IT’S 2pm on a Friday as general manager Ellie Cole offers me a tipple of the signature Yard G&T cocktail (£4.95).

Afternoon drinking isn’t encouraged at the Limeyard, the latest addition to Ealing’s Broadway’s growing panoply of gastronomic delights, but escapism is.

The hustle and bustle of the high street is a distant memory on entering this minimalist homage to our star-spangled cousins.

Plump brown cushions sit invitingly on rustic wooden seats as newspapers dangle off the threadbare wall hangers.

There’s a lived-in quality to the space, not yet three weeks old, that’s charming in its homely feel.

The menu is an amalgam of America and Asian influences, catering particularly to the health conscious with the Kale & Spinach Benedict and ‘Avocado on Toast’ highly recommended on the breakfast menu.

For lunch, I sampled the Limeyard Buttermilk Chicken (£9.50) with warm peanut and coriander rice salad. The crispy outer coat of the chicken complemented the crunch of the salad with a sweet after-taste that lingered pleasantly in the mouth.

Service was warm and brisk, yet the frenetic pinballing of staff around the room didn’t detract from the tranquil Zen that the restaurant had induced. I also tried the Roast Sweet and Spicy Chicken with red chillies, qunioa, coriander and spring onion. The spicy oriental infusion counterbalanced the richness of the American cuisine to novel effect.

Finally, the Elderflower and Lime spritzer was a refreshing accompaniment to a meal I wish had lasted longer.

The monochrome clock hanging off the ceiling might as well be an adornment. Time doesn’t matter at the Limeyard. The Limeyard is open Monday-Thursday 8am-11pm, Friday and Saturday 8am-11.30pm and Sunday 8am to 11.30pm.

Call 0208 567 9056 to make a reservation or visit http://limeyardrestaurant.com/