With so many cold Central London chain restaurants it’s refreshing to come across a genuinely charming little eatery like Cafe Mode.

The Venue
Cafe Mode has an authenticity to its aesthetic that is so often missing in restaurants in this neck of the woods. The small exterior - decked out in red - is inviting, and continued within, where the diminutive space is made to feel all the more cosy courtesy of dark woods, peach walls and mirrors adding the illusion of space. It’s simple and understated and is the kind of place you can settle into for a couple of hours over a boozy lunch and not be distracted by sensory overload.

The Atmosphere
The warmth of the decor is continued through the service and ambience of Cafe Mode. The staff are genuinely friendly and obviously keen to ensure repeat visits, which is perhaps surprising given that many of their customers are tourists. This is Covent Garden, after all. Their enthusiasm for keeping people happy evidently rubs off on the diners and there’s an overall sense of ease here. Even when it’s busy, which it often is at peak times due to its small size, there’s no sense of hectic pace or overwrought service. A real blessing.

The Food
The menu here is simple and gives people what they want – an Italian skew with some touristy favourites like gourmet burgers thrown in for good measure. Their version of a classic lasagne (£10.50) is delicious and obviously homemade. The pasta sheets are the right consistency to balance out the generous, oozing mozzarella and creamy white sauce. The meat is clearly good quality and adds a heavy richness to the dish, balanced by the sweetness of tomato. Alternatively, a chicken pizza (£11.50) is big enough to share and comes on a crisp base with a generous helping of tender chicken, sweet peppers and tangy red onions. Balanced with a rich tomato sauce and plenty of melted cheese it’s decadent and filling and again benefits from clearly being homemade.

The Drink
The drink menu is simple but more than efficient for a restaurant like this. A half dozen white wines and as many reds are well priced from £13.95-£23 and there is also a rose and a couple of sparkling varieties if they don’t grab your fancy. There’s no draught beer here but you can order bottles of Budvar, Peroni and San Miguel for £3.75. For after your dinner if you’ve not got to rush back to work they offer a selection of aperitifs or, alternatively, a range of coffees and teas to help settle the stomach after eating so much cheese.

The Last Word
It’s nice to come across a Central London restaurant like Cafe Mode – a place that puts the customers first and is genuinely charming. Worth a visit.

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