The Quay Cafe

You'll find yourself at The Quay Cafe tucked into Dolphin Quays, that stretch of the waterfront that's somehow managed to stay proper rather than overly polished. It's the kind of place where you can watch the boats while eating something that tastes like it was actually made that morning, not batch-prepared at dawn. The crowd's a mix of office workers from the surrounding buildings, dog walkers taking a breather, and locals who've worked out it's one of the few spots on The Quay where you won't feel fleeced or rushed. Prices are reasonable for what you get—expect to pay around £5–8 for a decent lunch—and the service moves at a human pace rather than the frantic turnover you get elsewhere along the water.