I’m being harsh here, I only had a croissant, but it was bad…and expensive, don’t call me, I’ll call you. The pasta place (get name) pasta was ok, not mind blowing though. Had a taster of a blue-cheese and walnut ravioli the other day though and it was nice, might be worth buying some to cook at home. Lastly the grill outside Applebees, expensive fish or prawn wraps with not quite enough seafood. It probably couldn’t compete with all the sweet chillie sauce and mayo they put on even if they doubled it though so no great loss. Having said this the restaurant inside is good. On the subject of fish the Fish restaurant has a fish and ships stall, don’t go there, its wildly overpriced the chips are pretty dull and though the fish is good and well cooked the batter tastes way to much of grease.

Ok onto the better places. Roast sells a nice pork sandwich with applesauce and really good crackling, really crispy with just a bit of chew at the end. The bread sadly should be better, but this is still very good. I do, however, feel a bit guilty spending £6 on a sandwich at lunchtime so it drops a few points for making me feel bad. Also shellseekers does little portions of prawns and scallops fried with bacon that make a tasty snack (or a lunch for normal people). Also Furness fish does a pretty tasty sideline in Thai Green Curry.

Here are the three all important winners. Firstly is Neals Yard Cheese shop. This is only really counted as a lunch option if you work nearby or fancy picknicking, but I had to include it. I really liked buying a nice piece of cheese a baguette and some olives and having them in the office, it made sitting in front of the computer really very nice. Staying on the cheese theme, the grilled cheese sandwich and raclette man who you will be able to find by the smell (sorry I realised that’s not actually helpful, he’s by Brindisa at the moment). Poulain sour dough, Montgomery Cheddar (think heaps) and four, yes that’s right, FOUR types of onion all done on a brevil grill pretty much makes for the perfect cheese sandwich. I think Stephen Hawking invented that equation. Ok and now for my number one…

Brindisa’s chorizo sandwich with a grilled, marinated red pepper and a handful of rocket. Absolutely delicious. Crispy smoky chorizo that’s been fried in a lot of oil, drained and finished on a charcoal grill with a bit of toasted bread and a slightly sweet sour red pepper that cuts through the fat, mmmmm.

Right I’ve made myself hungry, I’ve got two days left of being next door to all of this and I intend to make the most of it.