Packing a Punch in EC4

Sunnil Panjabi is the latest member of the restaurant fraternity to wrestle with the concept of just what makes a successful gastropub, and the Punch Tavern is his first attempt to put those thoughts into practice.

Panjabi previously worked for a number of successful mid-market restaurant chains and perhaps the most startling thing about the Tavern (which was reborn just before Christmas) is how close it is to a real pub. The food is steady stuff, prices are very low indeed, it is a self-service operation. All of which is to the good.

The Punch Tavern got its previous re-branding in the 1840s when what was then called the Crown And Sugar Loaf was renamed in honour of its famous neighbour - Punch magazine. At that point the wonderful tiled entrance hall was built, as well as the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main bar, and the Punch And Judy-themed paintings and the magnificent wooden floors were added. All of which remain. For its conversion to a lunchtime gastropub, the new owners have merely plonked a long table in the front bar and covered it with a 21-dish salad-bar selection.

To one end there is a limited, and daily changing, choice of three or four casseroles which are served with rice: boeuf bourguignon, chilli con carne, sweet-and-sour pork, coq au vin. You pay a modest £5.50 at the bar, take a plate and help yourself. The food ain't gastronomy, but then gastronomy is not always what you want. The casseroles and salad bar are bolstered by a range of ciabatta paninis: tomato, basil and mozzarella, roast pork stuffing and apple sauce, tandoori chicken and cucumber raita. And there are a few specials: chicken skewers, or Caesar salad.

In the evenings the table is cleared away and the offer changes to 'platters' which come with warm ciabatta and range from decent cheeses to charcuterie and smoked fish (these all weigh in at £7.50). The Tavern strikes a resounding chord in the hospitality department - there's a full-on breakfast and, in the afternoon, the home-made cakes and brownies are worth a detour.

Once you could expect a welcome and something good to eat and drink in scores of inns and taverns throughout the land - sadly, that is no longer the case, which makes the Punch Tavern something of a welcome exception to the rule.