Pret a Manger - London

Everywhere

Working freelance exposes you to the ghosts of the day time. Dashing between meetings, you cross the path of lost tourists, mid-morning drinkers, and a whole host of lunatics in-between. There they stand (or lie), lining the pavement, clogging the escalator, asking bus drivers nonsense questions, all with the aim of slowing your day down or sideswiping your drink into the gutter.

On the plus side, you become an expert on coffee shops; particularly where to get the best coffee, at the lowest price, with the fastest internet. Pret a Manger - that lunchtime staple of office workers and crayfish sandwich-munching mayors - offers up a brew at 99p. That's correct, a single pound for a coffee, with a penny change. Daylight robbery or proof that only a fool pays £2.20 for a latte?

A significant reduction in price usually correlates with a significant reduction in quality. Not so with Pret's filter. It's a dark, earthy coffee, with a slight citrus note (am I reading the press release correctly? Joke). An Autumnal drink, perfect for cold days sat snug behind a desk or leant against the doors of the 55 bus. Weak enough to be drunk by the pint, but with enough strength to see a caffeine addict through to the Spring - it's the perfect all-day-every-day kind of drink. There's no tastier way to rent Central London office space, for rural backwater prices, plus you have a penny leftover for the guy sat at the door.

Yum Bun - Old Street

31 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y

You would hope that rats and decent restaurants don't have a lot in common: at least, you'd hope they don't share the same kitchen. However, in London you're never more than 6 feet from a rat and I reckon the same can be said for good eateries. What's more, both are well hidden.

While we wait for the launch of the Pied Piper app, those with a smartphone can circumvent the shiny lights of the high street and use the British St. Food app or wherethefuckshouldigotoeat.com to find something worth eating. You can also turn to like-minded folks on Twitter and I have to thank @Feelgd_Foodbk for pointing me towards Yum Bun - I now cry to think how many times in the past fortnight I've walked ignorantly past Featherstone Street clutching a Pret sandwich.

Soft, warm, and perfect is as good a description as any for Yum Bun, and while I'm sure some people won't like the texture of the bun or the portion sizes (two wasn't enough for me - go for a bento!), the taste can't be questioned. On this, my first visit, I sampled the mushroom and the pork buns, but essentially the recipe doesn't change for all they offer: meat (or veggie), salad, and a dressing, all wrapped in a steamed bun. The balance of both of the buns was perfect - just enough tang of dressing on the mushroom, just enough spice on the pork (although granted that is down to personal preference), and just the right bread to filling ratio.

With only three hours of opening at lunch times, I was surprised not to find a lengthy queue. Now if only they offered a three for £9 deal, this could quickly become a regular lunchtime haunt.