johndale's Qype profile

This isn't really a 'restaurant' as such but it doesn't suffer for that. if you're after a bit of a different lunch experience then Canela is a good bet.

Casserole, quiches, curries salads: they're all made fresh with good quality ingredients and they wont mug you either. You can eat in or take away for less than a tenner.

One downside: the service can bit a tad surly, but only on a bad day, and if you get takeaway who cares right?

Bodeans has been a good friend to me over the years, but now I fear we've outgrown each other and now I've got my eye on a younger, classier model. It's not you Bodeans, it's me.... actually that's not true: it's you.

When you first came along you were so cool and new and tasty, but then you got a little staid, and you got a bit expensive, and it almost seemed like your portions got smaller, and well... there were other meaty treats to be had.

Hopefully we can still remain friends Bodeans, and maybe sometimes when I get a bit drunk we can revive that flame for just one night, but the magic's gone I'm afraid.

Ah the Japan centre. I used to go on here to buy Manga character keychains and bizarre 'street culture' magazines that i couldn't read. Now they've done it up a bit and the focus is much more on the food and drink, but that isn't such a bad thing (I've grown out of the manga keychains now anyway).

The Japanese supermarket is a great place to browse for the weird and the wonderful, and there's some fantastic treats to be had if you're prepared to do your research. The sushi bar is very tempting... until you see the prices (there's some real sushi bargains to be had in soho) but if you've go the cash to splash then the staff are very helpful and friendly.

You can't go wrong with tapas can you really? If you don't like one thing, you can move on to the next, and it's almost rude not to get drunk.

I really enjoy the pick and mix approach to food that tapas provides, and when the selection is as good as it as at Brindisa then I'm like a kid in sweet shop.

Terrific tortilla, champion chorizo, even the octopus (not the psychic one!) went down a treat. And I drank more sherry than my great aunty has drunk in her lifetime.

And you don't need a second mortgage to cover the bill. Spot on.

I must have been here six times before I actually ate any of their food, and when I did I couldn't really remember it the next day... you see there's a bar here and they sell a magic happy cactus juice called tequila.

This not a trendy bar by any stretch but there is always a real buzz about the place and it's way too easy to get stuck here, perched on a scholl, wondering if it's a good idea to spend an obscene amount of money on a shot of tequila that gets your name on the wall.

And the food? Erm... it's Mexican.

Work in Soho? Like carbs? Then have I got a tip for you!

Actually, chances are you've already discovered this lovely yellow gem of a pizzeria, but let me just recommend it to you again because it's bloody awesome.

Italian staff who don't take any nonsense, great variety and choice, proper pizza made with proper ingredients, and it's very very cheap... ok I made that last bit up, it's actually a bit pricey but this is the middle of medialand so what do you expect?

They've shot themselves in the foot really by calling themselves 'the real greek' haven't they. Because if you've ever been near Greece then you'll know that this isn't in any way authentic, but if you can get past the chain-restaurant chic then there's some good Greek grub to be head here.

As you'd expect there's meat galore, the lamb we had was spot on, but if you're a greek restaurant that can't do lamb then you might as well go home. Food comes 'mezze' style i.e. bit by bit at the whim of serving staff, and the portions aren't huge.

Great for big parties where you dont mind a wait (and your boss is picking up the bill).

This place kind of sticks out in 'trendy East London' as it makes no excuses for it's beery, stein-swilling, sausage-munching, fall-out-the-door-at-the-end-of-the-night approach.

If you like the Bavarian beerhouse atmosphere, and wish every month was Oktoberfest then you're going to love this place, although the Germanic schtick can get a bit tiresome after a while.

When the sun's out and you've got the afternoon off and time for a very lesiurely and slightly boozy lunch, then there's few better places to be then La Trouvaille (as long as you're putside that it, the upstairs room can get a bit sweaty).

It's traditional French bistro food, with lots of rabbit and duck on offer, a whole bunch of vino to get stuck into and some rich puds if you've got room.

Good for impressing the girlfriend, the girlfirend's parents, or a sneaky work lunch that goes on way too long.