Nincomsoup, EC1Y 1BE

NIN
COM
SOUP

- as the sign would have it - is a soup shop and coffee shop located beneath Old Street Roundabout - entrance via Old Street Station approach. They sell a range of tasty, freshly-made soups in tubs for takeaway or to eat on the premises.

There are generally six or so soups on offer; the selection is changed daily. Some of the regular selections are:

  • Chicken Galanga
  • Chorizo & White Beans
  • Spanish Seafood
  • Red Pepper & Goat's Cheese
  • Gypsy Chickpea
  • Steak & Ale
  • Gingered Carrot
  • Thai Green Chicken
  • Hungarian Goulash
  • Mediterranean Fish
  • French Onion
  • Spiced Lentil
  • Tuscan Tomato

Prices are very reasonable; a small tub will cost in the region of £2.80, and a large one somewhere from £3.90 to £4.40. The soup is thick and nourishing, and the ones with meat, such as the Steak and Ale, are more like stew than soup, with big hearty chunks of meat. You can buy French or pretzel bread to go with it, along with Bombay Mix-type things. The large menu board in the shop indicates which soups are vegetarian-OK or gluten-free. If you're not sure what a particular soup might taste like, the staff will be happy to give you a sample in a little thimble-sized cup to taste.

In addition to soup, there's a salad bar (small tub £1.50, large £3.00), and you can get tubs of Italian, Greek or hummous salad for £3.30. Croissants and rolls are available for £2.20, slices of cake for £1.85 and small tubs of fruit salad for £1.60.

For refreshment, Nincomsoup sells coffee and fresh fruit drinks. Extremely fresh; some come in the form of Fruit Bags, which are exactly what they would suggest, bags with fruit in them, which you take to the counter and they juice for you. These cost £2.50, and include combinations like the Lime Ginger Cooler (apple, lime and ginger) and the Strawberry Soother (strawberries, orange and banana). There are pre-juiced juice drinks available as well, with a small one costing £1.40 and a large one £2.50. On the coffee side, the usual sort of coffee shop offerings are available - mochas, lattes and so on, with a small coffee costing £1.60 and a large coffee costing £2.00. (All prices correct as of October 2003.)

The shop itself is spacious and interestingly designed, with something of a church-like feel, as it's long and narrow with a high ceiling. Perhaps to add to this effect, one side of the room has a row of reclaimed church pews as seats. There is generally quiet music playing (of the 'chill-out' variety), and it's a pleasant place to go for a coffee.

A couple of links:

OS X co-ord: 532764     OS Y co-ord: 182474     (Latitude: 51d 31m 30.26s Longitude: -0d 5m 9.64s)
Last edited 2003-12-10 09:31:34 (version 5; diff). List all versions.