Nautilus

Nautilus has been owned by the same Greek family for 50 years (witness the pinewood panelling), but despite this it's no stickler for tradition. Instead of standard batter, fish is only available grilled or fried, Jewish-style, in matzo meal. Nevertheless, this is a blessing given the gargantuan portions.

The thin, crispy matzo coating on our soft, creamy plaice rendered the dish so light that we were easily able to manage the accompanying large platter of piping-hot chips (fried in groundnut oil).

Service iwa comically helpful, with our matronly server going into lengthy explanations about the popularity of cod, greeting customers with exhortations to 'Sit anywhere. Anywhere!' and even providing hand gestures to demonstrate 'the way I chop the fish'.

There's a touch of the tacky too, with the Disotto dessert menu offering orange ice-cream in frozen half-orange shells, and design touches such as turquoise-blue glass panelling, plastic flowers and shiny dolphin statuettes. Customers include in-the-know fish hunters and many pensioner couples, whose warmly familiar greetings suggest that they make Nautilus a regular haunt.