citysearch seems to have picked up on two places I've been going to a bit lately, since they're not too far from home and all :

• Pause - the bar food's pretty good, it's a nice place to go to sip a beer and Just Sit for a while. Don't expect to be able to read a book for very long - they keep dimming the lights. I don't think I've actually ever gone there with anybody else yet, so I can't say whether it's a good place for a chat. I suspect it'd be pretty good, although the background music's a bit hit-and-miss. It only opens after 5pm, which is a bit of a shame - it'd be a nice place to go on a weekend afternoon, for instance. Interesting bathroom, too (check out the sink).

• the Hare and Tortoise - I thought the Balaclava shops had it good (or better) when Pause arrived, but then this place showed up. They do a pretty good Eggs Benedict (my measure of a morning café), and the cashew kofta balls with jasmine rice were pretty good, the one time I had them. I haven't tried any of the bigger meals, but the menu always looks fairly good.

I still haven't checked out another new place in Carlisle St, though, called The Local. It's also only open in the evenings, unfortunately.