Food for Thought is quite unlike any other restaurant in the West End. Despite its position in the tourist capital of Covent Garden, it has rejected the fast food model of neighbouring establishments, serving only good honest (veggie) food at low prices.
The restaurant is set in the shop’s basement, while takeaway is served above. On weekdays, office workers and shopper queue together in the street outside, and all are happy to wait for the delicious hot meals, which always include a quiche, stir fried vegetables with brown rice and two or three hearty specials of the day.
Diners sit together on canteen-style tables, as space is limited inside – but everyone shares space so nobody is kept waiting long. Every last nook and cranny is used for seating, including a cushioned area at the back where people sit cross-legged at a low table.
One of London’s first fully vegetarian establishments, Food for Thought is reminiscent of another era: a time when avoiding meat was considered somewhat kooky. Happily times have now changed, but it’s good to spend time amongst those who were there at the start of the movement. A short walk away from the famous Neal’s Yard, there is a definite hippie vibe here.
As the shops and restaurants around it have changed and adopted new technology, Food for thought has stuck firmly to its principles, shunning electronic payment and remaining a cash-only operation. This does mean that service can be a little slow at times, but this is no fast food restaurant, and nor was it ever intended to be.
Food for Thought has no website, and until very recently, the only way to find out what was being served on the day was to show up in person. Now, you can request a regular email, detailing all the day’s specials. Ask in the shop for more information.
Food for Thought: 31 Neal Street, Covent Garden London WC2H 9PR
Image: I Don’t Know. Maybe?
