Coffee & Dates

London may as well be the sandwhich capital of the world - I haven't seen as many people flock to as many different sandwich shops between the hours of 12 to 3 p.m. as I have here, with The City being no exception... (to those of you who are Irish don't contend with me - we gave you potatoes! Sandwiches are ours!) It seems that the sandwich is the prime choice here for lunch, with your basic English sarnies like Cheese & Pickle, Ham & Cheese, (Cheese & anything really) to your more fancy Thai fusions and the odd crayfish combination: They're quick, they give you enough sustenance to last you til coffee time and some of them taste pretty good.

There's is an explosion of sandwich shops all over the place: Old-time favourites Marks & Sparks do a great Tuna Sandwich and Pret have done a pretty good job with putting avocado in a lot of things - but today's entry goes to EAT, who I must say, are pretty damn tasty.

If you think £2.80 is a little pricey for a sandwich then start making your sandwiches at home - most places have their lunches ranging up to £4 for a basic plastic sandwich and EAT's are on the upper average price range. However, they are well worth them - the eateries are clean, the service is good, the packaging is friendly & not frustrating to tear open when you're on a quick break AND their sandwiches are tasty.

EAT's selection is pretty good: They do have a range of sandwiches for the meat lover (rare scottish roast beef), the vegetarian (mozarella, avocado & tomato) and even the fussy eater (wheat free dairy free - no farmyard animals hurt of involved in any way). Their selection is good and the actually have variety which some places lack nowadays as they've chosen to stick to chosen favourites. Everything is fresh and you can actually taste it, which is a pleasant surprise.

They have 2 different types of tuna sandwiches (with red onion or with sweetcorn) which is pretty awesome since both are under 5% fat so you know they're not overloading them with mayonnaise as other places do. Their roast beef & horseradish is also very good, as is their Turkey & Cranberry, which both have enough meat & enough spread that compliment eachother perfectly. Their other choices include toasted ciabattas and very good soup - EAT always have 2 options of freshly made soup, with a veg & non-veg option. Dairy free versions of your favourite soups still taste just as good and warm you right up on a cold day. If you're feeling the pounds pile on from having sandwiches everyday, they also do a number of interesting salads like their POWER FOOD salad that's high in anti-oxidants and is presented well.

Their Sandwich of the week is usually quite good - today I opted for the Wheat Free option and had the salmon & cream cheese (which is never a favourite but tempted me today thanks to my counterpart who loves the combination and smells of it too - hee hee!) . I must say I did not stink up my office as I pulled out my half and did not have polar bear breath afterwards. The salmon was cut in good slices, the cream cheese was not too dull and there was an interesting addition of capers and an awfully good dill mustard which was delicious (kudos to that). The bread was also good, soft and hearty, and unlike most wheat-free products, did not taste like it was made in a lab.

Other than sandwiches, their coffee is a little pricey for a sandwich shop (1.80 for a latte) but they make up for it for providing nicer coffee than places that threaten to break your legs if you don't drink their coffee. They also have good crisps (for those who eat 'em) and lot's of healthy sides, like greek yoghurt with muesli, fresh mango parfait and some good ol' English fruit. Overall, they've got a good selection and you walk out paying under 5 quid for your lunch of a sarnie, packet of crisps, a smoothie & a cookie - which is pretty standard here in the city.