Editor Lizzie Lunn heads to Tibits to find out if healthy, heavenly (and hurried) can really go hand in hand…

A constant need for something quick, simple and nutritious to eat on the go has seen me immerse myself in a diet of sushi, sushi… & you guessed it, more sushi. Trying to be healthy when opting for something quick and easy can be as tricky as finding… well, an eligible bachelor in a city of playboys. And they made a six year long award winning tv show based on that premise. Enough said.

So it was with great anticipation that I accepted an invitation to vegetarian venue Tibits for a lunchtime review, hoping to discover the ‘Regent Street Romeo’ of restaurants. Billed as ‘fresh, healthy and delicious food and drink’, Tibits unique selling point is the choice of a wide range of dishes served on a ‘food boat’ – a  buffet experience that offers you the chance to take away, or eat in. Whatever you fancy… it’s quick as you like or leisurely as you please.

Offering over 35 dishes from all over the world, all minus meat, plus an array of fine wines (one can be too healthy sometimes after all) and delicious fruit juices, Tibits prides itself on attracting a lot more than just the vegetarian clientele. Indeed, when I stopped by on a Monday lunchtime, the sun was shining and the outdoor tables were buzzing, as shoppers and workers alike soaked up the rays, and the atmosphere.

Always quite the little joiner, I happily took a seat on the beautiful Designer’s Guild cushions and soaked up said rays to such an extent that I left the venue a different shade to that when I arrived. This was predictable. The fact that I filled my plate to the point where I began to worry about my dining etiquette, was not. As someone who all her life has been notoriously choosy, be it clothes, men or indeed, food, to be spoilt for choice isn’t something that happens every day. I wish it did… 

Falafel, parmesan pockets, tomato with broccoli pasta and a rather generous helping of cous cous thrown into the mix with seasonal vegetables, all filled my plate – quite a change from my usual miniature sushi pot from Boots. Still hungry for more, I filled a bowl full of grapes, strawberries and melon… topped with the Tibits chocolate mousse. I wasn’t even sure if they all ‘went together’ so to speak, but I remembered the mousse from opening night... and the memories were fond.

Thinking back, I can’t really believe how much food I consumed… with my chosen drink, a Mango Lassi, actually more similar to a fruit laden yoghurt, and equally as gorgeous, it’s a wonder I ever left the comfort of that Designer's Guild cushion...

The best thing about Tibits however, would have to be the price. At Tibits, you pay for the weight of your plate. Reassuringly, if common public decency hadn’t stopped me from filling up mine, my lunch would have cost me no more than £9.50, at which point Tibits cap the price. If I’d gone back for dinner (tempting, but I already had plans) it would have been capped at £11.50. Not bad for an evening meal in the heart of London.

Although I opted to eat in/out for my Tibits experience. The next time I’m rushing in between retailers and meetings and the clock strikes noon, it will no longer be a certainty for sushi every time. Of course, a girl can’t change the habit of a lifetime too easily… but Tibits, well, it’s certainly tempting…

For further information, telephone 020 7745 6146, or click on www.tibits.co.uk