The Book Club

The Book Club; the epitome of unpretentious east London cool, with a stripped back interior, art installations and high-brow entertainment.

They also have some fantastic band and DJ line-ups, so it’s on many people’s clubbing radar, but less well known is their cracking line in luncheon.

It obviously benefits from the plethora of businesses in Finsbury and the place was chock-a-block when we went early on Friday afternoon.

Breakfast is available until noon, with lunch on until 4pm (the evening selection is light bites and platters) and burgers, pasta, fish, even posh ham and eggs, dominate the midday selection.

We had the home cured salmon gravadlax (a Scandanavian speciality) with crisp salad and horseradish, which was a fresh, zetsy bite – a perfect lunch if you have to go back to the office.

Our other dish was the prawn and langoustine risotto, which was particularly good. No skimping on the seafood and the rice avoided being bland, as often it can be. A hint of chilli made for a tasty risotto, without being overpowering.

Washed down with a couple of double expressos we were ready for a productive afternoon – and at a round £8 a pop, it’s an affordable treat.