Enjoy this taster of our book, Herb Lester’s London Address Book.

The sign over the door with its welcoming cuppa has enticed customers across the threshold for decades, and you can still get a lovely cup of tea here. These days the classic British menu is augmented with home-cooked Thai food, which means you can have liver and bacon or a cheese and pickle roll with a side of tom yum – until 5pm anyway, evenings are Thai only. The exceptional value and BYO policy can make it very busy.