Pardoe & Wood

A solid lunch option for sure.
Small, comfortable and fast. They do soups, sandwiches (both hot and cold), salads, and apparently a whole bunch of breakfast items as well (but I shall only talk lunch since that’s when I was there.)
It’s a very basic kind of spot. A few seats at the front, an ordering counter at the back. That’s about it. I got the Italian Club Sandwhich, was was tasty (flavourful with great crisp bread) and the sweet corn soup, which was only OK (more just like creamed corn and came out so hot that I had to wait 10 minutes before I could take a bite.) Still, a solid lunch.
And it was fast and the service was great. I actually came here for a meeting but if you’re on your lunch break and need an option to go that’s better than Pret (and a whole ton more unique and independent), this is a great spot for sure.

Upon walking up Houndsditch, you could be forgiven for thinking Pardoe and Wood are one of the ubiquitous suit shops you find littering the Aldgate area, especially with their trendy brown and white sign jutting out from the shop front. However, once you pass through the glass facia and into the shop itself, you’re presented with a bleeding-​edge fasionable sandwich shop, consisting of clean white surfaces, dark floors, and the shop fare carefully laid out in clean rows, harking back to the style remiscent of a Bond Street boutique. The staff are attentive, friendly, and ready to bend over backwards to help, while the food itself is fresh, tasty, and healthy, without making it feel like you’ve just shelled out your hard earned for Peter Rabbit’s lunchbox. There’s a slightly homely air, too — sausage sandwiches and fish finger sandwiches hark back to the ones you made at home, while adding little extras, such as mustard mayonnaise, or lime juice, to give them that little extra that makes paying the pound or two more worthwhile. As the shop sits opposite a rather large Pret, I’m glad to say that Pardoe & Wood put them to shame, and I certainly know that I’ll be picking P&W over Pret in the future.
Top tip — they don’t advertise it, but ask for the wi-​fi password, and they’ll happily pass it on to you.

I thought I had reviewed this place, but I had written the review in my head and never typed it in… this is imagine Pret or Eat a step up… pre-​made salads and sandwiches, but the ingredients and combos are a step above – like a nice grilled steak salad or grilled salmon with salad or quiche with salad… great all white décor and seating up above. They serve Square Mile coffee. When you feel like throwing an extra pound or two onto your lunch tab over your usual place (because you are sick of your limited options) this is a good place to go.

I stumbled across this place in my never-​ending search for good places to grab a bite to eat on a weekday lunchtime and it’s still one of my favourites. On the surface, it seems to be a relatively standard (although reasonably upscale) sandwich shop, but once inside you can tell the staff have been well trained and are polite and extremely efficient. The food, of course, is superb, and reasonably priced (at least by City standards sandwiches are roughly £3). I recommend the Chicken Caesar wrap (with croutons), from the hot menu at the counter. The ingredients are all fresh and seem to be responsibly sourced, with lots of organic varieties. Definitely worth a try if you work in the area. There is a small seating area above, if you prefer not to eat at your desk.