#family-run

#family-run

"You hungry?" Lydia Lee asks me, beaming in her bright pink Hello Kitty apron. "You look skinny." She stands in front of a steaming vat of fish stock, ready to scoop me a fresh bowl of udon. It's not even 11 a.m., but I can't turn her down. At Yo Yo's, which offers one of the most affordable lunches in all of San Francisco's Financial District, an order of udon noodle soup is just $9, and a six-piece tray of sushi is just $3.25.

While there are a number of different, regional styles of BBQ found across the U.S., it's safe to say that they all have a few things in common: They all make for an incredible meal, and you're probably going to make a bit of a mess eating it. But that's part of the fun, right? Truly great BBQ takes time, effort, and commitment - even though there are some great versions of pulled pork that you can make with as little as three ingredients.

El Pirata, a few steps from Shepherd's Market, black-beamed as a galleon with white walls heaving with Miro and Picasso prints as if raided from Athena, has a refreshingly non-corporate, non-Instagram atmosphere. Seating is intimate and candle-lit at small tables. If you've not booked (although to do so is wise), there are stools to sip and snack at the mirrored bar as you wait. A timbered spiral staircase drills down to a terracotta tiled basement able to host larger groups.

"Winning Best London local restaurant couldn't make us happier," said Simonetta Wenkert. "We are nothing without our neighbours, and love being part of the community here on Kilburn Lane."