Pret A Manger

You're rushing through Elephant and Castle—either heading towards the Northern Line or ducking between meetings in SE1—and you need something decent to eat that won't derail your day. This Pret sits right in the thick of it, serving the usual suspects: their signature baguettes, salads that actually taste fresh, and coffee that's genuinely decent for a chain. It's the sort of place where you'll see the same regulars every Tuesday morning, where staff move with the precision of people who've done this a thousand times, and where you can grab a meal deal for around £5-6 without questioning whether you've been mugged off. Nothing fancy, but it does exactly what it promises.