Joe’s Kitchen
5-7 Marshalsea Road, London, SE1 1HL
020 7939 1490
The area that I work in is famous for it’s culinary delights. At the top of Borough High Street, you can find the world famous Borough Food Market which is open to the public from Thursdays to Sundays. All the way down Borough High Street and around the neighbourhood, you can find any type of restaurant that you can imagine from brands such as Subway and Costas; Lebanese, Italian, Indian and Chinese restaurants; numerous traditional English pubs and many greasy spoon diners that have earned Borough High Street the nickname of Cholesterol Row (I wish I could find a reference for that but for now you are going to have to take my word for it).
Last week, I was really keen on something fattening and satisfying for lunch. On a previous outing, I had noticed Joe’s Kitchen tucked away around the side of Borough Underground Station and I thought I would give it a try. As usual, I desperately needed a break from the office and I have been trying to uphold my promise to take at least one lunch break a week.
Joe’s Kitchen is delightful. They have a really unique menu and I loved the decor and atmosphere. The best thing about the place is the absolutely superb service. With so many restaurants in the area, I try not to go to the same place twice but I will definitely go back to Joe’s.
I was dying for comfort foods and was in no position to battle my cravings, plus I happened to have ten whole pounds left the day before payday. This is important because with quality comes some expense at Joe’s Kitchen although they aren’t actually as expensive as some of the specialist restaurants in the area.
So, for £10 I got a massive baked potato with chilli beef and sour cream on (less than £7), a really yummy lemon iced tea with fresh mint in (£2.25)and I was able to leave a 10% tip. Like I said, not the cheapest place but I really enjoyed it.
That looks like a very cool place to just hang out and eat with your friends. Wish I had a place around here to do that.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a very nice place to chill and have drinks on a friday afternoon.
ReplyDeleteMmmm - your lunch sounded nice but 10 pounds just for that!!! I've obviously forgotten just how expensive London is! Not that Sydney is cheap but you wouldn't spend $20 on a baked potato and a drink - it would be more like $10-15.
ReplyDeleteYour rule of getting out of the office for lunch at least one a week is a good one!
Sounds yummy but a bit pricey for what it was
ReplyDeleteI have never been to that part of London before, but I think I may have a wee trip over there a day and have a wander around. It sure isn't cheap to eat and drink in London...
ReplyDeleteSounds like the perfect comfort food for "those days" :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, Joe's Kitchen does look very interesting. That baked potato must have hit the spot! Lunch is my favourite meal, and so it has to be sumptious!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comment. Come back tomorrow for more of Fairhaven!
joy
A Pinay In EnglandYour Love CoachI, Woman
Hi Emm! Thanks for the tip; I'll try next time in London!
ReplyDeleteLoved to see your Canterbury pictures; excellent!!
Thanks for your comments at Blogtrotter, now showing Kaunas. Never heard about it? ;) Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Oh I miss England. I could do with a nice baked Potato and Chilli. I used to eat that a lot when I used to work in the City. That was nearly 20 years ago now!
ReplyDelete@ Phoenix: Hiya! Yes - it does seem to be a good place to socialise.
ReplyDelete@ Pule: Ha! I haven't done Friday afternoon drinks since I was in Jo'burg! Those were the days!
@ Roz: Yeah, it is expensive. Usually, I would aim for somewhere more reasonable but I had been curious about Joe's Kitchen for some time and decided to just go for it once I got in there.
@ Baron: Yes - was pricey and I probably will only go back next time I have another £10 burning a hole in my pocket!
@ Wandering Scotsman: Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I love your blog! I agree - London is an expensive city to eat in!
@ JaPRA: Yes, it was perfect!
@ Joy: Oh really? I would say breakfast is my favourite meal when I have a full English on the weekends.
@ GMG: I'm glad you liked Canterbury. Where exactly are you right now?
@ sen and qi: It was really nice! Have you been in Canada for 20 years?
Hi Emm, I hope all is well with you and your family honey. I've missed you. And now I am going to really be busy with this class for church for the next ten weeks, and I think I am going to start serving at my church, just not sure in what area quite yet. Have a wonderful day sweetie, and God bless.
ReplyDeleteJodi
Hi Jodi. Good luck with your service. That is a good thing for you to do and should bring you happiness. It will probably help you find your feet too and know where you stand.
ReplyDeleteHello Emma. I have only been here for 7 months, awaiting my extension Visa. I grew up in England and also have lived in Greece. I was in Toronto in the Winter..I will post my youtube vid later of me shoveling frigin' snow lol. Here the Winter is milder than Toronto I think. I came here to Vancouver end of Feb.
ReplyDeleteSo, "Eat At Joe's" is not just an American thing?
ReplyDeleteThe place looks really quiet and comfortable. I love that. When I have money, I always splurge on food. I love eating out and trying different restaurants. I guess it goes with my degree back in college. It kind of stuck on me. :)
ReplyDelete@ Sen and Qi: Ha! I think England is the coldest place I will ever move to. I am seriously considering Australia next as my husband vetoed California.
ReplyDelete@ FishHawk: Hiya! Thanks for stopping by! Actually, I don't think I mentioned but it is an American-type diner but it wasn't done to excess. Definitely more deli-style than London style!
@ Mara: See - you get it! Do you like to eat alone too? I also learned to do that in university when I would take a break from studying and just want to be alone with my thoughts for a while.
Hi Emm I have been away to long. £7 for a jacket potato my God! Joking aside it looks nice and I guess its the going rate for London.
ReplyDeleteI like the scrubbed tables and other decor.
My favourite London eating place is in Soho a Chinese restaurant called Wong Kei in Wardour Street. It has a slightly different nickname but I won't write it here!
If you haven't been you should take the other half, part of the fun is the way the staff treat guests (but I won't spoil your fun with all the details).
@ Mike: Yeah, I know. The more people comment, the more I have to remind myself that my body was not my own that day and I had to obey the call for comfort food at any cost! I actually might give Wong Kei a try - from the reviews it sounds like a traditional communal eating experience, like the type you'd get in China? I've always loved the notion that many people in Asian countries don't have kitchens in their homes because of communal eating! Just happy I knew in advance that they are trying to be rude!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I would be very interested in finding out the differences between American deli-style and London-style. If you haven't already covered it, maybe this might be a good subject for a future post?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would be interested in finding out why English food is so disparaged. For is this just some more ugly Americanism and French snobbery, or is there really something to it?
@ FishHawk: [insert massive grin here] I've never been to America but I will be going in three weeks time so I guess I can do one after that!! English food used to be absolutely shocking in restaurants - I would never order steak for instance, because you got a slab of fatty cardboard. But in 2005, we noticed a marked improvement in standards during our visit and food has been improving ever since.
ReplyDeletePlease keep in mind that our country most definitely has its good and bad parts, and the same certainly applies to people, as well. Hopefully, your trip will be a most enjoyable one.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to New York, try to pay a visit to the Carnegie Deli. I never got to eat there myself, but I have heard a lot of good about the place. Here is a link to their site: http://www.carnegiedeli.com/
@ FishHawk: I'm not a very critical traveller and will only usually complain about something if I am deeply disappointed. I'm not intending on being disappointed when I go to NYC as it is one of my biggest dreams to go. I usually take cultural and regional differences in my stride so I hope I'll be fine! In fact, my intention is to absolutely love every single minute I spend in the States. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Carnegie Deli looks good. I might just go there! Thanks for the reference.
Ooh I love eating alone from time to time especially when I'm trying out new places to eat! I guess I got that from my Dad too aside from the fact that I graduated from Hotel, Restuarant, Institution Management and we practically tried out different food and drinks from hotels to restaurants and wherever.
ReplyDelete@ Mara: Are you still working in the hospitality field?
ReplyDelete