Where the Monkey Sleeps

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

At WTMS, street-smart staff behind the counter cheerfully take orders from office-workers, students and the assorted hipsters who descend the steps to this basement café with comfy mismatched sofas. Inked on a giant whiteboard, the epic menu offers a cornucopia of panini, bagels and sandwiches, many with amusing monikers celebrating regular customers or management's love of hard rocking bands. Behind the zany names, though, you'll find carefully thought-out combinations prepared with passion and skill. The 'stoofa' packs the flavours of Sunday lunch – juicy roast chicken, caramelised red onion, garlic, thyme and sage – into a grilled panini. The 'man from Iran' turns the heat up with Tabasco and cayenne pepper warming up a combination of chicken, char-grilled pepper and smoked cheddar. Drink options include a fruit smoothie that has a tropical burst of kiwi, passion fruit, banana and pineapple, while the 'speedwagon' (as in REO, one presumes) mixes Mackie's ice-cream, milk and Oreo cookies into a creamy, chocolatey slurp. To prove that these heavy metal warriors have soft centres, all eggs are free-range, organic and locally-sourced, and all chicken is certified free-range.

• High point: For those about to rock, we salute you
• Low point: Asking for a 'Kiss My Axe' focaccia