Amano is an institution on Bankside for lunchtime wraps, and now this delicious deli-cum-bar-cum-restaurant has branched out and opened up under IPC Media’s new Blue Fin Building on Southwark Street. With all the same ingredients used down the river, this place makes a dull Monday lunchtime a little bit magic.

The Venue
It is made up of two walls of glass, giving a great airy feel to the deli and it overlooks the Tate Modern; set in prime tourist territory. Inside, there is a very large deli area where you can order from a vast list of food, all of which are made in front of the customers. There’s also a large pizza oven for those craving Italian grub. Amano is accommodating in that you can pick your own sandwich fillings, choose from delicious suggestions offered or simply grab one from the cooler cabinets if you’re on the run.

There is also a smaller bar and coffee area where queues tend to build at peak times, and a fair sized seating area for those in the mood for a leisurely lunch. Here there are leather sofas, intimate tables or high stools and counter tops to choose from. The place has a glossy feel, with plenty of chrome and exposed wood to reassure media types that they’re at home here.

The Atmosphere
There’s no denying that this place is bustling. In the morning, you can grab breakfast and there is a quiet, sedate feeling that cranks up until it reaches fever pitch at lunchtime with people jostling to get a look at the mounted menus on the wall to shout their orders across or for seating. The bar is open in the evening for some much needed down time apres work. Thankfully, it’s not so manic at this time either.

Even though this place is busy at lunchtime, it only goes to show the quality of the food and it’s certainly worth fighting your corner for. The staff here are efficient and friendly, working under a lot of pressure to serve everyone fairly and quickly. People who come to munch at Amano are mostly media-types from the surrounding offices, especially at peak times when tourists may be deterred by the sheer volume of people in there; it’s not exactly a relaxing experience.

The Food
The menu is extensive and offers some excellent choices like The Bumpkin wrap, which includes smoked cheddar cheese, ham, pear chutney and salad. It tastes wonderfully smoky with a nice sharp crunch of fruit from the chutney. It will remind you of ploughman’s in country pubs and whisk you away from Southwark Street (which is no bad thing) in a mouthful. There is a vast range of ingredients on offer, including zingy dressings (caeser, balsamic, pesto and dill mustard) to give your wraps or flatbreads that little something extra. There are also perfectly cooked fluffy baked potatoes where you can get a range of fillings. Favourite has to be the Tex Red with meaty, tomatoey chilli mince, soothing creme fraiche and smothered in that gorgeously sharp cheddar. There are also pastas, pizzas and salads on offer. All these weigh in between £2 and £4 to take out, which is extremely good price for the quality of the food and the area.

If you have a sweet tooth, try their deliciously moist cakes with rich, indulgent icing. The carrot cake (they actually call it passion cake – and it certainly makes the lucky consumer passionate about it on first bite) is to die for.

The Drink
Drinks in the day are centred around the coffees and smoothies that everyone is familiar with. There’s also bottled water and milkshakes. The smoothies like Immune Booster and Energiser are all fresh and wake up your tastebuds with delicious flavours that are simply virtuous. These will set you back about £2 to take out, with milkshakes just over £3. Coffees and teas are very reasonable and you can request all the specifications you’d want (soya, skimmed, decaf, full fat, syrup shots and extra shots of express).

The Last Word
Amano is the perfect lunchtime solution for those that are tired of sandwiches from Pret, but not willing to sit in a pub or bar with a burger. The food is excellent, the staff are friendly. Now all they need to work on is the elbowing in the queues!

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