The Butcher & Grill

If you're in the mood for a serious steak or juicy burger, this is the place to come: the meat's displayed in the shop in the front, along with a selection of other good-looking deli favourites like fat brownies and tomatoes on the vine, and is served in decent portions, cooked with care. Burgers are worth a trip - nice and juicy, and with the gherkins, tomatoes, onions and lettuce served alongside, rather than in the bun, so you can compile your own mix, instead of fishing around trying to remove any unwanted bits. Other meat grills are good, and while it's not cheap, the quality is very high.

however, don't bother if you're in a rush, because the service operates with all the urgency and warmth of glacier creep. I've been three times now, and each time has taken longer than the last. The first visit was Bonfire Night - the location makes it a perfect pitstop for Battersea Park's annual extravaganza - and I put the hour delay between ordering and glimpsing the first starter down to the crowds. Subsequent meals have proved this to be the standard pace. It's a "loud" room even when half full, and we found, to our gradual despair, that slow service + kid-friendly menu = bored children and a LOT of noise for other diners. If they could chivvy the staff into friendlier and more efficient table-waiting, I'd be a regular customer. Till then, it's a good example of why a great menu alone isn't quite enough.