Parisians in Stockholm may be overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu when they step in to Riche, which literally breathes character akin to Café Riche on Boulevard des Italiens in Paris. Although it began life way back in 1896, it was only until the 1930s that it took on a more practical design and the grill was opened to the right of the building's entrance.

Designed on the lines of its French counterpart, the elegant gold framed mirrors and crystal chandeliers speak opulence and the atmosphere is one that makes both bourgeoisie and the officer class feel at home. Large windows and high ceilings bring in a spacious feel and the furniture is functional and minimalist in style.

The cooking remains open to foreign influences, and sways the French brasserie way at times, yet it is heartening to find many old school Swedish dishes, take the pata negra de Salamanca for instance; this Iberian cured ham from Spain, is touchingly referred to as finger food, and there is also chorizo bruschetta with tomato marmalade.

Lovers of seafood may find it hard to tame their cravings as they mull over the starters section - half dozen snails Provençal, assorted marinated herrings, garlic seared baby squid, vendace roe and smoked eel with scrambled eggs - all waiting to be enjoyed. For others it could be Danish open sandwiches or lukewarm beetroots and vegetables with chévre terrine.

The main dishes could get you humming with excitement as the sight of sautéed cubed fillet of beef, olive and pistachio stuffed spring chicken with asparagus, and fried soured pork with parsley creamed potatoes all beckon. Again those with a penchant for anything related to the sea would probably love the grilled halibut with lobster wrapped clams, white sand asparagus and chive aioli, and pike-perch in paper with lemon verbena and nettle risotto.

The not-so-chocolatey dessert menu features a boozy lemon crème brûlée with licorice stirred raspberries and chocolate cheesecake with marinated nectarines. The well traversed wine list includes bins from Austria, Hungary, Canada and US while Old World wines are not entirely forgotten.

Riche is very often described as a place to see and be seen in Stockholm and combined with watching the chefs wowing the crowds with their cooking and the buzzing atmosphere every evening and on weekends this surely has to warrant a visit to such a lively place.

Alpenraum brings a remarkably fine dining experience to Munich with its centrally located classy restaurant, a place where food transcends its basic function of satisfying hunger and becomes an eclectic form of art. Soul food is not merely a new age term there, everyone who has visited it even once can argue about the succinct flavours that dominate the menu, textures that are unique and a cuisine that is known to bring deep pleasure.

The decor is casually sophisticated, with soft muted hues dominating the colour scheme while fresh and dried flowers adorn the tables, lending a touch of chic. The alpine theme is evident in a subtle manner with the antler shaped candlesticks being just one of the ways you might connect this minimalistic and gorgeous restaurant with the glorious Alps. A long wooden table encourages large and boisterous parties although the Alpenraum is also suitable for intimate gatherings and even a romantic evening round some of its quieter and smaller tables off the main dining room.

Businessmen also find themselves at the Alpenraum for a quick lunch which could involve starters of truffled kohlrabi or brook trout with lentil salad. The main course could bring pork rump, perlgraupen and grapes and finally end with a fragrant and comforting dessert of rice pudding, vanilla, apples and cinnamon.

The high end cuisine benefits from the fresh and regional produce sourced from the Bavarian Alps and more elaborate meals call for dishes such as fried duck breast with blue herb mousse and leek salad or marinated herring with thyme poached apples and potato lasagne amongst the starters. There's a refreshing intermediate course which could bring knuckle of veal carpaccio, truffled celeriac terrine and beetroot jellies or fried scallops with polished perch fillets, black balsamic lentils, pear and olive emulsion.

The Alpenraum chefs are exacting when it comes to the main course, where such dishes as crispy fish roulade with spinach, pasta sepia, sweet potato and pepper foam or a duet of lamb featuring both braised and roasted versions with baked tomato polenta and Jerusalem artichoke foam rule the list. Dessert could bring a delightful concoction known as Mozart ball dumplings with pears compote and macis parfait or a selection of cheeses from the Alps.

Alpenraum also offers catering services for business conventions, receptions, parties or weddings while their spacious restaurant is well suited for hosting events and other such functions.

The words classy and chic seem synonymous with most top end restaurants in Paris but this one comes courtesy of the design maestro Philippe Starck himself. One visit to Restaurant Bon is probably insufficient to admire the four different and original settings created by Philippe and the stylish interior is worth the trip alone.

Elegant lamp shades and sleek furniture adorn The Vinotheque accentuated by strategic lighting, which add a warm glow to the place. The Fireplace Room with its ornate chandelier and glossy table tops create a unique sense of style and the little nook for private dining appears to be fiercely guarded by a rhino! Well, actually a rhino head. The Library needs no introduction and it's no surprise to see bookworms crawling their way through the numerous stacks, and then there's the Boudoir with exquisite tableware for large parties.

The menu's Asian touches are palpable and the cooking, which takes in influences from across the globe, is certainly enticing. Think coconut milk, crabmeat and green asparagus Wonton soup and dim sum of shrimp, basil and hot pepper, crabmeat and artichokes served with spinach and shiitakes, and five flavours duck. From among other delights that await look out for the spicy crab spring rolls with soya mayonnaise, new style tuna carpaccio, lobster rolls, and papaya and shrimp, and beef and lemongrass salad.

Fruits of the sea include sole prepared as a tempura with toffee and lemongrass sauce, grilled scallops with tom yum sauce, tuna tartar with ginger and gilthead breams in a banana leaf. For meatier main courses you are bound to be moved by the tiger's tears, a marinated filet of beef, grilled and thinly sliced, or perhaps the crispy sweet and sour chicken and five flavour spare ribs. If you thought an Asian inspired menu does not have too much to look forward to in the dessert section, then think again; there's rum baba with coconut and pineapple, fresh strawberries and raspberries with peppermint syrup, and spicy 'crème brûlée'.

Those who find solace at the lunch hour know full well that they need to refuel to take on the second half of the day, so how about some chicken and curry rolls, thinly sliced veal with ginger and shiitake and choco Bon. The wine list keeps the French flag flying high and there are notable contributions from Chile, Africa, China, Australia and California amongst others.

With its myriad dining options, Restaurant Bon certainly makes an ideal place to celebrate those special occasions.

The French inspired Brasserie Am Gendarmenmarkt is one of those places where style meets substance effortlessly in a setting that is sophisticated yet casual. The location of this restaurant in the heart of historic Berlin is another factor that contributes to its chic elegance, particularly as it is right in the centre of the fascinating cultural life and grandiose architecture that is so prevalent in the Pigeon Strasse.

Comfortably casual, the restaurant fits the mould of an upmarket Parisian Brasserie with ease and the pleasant and relaxing atmosphere is perfect if you want to linger over lunch or a dinner with someone special. The stylish lounge with its opulent Art Deco prints is just the place to add that hint of glamour to your events and meetings, and it's equipped with the latest technology to ensure that your presentations are carried out seamlessly. The terraces and patio, on days when the weather is clement, are a delightful setting for a lazy afternoon over a delicious bouillabaisse.

Fresh, seasonal produce, which hasn't travelled too far to reach your plate, forms the basis of the dishes that emerge from the kitchen. The cuisine is French although the German hints are inevitable and add to the overall enjoyment of the food. Consider for example the potato and watercress cream with grilled shrimp or the consommé of parsley root with Parmesan ravioli; the delicate blend of flavours and textures spur you on to anticipate the next course with mounting pleasure.

For starters, you might have the duck liver with potato salad and winter truffles or the beef with capers, spicy cucumber, anchovy fillets, shallots and boiled quail on toasted bread. Main courses bring to light the German connection with the wiener schnitzel from the veal topside while the calf's liver in port wine sauce with balsamic shallots lends to a lighter and flavourful taste. If lamb is more to your liking, then the saddle of lamb with herb crust on rotweinjus beans and bacon could be more favourable.

Surprisingly, there's also a slight Italian twist, with homemade ravioli and tagliatelle, while the steaks offer a hearty alternative with the Black Angus breed heading the list, and dishes might feature such appetizing meals as the châteaubriand with vegetables and herb béarnaise or the 8 oz sirloin with broad beans and dried tomatoes.

The French are on top form when it comes to dessert and in this aspect too, the Brasserie does not lag behind with delectable choices such as mousse of white Valrhona chocolate and apple strudel with raspberry sorbet or crème brûlée ruling the list. There's also an exquisite selection of cheeses for the connoisseurs.

The wine list offers an eclectic selection which spans the wine producing countries in the New and Old World ending with an entry from South Africa, Fusion V 2004, which is a neo-classical variant that has found numerous enthusiastic takers. Their comprehensive Website outlines further details regarding menus and offers.

With the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in full sway, El Cangrejo Loco was established as a restaurant to serve distinguished guests and eminent personages who visited the port and city for the games. Today, many years after that, El Cangrejo Loco, or The Crazy Crab, has emerged as a favoured dining destination for those people who want to enjoy delicious seafood with breathtaking views of the marina and the sea.

Exceptional quality and exquisite service are the keywords that describe this restaurant aptly and popular seating options include the terraces that offer wide glimpses of the azure sea. With the perennial good weather around, customers can enjoy a sunny lunch in winter or sit down to a moonlit night in more sultry months.

The freshness of the food is instrumental in making the restaurant a phenomenal success, and everything is prepared with great care. Hand crafted dishes show the passion and commitment of the chefs in creating an experience that is simply sublime.

Starters are divided into hot and cold and amongst the latter, there is salt codfish carpaccio, a salad with dried salted meat and pears or Iberico cured ham. But if you relish something warm, then the seafood croquettes will be the ideal choice, alongside butter dipped squid rings and mussels with fisherman sauce.

For the main event, there's a famous dish from Aranda del Duero, roast baby lamb, although the veal entrecote in green pepper sauce is just as delicious. If nothing but fish will satisfy you, then do try the grilled salmon or the monkfish with mushrooms and clams. Lobster with garlic and chilli or the crayfish prepared Ferrol style are excellent options but if you wanted to stay traditional try the paella parellada.

To finish, there's the Catalan caramelized custard cream or a homemade apple puff pastry. If you prefer fruity ways to end your meal, then you could opt for seasonal fruits drizzled with Macedonian orange juice.

If you enjoy drinking avidly or even if you're just interested in the wines that a restaurant has to offer, you will be impressed with the large temperature controlled cellar that brings more than 500 Spanish choices, champagnes and spirits.

Housed on the top floor of the Harvey Nichols store in the Dundrum Town Centre complex on Sandyford Road, the First Floor Restaurant offers a modern European menu in a stylish contemporary setting, complete with a dance floor and guest DJs to help you unwind. Just the place for a quick lunch or a more relaxed dinner after shopping or sightseeing, the restaurant is also just a short walk from the Mill Theatre and is ideal for a pre or post show dinner.

Using the finest locally sourced produce, especially beef from Donald Russell's and fish from Hanlon's, the à la carte offers small plates of Carlingford Lough rock oysters served with tabasco, lemon and shallot vinegar; a charcuterie plate of Spanish meats and accompaniments for two and oak smoked seared tuna with Chantertais melon, pink grapefruit and soy jelly.

For the main course choices could include Harvey Nichols fish pie with winter vegetables; loin of Wicklow venison with red cabbage, violet potatoes, chocolate and spice and chicken two ways with sage and onion stuffing, fondant potato and jus. Steak lovers can try succulent Donald Russell’s 8oz fillet of beef with shallot puree, spinach, duxelle, truffle dauphinoise and Perigord sauce or a 10 oz ribeye with chunky chips, roscoff, heirloom tomato and bearnaise or peppercorn sauce. Daily specials are also available.
 
Vegetarians are also well catered for with dishes such as dolce latte, walnuts, pear and mesclun salad, roasted vine tomato soup with brie Cromesque and basil, beetroot papardelle with goat's cheese crotin and beetroot textures and wild mushroom risotto with aged parmesan.

The lunch menu is equally luxurious and offers starters of crayfish cocktail with shellfish dressing, ham hock terrine with potato salad or cecina with asparagus, bone marrow, watercress, poached egg and béarnaise. Then follow with mains of braised pork belly with barley, parmesan, squash and rocket; shellfish linguini with chilli, crème fraiche and parmesan or fish and chips with tartare sauce and pea relish. Guests could also order an express business lunch which is served within 45 minutes. A Sunday lunch menu is also available.

The tempting dessert selection includes lychee crème brûlée with citrus sorbet and marshmallow, Harvey Nichols rhubarb fool and chocolate brownie with peanut mousse and caramel.

At the vibrant bar, next door to the restaurant, enjoy a range of exciting cocktails along with a tapas menu. An excellent wine list includes expertly chosen wines from around the world alongside exceptional house wines such as a Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux and a Vin de Pays d'Oc Merlot.

The First Floor also offers diners a variety of interesting programmes including wine tastings, wine and food pairing evenings and cocktail master classes. Private dining for 6-10 people with chef’s special five-course menu is also available.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Sturehof is the kind of place that you would like to go anytime of the day or night; initially the sheer size of the place overwhelms you, and then you observe people from all walks of life streaming in, adding to the general bonhomie. It’s almost always bustling and busy and, if the prospect of an al fresco meal seems tempting, just step outside where the outdoor air and could perhaps build an appetite. Some may agree that pausing between mouthfuls to people-watch is welcome to the digestion.

Sturehof has come a long way from when it first started as a beer hall more than 100 years ago. Things have changed greatly for the better and the impressive glass wall that separates the downstairs bar from the main eating space is the only thing that remains from the now-extinct 1930s interior. The dining area is a more formal affair with crisp white table cloths, wooden panels and distinctive light fixtures.

Seafood is certainly the main draw here and starters of cured salmon with a sweet dill and mustard sauce, shellfish cocktail with tomato vinaigrette and vendace roe from Vänern with butter-fried toast, red onion and Smetana – soured heavy cream - grace the daily changing menu. Meaty main courses are a subtle explosion of flavours with boiled fresh brisket of beef drowned in a horseradish sauce, grilled entrecôte with béarnaise and tenderized beef with bean salad, bacon and red wine butter, all smacking of bovine goodness.

Extending the maritime emphasis fish is one dish that cannot be sidelined at Sturehof, especially when it includes such delights as poached lightly salted cod with prawns, fried Baltic herring, broiled cured pollack and lemon sole on the bone with mushrooms, charlotte onion and browned butter. Shellfish also takes its place under the sun and consider choices like the oyster platter or the shellfish platter of ½ Maine lobster, prawns, Dublin Bay prawns, crab and Fine de Claire.

For a meal such as this desserts should be nothing but remarkable, and the taste of almond parfait with berries and sour cream pannacotta with rhubarb soup could linger long after this highly satisfying and beautifully prepared meal. With over 600 wines, the drinks list certainly commands respect and is sure to hold something to delight every palate.

After dinner party-hoppers will definitely be attracted to the pulsating vibe at the O-bar upstairs keeping in tune with Stockholm’s vibrant nightlife. They also feature a couple of live performances every week from some famous and not-yet-famous artists.

A copy of the charter by the king in the entrance hall gives a fascinating insight to Edsbacka Krog's life way back in 1626 when it all started. Inn-keeper Henrik Olofson was authorised to 'establish an inn at Edsbacka, in the rural district of Sollentuna, where he could tap and serve miscellaneous foreign and Swedish beers as well as wine and spirits and other fiery drinks and also offer food'. Things haven't changed much except for the fact that this old inn has now evolved into a fine restaurant, incorporating the values of traditional pub hospitality.

Inside there is a whole gamut of dining options, from the Vinkällaren, the oldest part of the restaurant, which once housed the wine cellar, to the large and airy Paviljongen where you could get a little closer to nature. Salongen on the upper floor takes in fabulous views of the park of Edsberg Manor while the Kammaren, which can accommodate up to four guests, is for those who seek privacy.

After serving Edsbacka Krog for 26 years, Christer Lingström finally decided to hand up his ladle and former chief cook-now-turned-restaurateur Fredrik Pettersson carries on his vision to create an excellent restaurant experience. True to form the timeless tradition of homeliness, simplicity and honesty is passed on, and diners certainly have much to look forward to.

The kitchen is not afraid to experiment and clever little combinations are manifest among starters, duck liver with white chocolate and figs and oven baked salmon with scallop and oyster foam. Main dishes too follow suit, think grilled tenderised beef imbuing the flavours of smoked chilli and variation of red deer teamed with a warm salad of yellow beetroot and parsnip. Sweet treats are petite creations in themselves, a cylinder of white chocolate and cloudberries with black currant sorbet, and a warm soufflé of white peach.

Seasonal specialities include variation of Swedish lamb flavoured with truffle and rosemary. For the big event there's always a comforting Edsbacka Krog's classical bagarby soup followed by seared char with mussel sauce and a salad of fennel, saffron and potato, and mousse of raspberries with raspberry sorbet and a crispy cake.

First there is a wine list and then a wanted wine list, the latter being the name of a new series of wines featuring champagne from the house of Alfred, an Alsace white, a Lirac red and a sweet Château Puy Servain Terrement.

Edsbacka Krog is keen to help you make your wedding day more special with customized menus and even offering a Volvo S80 limousine for that added touch of class.

Kungsholmen is now closed for renovation till 16th May 2012.

When was the last time you stepped into a mall and after a hectic day of shopping, rushed into a food court, wearily hauled those bags aside, hoping to grab a bite and seeking respite from the crowd frenzy? At Kungsholmen they do things differently, for one thing there is no shopping happening here, but the food court concept reigns supreme, albeit in a more sophisticated, diner style way. Its location along the Mälaren River is an added bonus, guaranteeing views that could hardly be bettered.

The décor is a blend between a traditional dining room and lounge with seven different food stations, so there?s raw, Nordic, organic, fast food classic, spice and a fruit bar. The cocktail bar features a collection of old classics and new creations. The interior is trendy and design schemes are realistic, catering to hungry hordes that descend here everyday. Pontonen, situated right next door, is more of a summer retreat, surrounded by Kungsholmen?s guest dock,and is accessible by boat.

Bocuse d?Or or the biennial world chef championship is often considered to be the culinary world?s answer to the Olympic Games; landing a silver medal at this prestigious contest is no mean feat, and that?s exactly what the Kungsholmen?s cooking duo of Melker Andersson and Danyel Couet have managed to achieve. Their cooking thrives on innovation and presents a blend of international cuisines and taste combinations that are highly appealing

At the raw bar expect to find bento boxes, nigiri or maki, sashimi, Vietnamese beef salad or fine du Claire oysters, and also delights from the Nordic region such as salmon tartar with trout roe, Swedish bouillabaisse and smoked strip loin with bacon. If organic is the way to go then choose a tomato salad caprese, bleak roe blini with lemon crème and coq au vin blanc, or if you don?t have too much time to spare then munch on a tuna burger with lime and coriander or fish and chips with lobster aioli.

Bar classics such as seafood cocktail and moules mariniére are not entirely forgotten and those who?d like to spruce up their meal with a bit of spice could choose pepper grilled beef with Béarnaise or the Caribbean barbecue piggham sandwich. Finally head to the fruit bar for a rhubarb compote with yogurt sorbet or a coupe peach Melba.

The F12 Group has many classy restaurants in its kitty and Kungsholmen certainly stands out on its own, maintaining the high standards set by this thriving group.

Bellavista is situated close to Prague Castle and dates far back to the last century. Now run by the Kolkovna Group, the restaurant's food is original and charming. The restaurant's terrace has been proclaimed as the place with the best views of Prague by several well-known figures including Sean Connery and members of the Rolling Stones.