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The Moby Dick is located in a prime spot on the docks in Surrey Quays. On a warm sunny day, the patio or the benches in front are the perfect place to set up camp for the afternoon, look out across the water and sink a few pints.

However, I’m also pleased to say that there’s more to tempt you back than just the location; if you’re also after a good meal at a reasonable price than this pub will be right up your street.

There’s a range of traditional pub fare on offer – everything from sandwiches to scampi & chips to…pizza?! They also have a regularly changing specials menu, just to keep things interesting. Although the food won’t blow you away, it’s generally good and freshly cooked and most main meals are around the £6 / £7 mark.

The portions are sizeable, and it’s unlikely you’ll need one of the starters or sweets available on the menu – I’ve eaten at The Moby Dick on a number of occasions and I’m yet to try one. I can however recommend the lasagne and the homemade pies, both of which come with side salad and a choice of chips or jacket potato. The latter are huge and can also be ordered as a meal in their own right, with a choice of filling.

Inside, The Moby Dick has a relaxed, cosy feel – with the décor and sofas giving it a part pub, part front room sort of a feel. As for the staff, for the most part they’re friendly and attentive.

If you liked the sound of my recommendation at the start of this review, then there’s a reasonable if a little predictable choice of beers on offer, and wines start from about £10 a bottle (there’s also a selection available to take-away from £6.50 a bottle).

With a somewhat limited choice of cheap eats in and around Surrey Quays (apart from the numerous stinking kebab shops on the high street), this is one of my favourites in the area. And I should point out that they also host a pretty good quiz night on a Tuesday evening…

7/10

This little restaurant is one of those ubiquitous curry houses you get in London. I’ve been walking past for a couple of years on my way to and from the office and I can safely say it’s rare to see anybody in there, especially on a week night. However after working late one Friday night and after just signing up a new client, we decided to eat out as a little celebration. The Lavender Spice was the nearest place we hadn’t tried - which in itself speaks volumes - and we decided the time was right to give it a go.

It’s a funny place, the darkened windows do nothing to invite you in and along with a sign on the window stating “we serve drinks, not drunks” the appearance tends to be a little off-putting. In any case we headed in and quickly found a table by the window. There was a group of four other diners quite noisily having a good time and seemingly enjoying their food. The charming Bangladeshi waiter quickly served us with drinks and popadoms along with the usual relishes while we studied the menu.

My other half is a vegetarian and this often leads to some difficulty in making a selection at Indian restaurants - the veggie options are generally plentiful. On this occasion we were not let down, although in the end she decided to ask for something off the menu. Thankfully the chef was more than happy to entertain our request. Whilst we sat waiting for our food to arrive, a steady stream of customers came to pick up take-away orders. This I can only assume is how the restaurant makes its money.

When our food arrived we’d already demolished a couple of popadoms each along with the relishes. We were more than ready for our mains. I’d ordered a chicken pasanda which was simply delicious. Its thick creamy gravy and sweet almond flavours were coupled with tender chicken. The other halves custom dish was a paneer and vegetable curry which was also pretty good. As always we had the pilau rice and a couple of chapattis which was more than enough for the two of us.

We hadn’t expected much from this restaurant but we were pleasantly surprised. The excellent food, decent service and a reasonable atmosphere means we are more than happy to pay another visit. I can only suggest they work a little on the appearance if they want to attract a few more customers through the door.

Overall rating 8/10

Dhonia Indian Cuisine in north London (N4) is one of my favourite curry houses and I’m always keen to pay them a visit when I’m in the area.

The restaurant itself is bright and welcoming and the staff always polite and friendly. But you’ll be pleased to know it’s the food that sets Dhonia apart from the competition, with a menu that is comprehensive and competitively priced, offering both old favourites and more unusual dishes.

On my last visit, following the delicious poppadoms and pickles, I had one of the chef’s recommendations – the name escapes me, but it was similar to a lamb pasanda; tender meat in a rich, creamy sauce. It was my other half’s first visit to Dhonia and after ordering the tandoori chicken, she actually commented that it was one of the best curries she’d had!

The bill, presented on an attractive bed of seeds and spices (Indian ‘mouth freshener’ apparently!), came to around £60 between four of us. This included four main dishes, saag aloo, rice, naan, a bottle of house red (which I can recommend), a couple of pints (both Cobra and Kingfisher are available on draught), plus tip.

Really, my only slight criticism of Dhonia would be how quiet it is; there’s never been more than a handful of diners each time I’ve been. But then, on the other hand, maybe I should make the most of being able to just turn up without booking, because surely it’s only a matter of time before word gets around…

9/10

The name Café Emm is slightly misleading, for this cosy establishment in the heart of Soho is probably more restaurant than café.

We turned up quite late on a Friday night without booking and although there were five of us and it was busy, we had no problem getting a seat, for in addition to a warm, vibrant atmosphere, fortunately this eatery has plenty of seating.

Café Emm offers a nice, eclectic mix of dishes, which ensures there’s something for everyone on the menu (without the choice ever becoming too baffling). Main meals include steak & ale pie, bangers & mash, jerk chicken and moules mariniere, with prices ranging from £7.95 to £11.95 (for the ribeye steak).

I ordered the home-made burger which was pretty good and, with the accompanying chunky chips, a sizeable meal. In fact, everyone was full-up by the time we’d finished, although not too full up for dessert – we tried the apple crumble and the bread & butter pudding, which were ok, if not spectacular. We also shared a couple of bottles of the house red at £10.95 a piece, which I can recommend.

The staff were friendly, and although we were one of the last parties to leave, we didn’t ever feel hassled into finishing up.

With such an overwhelming choice of restaurants in Soho, not to mention the West End, for good portions at a reasonable price, Café Emm is worth remembering.

7/10