Harlequin Café

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

Tucked out of view underneath Pickering's Bookshop, Harlequin Café is a cheerful little haven of vegetarian delights. Step down into the colourful but tiny room and relax, for this is a world where chess sets and pencils are provided and the walls are adorned with drawings of creatures whipped out of an overactive imagination. This super-honourable co-operative is managed by a group of students and offers a limited but perfectly adequate lunchtime menu (and that's student lunchtime, seeping through until 6pm). The choice is simple: basic but well-prepared soup, nachos or sandwiches made with bread best described as deliciously intimidating. The flavours are basic but considered, and everything is as ethically sourced as possible. Vegans are more than welcome, as the daily soup option is always suitable, as well as a fair proportion of the cakes available for dessert. A fabulous range of teas and other hot drinks (all squeaky-clean fair trade) are the ethical cherry on top. The Harlequin Café is not going to set the industry alight, but, at £2.50 for a truly filling sandwich made with fresh ingredients, it has become the plucky wee nephew of the vegetarian scene.

• High point: Cheap and chic lunchtime bargains
• Low point: Very limited menu