Urban Angel

What’s the vibe?

This spot on Hanover Street has been around since 2004, and is still one of our faves. The room is a very zen subterranean haven of pale pine and flagstone floors, where they’ve been serving up seasonal, organic and ethical produce long before it seemed to become almost a given for any (sniff) self-respecting city centre bistro.

What should I drink?

Their espresso coffee is roasted by London’s Alchemy and loose leaf tea (choose from breakfast/ builder’s, decaf, as well as white peony, chai or peppermint amongst others) comes from Eteaket tea room, based on the nearby Frederick Street. If your yoga classes have been guilting you into a more balanced approach to eating, Urban Angel’s smoothies blend mango and orange juice with nutrient-loaded things like spinach and spirulina (there’s also a raw chocolate version, made with oat milk, cacao, dates, banana and vanilla).

What should I eat?

Even the treats wear a halo (the clue was always there in the café’s name), with organic plum and frangipane tart, a gluten-free orange and almond cake or fairtrade dark chocolate and nut brownie. The good virtues continue in the superfood salads and zaatar spiced cauliflower, or feel a little more indulgent with halloumi burgers, stuffed BLTs and French toast. If anything on the menu sounds like overly health-focused, penitent eating, you’d be dead wrong – everything slaps. 

This review was fact-checked and updated in 2024.