I haven't been to London since 2006 but there are some really good restaurants there. Those are mostly the up-scale "International cuisine" type. From my experience the chippers and local restaurants and take-aways still have the same bland, greasy and overcooked food that has been traditional English fare.
Ah London, been there done the UK.
Seriously I will leave it to a southerner to defend London's local restaurants.
I don't do chippers and take aways so can't comment but we have good, indifferent and probably poor local restaurants. However it is worth remembering that peoples' opinions differ so I am always reluctant to promote any establishment.
Have a laugh at my expense.
in San Gimignano we got talking to the Italian on the next table in a restaurant, during the conversation he moaned at the quality of his hotel, we said ours was good. We also said hello to him the next morning at breakfast.
In my defence his was the chauffered stretch Limo in the car park.
Brian