'Feel good fast food' is the ethos behind Shoreditch newcomer Bel-Air, which serves Californian-style fare that's healthy and thoughtful but still utterly delicious. While spirulina powder might not exactly sound like the tastiest way to start the day, try it sprinkled on one of Bel-Air’s DIY breakfast pots with pineapple granola and you’ll be wondering why you never fell for its healthy charms before. Low-carb, high-flavour dishes such as tamari-glazed chicken meatballs with carrot and samphire salad should put a spring in your step, too.
Covent Garden's new arrival brings a dose of American-style eating to Soho, taking inspiration from the roadside produce stands found across the pond. Everything is dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, seasonal, sustainable and ethically sourced, which means you can swing by and pick up a box of your favourite salads without worrying about any nasties – which, of course, means everything is really, really tasty. You can build your own or grab a ready-made box stuffed with anything from 12-hour-marinated grilled harissa chicken to split broad beans with butternut squash and pumpkin seeds – yuuuuum.
Photograph by Paul Winch-Furness
It doesn't get much more seasonal than the cafe at Petersham Nurseries, where latest head chef Damian Clisby - previously of HIX Soho - creates fresh, light dishes based on wha's growing in the Petersham garden. These might range from bruschetta with new season broad beans, to risotto with romana courgettes. Greenhouse-esque surroundings only add to the sunny springtime feel.
Scandinavian cuisine is renowned for its fresh, seasonal flavours, and this is more than apparent at Danish restaurant Snaps & Rye, where the focus is on produce and providence. Nibble on pretty plates of house-cured fish with rye bread and beetroot, Nordic yoghurt with berries, and traditional open sandwiches. Half the bread means you can eat double the amount, right…? Its Akavit and rose lemonade cocktail is perfect for making a toast to spring too.
If you hadn't already guessed Princi's Italian origins, one look at the cafeteria-style bar dining and glasses of Aperol spritz and you'll probably get the message. Grab a tray and load up with fantastically fresh salads such as roasted aubergine dotted with dollops of creamy mascarpone; roasted romanesco; tomato, basil and mozzarella, among others. It also does incredible sandwiches, too – the ciabatta with parma ham and olive oil is so simple, but so, so good. If you're feeling sinful, you'll be tempted by the rows of bijou treats. Make ours a hazelnut brownie.
A second venture from the founders of Scotchtails, Lundenwic specialises in vibrant salads and artisan coffee – you might even come across a Scotch egg, too.
