I was also surprised at the good ratings for this restaurant. A friend and i went here on a spur of the moment thing as Square Meal had voted it ‘Best in East’. The actual place is a small Argentinian cafe in a trendyish part of the area – old wooden tables/laminated short menu etc. We had a slightly pushy waitress who gave us the hard sell on wine and food and when we finally got a chance to view the menu, it was quite limited and looked like huge cuts of meat (10oz fillet and no other smaller pieces of the same meat). In some ways, its good because £22 a steak isnt cheap, but quality vs quantity was my main concern when pieces of meat were this big.

When the meal arrived – it was huge but not seasoned. Chips were delicious but very oily. My meat was meant to be medium but was actually bleeding and so i had to send it back to get cooked further. The waiter again did the hard sell on puddings – everything seemed to be covered in Duche Leche toffee which made my cheesecake and the ‘traditional pancakes’ overly sweet and not really worth the money. I just didn't feel anything was worth returning for.

All in all, bill came to £72 for two courses and 1 drink – as the other reviewers have said, Gaucho is pricey but at least its somewhere where there is a far better selection of meats and veggie options and you'd feel less hard done by when you leave! Buen Ayre is ok but i dont think it's anything special and certainly not worth revisiting.

Myself and two friends went to the Westbourne over the sunny weekend – it's a very funky, quaint looking place in an area behind Westbourne Grove, the kind of place you'd stumble over and slightly off the beaten track. It was initially quite quiet around 12ish but there was an array of waitresses and waiters/bar staff there to happily ignore us, which is why im giving it such a poor service score. When i finally got someone's attention (i had already booked a table), they seated us but didnt say anything about how to order etc and didnt ask about drinks etc. We then realised it was all order at the bar, which is fine, but we should have really been told this at the start. Service then got much better in the sense the food was outstanding, in my opinion. I had fillet of lamb with spiced cous couse and raitha, cooked to perfection, whilst friends had skate and poussin respectively, both of which they devoured! Pudding choice was limited but delicious – but i had chocolate mousse cake with creme fraiche which was similarly delicious and i pigged out again. Overall the bill came to approx £70 excluding drinks (2 courses each for three people). Id definitely recommend The Westbourne because of the excellent food, the lovely terrace which gets packed in the sun, and the quaint decor, very trendy and relaxed. I would say the service leaves much to be desired, they need to have at least one professional member to bring it all together rather than all these seemingly zombie/surfer dude sorts who dont know seem to know what they are doing. I dont think this will detract from the popularity though as it was heaving when we left around 4, but could make it all the more perfect.

I finally got a chance to visit the lovely Maze Grill – i had only heard from those who had been on business lunches that it was excellent so i longed to try it out myself. Hurray – finally!

OK, in terms of decor, its very white/light in colour a la Chez Bruce and tables are well laid out so where i sat, you could see the chefs at work. I was hoping to see Jason Atherton as id loved watching Great British Menu but nothing, just normal cheffy types. Service was good – pleasant knowledgable waiter who was very friendly, and i noted how other groups were treated as so too – always a nice thing rather than waiters frowning as they turn their backs.

Foodwise – both of us picked lovely fillet steaks which was close to £28 each. This was Hereford grass fed – ie i think meant to be very good, but there was also an array of meaty options, many of which i could have gorged down. I have to hold my hands up and say, the food is excellent and mouthwateringly so. I don't remember tasting a more perfect steak aside from maybe the ever excellent Gaucho. Anyway, I didn't really want to say that Maze Grill is as good as it is as it is hugely expensive for ‘just a steak’ but as my sister put it, ‘its really not that easy to find a decent cooked one’. Everything was also exceedingly well presented on a little wooden chopping board type things with a large roasted garlic bulb – very cool and satisfying my comfort craving tendencies…all in all, the main course was incredibly filling and satisfying that we didnt have pudding but i'd say we were mainly there for the steaks, desserts could come later!

Downsides – the price as at £70 for two and just for one course, this was very hefty for the average person who sees dining out as a treat but hasnt a huge disposable income – but i did note that one of the larger family type groups there went for the set menu which was 2 courses for £15, 3 for £18 which is pretty amazing given it's Central London and part of the Gordon Ramsey chain. I left thinking yes it's pricey but that i'd definitely go back as a treat – a real luxury for a London carnivore i'd say!

I picked Las Iguanas as a convenient option prior to seeing a movie at the NFT. The food is actually so so but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. There were queues outside when we left about 8pm. I can imagine its going to be a great venue for big parties over xmas. Decor is very in your face – not for the faint hearted or those looking for a quieter nigt out (try Skylon or Canteen nearby)

Foodwise i had half a slow roast chicken with salad and my friend had the chicken enchilada. We shared a delicious (but very small) guava type cheesecake slice and the bill came to £32. We both agreed that although the staff were very friendly, didnt push the drinks (althoug happy hour till 7 – buy one get one free), the food is quite standard mexican fare and not worth making a special effort to revisit. Better mexicans include Benito's Hat and Cafe Pacifico in Covent Garden but if you are looking for something loud and fun, this is a good choice for groups out to have fun. The location is also lovely in the sense just near the river and making a change from central.

I have loved and loathed Yautacha and have considered it one of my favourite places to indulge.

The food is excellent and i always come away thinking i've had something very special. Im not a huge dim sum lover myself but the selection on offer changed my thoughts on this. I've tended to go for the crispy lamb in the past but companions have loved the venison dim sum with a passion. I also love how they have the tea house link to it so i can also indulge in a lovely beautifully presented cake on show in the window. In the past, i've always neglected desserts at Chinese restaurants but Yautacha is somewhere where you can't say no. Ill certainly be giving vouchers to friends for afternoon tea there, just to experience the indulgence on offer!

Decor should be mentioned as the downstairs is stunning – like Busaba Ethai but more moody lighting. I'd never sat downstairs before but i realise now it's the place to be if you have a few friends with you.

The only big point i have to make is the service – aside from maybe one person ive been served by, the service has been very poor. I've had the same feedback from several friends who have been completely put off by table turning or rude snobbish staff. I haven't had such a worst case scenario but i have had offhandish people serving who do make you feel very unimportant and do tend to put you off rebooking and on one occasion has tended to demand the service charge be paid when the service was pretty poor.

At the moment though, im in a ‘love it’ stage and as with most people in love, a bit of a sucker for it so will still go back – certainly very highly recommended!

Levant is a beautiful and expensive venue and i've never really seen anything like it around London. I have been here twice now and certainly one of the loveliest places to go, like a hidden arabian coven in the midst of Marylebone/behind Selfridges and designed as authentically as it can be. To me, its far better designed than any other middle eastern haunt but the food doesn't quite measure up as highly as the decor.

We went as a small group and had normal starters (nothing amazing – humous, falafel etc) but then for my main i had a delicious spiced lamb shank type dish with pilau nut rice, absolutely mouthwatering…that itself makes me want to return as it was a delicious dish which i did not want to share as did my companions who had varying types of mixed grills and scoffed these down happily too. There isnt a huge choice of meals though and i'd say they tend to encourage expensive set menus to be purchased. Desserts again was simply creme brulee type things or mousse but nothing outstanding to shout about as was the pleasant so so service.

The plus sides of such a place, its an amazing setting for a party or a group looking for a funky boho venue. The food is good and has a slight twist so caters for most palettes. The downside, extremely expensive for someone like me – £45 per head for shared starters, single mains and shared desserts and non alc drinks. Also, they seem to freely advertise the fact that tables must be returned within the 2 hour time limit, which rules me out booking a group table on a Saturday for my birthday any time soon. It does also advertise having belly dancers and fire eaters though i havent had the pleasure of seeing either. In short, there is definitely better food in Al Waha in Queensway or Ozer in Oxford Circus but in terms of something different, relaxed and boho, definitely worth a look in.

Tom's Kitchen is one of the hotspots of famed Michelin starred chef Tom Aikens. I had to comment as i'd read it was going into receivership or something but it's actually really good and worth hunting out!!! He has a couple of other pricier places but this one seemed right up my alley, comfort food in a relaxed trendy slightly crowded diner, lots of meat, pies – just plain old hearty food! We got there about 8pm, half an hour early and the place was heaving so we sat in the luxury bar upstairs. When i say luxury, i mean leather sofas and papers to read! We sat for a little while before being called down for our meals. The menu itself is not huge but it's split into types of meat and one or two vegetarian options. I decided on slow roast pork as i hardly cook it, whilst partner had roast leg of lamb. Both were equally delicious and melt in the mouth meals and truthfully, i rather missed my meal when it was gone…for dessert we picked a romantic Baked Alaska for two which the waitress brought along in a copper pot and set it alight for us. This was lovely but could have been improved as it was like one giant burning meringue. My basic knowledge of Baked Alaskas suggest that there should be a bit more ice cream! But for visual impressions, this was quite glorious.

Overall, the bill came to £56 which was for two mains, one side, one dessert for two + 2 soft drinks. In my mind that was quite a lot but then again the mains were near perfect and since id certainly be going back, it was well worth it. Finally how did it set my heart alight? Well, that's just a nod to having my pudding set on fire, so to speak – how many Sunday evenings can i say end that way!

Our latest exploit was for a meal at the acclaimed Arbutus, supposedly ‘Best Restaurant in Soho’ followed by an evening at the comedy. I picked Arbutus as i'd been reading up in various guides that this was the ‘place du jour’ and like with Bumpkin in Kensington, i wanted to see what the fuss was about. We booked for an early table at half 5 and surpringly it was full. It didn't strike me as an exceedingly fancy place, still relatively nicely laid out, a kind of ‘first date venue’ but not somewhere you'd feel out of place.

Service was good and helpful as i, as always, had plenty of questions, and the menu itself was varied, lots of fish, meat etc. Partner did his usual ‘choose fish and i wont need to share with the girlfriend’ thing – he ordered a starter of eel, followed by what looked like giant meatballs, both of which he seemed to really enjoy. I started with chicken liver terrine, followed by a very pinky delicious rib eye steak and dauphinois potatoes. Only being able to speak for mine, mine was a near perfect meal, in that i wasn't stuffed and everything was cooked beautifully. Of course, we grudgingly forced ourselves to have desserts, he with creme brulee and i with the signature ‘Chocolate Soup’ – which was in fact like melted Gu – ie delicious gooey chocolate with a side of creamy ice cream. Altogether, with some non alc drinks, it came to £77, so £36 each – which i'd say was not that bad – considering right in the middle of Soho, and i knew i'd certainly be returning, which isn't something i often say given there is so much choice in London.

To finish, all i can say is it's refreshing coming somewhere and getting an actually reaasonably priced delicious meal in central London. Was it all worth it? – Ar-but-it w-us… cheesy i know… :o)

Chutney Mary is quite lovely inside. The best place to sit is in the conservatory, where you can sit under a big tree, on lots of pretty cushions, and feel somewhat enlightened as you tuck into your chicken tikka. Our starters ranged from veggie street food to duck kebabs and all were quite delicious, yes, EVEN the veggie ones. For mains, we asked if they did any biriyanis, which themselves weren't on the menu. The waiter kindly said it should be possible to make some so we ordered several of these, plus some sort of chicken dish for one of our group. Actually, this is the second time i've ordered something which was ‘off menu’ (pomegranete raita) and both times, the waiters were happy to oblige. Biriyanis were delicious, with a similar pastry crust as Zaika introduced, but not as nice, but the content was certainly mouthwatering, as you might expect! We had a number of standard sides but all in all, a very comforting good indian meal. Our bill came to £100 approx for 4 people, and that was with the discount. Which does mean that without a discount, you'd be looking at £40 a head without alcoholic drinks, which is quite hefty given the array of indian restaurants in London. But then we are in Chelsea…

The thing with Chutney Mary is, i feel, the food is not quite outstanding, as i'd say Zaika is, but on the flip side, it's been around so long that there has to be something special about it, maybe the out of the way oasis location, or the excellent service, or just the lovely decor. Worth trying after you've tried Zaika and Veeraswamy and the Painted Heron…

Bumpkin gets so many rave reviews – so i really wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Partner ordered some sort of potato soup for starter whilst i ordered sheep's feet on toast. Before any sheep reading this reclines in horror, they are mushrooms. Rock and roll! He raved about the soup giving it a 10 but my starter wasn't wonderful – it felt overseasoned and tangy, but perhaps i'm just used to creamy Nigella style mushrooms on toast hence a heathen of sorts. For my main, i ordered the famed Charter Pie – in short, chicken, leek and mushroom pie – with sides. Again, nice and warming but not amazing. I would have preferred a nice indulgent pie with a flaky pastry crust rather than the slightly tougher crust this one had. Partner had haddock with some sort of creamy side and enjoyed his but still was salivating over his starter. We were both stuffed so avoided the dessert (cheesecake, fondant etc etc). Overally the bill came to approx £50, 2 courses each plus non alc drinks, so not hugely extortionate…

In short, I felt a bit ‘Emperors New Clothes’ as there has been so many great reviews about the place. I'd say, Bumpkin is somewhere you should try if in the area but i wouldnt go out of my way to visit – its a lovely designed place, homely food, fantastic apple mojitos but i wouldnt say it lives up to the reviews. I did go away thinking that was ok and how can i recreate that apple mojito?…But giving them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps it was me, picking the wrong menu choice that day and it may turn out to be pretty perfect next time.

The Ivy itself is an institution, fantastic reviews, some saying it's overrated but most raving about the quality. However, i always felt there existed that aura of stuffiness which has put me off going there in the past. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was posh inside but not in an intimidating way. Friendly staff guided us to our table where we proceeded to look hungrily at the very British menu provided. I started with Eggs Benedict, roast lamb for my main and ended with a chocolate pudding. Mr Foodie – fiend stuffed himself with gnocchi to start, skate for main and a sorbet for dessert (with ‘Happy Birthday’ written for added effect in chocolate). All those plus drinks came to just over £100. My food was near perfect. I half wanted it to be rubbish so that i could say it wasn't worth the money but it was actually very lovely and i left with a big smile on my face, well we both did.

Enoteca Turi is one of those local hidden gems which really doesnt seem to be as well known as it should be. We ventured there when i lived in Putney and my partner loved Italian food so i thought we should try this place. It always looked empty from the outside but i realise now this was because they seemed to fill the place up from the back outwards! Again, fabulous food which truly tasted ‘authentic’. I had steak which was cooked perfectly. Partner had veal and still talks about it regularly! You have to make bookings on the weekend but after trying so many places in town, this must be one of the best Italian places around.

I have to say Chez Bruce certainly lives up to expectations – i was nervous as i thought i wouldn't be the right ‘fit’ for a place rated so highly and seemingly so ‘posh’ but the food is delicious and the service is flawless. My partner and i took a lazy afternoon off as it's cheaper during the week/at lunch and spent the time indulging there.