Monday 13 October 2008

Feed me (at the National Gallery).

First things first.  I mentioned I become a ravenous, irrational monster when I get hungry, so I try to scope out the local pitstops when I visit a museum.  Near the National Gallery, there are two good lunch/snack options that are not your typical museum cafe.

1.  The Crypt at St. Martin in the Fields.  Literally across the street from the museum, you walk downstairs into the crypt of this church to find it has been transformed into a fully functional cafe.  Self-serve, with a wide range of dishes from soups, salads and sandwiches to more substantial meals.  Also a good place to stop for a cup of tea & a scone or piece of cake.  Reasonably priced, and always packed with locals and tourists alike, this is a good bet.

2. Maoz in Soho.  A 5 minute walk up Charring Cross Road, a left turn onto Old Compton Street, and a few short (and entertaining) blocks into Soho, will land you at Maoz.  This place does one thing only, falafels, and they are great.  You can have your falafel in a pita, or in a "salad box" and it's a self-serve salad bar to load up your falafel with all sorts of traditional and more off the wall goodies.  Their hummus and deep-friend aubergines and especially tasty.  They also serve good chips.  A cheap and cheerful break from the museum, and a better bet than most other places in the neighborhood.  However, be aware that they accept CASH only.

Happy eating!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This post in making me hungry! I'll take the falafel from Maoz, but can I get my tea and scones from Kirstenbosch instead? (Beck, if you remember enough from your brief visit to do a post about the SA National Museum in Cape Town, that would definitely add to your regional diversity!)