Healthy Treats On A Busy Street

Belles! I’ve discovered a healthy, not to mention unique place to stop off for a bite to eat when you’re shopping in town. Brand spanking new, 106 Baker St is an independent café that prides itself on serving up ‘good stuff, freshly made all day, every day.’

Location-wise, it’s great – right next door to Marylebone and just a few moments away from celeb hotspot Chiltern Firehouse. This area is definitely starting to smell like the new foodie destination.

The style nods slightly towards Ottolenghi if you like that kind of thing, with a variety of hot and cold dishes, salads, paninis and baked goods with an imaginative Mediterranean (mainly Italian) twist. Produce is sourced from London markets and Italy, while the seasonal menu changes daily so there’s something new each day. Grab a plate and dine in for £7.25 (ex vat) or take away a salad box for £4.25.

Highlights include roast meat stuffed peppers, ratatouille and goats cheese quiche; wild rice, cauliflour, chard, anchovies and chilli, and smoked mackerel, kale and horseradish panini. Side servings include root vegetables, brown quinoa, cousous and houmous.

I can also recommend the wonderfully flavoursome veal and mushroom agnolotti pasta and the rosemary lime chicken with mushroom paprika; the pasta just pipping the ever-so-slightly too lime-y chicken at the post for me.

There’s also a freshly-squeezed juice of the day – we enjoyed the cantaloupe melon juice but thought it would have been better with another fruit or two thrown in. Other combinations include celery, cucumber, spinach and lime, and Sicilian watermelon, yes they like their melons at 106 Baker St!

There’s a decent-sized outside patio at the front for dining when it’s warm and sunny, although bear in mind that this is right on Baker Street so it’s not the most tranquil of positions.

And while the interior of the cafe is a perfectly pleasant place in which to sit with its relaxed vibe and eclectic fixtures and fittings (mismatched mirrors, Victorian fireplace etc), if you’re looking for a combination of al fresco dining with privacy and even a touch of romance, there’s a little surprise out the back.

Wander through the café and head outside, where you’ll find a charming little patio and table for two. This has got to be one of London’s best kept outdoor dining secrets, so if you want to bag that space, get down there pronto before 106 Baker St is on more people’s radar.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

106 Baker Street, 106, Baker Street, London W1U 6TW. Tel: 020 7487 3372. Nearest tube: Baker Street.