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There cannot be too many places only six miles from the centre of London where it is possible to feel so strongly the atmosphere of a country pub. With Hampstead Heath on the doorstep Flask was a convenient place for travellers, ramblers and locals, as well as Dick Turpin who in an awkward moment took refuge in the cellars. Its name was gained by providing a point where health buffs could pop in and buy a container in which the Hampstead Spa waters might be transported homewards. Since then it has been a steady process of expansion to the point where now the chattering classes tend to outweigh all others, but not to the point of destroying the essentially rural feel to the place. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the quality and variety of the beer, underlined in a painting by William Hogarth, a former regular, extolling the virtues of drinking beer as opposed to the demon gin. The food tends to straddle the divide as well and once you have negotiated the bar-balanced bowls of olives you can order what might be termed as light refreshments or heavy snacks, or Highgate tapas even. These could involve a fairly arbitrary selection of ciabatta, bagels, feta, farmhouse bread, mushrooms and apple crumble - good sturdy rambler's fare, whose side 'her at the stove' appears to be on.

The Royal Couscous House is a reminder of the old adage that looks aren't everything. If you were to judge this restaurant by looks alone few customers would bother but if what you really want is classic Moroccan cuisine that's perfectly prepared and reasonably cheap, then you'll be more than happy to dine here. Linger over the fresh bread and exotic dips before moving onto one of their excellent tagines or spicy sausages with Marrakesh couscous.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.