Located nicely for the City suits, Salade serves up some good lunch time fare that will keep even the most picky and pedantic happy.

The Venue
Situated on Old Bailey, Salade has the ideal location for busy City workers looking for quick, healthy food that doesn’t scrimp on taste. It’s not exactly the plushest affair in London but it does its job immaculately and seems designed to cater for the many takeaway customers that eagerly pass through the door. There isn’t much seating, which is probably for the best as it leaves all the more room for the large queues that form come lunchtime. The queues tend to dissipate quickly thanks to efficient and plentiful service, giving you just enough time to peruse the impressive menu vividly displayed behind the food counter. For those of you that do wish to eat in, the seating is comfortable, and you can even relax at a nice little window bar and watch the frantic Old Bailey world go by.

The Atmosphere
The place can get very busy at lunchtimes but due to the speed of service it never feels crowded or slow – most seem to know what they want and head straight up to order before whisking their little bag of goodies back to the office. For those with a little more time the dining experience is fine, if hardly luxurious. The seating is set nicely away from the hordes so you never feel intruded upon enabling you to eat in peace, but it’s a stripped down affair with simple chairs and tables that offer convenience rather than anything more sophisticated. This suits the venue though as it’s not somewhere you’ll be looking to while away the afternoon in, it’s just somewhere comfortable to eat your lunch. And when it tastes this good, you tend not to notice anything else anyway.

The Food
There really is a remarkable selection on the menu, a selection that might be intimidating if it weren’t so nicely organised. From tasty porridge breakfasts to classic soups, pastas and extravagant salads, this place really does seem to have it all, so whatever it is you fancy you’re pretty much sorted. The huge range of salad ingredients themselves ensure you could visit Salade happily for months and never have the same thing - something that’s almost priceless in a city of huge choice but little range.

If salad is your thing then you’ll be in heaven, especially when you can mix your own and see it thrown together expertly in front of you. The staff seem to know their stuff too so feel free to ask for their advice – a concoction of crisp iceburg lettuce, baby spinach, anchovy fillets, black olives, blanched green beans, crayfish and tuna is an absolute delight. The anchovy tastes tangy and fresh, the olives not overpowering, the crayfish plump and juicy and the salad crisp. And when it’s all drizzled in a zesty lemon and shallot dressing the result really is sumptuous.

The Drinks
In keeping with the healthy theme, Salade plays host to some deliciously nutritious drinks as well as a feast of favourites. Their fruit smoothies and power juices promise goodness galore, and even if the effects are debatable the tastes certainly aren’t. An Antioxidant Booster smoothie consists of vibrant cranberries, blueberries and raspberries, assisted by sweet, fresh orange juice and the Brazilian superfruit of the moment, acai. Due to the rich, earthy, almost chocolate undertones of the acai, the drink takes some getting used too but is definitely worth persevering with – once your palate has accepted it the acai complements the zest of the berries and orange very well indeed. For those looking for something a little simpler, there’s a chiller with all the usual carbonated favourites and more, and the filter coffee is good quality, strong stuff.

The Last Word
With so many average fast food venues in London it’s refreshing to see somewhere doing food of real quality quickly and well. Salade is a great concept that works well thanks to a good menu, excellent ingredients and that all important thing, selection.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (1)