Stockpot

No frills abound at this long-running Soho institution. Walls are covered with anaglypta wallpaper and wooden slatting; scored tables look like they've been varnished time and again; and the decorations vary between unframed posters for West End productions of Jersey Boys and cartoon depictions of period military figures.

The menu's heart is in the 1960s, with an emphasis on solid cooking that takes in portions of thinly sliced fried liver and onions, duck à l'orange, and roast potatoes sprinkled with dried rosemary. For dessert, the selection of rice pudding, golden sponge, and jelly with ice-cream could come straight from a school canteen, but there's no arguing about the value: most main courses cost around £6, with starters and desserts rarely straying over £3.

Such reliability and lack of pretension draw customers from across the social divide. Groups of Japanese tourists ask staff to take their photos, student couples tuck into retro desserts, pensioners sip tea, and business-suited female diners push grilled salmon around their plate. Something for everyone, then.