Valiantly battling a vicious hangover, following another all-dayer comparing Sunday pub roasts in NW London (yes, life’s hard), I struggled along to The Wet Fish Café for a spot of Monday-blues-bashing lunch.

Things got off to a promising start when my soya latte was delivered, as requested, extra hot. They probably think I’m a real loser, spoiling their quality coffee in this manner, but that’s how I like it… and it was lovely.

Having eaten half a ton of assorted animals the previous day, something healthy seemed sensible, especially as I needed to speed up the healing of my hand injury, which I assume everyone in London is well aware of by now. And, before you worry further, yes, I can still open a bottle of wine with a normal, non-cheating corkscrew.

So, my “breakfast salad” arrived; an instantly appetising plate of herbed scrambled eggs, diced tomato with shreds of red onion, feta, spinach, and joyously ripe avocado (a word I can never spell without, errm, a spellchecker) – and some toasted brown bread which was great; satisfying, chewy texture yet crisp at the edges. Proper bread maketh proper toast.

Hard to find fault; the eggs were especially fine, the spinach fresh, though perhaps cherry tomatoes would be even more pleasing to go with the feta, and I could have managed a couple more of the toasts, with some Marmite also in attendance (probably available had I asked).

Sensing my hangover needed one final battering, I checked out the day’s counter cakes, and the menu’s dessert options. Like an arrow zoning in on a bullseye, my gaze focussed very quickly on the rhubarb and apple crumble with cinnamon and raisin ice cream. Wow – superb! The balance of acidity and sweetness was perfect, and the ice cream was really special.

So there you have it. The Wet Fish Cafe – it’s almost worth deliberately inducing a hangover for!