I used to be a regular Mamacafian, back in the day when it was a shiny new hip place to be. I seem to remember that it identified itself as organic back then but it could be my imagination. However I stopped going a few years ago after I had a very ordinary dinner there with friends. Yesterday I was back there, for lunch, having the menu del día, which consisted of starter, main, dessert and coffee for 10 € or thereabouts. No complaint there then.

For my starter I chose zucchini carpaccio with sundried tomato salad which was excellent except the 2 small sun dried tomatoes took the excitement away. The main was fried potatoes and fried egg, a peculiarly Spanish dish which is generally very satisfying. The MamaCafé version was no exception. Dessert was a great chocolate biscuit cake.

All well and good, and although the service was friendly as ever...somehow it wasn't the same. This Mamacafé with it's different formula menus, it's much expanded kitchen this hip canteen wasn't what it was, wasn't that special place where you could woo a girl and feel that you were in on a great secret, where you felt that they cared as much about the food as you. But it's great value for lunch.