Cafe VN

A boundlessly chirpy Vietnamese café, VN is a welcome addition to an otherwise rather dingy corner of Clerkenwell Road. Whitewashed walls, lime-green chairs & paper lanterns make for an agreeable setting in which to devour good-value pho (noodle soups), bun (noodle salads) & assorted rice dishes. Spring/summer rolls & chilli salt prawns provide reinforcements on the short menu, although cheery staff promise that their repertoire will be expanding in the near future. To drink, there’s an assortment of reasonably priced native beers (Hanoi, Saigon & Hue), but as Café VN’s name implies, you can also drop in for a cup of Vietnamese coffee. Reports suggest this could prove a serious local rival to Pho on St John Street.