Birley Salt Beef Bar, 18th March

This is more of a review of a particular food item than that of a venue. Because, if you're going to a salt beef bar, there's really only one thing you should order - the salt beef. And that is what I did. Not that there aren't other things on offer. Like most of the other Birley sandwich branches, they serve various hot meats carved up for you then and there. I barely glanced at them, and ordered a salt beef sandwich on white bread.

Did I want any sauce? Why, yes, ketchup please. Unconventional I know, but more than just a smidgen of mustard is too much for me, and ketchup goes with (almost) everything.

Did I want a pickle? Of course! In the sandwich? Go for it. And in the blink of an eye my server had 'julienned' my gherkin, flattened it to separate each sliver and 'spread' it on the sandwich. It was wrapped up and handed over to me.

I took it outside and hungrily devoured it. The bread wasn't quite doorstep but easily thick enough to handle the generous beef portion. The meat itself was tender, salty, nicely sized chunks and you got some pickle with every bite.

It wasn't gargantuan like the kind you might get in Katz in New York, it was a sensible size for a sandwich, and a sensible price too - 5.75. I, luckily, don't live far from the Beigel places on Brick Lane, where I can satisfy any salt beef craving I might have at any time of the day for less than 4 quid, so the Birley Salt Beef Bar doesn't offer anything to me that I'm in desperate need of. But it does a good job of what it offers. I'd happily get my lunch from them again.