Hilliard

If you’re looking for a quick daytime bite washed down with a worthy bottle of red, this quirky ‘gastro-café’ should fit the bill in EC4. The lunch menu offers home-cooked, canteen-style food of a high order, ranging from sugar-snap pea & sun-blushed tomato tart to smoked mackerel fillet with cucumber & tomato salad. Alternatively, fill up with sandwiches built from top-drawer ingredients – perhaps roast pork, apple & spinach. Fancy something sweet? Try a slice of pistachio cake with a cup of Union coffee. There are plenty of chilled wines in the cabinet & a splendid selection by the glass – all chosen by co-owner Spenser Hilliard, whose wife Frances hung up her barrister’s wig & gown to start this place.