Earlier in the month I ate ate four places in London which I liked very much. Two could be classified as restaurants, one is a caff and the other a pie and mash shop. My brother was inviting at the two restaurants so they are not budget places, but both are reasonable for London and very nice.

The first is the Camden Brasserie, 9-11 Jamestown Road, Camden.

The thing to go for here is steak. They do a rib steak for two which costs somewhere in the region of 24 pounds. The meat is cut from the bone and presented in thick slices with the bone on the side. Salad and chips is perfect with this. The restaurant is owned by two Uruguayan brothers and they know their meat, The beef is Scottish. Modern decor and excellent service.

The second restaurant is The Wolseley, 160 Picadilly. This is the old Wolseley car showroom, obviously redecorated. You can get anything here from a morning coffee to a meal. I was having sea trout but the lady at the next table was having a cheeseburger and her companion was having faggots. The food is excellent, beautifully presented and the service is very good indeed.

Now for the two places where I was footing the bill:

Goddard´s Pie and Mash Shop on Church Street in Greenwich, very close to the Cutty Sark if you are out that way. This is traditional fare at its best. Go have a look at www.pieshop.co.uk to see what they offer. There are a few tables inside and takeaway. Takeaway is not practical unless you are taking it home, unless you are just having a Cornish pastie as a snack. This place serves large portions of steak and kidney pie, Cornish pasties, chicken and mushroom pie, mushy peas, apple pie, cherry pie etc. Bring your appetite. I got enough food for 4 people for 8 pounds.

The last good place is Obertelli´s in Leadenhall Market. This is caff food at its best. There are a few tables outside where you can watch the suits from Lloyds (male and female) enjoy a liquid lunch at the pub across the way. Or you can order from the offerings on the big blackboard behind the counter and eat upstairs. The combinations are of the hearty variety: egg, bacon, chips, beans, lasagna, chicken etc. You decide what you want with what. Don´t go here for salads. Upstairs there is a room crammed with long tables where you just find an empty seat. Your order will be brought up to you. I wouldn´t want to be up there on a hot day, but in the cold weather, it would be ideal.

The one to avoid is the Golden Dragon in Chinatown. This is an area full of Chinese restaurants and I was the guest of someone who knows China well. I saw all those beautifully browned ducks in the windows of other restaurants as I made my way to the Golden Dragon. I was expecting delicious at the very least. All I can say is that the food was either greasy or raw and sometimes both. This place had curtains in the window. Try somewhere with ducks.