Piada is a great place in Soho to pick up a quick, unpretentious and cheap meal when a McDonalds is…read morejust not on the cards. They boast 'Italian slow food fast and fresh' which pretty much sums it up, you pick your filling for a flat bread and they will serve it to you warm. I had the brie chicken and sun dried tomato one- it was simple and filling and cost just under a fiver. There are lots of other varieties on offer however, and I intend to return and try them. The roast vegetable one with speck sounds appetizing, as does the chocolate and banana one. I was warned against the egg one however. The space it's self is casual and a lot of Italians did seem to grace it!

All the reviewers below make valid points. I really like Eastern Empire. Firstly let me clear up as…read moreto why it is usually empty compared to the very busy Indian room (which is very good) next door. The Eastern Empire doesn't allow alcohol where as the Indian room encourages drinkers. Additionally the owners and staff are really nice and don't follow that awful 'kiss your arse' service you find in many Indian restaurants. It is quite nice to sit down in a quiet un-crowded restaurant with no boisterous larger fuelled lads. I have eaten here a number of times and had takeaways and have yet to encounter a problem. Maybe the previous reviewer should give this place a second chance? I really like the food but it does take a while to arrive. There is a reason. They cook it all from scratch even boiling the rice. I am happy to wait with the knowledge that I am not being served up a re-heated or micro waived (re Bombay bicycle) curry from a weekly made batch. The mutor poneer and Bombay aloo hot potato are really good and my favourite main is the lamb razella. I agree that it is a mistake to charge for chutney et al.

What a lovely little place to eat. I love Indians where it…read morefeels like you are eating in their front room. The tv is banging with Indian music videos, the food is beautiful and the staff are welcoming. The voucher was the factor for eating out in Balham. Normally you can pay upto £40 in Balham for a 2 person meal. Our price came to £20 Value for money for a value for money hunter! Looking for a decent indian, GO HERE!

What a cool spot! I was staying in Balham and wanted halloumi fries so badly. Megan's has a really…read morehelpful allergen menu online which helped me determine that the fries would be gluten free. I walked there to get take away, but did get to spend some time inside while I waited for my order. It is such a cool space! Ambient light, greenery, super trendy and pretty. Seems like a good place for a date night or even to get some work done. I got the large fries and it was perfect for two hungry people. The hot honey sauce was a perfect touch. Loved these!

Amazing place! We were a group of over 10 people and they gave us a table in their (garden), which…read morewas becoming lovelier and cozier with every hour! The food was so fresh and delicious - both starters and mains. Some of us had cocktails, which I don't think was the best idea, as they're small and were a bit watery. But other than that - everything was great!

Enjoyed some decent pancakes for breakfast…read more The loaded home fries were good as well. Service was decent. Was told that we couldn't be served mimosas until 10am. Weird.

We found this place for brunch since it was near the bus station and had good reviews. The photos…read moreof the food looked good so we went. Inside was quite spacious. We waited about 20 minutes for a table. We ordered the eggs royale with a side salad instead of fries, smashed avocado, feta, and poached eggs, and the pan fried chicken with wild mushrooms. My friends and I enjoyed the poached eggs. The side salad was also really refreshing. Unfortunately, my other friend found her chicken to be really dry. She said the sauce was good, but the chicken was so dry, it still didn't redeem the dish. I would definitely recommend the poached eggs. It's near the train station and we were able to walk to Buckingham palace after (though it is a pretty far walk).

Made to feel very welcome here for our Friday night meal…read more They were prompt with bring the menus and explaining what was on offer. Shortly after, bread tray was brought round with the explanation of the different types of bread on offer along with a plate of three types of butter. Wine chosen - a tad on the expensive side. Ours cost £42 and that was kinda middle of the range. Felt that the starters took a while to come. Flagged down bread lady to selected another roll. This time it was nicely warm. The staff all seem to have their tasks and these don't mix. Bread lady was not going to be seen pouring wine! Given the luxury of designated tasks, service continued to be slow which was surprising as the restaurant was not that busy. After some waiting time starters appeared. I had ordered the scallops with pork belly which was yummy. The pork was wonderful and accompanied the scallops perfectly. I'd definitely eat that again. It came nicely presented so what the eyes saw matched what the mouth tasted for sure. Starters done, another long wait for mains. Given this was an order of steak and fish, I don't understand what they were cooking for so long!!! Once arrived, again nicely cooked. Skin on fish done well and covering the flaky cod flesh. Of course I opted for dessert. The grandly names chocolate Avalanche. This, again came nicely presented. A ball of chocolate or do it seems. Had I known about the 'show' about to take place, I would have yelp videoed. They poor the hot sauce over it melting the chocolate coating the ice cream to crest the Avalanche. However, once done you are rather left with a kind of 'soup' of melted chocolate and ice cream. Needless to say, it is very sweet even for me. They finished the night off with a selection of little Florentines. I was too full so hot them to go. Eaten later, they were very nice also. The restaurant itself is a nice eating establishment. Staff very friendly. Only thing really letting it down was speed of service. Our meal took 3 hrs without much of that delay being on our side.

Location: St James…read more Style: Upmarket Food: Good Wine: Good Ambience: None

Now THAT's what I call a nice place ! When I went there for…read morethe first time, it was still called The Avenue but the name change only improved everything. By day, it's a cool place to chill or get a drink with your mates within a stone's throw of Piccadilly Circus, no more, no less. By night, though, is when the magic happens. All the chairs are moved, the lights shade and the music starts pumping. The staffs are nice yet often overbooked and the tequila-girls are a gladly welcomed asset. At the Avalon, you get to meet a whole lot of different people, french, italians, english obviously, and everyone being chilled by the music, you can only make new friends and have a good time.

Incredible smoked cheese on the veggie (courgette and peppers) pizza. I actually ate the whole damn…read morepie (covers face in shame) save for one slice. Whilst I think tomato sauce could have pepped up the flavour, it's the cheese and the nicely chewy pizza dough that really made the pizza. I'm dinking a star just because some bits and bobs were too burnt. But yay for the friendly waitress who had my takeaway order put in despite it being a busy night. Thanks!

Apollo Pizzeria is quite an unassuming restaurant front, with neon signage and what looks to be a…read moresmall space inside that won't fit many people in at all. Luckily, there are also more tables tucked away downstairs. While the upstairs space is quite clean and wood-y, downstairs felt more like we were in an Italian's actual house. A little run-down perhaps, but I did enjoy the intimate vibe and charmingly slightly mismatched decor. Two of us had a carafe of Ciello Bianco Sicilian white wine to share (£12.50) ...and honestly, it wasn't really all that. It was drinkable, sure, but I imagine the slightly more expensive Sauvignon might have been a better choice. As a starter, I had a portion of olives (£3). I was super happy to discover they were ALL green olives rather than black ones, and there were definitely a good amount in the pot for my three quid. I decided to go all out and order the most expensive pizza on the menu, the Guanciale (£11). Mainly as it had PORK CHEEK on, which definitely isn't something you'll find yourself munching on during a 2am drunken Dominos order. The base was really thin, and floppy rather than crispy, so it was a bit of a challenge to eat with my hands (knife and fork for pizza? Nahhh). But I did it! And it was tasty as heck. The sauce was perfectly tomato-tasting and not too thick or 'processed'-seeming. And the smoked cheese on it was fantastic - chewy, melty mozarella. I even ate the actual tomatoes on it, which is odd considering I'm not normally a fan of raw tomato - but they did work really well with the overall toppings, so I actually did enjoy them. Although it was £11 for my pizza, they also do cheaper and equally tasty options - the Diavola is £9.45 - a spicy sausage, chilli and mozzarella gem that definitely had a good kick to it. The portion sizes were great too - about what I'd expect for a pizzeria in London at that price, really. Apollo is unfortunately a bit out of the way for me to head to regularly, but if you're in the area and love your pizza, it's most definitely worth checking out. The homely vibe that extends from decor to dishes is a great alternative to the constantly busy Franco Manca just a few doors up, and Apollo defininitely offers very good value for money and, most importantly, great taste.

The food is a bit overpriced for what it is, and maybe somewhat bland (which is possibly quite…read moretypical of Hungarian cuisine- I have no idea), but otherwise the ambiance was pleasant. I had the pea soup (which is not the fanciest thing on the menu.) The waiter (who is also one of the proprietors it seems?) actually talked my friend out of ordering an extra main dish, on the basis that the main dish he ordered would be big enough to satisfy. And it turned out to be true... However, if this business does badly on a purely financial level, you will know why! A good place to have a chat with a friend, or for a first date. Nothing seems to last very long in this location, so check it out before it disappears.

I feel bad putting down such a local independent business, and the organic ethos is fantastic…read more We came as a party of two on an early Friday evening. I had called and booked a table, which wasn't necessary at 7pm, but by the time we left at 9pm the place was quite full. The service started quick, but after we finished we struggled for around 45 minutes to get the bill. Luckily we had a lot to talk about. We ordered some herbal teas, a soup each to start, and for the main course we shared a pickled cucumber salad, potatoes and the Hungarian stew. The food, at least for my part, was quite disappointing. The £6 vegetable soup, was just (seemingly frozen) peas and carrots in a vegetable broth. My friend seemed to enjoy her chicken soup, so we were doing ok until the main arrived. The potatoes were actually great! But I couldn't stomach much of the cucumber salad, another pricey choice at around £4 for pickled cucumber and a tablespoon of yogurt. What really got me, was the Hungarian stew. I'm a vegetarian, so when our waiter asked if we wanted the additional sausage topping, we said 'no,' naturally. Despite this, the dish came with sausage. By this time, restaurant had become busier, our waiter didn't return to ask how our meal was and we couldn't get his attention. When it came to finally receiving the bill, we told him about the issue, but he disputed. He told us we did order it, though he 'thought it was strange' we didn't eat any of it, and so proceeded to charge us for it. He even made a comment like 'if you had told me you didn't want it, I wouldn't eaten it,' what?! That's a pretty strange thing to say. It's a massive shame, as I'd seen this place around for a while and I really wanted to like it. I still love the shop-restaurant setup and the picnic themed tables and plants. I can really get behind the lifestyle they're representing, but I don't think I'd ever go back, unless it's just for the potatoes.