The Angel on the Bridge, Henley on Thames

It's a funny thing but there is only one place, really, to eat on the river in Henley.  On a soggy turned sunny Sunday three of us out for a birthday out of London entered the beer garden of The Angel on the Bridge in the hope of securing a table.

The last picnic bench beckoned and we sat with pinot grigio watching boats cruise by.  There are a lot of outdoor tables which all share one big blackboard style menu.  To order you must weave your way into a very small inside bar and carry sauces and cutlery back with you.  But this is, I remind myself, a pub and not of the gastro variety.  In fact for this we were quite glad as we cheerfully tucked into Brakspear beer battered cod, chips and peas, roast beef and Cajun chicken with salsa (not all at once).  The food was as you might expect.  Served respectively with a mound of chips, veg and chips, it was of a pretty good quality - nothing remarkable but we managed it all and the service was with a smile - the guy who brought over the food brought us extra condiments without request, just in case we needed them.

One course and a third of a bottle of wine: £15 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Food: 6/10

SCORE: 27/40

The Angel on the Bridge, Thameside, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1BH.  Tel: 01491 410768.

L'Antipasto, Battersea

Its location, midway between all our homes, and the fact that it offers 50% off main courses on a Thursday (among other nights) led us to select L'Antipasto for a friend's leaving meal.  She was off on a nine month trip to Australia, via Japan and China, and then later visiting New Zealand and Thailand to finish in the US.  We didn't, therefore, mind sending her off with some simple European fare.

I booked about ten days earlier as I suspected it might be busy.  I was right - the queue was out of the door when we got there.  They don't allow bookings for smaller parties - I don't know what the cut off size is but as a party of 8 we were able to reserve.  Another suspicion of mine that was also proved correct was that this is not a place for posh nosh.  This is a neighbourhood trattoria serving traditional Italian dishes at fair prices.  We began by sharing garlic bread, which came as a slim pizza base cut into around 10 slices.  We had ordered two but only one came and as it was more than enough we didn't mention it.  It was very tasty and light but if I had a complaint it would be that it was a little bit greasy.

For main courses we all stuck with firm favourites as this seemed the sort of place where that would serve you well.  My lasagne came in a white dish with no sides or salad etc.  It was very nice - nothing remarkable but the rich tomato sauce tasted fresh, the meat was flavoursome and there was a generous cheese topping.  Other choices such as the bolognese and the seafood spaghetti prompted a similar reception - good value, nothing to write home about but certainly nothing to complain about.

The portion size is generous and we couldn't force a pudding, although I was sorely tempted by a tiramisu.  The house wine was more than drinkable and we weren't rushed at all, despite the fact that it was heaving and the queue still snaked out into the rain.

Two courses and a third of a bottle of wine: £15 per head (with 50% off main courses)

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Food: 6/10

SCORE: 28/40

L'Antipasto, 511 Battersea Park Road, London, SW11 3BW.  Tel: 020 72239765.

Leon, Strand

Another friend was staying (August was busy) and we found ourselves on The Strand on a Thursday lunchtime.  I wasn't tempted by the usual options of Pret, McDonalds or Starbucks and so was happy when I remembered that there was a branch of the Leon chain in the locality and I had been wanting to give it a try.

The outside is kitsch and eye-catching, inside there is ample seating and a large counter where you order your food and take it away to your table.  There was so much delicious choice that we dithered for a while before Alex chose the roasted sweet potato falafel and I chose the Moroccan chicken tagine, both served with organic pilaff rice and slaw.  The food is served to you in a cardboard b0x - a little like how Chinese food is delivered in America.  It surprised me, though, that they didn't serve food on plates if you are eating in - is that not more environmentally friendly?  

At any rate the food was very good - tasty and filling with lots of flavour.  My only complaint would be that I didn't have a huge amount of chicken. Both of us washed lunch down with a fresh Leon-made lemonade which was big and a nice combo of sweet sugar and lemony zing.

Post-lunch we were full and satisfied - not something you can often say after a quick bite at a sandwich/salad chain.

One course and a soft drink: £6.50 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Food: 7/10

SCORE: 27/40

Leon, 73-76 The Strand, London, WC2R 0DE.  Tel: 020 72403070.

The Chutney, Wandsworth Town

Another visit from my cousin meant another request to visit The Chutney.  This time we didn't book and got the last table for two.

Again, the service was exemplary.  You are never rushed but can always attract someone's attention when you would like to.  The poppadoms were crisp and freshly made, the chutneys were so tasty.

Main courses didn't disappoint either.  You always get a decent amount of meat and rice, sometimes a factor that lets an Indian meal down, and the naan was warm, fluffy and not greasy.  

The Chutney is such a popular local favourite and now it's one of mine.

Two courses and half a bottle of wine: £20 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Food: 7/10

SCORE: 30/40

The Chutney, 11 Alma Road, London, SW18 1AA.  Tel: 020 88704588.

Konnigans, Wandsworth Town

I have never had a good experience in Konnigans: from noone coming to take even a drinks order or bring a menu after half an hour to soggy Thai food and draughty tables, there always seems to be something wrong.  Unfortunately, last time I ate at Global that was bad too and with my friend still down, and not wanting to stray far, I thought we would give Konnigans one last chance (they are owned by the same guy anyway so he wasn't losing out either way).

I will not be going again.  It should be a lovely restaurant - it's front windows open fully onto the pretty and quiet Old York Road, their chairs are reclaimed from a church, the menu is modern but with old favourites.  This time it wasn't the service but the food that let it down.  Their lunchtime menu has a sandwiches section and that was the kind of thing we wanted - two of us went for a tuna cheese melt and another of us for a steak baguette.  The cokes we ordered came in glasses that were slightly scratched and the noise and smell from the open kitchen made us feel like we were in a cheap cafe.

The food arrived exactly as described on the menu-there was zero presentation effort, just a greasy ciabatta and chips on a coloured plate.  It wasn't a particularly nice ciabatta - not dreadful but certainly not in keeping with the style of the place.  Another to be struck off the list...

One course and a soft drink: £7 per head

Value: 6/10

Service: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Food: 5/10

SCORE: 24/40

Konnigans, 344-346 Old York Road, Wandsworth, London, SW18 1SS.  Tel: 020 88711496.

The Thai, Wandsworth Town

Having lived in the area for a long time I cannot believe that I have never eaten in The Thai before.  We had a takeaway from there once, years ago, and I remember the green Thai curry being very hot - perhaps it put me off.

But anyway, I had a friend staying for the weekend and we decided to try it.  At 8 on a Friday night we went down, having booked, and were delighted at how pretty it was inside.  Dark wood and twinkling fairylights create a very romantic atmosphere, and indeed a lovely setting for two old friends to catch up.  The staff are very friendly and attentive.  We had the platter for two to start, accompanied by a really good Rioja.  There was no greasy batter or chewy meat to be had - everything was superbly cooked and good quality from the prawn toast to the chicken skewers.  A chicken massaman curry for main course was just delicious, too, with light fluffy rice.

It's a good job this restaurant is in Wandsworth Town because if it were anywhere more central you would never ever get a table there.

Two courses and half a bottle of wine: £28 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Food: 8/10

SCORE: 31/40

The Thai, 362 Old York Road, London, SW18 1SP.  Tel:  020 88772725.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Fulham Broadway

We turned up at Gourmet Burger Kitchen at 8pm on a Wednesday evening and were seated immediately.  The inside is fairly plainly decorated with plenty of wooden tables and chairs.

A waiter brought over menus and took our order of a bottle of house white, telling us we need to order food at the counter.  I am still surprised by the fact that GBK does not offer table service and in fact it caused a bit of confusion because we wanted to pay separately, not all of us having cash, and when my friend placed her order they asked her to pay for our wine.  A system that needs tweaking I think.

However, we ordered a variety of mains: a beef burger with cheese and bacon for me, a chicken burger, small 'children's' burger with salad and vegetable stack with melted cheese for the others.  They arrived together and were absolutely delicious.  I cannot fault their burgers, they are simply the best I have had.  The patties are thick and juicy, buns and salad fresh and the chips (although charged separately) are not greasy and are very filling.  

The atmosphere and fact that you must order at the counter doesn't encourage you to linger here, and with there often being a queue I can see why they encourage this vibe.  We'll be back again though - the food was universally praised by our group.

One course and a glass of wine: £15 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Food: 8/10

SCORE: 28/40

Gourmet Burger Kitchen, 49 Fulham Broadway, London, SW6 1AE.  Tel: 020 73814242.