Restaurant Review - Café S&M

The deal is you mix and match the type of sausage and type of mash you want – from the original S&M sausage with bubble and squeak, to wild boar sausage with smoked paprika, leek and cheddar mash.

Then you get a choice of gravy, too – wild mushroom with cream and red onion are but two.

For puddings (not desserts) there is the likes of bread and butter pudding or fruit crumble.

There are some vegetarian options – veggie Napolitano gravy and vegetarian sausages, for example.

The place is small and is an authentic British café (as in caff) – don’t get me wrong, this is no greasy spoon, but what you get is solid British food, in a solid British environment, if that doesn’t sound too Alf Garnet.

This type of food is ideal for the winter months and S&M seems like the perfect place to take a few colleagues, perhaps after a Babycham too many at some media do. And, with Christmas approaching, there are going to be a few of these.

In terms of having a client meeting there, I would have reservations, unless you are on pretty comfortable terms. S&M’s clientele ranges from City workers to East End geezers, so you really could take anyone there under the right circumstances, but it is an informal environment. This is worth bearing in mind if you are looking to achieve a lot with a client you don’t know too well.

Alternatively of course, a relaxed and informal environment might be just what you want.

S&M may not be the swankiest place you go to this year, but with bangers and mash it’s hard to go wrong.

48 Brushfield Street, London E1

£12-£14 per head, no wine

4 out of 5

Review by James Livesley

This article was first published on Media Week