A proper pizza is all about its base. Forget the telephone takeaways with their emphasis on ‘fill you up’ bottoms, which have more in common with old mattresses than they do with a real pizza. And as for gimmicks like stuffing the crust, what on earth is all that about?

It’s a bit of a trek out to The Viet Grill – a tube to Liverpool Street, then a jerky bus ride up the Kingsland Road and into the badlands of Hackney. Apparently people do live out here though and when they tire of being artistic the Viet Grill is where they go to spend their dinner money.

I can see why it appeals to the City crowd so much, with very few exciting restaurants in area, Kenza stands out and perhaps deservedly so. The interior design alone is well worth a visit. Well… it’s cheaper than a flight to Morocco, surely?

There’s a trend to big up Sichuan food right now. It’s all about having the guts to eat tripe, as well as the testosterone taste buds to take on fearsome amounts of chilli and the mouth-numbing effects of the Sichuan pepper itself. What helps the trend is that some of the better Sichuan restaurants are cheap and cheerful places that appeal to the post-backpacking, job-in-New-Media, type of person. What’s missing though is somewhere a bit posher, and located a bit more centrally, somewhere that we older chaps can take the good lady wife. The Empress fits that bill nicely.

Volupte is an unusual venue. The restaurant and show area is in the basement of the building, its bold decor appears mismatched and incomplete in places, yet somehow coming together to create the impression of an era long since past. It is a place that should be experienced, whether for cocktails or other drinks, an evening meal with entertainment, or afternoon tea on a Saturday.

Service at Sauterelle was exceptionally good, mixed with a little theatre which was somehow right for the surroundings and the excellent food of head chef Robin Gill. This is a remarkably good restaurant and definitely one to visit.

The Narrow is amazingly well situated, set as it is, next to the lock that leads into Limehouse Basin, it has excellent views from the bend in the river, towards central London to the west and Docklands to the East. The Narrow are serving some very good food at reasonable prices, its excellent riverside views it is a great place for lunch or an evening meal.

Invited to inspect a row of bottles on a shelf right behind me I couldn’t do it, not without imitating Lynda Blair in The Exorcist and doing a full 360 with my head. So the wife picked one. It’s a novel idea, but I think I still prefer seeing a wine list.

We had heard good things about Whites, since head chef Stuart Dove, took the helm last year. It is a remarkably good restaurant and we ate perhaps the best food we have had outside central London for some months. We would certainly recommend it to anyone who can travel to Steyning and could see it becoming a destination restaurant.

As we reported after attending Caponata’s launch in early December its owners have created a cool contemporary venue. Two restaurants in one it offers a wide choice to its customers, with some very interesting dishes on the menus it is unsurprising that it is gaining popularity.