Jen – As you can tell I agree with you. The question of preferring New York-style bagels and deli meat to their London counterparts (or vice versa) is almost irrelevant: there are far better places for London bagels and London salt beef than Brick Lane.

Foodrambler – If you do try Beigel Bake’s salt beef I’d be curious to know what you think. Maybe you can compare it to one from my list of the top 5 hot salt beef sandwiches in London.

Drew – Thanks. Your comment to the Evening Standard list of after-hours restos is spot on.

I was moved to comment on this one:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/restaurants/article-23745123-enjoy-a-midnight-feast-at-one-of-these-after-hours-restaurants.do

for its inability to even recommend 5 places where you can order after midnight in an article about 5 places to eat after hours!

Julia – You’re right to remind us that the Beigel Bake is one of the few surviving bastions of the Jewish East End. In an earlier post I referred to it as a revered relic and a London institution. For that very reason I wish the salt beef were better.

While a hungry student at McGill University in Montreal I benefited from a favourable exchange rate. A buttery croissant at La Patisserie Belge cost the equivalent of 5p.

Nathan – I like Gaby’s salt beef. I believe they brine their own briskets, which few salt beef bars do. Home recipe or not, the salt beef is not as acutely salty as it can be elsewhere. What bothers me is that after hand-carving the meat and assembling your sandwich they (re)heat it in a microwave, which makes the rye bread soggy.