Little Bay

Little Bay is pure theatre, like stepping into the Moulin Rouge in its heyday or finding yourself in a 1920s speakeasy, candlelit and avant-garde. You half expect to be surrounded by women wearing fur-trimmed coats and elegantly puffing through their cigarette holders over an aperitif. To add to the theatrics, at this Battersea branch, there's live opera six days a week. Cosy booths resembling theatre boxes with gilt edges and richly-coloured drapes line the walls and there's also a balcony level, accessible by narrow staircases. Wooden floorboards, hanging lamps and candlelight add to the old-style snugness of the place but there are enough eye-catching embellishments to keep it exuberant and eccentric. But for all its showy glamour, the restaurant has no stuffy pretensions; it's the height of chilled-out charm with a merry, buzzing atmosphere. The food is seriously good value too; you won't believe that you can get such tasty mussels and chips (fried in goose fat) for this price but the menu is a mouth-watering selection of wonderful meat and fish dishes and generous, tempting desserts, all washed down with some jolly good wine.