Top Tables: Pauline McLynn

Comedian and author Pauline McLynn's five favourite restaurants

Gastro, 67 Venn Street SW4. Tel: 020 7627 0222. Tube: Clapham Common

This is a great favourite of mine, be it for a strong coffee in the morning, a panini at lunchtime or a hearty meal in the evening. They also have some nice wines.

Osteria Antica, 23 Northcote Road SW11. Tel: 020 7978 4771. Tube: Clapham Common

It has what I'd describe as Alpine food: boar stews, goat and so on; good squid and I seem to remember some great wine, too. Warm, welcoming and unpretentious.

Ecco, 162 Clapham High Street SW4. Tel: 020 7978 1108. Tube: Clapham Common

It's my favourite pizza joint in London - it's a bright and modern place, but also does brilliant pizzas. It's best to book.

Browns, 82 St Martin's Lane WC2. Tel: 020 7497 5050. Tube: Leicester Square

It's the handiest place in town to meet anyone and they make the best Bloody Mary in London. This is a grand old building so the surroundings are spectacular, perhaps more so than the food.

Le Palais Du Jardine, 136 Long Acre WC2. Tel: 020 7379 5353. Tube: Leicester Square/ Covent Garden

Coffee in the afternoon is good, but it's better to sit at the bar with a seafood snack and drink the reasonably priced house champagne. I've had good seafood dinners here on a number of occasions.

McLynn's new book, Right On Time, is published this week by Headline, £10.99