If you didn’t know that Joe Allen was along this very small quiet side street, it would not be the obvious place to look for a restaurant. It is hidden away from the all the main restaurants in Covent Garden.

Joe Allen is on the lower ground floor and the red brick walls leading to the the restaurant are full of framed posters. The same style of wall decor is continued throughout the whole of the dining area. The restaurant area is quite big with round wooden tables and there are a couple of alcoves as well. The service was good and the staff were friendly and professional.

The menu was interesting and varied with seasonal daily specials. The quinoa and garden pea fritters were just that, as in they were not mixed with any potato. Hence, the fritters had a very crumbly texture to them when they were cut into. The sweetness of the peas was lovely.

The heritage carrots and parsnips that made up some of this dish were roasted nicely. This meal was a vegetarian’s delight! The pea cress and the mint and coriander sauce completed the dish. The side of minted new potatoes were a nice accompaniment to the meal!

Our meal ended with some dessert! The combination of crumble and cake is a match made in heaven! The apple and blackberry crumble cake was a big portion. A thin layer of crumble topped the chunky fruit pieces. The cake portion was soft and light. It was served with vanilla cream.

The only thing that did bother me with Joe Allen was that the restaurant was too dimly lit. It may have just been to the particular place that we had been seated. It was to the point where it seemed that we were eating our meal with the aid of a single tealight. We couldn’t really see what was on our plates and what we were actually eating. So it was a kind of a hit and miss with each mouthful, wondering which vegetables were on my fork!

Apart from that, everything was nice at Joe Allen’s from the quality and freshness of the food, the ambiance and the friendly staff!

Joe Allen, 13 Exeter Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7DT

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A lovely Saturday afternoon visiting the National Gallery with my friend involved introducing her toddler to the wonderful painting of Whistlejacket. This huge oil on canvas painting of the young horse by George Stubbs is one of my favourites and always seems to impress me, no matter how many times I see it!

Following on from George Stubbs’ painting, we ventured onto see the beautiful Water-Lily Pond and other paintings by Monet. A visit to the National Gallery would not be complete if Monet’s paintings were not seen! We were lucky on this occasion as the National Gallery had two new acquisitions, Water Lillies, Setting Sun and The Japanese Bridge. Monet’s Impressionist paintings of his garden in Giverny are really special!

After our fun art filled afternoon, it was time to rest and go for a cup of tea. My friend suggested the nearby Cafe in the Crypt in St Martin-in-the-Fields. The cafe is below the church and can be accessed by the cylindrical pavilion entrance, just round the corner from the church.

Cafe in the Crypt is quite a striking cafe. The distinctive brick walls and arches make up this beautiful 18th century crypt. It is quite a large cafe and even when it is busy, there is a sort of peacefulness about it. This is helped by the soft lighting.

There is a selection of food on offer, all locally sourced where possible. Soup, hot food, sandwiches, salads, afternoon tea, hot puddings and cakes are all available. The hot food and the cakes are buffet style, but the thing that I liked was that it was served and not self service.

As we were here for tea, that is what we had. Although, I was tempted by the scone with clotted cream and jam! The pot of tea came as a little silver teapot with a jug of milk on the side. It was nice that the cups were more like the size of a mug!

Even though there is quite a lot of seating, the staff do make the effort to keep things clean. They are constantly cleaning and clearing up the tables, so that the cafe is well maintained.

To get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, escaping to the tranquil Cafe in the Crypt is perfect. This is a hidden gem in the capital! Cafe in the Crypt is also host to Jazz Nights on particular weeknights.

Cafe in the Crypt, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4JJ

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There is something truly comforting about a hot steaming bowl of pho. The combination of the thick rice noodles, the broth and the vegetables is perfect.

Cafe VN specialises in pho – the noodle soup, and bun – the noodle salad. The bright lime green sign lights up the outside of the restaurant. The green colour theme is followed through into the interior. The restaurant has a casual feel to it and even though it is fairly small in size, it is very clean and light. Red lantern style lights hang from the ceiling.

The vegetarian Summer Rolls were a cold starter. Shredded lettuce, cucumber and thin noodles were wrapped in the rice paper. The rolls were fresh and light.

In contrast, the vegetarian Spring Rolls were hot and generously filled. They were quite oily. Both the Summer and Spring Rolls were served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce.

To drink, it was pure coconut water. This was a refreshing drink, served in a tall glass. The coconut water did not have any sugar or additives added to it and it did not need it either.

Even though pho was what I had in mind, it did not stop me getting tempted by the stir fried noodle and rice dishes. The food that was being brought out to the other diners all looked really good.

But I stuck to my original choice of the Vegetarian Pho. This noodle soup came with thick rice noodles, tofu and mushrooms. It could also be ordered as a spicy version. The garnishes that came on the side were basil, beansprouts, lime and chilli. The pho was really delicious and filling. The broth had a light flavour to it. The big bowl of pho was certainly a hearty dish!

A simple dessert of ice cream completed the meal. The Ben and Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream was better than other ice creams that I have had of the same flavour. Big chunks of the biscuit bases and strawberry pieces, combined with the creamy ice cream was just lovely!

Cafe VN gave us fresh tasting and filling Vietnamese food. The food was cooked to order. The staff were friendly and gave us service with a smile. It would be nice to come back to Cafe VN to try the other dishes!

Cafe VN, 144 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1R 5DP

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