Obika ** £15

I visited the Obika at Selfridges and I was disappointed - it wasn't any different that a generic shopping mall restaurant. Quite expensive both for the quality of food and the portion size you get. I would probably go again if I was shopping there, but I wouldn't bring someone from the outside in.

Buen Ayre *** £32

This is a nice little place in the middle of Hackney. They grill their meats in an open fire. We found the rib-eye to be excellent, but the sirloin was just OK (too thick actually to be cooked uniformly). For the amount of meat you get the price is excellent. However the place is definitely over-hyped for Zagat standards.

Nuocmam ** £20

This Vietnamese place has pretty good food but terrible and completely inconsistent service. Maybe I will give it one more shot to see if this situation repeats.