QUICK EATS: Covent Garden

Last week, I was lucky enough to have a work experience placement at a top weekly magazine in London. It was a fantastic week, and I want to do a post on it later, but for this post, I wanted to do a round up of all the amazing places I had to choose from for lunch. The offices are based in Covent Garden, so it was basically a foodie's dream when it came to lunch time. I often ventured away from the office to see if there were any little places to scout out. Although, to be honest, I didn't really venture into any cool little independent places, I did go to some really nice little cafes and restaurants. So if you ever find yourself in Central London and in need of a quick, but tasty lunch, here are my top picks!

(Apologies for the lack of personal photos)

ITSU

Okay, so so far, so generic. Itsu is a big brand and you're likely to have heard of it before. But what I've found, is that it actually isn't in any other places outside of London. So if you're in the city, it is definitely a great choice to grab something on the go! It serves Japanese food, from your general sushi and sushi rolls, to salads, ranging from more filling options with quinoa or rice, to normal, leaf based options. I went for the chicken teriyaki, which was delicious. It tasted incredibly fresh and the teriyaki sauce really made it taste amazing. The restaurant itself feels really cool and clean, and it has a downstairs seating area which is really nice if you have a few minutes to spare. Definite recommendation for a healthier, fresher lunch.

HOTEL CHOCOLAT

From the healthy to the very not healthy! But so good. I actually had never seen a Hotel Chocolat cafe before, rather than a shop, so was definitely intrigued about how it would all taste. So yes, it isn't strictly lunch, but who doesn't want some chocolate during their midday break?! I went for their Classic Hot Chocolate and it was a-mazing. Really rich, but not too much so, and with a crazy generous topping of chocolate cream, it was definitely an indulgent treat. The Hotel Chocolat cafe also does a dark chocolate hot chocolate, and a milky chocolate option. It also does regular coffee's, both iced and not iced, and an amazing looking selection of brownies and cakes. My drink was a little on the pricey side at £3.50 but, considering the quality of the chocolate used, I would definitely say it would be worth it as an occasional tasty pick-me-up!

PURE

Probably my favourite lunch place of the week. Located right on Shaftesbury Avenue, so in the heart of TheatreLand, it's a perfect, healthy place to go for a quick lunch before a matinee show. This little cafe specialises in really good quality healthy food, and has a huuuuuge range of salads, juices, smoothies and wraps. I liked it so much I actually came here twice in the five days I was in London! The first meal I got was a pesto pasta salad, which was so much nicer than it sounds. Made up of spinach, avocado, crushed almonds and an insane pesto/creme-fraiche sauce, and of course pasta, I can't explain how tasty it was. The salads are also huge, so you get more than enough to fill you up. The next time I visited I got one of their hot panini/wrap things. It was a chicken, mozerella, pesto (yes pesto again) and tomato wrap and it was sooo good. It didn't taste like your generic sort of panini's that you can get at loads of chain stores, but tasted really fresh. Also it was made with wholewheat bread, so definitely healthy...er ;) Major recommendation!

CHIPOTLE

And last but certainly not least! I'd heard so much about Chipotle from American people on the Internet, that when I turned the corner and spotted it I knew I had to pop in. Plus, I am a massive fan of Mexican food! So it was pretty much my ideal lunch place. Firstly, the staff in there were so lovely! They talked me through the process of burrito-making and even game me a free bag of tortilla chips and guacamole after I said I wasn't sure about whether to get it or not. And I am now a massive convert! It was hands down the best guacamole I've ever tasted. The burrito was gigantic, and they pack a load of stuff in there. I got the chicken burrito with salsa, sour cream, brown rice and black beans, and it was deeeeelicious. Completely filling but so tasty and loads of different flavours. Usually burrito places I've been to often taste slightly processed, but all of the ingredients at Chipotle tasted really fresh, and I recently found at that they do make everything at the store fresh every day. So a definite recommendation if you're feeling extra hungry at lunch time.

So there it is! My short but sweet list of yummy places to grab a quick bite in Covent Garden/Leicester Square if you're ever rushing around in the area. Have you been to any of these places? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

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Labels: eat , food , lifestyle , london