Trockel Ulmann und Freunde

(££) ***1/2 This little German-run brightly-coloured soup cafe on Pembroke Street is literally at the heart of the universty centre. Three different fresh, homemade and generaly delicious soups are dished up each day, and the atmosphere is bustling with students and academics from the nearby New Museums and Downing sites. The walls are decorated with old art and theatre posters, and the atmosphere is convivial and animated, despite the strangely dour staff. Unattractive features include the baguette sandwiches offered as accompaniment to the soups are routinely dry and unappetising, as is the murky, gungy filter coffee that goes under the name of 'espresso'. There are no proper tables and chairs, only tall stools to perch on - a fact which discourages one from lingering for a leisurely lunch. Yet in spite of all this, Trockel Ulmann and Freunde remains a very pleasant and well-loved spot for a quick lunch.