Charlotte Street is one of the most popular foodie hotspots in London, but if you feel like skipping a long, filling meal, step into Yog for a moment of pure, fresh, natural bliss.

The Venue
Meant to look best in the (hopefully) hot summer nights, when the main lights go off and just a giant green leaf illuminates the space from the ceiling, Yog is stylish and cool at any hour. The walls are made in shiny Perspex, white in the seating area and purple behind the clean, tidy counter. The place is not very big; it’s one room with a glass wall facing the street that can open up on hot days. There’s space enough though for happy customers to sit down, thanks to the padded purple benches along two walls. A couple of translucent glass cubes, lit from the inside with vibrant colours, add some vivacity to the yoghurt white space, whilst a projector broadcasts images of dancing fruit and a film clip of the very same cows used to make the yoghurt roaming around in their field.

The Atmosphere
Yog is definitely a welcome addition to the long stretch of restaurants on Charlotte Street. It offers a type of food new to the local area and it’s an alternative to a boring chain cafe if you’re not in the mood for a full meal. The crowd is made up of mainly creative types working in media from the many nearby offices, and at lunchtime you can expect a procession of women ordering a large frozen yoghurt as their lunch. At any other hour though it’s mostly yummy mummies and young people stopping by for a healthy treat.

The Food
Frozen yoghurt is the only item on the menu and the reason is that at Yog they take things very seriously. Rather than getting just any yoghurt and milk for their product, they’ve scouted and contracted a farm in Kent which produce all the dairy products required, which are all completely organic. The final product is natural and extraordinarily fresh and healthy – ask any member of staff and you’ll be educated on the pre- and pro-biotics active cultures in the yoghurt.

You can choose between two bases, natural and a seasonal flavour, which include choices like dark chocolate (made by roasting fresh cacao beans rather than adding the usual cocoa powder), mango, cinnamon and more. To this you can add what you want from a selection of 24 toppings, including the ever-present strawberries, banana crunch, mini Oreos, coconut and banana, along with some more exotic fruit options like figs, pomegranate, passion fruit and more. There is also a selection of superfoods such as with goji berries, granola and mixed seeds. Prices range between £2.20 and £4.30 depending on size and how many toppings you want.

The mildly acidic natural base matches well the slightly bitter goji berries and the tangy pomegranate in a fresh and energizing. Mango, figs and blueberries coat your frozen yoghurt with a sweet, sugary layer and yet this remains a healthy, light treat with many excellent nutritional properties. If you’d rather indulge yourself instead, try the dark chocolate base with Oreos, banana crunch and white chocolate chips. The base is rich in flavour and is reminiscent of a good quality Italian gelato, yet it melts in your mouth and is light enough so that it won’t fill you up. For the colder months, Yog serves hot toppings like stewed apples, hot summer berry coulis, cinnamon apples and more.

The Drink
The menu offers frozen yoghurt smoothies (£2.35 - £3.95), which you can either have plain (frozen yoghurt blended with skim milk) or with toppings (you choose three). The yoghurt can also be blended with apple juice, for a slightly runnier smoothie. The smoothies are as good as the desserts, just more practical to walk around with. Bottles of mineral water are also on offer and cost £1.20.

The Last Word
Yog ticks all the boxes for healthiness and taste, setting a new standard for frozen yoghurt.

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