Cucina LC

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

With the HMRC’s offices sitting just across the road, a lot of suited types find their way into Cucina LC. The business-like manner of much of the clientele can’t detract, however, from a lovely little storefront café that’s rich in nice homely touches, from butterfly print wallpaper to a collection of candle holders lining the windowsill and some neatly filed cookery books in a corner shelving unit. Cucina LC means ‘Lorena Crolla’s kitchen’ (although the owner isn’t related to the Crollas of Valvona and Crolla fame), and it surely is a place of warmth and personality. It’s a little snug, true, and groups of more than four might even be cramped, but lone diners and couples will surely feel at home in the comfy leather chairs. The strangely marriage-themed sandwich menu (with all breads supplied by Stromboli) uses a mountain of free-range and home-made meat fillings, vegetables and dressings, while similarly well-sourced and presented salad dishes include a quiche of the day, salmon carpaccio, and meat and tapas platters. Substantial home-made soups, a small deli section and a breakfast menu served up until 11am round off a real hidden gem.

• High point: The blackboards around the walls, full of appetising delights
• Low point: A bit out of the way for anyone but local workers