Naughty at Lunchtime

I love a good sausage and mash, it's amongst one of the most comforting and tasty foods that I can think of. Had a hard day at work? No problem, a bowl of creamy mash will make all your problems melt away.

S&M cafés tout themselves as serving “the best comfort food in the world”. I'm inclined to agree but does the new branch in Leadenhall live up to expectations?

The first thing you'll notice when walking into S&M is it's crowded, almost stiflingly so. It's a cross between a café and a fancy diner: red and white table cloths, 50s and 60s prints on the wall which evokes a relaxed and casual atmosphere but the diners are packed in like sardines. Managing to secure a miraculously free table that overlooks the street, we settle down to the menu.

It's a sausage and mash lover's paradise. Choose from 10 different types of sausage and four types of mash and you're in heaven. My traditional sausages were firm and plump and extremely flavourful; accompanied by spring onion and cheddar mash and it was close to gastronomic heaven. Simple, uncomplicated and just what you need after a long day.

If you're not into sausage and mash, then there's a selection of traditional British dishes to whet your appetite: Cumberland toad in the hole with minted peas or fish finger sandwiches anyone?

Staff were friendly but way too busy to give us the attention we deserved. Side orders of mushy peas and drinks came at staggered intervals instead of all at once, which put the dampers on an otherwise good satisfying meal but visit during less busy hours and I'm sure the experience would be a pleasant one.

If it's raining outside or you've had a bad day, S&M provides the perfect getaway from it all. I'll have to remember that they do a “Desperate Dan” meal - 12 sausages and mash – that sounds like a real challenge, possibly reserved for when I've had the worst day of all time.