Paddington Lunch Box

Tag: sandwiches

  • The Bridge House, Little Venice

    The Bridge House, Little Venice

    Another week, another pub – this time The Bridge House in Little Venice.

    And another week, another slow commute to work. Another person who hasn’t worked out how to use a ticket barrier. Another person who switches ticket barrier lane to push in front of people.

    How did I used to do this 5 days a week?

    Anyway. Pub time. The Bridge House is a proper pub, and actually has a couple of half-decent IPAs on. Alas…working. Granted I am allowed to drink, and heck I’ve been known to drink at my desk, but I tend to eschew.

    There’s both an extensive main menu, along with a sandwich and drink menu – and it was the latter I plumped for, as £12.50 for a sandwich, fries and an apple juice is actually quite reasonable value for 2025.

    The fries were a bit of a mix, they were freshly cooked but also slightly over-cooked, some had a satisfying crisp to them, others were a bit floppy.

    For the sandwich itself, the ciabatta was nicely toasted – though I’d suggested supermarket ciabattas can have a nice texture.

    Generally the ingredients seemed fresh, at least the rocket, avocado and tomato – maybe the chicken was from a pre-cooked packet, it was of that quality.

    The bacon was smoked, and that was probably the highlight of the meal.

    It was all a bit underwhelming, but pleasant enough for £12.50 – and the apple juice was good.

    Rating of 6.30. Comparing a sandwich with a salad probably isn’t the best comparison I can make, but I’d go to The Union again for their salad, I doubt I’ll be back to The Bridge House. But I stress it seemed like decent value…so there is that to it.

  • Gail’s, Paddington Canalside

    Gail’s, Paddington Canalside

    Ahh those summer days where it might rain, so you carry an umbrella to work…and it doesn’t rain.  Annoying.  Some people also find Gail’s annoying.

    Gail’s seems to have taken the middle-class leftie outrage tag from Pret, so clearly it is a successful and growing business.

    I’ve never been, at least not before today.  Well, I’ve popped my head in to see if I could belong.

    Selection of sandwiches at Gail's.
    Selection of desserts at Gail's

    There was loads of selection – the sausage roll looked particularly banging, and various sandwiches did too (no idiotic “sando” words in this blog). Pricing was a little odd – a salmon thing was like half the price of the chicken harissa sandwich I chose.

    Inside the chicken harissa sandwich

    Including my eating inside tax, it came to £8.80. Notable.

    In terms of the actual sandwich, I was really impressed by how well filled it was, it actually felt filling. So often, sandwiches leave me more hungry than I was.

    Good quality bread, slight spicy tang to the chicken that you’d expect from harissa, decent tomatoes.

    Yeah I’m a fan of Gail’s. Come and take over my neighbourhood please. Yep, Croydon would love a Gail’s. Honest.

    Rating of 7.60.

    And in case you are wondering whether I still hate commuting, it took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to get back home.

  • Granier

    Granier

    Ahhh another day in a very noisy office, and even had the joy of someone on deodorant detox next to me. Someone take me back to Spain…maybe to Granier…

    Well. I made it to Granier bakery which surprisingly is the same chain I saw in Malaga last year.

    There’s an impressive range of cakes in the window, and smoothies also on offer. But this is a lunchtime adventure so I was sandwich focused.

    Selection of sandwiches

    After asking the lady behind the counter for her favourite, I then ignored her and went for the chicken with peri peri focaccia sandwich.

    The toaster was a little bit more effective as my colleague’s nonexistent deodorant, it came hot if not especially toasted after around 10 minutes under the grill. How so long?

    Chicken breast was decent, peri peri was just on half the sandwich.

    Inside the chicken peri-peri sandwich

    It was reasonable but maybe I should have gone for a bagel. Like the lady recommended.

    Priced at £6.95 I think so not too much lost.

    Rating of 6.50 out of 10. I might go back next year. I might not.

    So how do you tell a hotdesking colleague you’ve never met before, that deodorant is a thing?

  • Lockhouse, Paddington Basin

    Lockhouse, Paddington Basin

    What a disaster of a commute. My usual train delayed by 15 minutes, then a Circle line that just never turns up. Sometimes I wonder if the Circle line exists. And then I went to Lockhouse.

    Gosh I hate going to the office. Don’t mind being there…but fuck the commute.

    And as you may have worked out, lunch didn’t improve matters.

    Well, the beer did. Sat outside Lockhouse on Paddington basin, it was a pleasant time with a pint of Steady Rolling Man in the very warm sunshine. ☀️

    A beer!

    And then my beer battered haddock sandwich arrived, apparently 1200 calories according to their menu, and definitely £13.50 in price.

    Alas it was more of a salad sandwich. Yep I’d paid £13.50 for a load of salad in two slices of bread, with some puny bits of fish in batter. And of course more batter than fish.

    Tiny bits of haddock, plenty of lettuce and some bread.

    At least the bread was good quality.

    Damn, easily the worst meal I’ve had around here. Well, except that fried chicken at Chicking.

    Side on view of a fish finger sandwich

    I did enjoy my beer in the sun though.

    Rating of 3 out of 10.

  • Sandro’s Sandwich Bar

    Sandro’s Sandwich Bar

    Another week another average caff near Paddington, Sandro’s Sandwich Bar, though at least this week I had a cold so I could spread it around as per corporate culture 2019…or corporate culture 2024.

    But as long as the data knows I’m in the office, that’s what matters.

    Sandro’s Sandwich Bar is highly rated on Google but I’m not sure why. There was a friendly welcome, and I paid just £6.80 for my toasted panini sandwich which is definitely reasonable…and they didn’t charge me for the privilege of sitting down. Bonus!

    And another bonus…free vibrations from the tube line underneath…hmmm vibrations.

    Yet otherwise it was just fine. Pleasant crispy chicken, some mozzarella, thin slices of manufactured chorizo and I think a tiny bit of spinach.

    Inside crispy chicken sandwich

    It’s ok. It’s affordable too. But don’t expect to be overjoyed.

    Rating of 6.5. Could be one to try for a fried breakfast on a hangover perhaps.

  • Laurents

    Laurents

    This week I went to Laurents, which is my kind of lunch spot if every I saw one. On the outside anyway.

    Outside Laurents

    Inside was a selection of Italian-inspired sandwiches – panini’s, focaccia bread sandwiches, etc. Plus a selection of salads which may have been more appealing were it not still freaking cold in late April.

    Plus in the back was a cute little seating area.

    A selection of paninis

    Yet my panini disappointed due to a lack of filling. What prosciutto there was was deliciously nutty with depth, along with a little tomato.

    But half of it simply had no filling.

    The minimal filling of my panini

    I wanted to love Laurents, and I suspect if I go again, have a summer salad then I’d leave with more joy than winning the office desk lottery.

    Alas 5.5 out of 10.