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Little Italy is situated at one end of the high street and is a reliably good Italian restaurant serving up all the classic pasta, pizza and risotto dishes you would expect. In addition there's also a selection of interesting fish dishes, such as char-grilled swordfish steak with a spring onion and garlic sauce (£8.95), or a selection of grilled mixed fish including sardine, squid, king prawns and mussels (£11.95). From the meat based dishes there's also chicken breast with a lemon and caper sauce (£9.25), or veal escalope strips served in a mustard and red onion and white wine sauce (£11.25).

Reviewed by Linda Buttle

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.

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.

Blubeckers has an impressive chain of more than twenty restaurants spread across the South East and although the unifying factor in each is the superb food and drink they offer, each restaurant is distinct and stands out on its own, rather than a mindless factory assembly product. Consider for example the gorgeous buildings that they choose, every single one of them attractive, full of character and charm, creating a relaxing and casual atmosphere for drinkers and diners.

Tempting options for lunch include sandwiches served on thick white or malted brown bloomer, whereas light bites such as macaroni and cheese or handmade scotch egg are equally popular. The main menu brings you starters such as pork and apricot terrine followed by grilled lamb steak in mint and redcurrant sauce, served with rosemary roasted new potatoes. End with a plum tarte tatin and enjoy the wide range of wines, champagnes, beers and ales from their excellent bar.

If your culinary conception of London is built around expensive restaurants or not-so-expensive-less-quality eateries then think again, as there are still places like Byron that offer some good value food to those on a tight budget. Well, how can anyone go wrong with a burger, you may ask, but this burger chain is not just about a slab of meat slapped between two halves of a bun, here the meat is sourced from small farms, the cattle roam freely in the Scottish Highlands, and the hamburgers are freshly ground every day; surely it can't get more simple than that.

The menu opens up an abundance of inexpensive delights, starting with burgers stuffed with dry cure bacon, mature cheddar, Byron sauce, or corn fed chicken fillet with tomato, mayo and baby spinach. Their salads are a wonderful melange of fresh ingredients such as squash and feta unified by garlic and parsley dressing, and buffalo mozzarella and Portobello mushroom with crispy bacon, almonds and cos lettuce dressed with honey balsamic. Desserts include the indulgent banoffee pie and caramel and honeycomb sundae.