Do you ever find yourself panicking over the menu at a restaurant only to choose the same thing that your friend's having just because you couldn’t bear the crushing devastation of your meal showing up and her’s looking better? If you’ve been there, done that and been disappointed anyways then perhaps a single-dish, no-choice restaurant would be a good shout next time.
Over the past few years, one-item restaurants have become more and more of A Thing, finally exploding into nonsense territory last year with the opening of Brick Lane’s Cereal Killer Cafe and the Belfast cafe that only serves crisp sandwiches.
Now, with the news that a fries-only restaurant is set to open in Covent Garden (see also an eggs-led one in Stoke Newington), we’ve pulled together a list of the actually good option-light food venues to get a slap up meal at.
Beerd
Craft beer and pizzas. And that’s it. Well actually, there are a couple other options but ordering those things is like going to a seafood restaurant and ordering the chicken. It’s very veggie friendly – the roasted pepper, artichoke and rocket is a good meat-free option – or splash out on the salami and roasted chilli number if not. Then they’ve got 35 different bottled beers to choose from, including some with mango or coconut.
Located in Bristol.
Melt Room
More of a lunch place, the Melt Room is the sort of thing you dream of on hangover days. Very little choice, lots of bread and hot gooey cheese. Choose from pulled pork, chicken or pastrami. There’s even a sweet option with Nutella for dessert.
Located in London's Soho.
Arancini Brothers
Arancini are essentially balls of risotto. Which is always an excellent idea. The Arancini Brothers restaurants take those risotto balls and whack them in a delicious stew, wrap or salad. It’s a basic concept, but my goodness does it work.
Located in London's Kentish Town, Dalston and Old Street
Dogs And Dough
This Manchester venue does hotdogs, and it does pizza. And, unlike some of the other places who have tiny menus, there’s 16 different hotdogs to choose from and 15 different pizzas. That’s including a ‘mac ’n’ cheese’ option, by the way. Oh, and don’t forget about the dessert pizza on offer, which is essentially dough, Nutella, marshmallows and whatever other delicious treats you want to bung on top.
Smack Lobster Roll
Little sister to Burger & Lobster (yet another refined menu venue), Smack Lobster Roll serves up either lobster rolls, or lobster salad. Either way, it’s got lobster in it. Choose from the Seven Samurai (white cabbage, Japanese mayo, ginger and spring onions), or the Mexican (peppers, corn and jalepenos) amongst other on the roll side or a couscous or avocado salad on the salad side. Plus, everything’s a tenner.
Located in London's Soho and Marylebone.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.