Greens & Beans (CLOSED)

Under the wing of the Dru yoga and meditation organisation, this friendly spot has a loyal following of local office staff and health fiends, though the retail range (and floor space) has been cut back since opening. At ground level is a small buffet of six daily-changing dishes for takeaway – Mexican-style black beans, say, plus a tofu stir-fry, quiche, cauliflower cheese and organic potato wedges. Take a seat for a wider choice of vibrant, nutritious fare including pizzas, pastas and nut roast. Crespelle is the speciality, and these are very good: packed with bouncy spinach leaves and creamy ricotta, and daubed with tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella. A decent salad, scattered with sprouted pulses, is included. To drink there’s organic fruit and veg juices freshly squeezed, and smoothies (pricey, in part due to nutraceuticals such as omega oils, lecithin and acidophilus). With its fresh flowers, trendy cushions, neat plywood chairs and white walls, the basement café certainly has the better ambience, though at quiet times staff can become too easy-going; they didn’t even try to sell us dessert or coffee. If we hadn’t gone upstairs to pay, we might have been left there until closing.