Borough Market is quickly becoming the coolest place to be seen on a Saturday morning, and there’s no cooler way to end your trip than lunch at Patisserie Lila.

The Venue
An antique cash register on a shabby-chic stool, giant leather-bound medical books, a pink plastic chandelier and pale cottage cladding - Patisserie Lila could be trying too hard. Perched between London’s oldest train station and its busiest food market, it has antique ornaments on its shelves and vintage packaging placed just-so, like a meticulously-staged accident; a prissy, prosthetic display of vogue.

The Atmosphere
Lila is mobbed by 9am, and there’s a sense that it hasn’t quite adapted to the Saturday crush. Media types discuss their social lives as loudly as possible while regulars cling to their seats. Scandal over the minimum charge of £6.50 has divided patrons into two camps: those too grateful to care, and those who haven’t noticed the sign. Staff will impart the bombshell a little snootily, but catch them at less oppressed moments, like a Friday afternoon, and they’re warm and welcoming.

The Food
Sourced from the market and seasonally dependent, lunches at Lila are fresh and imaginative. There’s a warm Orkney smoked salmon quiche that’s stringy with melted cheese; a list of fresh (if titchy) salad sides; and a saffron pizza slice that actually tastes like saffron. Chocolate florentines, groundbreaking biscuits, mille feuille, gateaux - this is serious patisserie fare. The raspberry tart is crammed with fresh berries, has a tough biscuit base and hidden shards of white chocolate that let you know where the money went. The scone is a bit soda-tasting with rationed strawberry jam, and the swirly meringues are beautiful to look at but - like the rest of Lila – forcedly sweet. A bite and a drink for you and a friend will push the bill to £20, which you might wish you’d saved for the market.

The Drink
The hot chocolate comes in a giant mug and is thick and creamy for the price. The juices are respectable, the teas basic Twinings-style brews and you’ll need to over-strain the Assam to find any flavour. With the Globe pub looming opposite and Borough Market heaving with drinks in warmer surrounds, it might be wise to stop at the food.

The Last Word
There’s something about Patisserie Lila that goes against the salt-of-the-earth, Roman-era market ethos, not to mention the liberal conviviality of a true patisserie. That said, it’s attractive, delicious and very hip. Offload your market spoils and sneak a bit of brownie on the quiet.

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