LDNReview
Lena's Cafe
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Lena’s Cafe in Paddington is the kind of lunchtime spot that will have you emailing your boss office spaces nearby because the food is kind of healthy and tastes great. And because a meal for under a tenner in central London feels like a steal. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to home cooking in W2.
Word of mouth and lunchtime queues are what keep this small, bright red cafe on the corner of Bouverie Place always busy. At peak lunch hours, Lena’s Cafe is a chaotic place. Don’t expect any small talk from the servers and we’d avoid taking a seat inside before 2pm. Not because you won’t find a table but because during the 12pm rush, the door is ajar and people queue half in half out. That’s fine if you like an audience while you shovel green beans in your mouth, not so great if you like to take your puffer jacket off while eating lunch. Ultimately, what you need to know is that Lena’s is best experienced as a takeaway—grab a generously filled £9 box to go and it’s the best weekday lunch in the area.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Our go-to order is a large chicken rice box, which is filled with minced lamb, plenty of shredded chicken, sweet potatoes, roasted carrots, and grilled aubergine, plus a couple of the cold salads. Which by the way are far more than a couple of tomatoes and some limp lettuce—they’ve got couscous, bean salads, a creamy potato number, and plenty more. It’s the kind of food you watch an overachiever meal-prep on FitTok and wish you had the energy, and aesthetically pleasing kitchen, to do the same.
Food Rundown
Rice With Chicken
Sweet Potatoes
Salads