Nice'n'Sleazy

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Providing art students and gig-goers with cheap food and drink for almost two decades now, Nice'n'Sleazy shows no sign of slowing down. The pool table may be gone but the random collection of tables and chairs, including sleek 1950s-style leather lounge chairs and well-used formica-topped tables scored with 'mentions' shows the place is still off-beat at heart. Music comes courtesy of the famous jukebox, which blasts out an eclectic range of tunes. The menu is packed with pub favourites, with all main courses hovering around a purse-friendly £5. Moreover, the portions are generous: the home-made potato wedges are mammoth slices of fluffy potato smothered with cheese and bacon, and the bruschetta is spread thick with a strong home-made basil pesto and bite-size chunks of tomato and onion. A wide range of burgers caters to veggies and meat-lovers, while the burritos come in four varieties, including one packed with juicy chicken and spicy tomato. A slice of caramel shortcake, served warm with ice-cream, stirs nostalgia for school dinners. With regular live gigs in the basement, even cheaper lunch deals and now open until 3am at the weekend, Sleazy's looks like it will be pulling in the punters for many years to come.

• High point: Large, value-for-money portions
• Low point: Low tables make eating difficult