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• An old friend: comfortable but needs a change

I have been to 222 so many times, I was surprised to find that I had never written a review - so here goes! What I really like is the atmosphere; it is in a cosmopolitan part of London, by no means salubrious and, to be frank, not the sort of place you would expect to find a vegan restaurant. Despite that, it seems to do very well, with a genuinely varied clientele: locals, students, tourists who have made the trek (probably having found it on Happy Cow)and people like us who like the idea of everything being vegan. The owner, Ben, is often there and always friendly. The food is OK without being special, though ironically, my favourite dish is Ben's Special, a type of stir-fry. In fact, when I first went there, more than 10 years ago, I would have said the food was on the good side of OK but the menu has barely changed since. I have no idea why this is - I know people have favourites but there is nothing wrong with feeding in a few new ideas every now and then. As a result, I do not really look forward to another visit with much excitement, though I do usually enjoy myself. The service can be variable. I guess the staff are mostly casual and there is certainly a high turnover, which leads to an equally high variability in the standard of service. For example, when we were last there at Christmas, they brought me the wrong order - no misunderstanding, just a mistake. In summary then, if you have never been, do go, perhaps for the buffet which I have heard is excellent value (though I doubt that menu changes either). The food is fine, without being outstanding. And, Ben, if you are reading this, think about some new dishes.