London - L'Epiciere

Right at the bottom of Portobello Road, near the old market and yet just before the railway bridge, lies a French cafe that for seats, has hay bales.

It is one of the most charming places I have been in a long while, and is presided over by Jimmy, who gives the place its hushed magic. Without Jimmy, there is no L'Epicerie. Nor is there the French restaurant next door, nor is there that which makes L'Epicerie special. The space is perfectly proportioned in such a way that you feel unencumbered by anything. Even outside the door, the noisy street seems somewhat distant and other-worldly. Simply laid out along the bench is the range of delicious French fare that has come from the little oven in the corner, entreating you to choose something with little fuss and no hurry.

This is a place for family; as Jimmy and I are talking his sister and her family come tumbling in, her baby being swooped up and carried across the street to say hello to Jimmy's boyfriend, who I also met. Punters, family, friends ebb and flow, all greeted with the same cheery hello and echoed goodbye.

With really proper coffee and a seriously tasty plate of mushrooms and melted cheese on sourdough toast, I eked it all out as long as I could, sip by cautious sip.

I'll definitely be going back soon, and if you decide to make the trip, say hello to Jimmy for me.

- J

London - Pix

Pix, Pix, you get all the Ticks, you give us a Mix of food on Stix.

It's a working progress.

But I'm actually a big fan of Pix. They are popping up everywhere, and if you ever fancy just a quick bite to eat for lunch, but don't want to spend much on food, money or time, then Pix is the place.

It is a self-serve 'pintxos' bar (think small tapas on sticks) and has an enticing sideboard lined up with all sorts of goodies, fresh from the kitchen. It is easy to keep a tally on price too, as shorter sticks are £1.95, while longer sticks are £2.95. I'm no maths whizz but I can do that.

The menu changes daily, and will differ in each branch, but the short (£1.95) stix might mean: vegetarian tortilla, fig and goats cheese on croute, aubergine and parma ham fritter, patatas bravas….

While the longer (£2.95) stix could lead to something like: calamari, chilli chicken kebabs, gazpacho, chorizo and manchego, etc etc….

You can find one in Covent Garden, Soho, Islington and on Portobello Road, so no doubt you will have wandered past one at some point.

If you're feeling peckish, yet have small change and a small appetite, duck into Pix.

- J

London - Mildred's

Mildred's is a hugely popular vegetarian cafe on Lexington Street in Soho, found opposite the achingly cute and nostalgic Andrew Edmunds, which I am determined to go to sometime soon. (Voted the most romantic restaurant in London, I believe, if anyone wants to know).

But back to Mildred's. I met a friend there after work one day as we decided to go for an early supper. We arrived about six-ish to an already packed out place and were lucky to get a table straight away, but my GOD on leaving an hour and a half later the whole scene had changed and there was the largest queue trailing out the door and along the street. People looked pretty happy though with glasses of wine in hand and lots of merry chitchat going on, but be warned, if you don't want to wait, get there early.

The food was scrumptious and every plate that went past made you go 'oooh, I should have ordered that!'. Which is always a good, if slightly frustrating sign. We both plumped for the 'organic energising detox salad', which sounds intense, but was actually just a mountain of simple deliciousness. It consisted of beetroot, carrots, fennel, sprouting beans, sultanas, coriander and toasted seeds, all topped with goats cheese and a delicious orange, ginger and lime dressing.

Oh and by 'mountain' I really mean mountain. The portion sizes here are alarmingly generous, which is of course wonderful, and I ploughed my way merrily through to a gratifying sense of fullness. All at £7.95, which is cheaper than Wagamamas, if you need more persuading.

Elsewhere on the menu is: halloumi burger, an aubergine and chickpea tagine, an organic blackbean burrito, oh the list goes on, and so does my food envy.

The puddings too looked wonderful with the pecan pie particularly calling to me, but alas, what with my mountainous salad and sharing some sweet potato fries on the side, there was just no way.

I'm determined to go back soon however, and I think you should head there too. To Mildred's!

- J