A Tenner or Less: MiddlEat, Caledonian Road

What: The slightly #awks-named MiddlEat (geddit?) is – no prizes for guessing here – “inspired by the vibrant flavours of the Middle East.” Their schtick? The design-your-own bowl thing, where you pick a base, a filling and a ‘protein’ (why do we hate that word?) from a counter heaving with all manner of colourful plant and non-plant items.

Where: On the lower slopes of Cally Road (read our comprehensive guide here). And right near longstanding Drink Shop & Do, in fact.

Why: The falafel bowls (from £6.25) are huge: we chose a ‘Zaha’ (one of three popular combos, or simply build your own) which comprised falafel, nutty toasted freekah, slivers of raw beetroot and tangy sumac. You can add any, or all, of the “trimmings”: we opted for all, including hummus, shredded carrots, pickled turnips, raw red onion, tahini sauce, garlic sauce, chilli sauce. Maximum vits – and delish, to boot.

Don’t: arrive at peak meal o’clock. Even at 12:30pm the queue was already out the door; by 1pm it was snaking right down the Cally. This is one for the thousands of office workers and students in the area. And it’s very 2018, in a way that, say, nearby Honest Burger isn’t.

Notes: It’s the same price to eat in or takeaway. The soft drinks are fairly unenticing (cans of fizzy drinks) but cold mint water is available at no extra charge, making it one of the cheapest lunch options in central London.