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The Village restaurant is situated along Queenstown Road, just a short hop from Battersea Park. The food is based on traditional Middle Eastern dishes and is a popular place, making booking a table in advance a very wise idea. The set meze option, always a good introduction for first time diners, costs £15 a head and consists of a steady stream of bread, various dips and grilled meats. Alternatively, you can choose exactly what you want from the menu and still not break the bank. The taboulah for example, accompanied by a shish kebab fresh from the grill makes for a simple but delicious meal.

Reviewed by Linda Buttle

The subtle décor and positive vibe at Ciao Baby Cucina at Westfield London Shopping Centre in Ariel Way helps guests relax and unwind with ease. Its clientele can look forward to a sophisticated Italian menu full of rich traditional flavour and contemporary flair.

Prosciutto wrapped mozzarella baked with a cherry tomato salsa, Parma ham with wild rocket, pears and gorgonzola, pan fried prawns with sweet chilli, seared fillet with wild rocket and classic prawn cocktail set the ball rolling at Baby Cucina. Then, move on to oven baked aubergine with mozzarella, tomato and parmesan cheese, lasagna topped with chicken, mixed peppers, gorgonzola, mozzarella cheese and tomato, seafood risotto with saffron and char grilled lamb chops with rosemary olive oil and caponata. House specials include slow cooked pork belly with borlotti beans, chilli and onion and slow cooked lamb shank with lentils and fresh oregano. End the meal with baked ricotta cheesecake, amaretto and chocolate praline or fig and walnut tart with mascarpone cream. A classic cocktail before dinner or a glass of red and white wine completes the selection.

Alan Yau, creator of some high profile restaurants like Hakkasan and Yauatcha, now brings the characteristic communal style dining to London a la Wagamama. The first Busaba Eathai opened in Soho and two more outlets followed, and the interior of dark wood and decorative lanterns notch up the style factor, making it more than just an average café-style dining experience.

Eating here is mostly a one course affair and on a cold winter evening try the tom yam talay, prawn, squid and baby clams with vermicelli noodle in a spicy sour soup, and for the light eaters it could be a wing bean salad with toasted coconut, shallot and lime leaf. If the crowds are anything to go by, it means that Busaba Eathai must be doing several things right and curries must be one of them, like the aromatic geng gari gai with chicken, new potato and cucumber relish. A steaming hot cup of ginger and honey tea helps you finish the meal on a satisfying note.

The word Zakudia means 'good food' in a Zambian dialect and the restaurant lives up to its name by providing some delicious fare to its customers. It is located adjacent to Southwark Bridge and offers a full on view of the passing Thames. Inside, African paintings lend a striking contrast to the neutral walls and suede stools.  Zadukia is a fun place for an evening out, a leaving do, lunch after a South Bank stroll or take your mum for a steak sandwich after a trip to Borough Market.

The regularly changing menu reminds you of a dress shop with its sections presenting small, large and extra large plates to cater for varying appetites. Start with lightly toasted slices of baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before moving on to the chicken liver parfait with sweet onion marmalade. The seafood platter combines crabmeat, king prawns, baby spinach, salmon gravlax, potato mustard mayonnaise, lobster and mango. The drinks list has some well-chosen bottles and fresh fruit blends. The Zakudia specials have unusual names such as aperitif in Bangkok and Miss Thames.

Juniper Dining is a neighbourhood family restaurant located in the heart of Highbury, North London. The restaurant serves modern British and European cuisine and up to five daily fish specials which are sourced everyday from the best that the local market has to offer. Apart from the bread and ice cream, the menu is produced entirely in house and where possible, free from thickening agents and additives. The ambience is friendly and relaxed and the food is presented in a visually appealing manner.

Expect to find warm smoked duck salad with a beetroot and orange salad and crispy shallots and wild venison carpaccio with capers, rocket and parmesan salad and truffle oil among the lighter dishes. For dinner, order lemon and thyme roasted chicken breast with pumpkin and coriander hash, coconut curry sauce, lotus root crisps and Lancashire hotpot. Dessert could consist of Ele's chocolate pudding and vanilla panna cotta.