The best restaurants in Waterloo and the South Bank

This vintage cafe survived the threat of closure recently to the delight of its many fans. It serves up great coffee by day, moving to more of a cocktail vibe in the evenings. The vibe is homespun and the welcome is always warm.

Chef and founder Sugen Gopal's boutique restaurant group serves up a easy-to-like menu of Malaysian and Singaporean street food. The fabulously flaky roti canai are obviously what to order here alongside other classics like nasi lemak and beef rendang.

The South Bank branch of the Flat Iron empire is a great spot to hit up if you're after good, but affordable steak. There's always the signature flat iron cut along with beef dripping chips on offer along with soft serve for dessert.

Tokyo-born Chef/Proprietor Daisuke Shimoyama grew up working in his uncle's restaurant before training up as a chef (and also a sake sommelier). The ex-Umu chef has moved from running his own street food stall to this bricks-and-mortar spot on the South Bank serving up an omakase menu at lunch and dinner.

This long time Bankside tapas joint has survived the test of time. The owners pride themselves on their close links to producers in Spain and, in addition to the tapas menu, there are always some interesting specials to check out.

Trinidad and Tobago-born Chef-Owner Sham Mahabir serves up a menu of home-style Caribbean cooking at this restaurant and beach club on the South Bank. Treats include the Trinidadian street food snack of doubles.

For a taste of Philadephia without having to cross the Atlantic, this American dive bar underneath the arches in Waterloo is the place to go. The Philly cheesestakes are a speciality but there's plenty of options on the menu. It's also a good place to catch NFL and NCAA games.

Riverside steakhouse Gillray's with its views over the river and London Eye goes big on its British heritage with all its meats sourced from South West London butcher Browne's.

This longstanding London riverside establishment still has the wow factor, not least down to its amazing views across the City. The brasserie is the more casual dining space while the restaurant offers a more elevated menu focusing on British produce.

With a menu billed as a modern twist on Israeli cooking, this Southwark spot aims to transport London diners to Tel Aviv. Chef Eran Tibi serves up a range of sharing plates in a lively atmosphere.

This self-styled 'quirky' wine bar is run by a pair who met up while working at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. They're super keen on making wine accessible and the food menu is a good mix of interesting small and large plates.

Perched on the top of The Hoxton in Southwark, Seabird is a great rooftop restaurant focusing on seafood with a Spanish influence. They go big on oysters, with one of London's largest oyster lists, and weekend brunches are big here too.

They started out as a rooftop in Peckham and for their second restaurant, Forza Wine took over one of the restaurants at The National Theatre. It has a great view of the Thames and on a good day, you'll definitely want to grab a table on the extensive terrace. As for the food, expect Italian small plates and a natural wine list that's pretty good value for the area.

The National Theatre brought in a powerhouse team to be in charge of its main restaurant - the people behind Hackney's hugely popular pub, The Marksman. On the South Bank the restaurant makes good use of the Brutalist architecture while serving up a brasserie-style menu that features many of the hits from their pub, including a truly great pie.

One of the most longstanding places to eat around Waterloo (it opened in 2003) has also remained one of the very best. From the same people behind The Canton Arms and The Clarence Tavern, it has a regularly changing menu of seasonal British food and like all the best gastropubs, operates as both a restaurant and a proper pub. Grabbing a space on the terrace is where you want to be in the summer months.