Dino's

Venue: Salu Meria Dino a.k.a. Dino’s, Charlotte Place

Food: Sandwiches

Cost: ~£4

Rating: 74% 

Set in the throng of quality food establishments around the Goodge Street/Charlotte Street area just north of Soho you can find Dino’s of Charlotte Place. One of a number of family-run Italian delis in the area, it specialises in sandwiches of all varieties.

Although to my mind it loses out to Camisa on Old Compton Street in the Italian deli stakes, as it simply does not have the colossal variety of ingredients that Camisa boasts (although it does have the larger choice of breads), it nevertheless delivers an excellent lunchtime sandwich. Particular mention to the spicy salami and their staple, the parma ham, mozzarella and tomato, which I was informed is their “biggest seller by a distance”.

Top marks to the friendly welcome received from the owners, who clearly understand the fundamental importance of a quick chat to ensuring customers return. Avoid the 1pm rush, as queues can get lengthy on occasion (especially on Fridays for some reason).

One word of warning. A colleague of mine somehow managed to split his lip open when taking a first bite out of a Dino’s ciabatta. Though I find all their breads perfectly edible and hazard-free, those possessing delicate lips may wish to ‘go safe’ with focaccia…

Taste 8

Portion size 7

Service 10

Speed 8

Originality 6

Choice 7

Workability 8

Office response 7

Value for money 8

Brand 5

Overall: 74%

Hummus Bros

Venue: Hummus Bros, Wardour Street

Food: Hummus with toppings/pitta

Cost: £4-6

Rating: 80%

www.hbros.co.uk

Twitter: @hbros

The first (and only?) hummus-specialising restaurant in the UK, Hummus Bros. is both a very original concept and strong brand…oh and a great lunch as well. As you would it expect, it does exactly what it says on the tin and serves homemade hummus with a topping of your choice (various options ranging from chicken to chickpeas) and pitta bread.

This is a very bold venture, simply because I am yet to meet a person who has never suffered from eating “too much hummus” in a short period of time and consequently falling out with the foodstuff on occasion. I love hummus, but it can be quite overwhelming if consumed too regularly and in too large a portion...

What is very apparent when entering Hummus Bros is that it is clearly trying hard to differentiate itself with some striking marketing. ‘Give Peas A Chance’ slogans, t-shirts, loyalty cards (currently on my third), lentil-counting competitions…you have to give full marks for attempts to carve out a distinct brand. They could go further with the fairly minimalist décor of the shop though, which ultimately comes over as a little sparse and bare.  

Whilst the company name is shockingly misleading, the founders were NOT in fact brothers, what is the truth is that it is a great lunch. The ‘healthy and natural ingredients’ shine through, and as a result the hummus tastes quite different (in a positive sense) to your standard Sainsbury’s fare.

Personally I would recommend the chicken as the superior topping, but therein also lies a slight problem. Five of the seven toppings are vegetarian, which is by no means a bad thing, but meat cravers will find the menu a little limited with just chicken or chunky beef on offer. I would also suggest that a small portion is perfectly adequate for a lunch, with a regular (large) portion for those firmly rooted in the big lunch camp. I am of course in the latter, but recognise that is slightly out of keeping with the rest of the population.

I also long for the day when the optional extras specific to each topping e.g. sun dried tomatoes with the chicken, tzatziki with the beef, were bundled in with the price. Price is hard to comment on, since a small portion with chickpeas comes in at £3.25, while a large chunky beef with tzatziki would cost £7.20, which seems quite a startling disparity.

In conclusion Hummus Bros is a pleasant place to eat in or takeaway in an efficient and deceptively large tub and a must-try for any Soho lunchers.

Taste 8

Portion size 9

Service 6

Speed 8

Originality 10

Choice 7

Workability 7

Office response 9

Value for money 7

Brand 9

Overall: 80%