Eagle Bar Diner, Soho

It find it frustrating that in order to meet friends conveniently after work we have to go central and I feel like I am running out of good, fair-priced dinner options.

However, there are still a few places on my list to try and three of us made our way to Eagle Bar Diner, just off Oxford Street, one weekday evening.  It was about half full and quite a smart interior compared to, say, The Diner on Ganton Street.  We had two waiters, both extremely flirty, and we ordered some house white whilst perusing the menu.  It is a pretty standard diner style menu, which was exactly what we fancied, and all we all had burgers - mine classic and my friends' Arkansas BBQ.  Fries are sold separately which bumps up the price and so we shared two portions between us - one plain, one cheesy.  The burgers were good, nice meat and generous fillings, and the fries more than enough for us.  The meal was nothing too out of the ordinary but for the price and location a good option.   My friends shared a brownie and ice cream which seemed to go down well.  If you're passing this place and fancy some fries, there are certainly worse options.

Two courses and a glass of wine: £22 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Food: 7/10

SCORE: 27/40

Eagle Bar Diner, 3-5 Rathbone Place, London, W1T 1HJ.  Tel: 020 76371418.

The Frog and Forget-Me-Not, Clapham

The Frog and Forget-Me-Not is an unprepossessing pub which serves Thai food, recommended to me by a friend who loves her Thai food. In fact, I went with her, and another three friends, for a chilled Sunday evening bite.

The interior is tatty - dark red walls surround a mish mash of tables and worn sofas but the room lacks atmosphere and the music and lighting weren't quite right. You have to order food from a hatch, where you also pay. It arrived a few minutes later, it was obviously all waiting to be heated and served.

Tom Yum soup was good - spicy and tangy and just the right amount. Prawn toast was less successful - greasy and a bit soggy. My nasi goreng was good, nothing to shout about, but certainly not the worst I have had. Others' noodle options, such as the pad thai, went down well and one of us chose an English option - fish and chips - which was typical pub grub.

Not one to add to my list of favourites.

Two courses and a soft drink: £14 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Food: 7/10

SCORE: 25/40

The Frog and Forget-Me-Not, 32 The Pavement, London, SW4 0JE. Tel: 020 76225230.