Tucked away on the narrow network of cobbled streets adjacent to Ludgate Hill is a gem of an Indian Restaurant. The Bengal Tiger, at first impressions, seems like a slightly above average restaurant - the neat decor (tiger motifs abound) and nice bar all contribute to a sense of pleasant calm. What marks it out from the crowd is the simply the food. Good ingredients and, essentially, the ability to combine 'heat' with real flavour. The curried lamb shank is delicious, and the chicken jaipuri (served on open mango) is fruity and tamarind-spicy. It's always refreshing when the flavours aren't disguised by over-spicing.

When you look in, it looks like it is a large restaurant that is usually full. There is actually another vast room at the back (which still fills up quickly in the busy periods). It is slightly surprising how popular it is because the food is quite good but not spectacular. I think it is probably because it is a reliably good standard and decent prices (especially for Clerkenwell) and very prompt service which is good for the business lunch crowd. I had sliced barbecue pork with Chinese leaves and (bright yellow) egg fried rice. My friend had vegetarian two mushrooms in mild Japanese Horseradish sauce and white rice. Both were just a little on the bland side for our tastes. OK King Mob

From the outside, looking for a nice cool place to eat lunch with Q, Mint seemed a fairly safe choice in the culinary no mans land of mid Clerkenwell. There's class to the north and south of this place so easy peasy to fill the gap. But no - Mint is a disaster.

The decor is defiantly trendy - heavy "Oceana" style chairs and lots of glassware and cutlery on the table but it all seemed a bit like playing modern restaurants. Conran does this exact kind of thing much better elsewhere and this eating experience was dire.

'Careful you don't get your ming caught, Doris' I was tempted to say as we sat down to eat after a spiffing carol service in St Paul's Cathedral. Ming Court is about halfway between Ludgate Circus (never any clowns there when I'm passing) and Sir Christopher Wren's famous church: Sir Christopher Wren/ Said I'm going to dine with some men/ If anyone calls/ Tell them I'm designing St Paul's (E. Clerihew Bentley). Anyhow, this place is jolly good, catering to City types during the day and to pissed City types and tourist types after the sun is over the yardarm. Service is swift, discreet, helpful (they announce the food as they put it on the table - let's face it's often hard to tell one thing from another, just by looking). The food is hot and delicious (Szechwan with a bit of Thai thrown in) and prices are not bad - not cheap though - for this part of London. Toilets clean, coats hung for you, and all that stuff.

Opinions are sharply divided on the cooking at Georgetown, a subsidiary of the award-winning Raffles at Kenilworth. The décor is colonial wicker and white, which looks sharp and ethnick-y at the same time. I was intrigued by some of the violently opposite views on some of the other restaurant review sites, and took a friend along to spy.

My friend J is a colleague that I have worked with for over ten years, meeting him just once every year around about Christmas-time. Our Christmas lunch is not only a happy annual ritual but almost a "strangers on the train" counselling session - I see him once a year, we e-mail once a year to arrange the time and place and that is it. I have never met his wife or kids, I do not possess his address or phone number and both he and I know that anything that is said can't really go anywhere. We drink a bit too much, eat far too much and have enjoyed a number of eateries around London. Georgetown was my choice this year - we alternate, mostly - and I was pleasantly surprised. Forgive me for saying this, but sometimes (shame of all shames) I go to a place that I know has had a bit of a hammering and, sorry, join in in the self-satisfyingly glorious denunciation. The one thing that everybody does seem agreed on though is the Singapore Slings they make. This mouth-watering combination of gin, cherry liqueur, Benedictine and grenadine is heavenly, sublime and…extremely potent. The Slings here are fantastic and worth going there for alone. They will even tell you how it's done and J scribbled down the ingredients and method with gusto. But, hey, the food isn't bad either. Starters of chicken and fish were chunky, fragrant and zingy, while our main course of Beef Rendang, hot and deliciously coconut-y. The lunch menu at £12.50 for two courses, £15(?) for three is a bargain for quality food in a relaxing atmosphere. Oi'll give it foive. M

Had dinner at CRU the other evening on a friends recommendation. I was hesitant as I ate there a while back when I was down on business and frankly it wasn't great.

This time however I took a client and off I went. It was a wonderful evening, we drank several bottles of wine, all recommended by the restaurant manager, who put a lot of effort into matching the wines with our food.

The meal itself was no culinary revolution, but simple seasonal cooking, exactly what was needed after being at Ramsay the night before. It was a relaxed place to be, with a nice unpretentious crowd. I found it a welcome change to my usual haunts, and given I stayed at the Great Eastern Hotel enjoyed a nice evening walk home. I definitely recommend this to everyone.

Indian restaurants. I suppose there are four main categories which cover the concept:

1) Local gravy houses that fling proprietary brand sauces over relatively recently cooked meat quickly easing your fifteen pints of lager through your digestive system.

2) Places where Indian/Pakistanis eat. Hot (generally a bit more spicy than us whiteys can manage) but cheap and generally brilliant.

Café Shan provides a clean simple environment and cheap, no-nonsense, well-prepared Bengali cuisine. The service is friendly, the menu fairly extensive, the portions generous and the toilets clean and well kept. Although food can take a while to arrive, an excellent and filling meal can be had for as little as £12 a head. A long narrow corridor-like space, end on to the street with a fascinating, tall and hypnotic water feature half way along the left hand wall and the end wall used for the non-stop projection of Bollywood Trailers and what appeared to be an Indian consumer channel, a combination that lends a nicely surreal touch to one's evening. Although the restuarant is not licensed they are happy for one to bring one's own bottle of wine. (BYO as the Australians call it.) All in all a good low profile location for a cheap, discrete and unpretentious lunch or dinner. IM