A simple little salad haven on the corner of Fetter Lane and Fleet Street, Salade offers a wide variety of healthy lunchtime options, and is often immersed in the sound of City-dwellers patting themselves on the back for being so healthy.

The Venue
Salade is made up of functional, clean, white interiors to convey a feeling of cleanliness and efficiency. A small seating area is available along with a bar running along the main window. There are two queues to join; one where you’ve picked your pre-made salad and one where you get to choose the ingredients. This is an innovative idea which actually makes salads fun - believe it or not. The downside is that the space is intimate to say the least which leaves a horizontal queue (to the quick counter) clashing with a vertical queue (to the main salad bar). This could leave you a little ratty if you’re having a bad day at the office.

The Atmosphere
The place ticks along efficiently creating a busy atmosphere leaving little room for relaxed ambience. In many ways, it’s not dissimilar to any fast food restaurant in its clinical approach. The only difference is that the Chicken Nugget is replaced by the Chicken Arrabiata and there’s no undignified star rating system on the staff badges.

The Food
The salads are fresh and very tasty with a clear emphasis on giving the customer the ability to change his or her salad so that they may return another day and try a new one. Apart from the option to create your own salad, Salade also provides a spin on menu regulars such as the New York Cobb by offering a selection of different bases; take your pick from crunchy leaves, fusilli pasta, bulgur wheat, deli leaves and minty couscous.

The delicious New York Cobb blends generous portions of roast chicken and bacon with avocado, vine-ripened tomatoes, spring onions and pieces of Stilton. Although the Stilton is a welcome addition, it may have been the Stilton dressing that slightly leaves the salad overwhelmed by its powerful flavour. The rest of the salad, however, is crisp and juicy, packed with enticing flavours and succulent pieces of chicken. It is clear why the New York is currently the venue’s best seller. As well as the green creations, Salade also provide a range of soups from a reliable chicken and vegetable to a more flavorsome Ramen Noodle soup, warm pasta salads and cold wraps.

The Drink
As with many bars of this nature, one’s attention is deliberately drawn to the importance of healthy drinks, juices, smoothies and boosters. One of these is the Rainbow Cocktail which contains orange, grapefruit, lime and Echinacea but, ultimately, is just a nice and refreshing juice with the dominant taste of orange rendering the other fruits redundant and no noticeable benefits afterwards. If you’re thirsty here, have a drink with the salad – just don’t lose yourself in nutritional information and exotic names.

The Last Word
The third branch in the London chain, Salade is a healthy alternative to the capital’s lunchtime scene which awakens the salad with notable success.

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