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With a quirky name such as theirs, The Last Days of Decadence immediately grabs your attention, but a visit confirms that they're everything that their hedonistic name promises to be, and the good news is the party has just begun; the last days are nowhere in immediate sight. This sumptuously decorated bar adopts different personas, from a nightclub, to a theatre venue and even a tea room serving some of their infamous 'cockteas'. It's the ideal venue to host your parties if you're looking for some place with an edge and an attitude that appeals to a wide cross section of people.

Nibble on light and appetising dishes such as chargrilled chicken wings with a spicy dressing, whole oven baked Camembert with bread and red currant relish, grilled haloumi with lemon. Their range of cocktails in their two elegant bars is pleasing and there's an excellent selection of wines available too.

Take a detour off the Mile End Road, and enter an oasis within a cultural desert to find The Morgan Arms, situated on the edge of Tredegar Square, a kind of Cockney Eaton Square where bankers rubs elbows with builders, and life beyond the pub gets put on hold. Whatever their origin punters may well be enjoying a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord or Aspall Cyder from Suffolk.

What cannot go unnoticed is the food. It's a gourmet's heaven, with dishes that change every day, priding itself on the unusual ingredients used by the chef.. The concise but simply-executed menu may include starters of devilled whitebait, lemon and tartare sauce; baked goats' cheese, French bean and walnut salad with toast and mustard dressing, or spiced chicken livers with carrot mint and radish salad.

Larger dishes are quite straightforward and The Morgan classic fishcakes accompanied by wilted spinach, poached eggs and cream sauce make a nice contrast to pork loin Cordon Bleu surrounded by broccoli and bashed sweet potato.

Lovers of red meat may prefer the Scottish 28 day matured rib-eye steak with runner beans, julienne fried and red wine jus, or the roasted lamb rump with olive crushed Jersey Royals, red onion, caper and anchovy relish.

Platters to offer a little bit of everything come in the shape of a nibbles board. You can try six different choices including feta-stuffed chillies, and roasted garlic cloves. Leave room for the dessert sampler's four chocolate puds of morsel sizes, served assiette style.

The globetrotting wine list includes bins from around the world that take in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In April 2005 The Morgan was proclaimed the Evening Standard's Pub of the Year. This remarkable pub has a beautifully carved and inscribed bar, stained glass windows and shelves stacked with books and other knick knacks.

The Viet Hoa Café specializes in authentic Vietnamese cuisine and what it lacks in stylish surroundings it more than makes up for in its food. Crispy duck pancakes are a popular choice here as is the pho bo, a traditional beef noodle soup and with main courses for around the £6 mark you can make this a regular spot for lunch or a cheap evening out.

Reviewed by Linda Buttle

Relaxation is an art form perfected by the Italians, and bringing this concept to London's Roman Road is Chicchi, a trendy cafe and art lounge where you can linger over a cup of fragrant coffee and a slice of cake, either alone or with friends. The atmosphere is unhurried and mellow and the quiet background music helps you feel at ease whether you're there for a quick snack or a lazy lunch.

A look at the menu could cause a bit of dilemma because you might want to try a bit of everything, but since that's not easy, you could try some of the tasty salads with avocados and prawns or turkey and bacon. They have some delicious pasta dishes as well as homemade beef lasagne whilst the pizza sandwiches with ham, cheese and tomato are exciting. Toasted waffles come with a range of different toppings while ice creams are a popular choice for dessert. Apart from milkshakes and smoothies, Chicchi serves a number of Italian wines and beers.