# Salvation Jane, Old Street



## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

Popped into Salvation Jane on City Rd today for a spot of lunch. I've heard good things about its sister joint Typhoid Mary - sorry, Lantana - in Fitzrovia, so was happy to have something closer to home to check out.

The inside is what you'd expect from an Antipodean run place: lots of bare metal and weathered wood. While not inspiring it's pleasant enough, cosy, and there's a nice mural on the wall of some flora (Lantanas and Salvation Janes I guess - I'm no botanist). Up front is the bar for takeaway service and a display of very yummy looking cakes. Towards the back is fairly large seating area and there's a few tables outside in a little courtyard. Coffee wise there's all the usual offerings of flat whites, piccolos et al, plus one single origin batch brewed filter. All the coffee is from Square Mile of which they sell some bags along side a few home brewing methods.

We were greeted with smiles pronto, a table was cleared for us, and water brought over before I'd got my coat off. Its a fairly short lunch time menu - mostly sub-tenner, with something for everyone. A burger with beetroot relish and stilton mayo was too much for me to resist. While we waited for the food I got a cup of the filter coffee: Santa Clara, Guatemalan. Lovely round body with a fair whack of sweetness and a lime acidity at the end. I've had this before elsewhere from a batch brewer and it was better here, the flavours clearer with more tang.

The initial disappointment of realising the burger didn't come with chips quickly dissipated after I took a bite. Wonderfully melt-in-the-mouth, pink meat and super sweet beet, with creamy stilton gloop oozing out everywhere. The brioche bun made it a bit overkill on the sugar but the water cress side salad served to cut through it. Easily the best burger I've had in a while.

To finish I had a single espresso of what I assume was Red Brick. I've only had the latest incarnation of the blend once before, and it tasted nothing like this. To be honest I'm still unsure of whether I liked it. There was a huge near-savoury flavour to it that wasn't unpleasant but was certainly unusual. It lacked body, but wasn't sour or bitter. Most of all it was weird.

Where this place succeeds most is in it's organisation and layout. It's a fine example of how to efficiently run takeaway next to sit-in: basically have them as entirely autonomous entities. Two espresso machines, separate staff and different tills. There's no confusion of where to go, and no effect on one side if the other is busy.

This place gets a thumbs up from me. It's got plenty of competition in the area, but to my mind none that cater so well for those that want a decent plate of hot food as well as a good brew. It even opens late and is fully licensed - fantastic. While the coffee wasn't the crowning glory on my visit, it was still pretty good and I could have just caught an off moment. The quality of the food, service and ambience balanced this to make it a very enjoyable lunch indeed.

8/10


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## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

Update: came here again and the espresso was bang on.


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