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hand picked restaurants

The bright and airy Riverside Brasserie at the Doubletree Hilton in Granta Place offers breakfast, lunch and dinner from set menus as well as à la carte in an elegant setting. Guests can enjoy lovely river views as they consider options on the European cuisine menu which includes British favourites. Private dining for up to 14 people with specially designed menus is also available at the venue.

Lunch or dinner at the Riverside Brasserie could include dishes like salad of poached Ely freshwater eel and bacon with truffle croutons, black pudding fritters with pan fried chicken livers, risotto of spring vegetables with parmesan and pan fried fillet of hung 28-day beef with wild mushrooms and a red wine jus. Enjoy South Downs lamb chop, Norfolk pork chop with glazed apple or freshwater salmon fillet from the grill. Round off with a chocolate and walnut brownie with whipped cream or caramelised strawberry custard. Complement the meal with a glass of a full flavoured rich dry white or a light fruity red.

Spotted in Mill Road, Broadway, is the cosy, unassuming little Black Cat Café that brings the 'wrong end of Mill Road' back to life. A refreshing change from the chain cafés in the locality, this little joint is always packed with vibrant young people bartering college news and fashion tips over a cup of splendid coffee which is ground on the premises. A local favourite, and given its modest size, tends to get crowded easily and more so in the weekends.

The service is informal and blends well with the laid-back atmosphere. Sample their famous freshly ground coffees or choose one of the many flavours of smoothies, to go with your paninis. You're safe no matter what you order here, but their home-made cakes have recently bagged an award and for good reason. The food here is innovative and of consistent good quality. A real find in the dull end of Mill Road, come to The Black Cat Café during the week if you prefer to savour some quiet time with your newspaper.

There's an unusual and interesting find in King's Parade, Cambridge that goes by the name Rainbow Café. The name probably stems from the core idea that the café revolves around - vegetarian food can be varied, delicious, colourful and imaginative. A vegetarian café, Rainbow specializes in vegan and gluten-free food. All dishes are prepared fresh on the premises from only the finest possible ingredients. When you interact with the staff, browse the menu and sample the food, you realize that this café takes its food and its customers very seriously.

The cheeses here are vegetarian and only non-dairy spread is used for herb and garlic butter. The eggs are free-range, while organic beer, cider and wine make perfect vegan meals. The menu draws from the collective travel experiences of the staff and has everything from West Indian curries and North African delicacies to authentic Italian pastas. Begin with marinated tofu and sun-dried tomato. For mains, it's a toss between Latvian potato bake, Ethiopian mesir-wat, Jamaican patties and gado gado. For dessert, go for the famous carrot cake or Rainbow brownie. There's an extensive drinks list and children's menu as well. The Rainbow Café offers vegetarian dishes at their imaginative best.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen was the brainchild of three New Zealanders, who craved after the way that food tasted back home. The chain was instrumental in changing the perception of many people who saw the traditional burger purely as a fast food option; instead they are now seen as more sophisticated products, made using fresh, good quality ingredients.

Their first outlet opened in Battersea and today there are forty-one serving scrumptious burgers. Chef Peter Gordon believes in using innovative combinations, with good quality English chicken and Aberdeen Angus Scotch beef among the ingredients, to make nutritious and convenient to eat fare. They offer chorizo and sweet potato, lamb and minted relish, or the vegetarian portabella mushroom among others. GBK sauces and accompaniments add to their taste.

The menu has nearly thirty different choices and if you feel like biting into pure beef, do try their classic burger with salad and relish - available with or without cheese, this is served with sauces like smoked mayo, spicy satay, fresh chilli and Thai red curry, lending the meal varying degrees of spice.

Some, like the Kiwi, are made using unusual raw materials such as beetroot, fried egg and pineapple, while for fans of chicken, the grilled breast with streaky bacon, salad and avocado is a delicious combination. There are a surprising number of burgers suitable for vegetarians with versions made from puy lentils, potato, green curry or aubergine served with goats' cheese and sun blushed tomatoes. Fresh fruit juices, soft drinks and milkshakes are alcohol free options.

A welcome list of wines and beers complete the picture of a relaxed and modern environment as Gourmet Burger King excels in making the humble burger taste so good.

Things seem to move fast at Wagamama - the Asian inspired, noodle restaurant chain that was started in 1992. As soon as you decide what you want to eat, your order is taken via a PDA, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen, so it can be made fresh and served right after. The restaurant chain does not believe in taking reservations, and all customers are seated on a first come, first serve basis. In fact, be aware that most of the tables are long ones and you will often be asked to share them.

The restaurants are modelled on traditional Japanese ramen bars that have been popular for hundreds of years - ramen are Japanese style noodles, served in a meat-based broth, topped with pork, dried seaweed or even corn. Chilli beef ramen, made of noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled sirloin steak and fresh vegetables, is hearty and satisfying.

Apart from ramen, you could opt for the coconut soup based kare noodles or teppan, cooked on a hot, flat griddle. They also offer many rice dishes like katsu curry, chicken fillet deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a lightly spiced curry sauce and sticky white rice. Vegetarians are definitely not ignored, as they can opt for saien soba, made using whole-wheat noodles in a soup topped with stir-fried vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and garnished with sliced spring onion.

Meat and vegetable dumplings, skewered chicken, deep-fried prawns and raw salads double as both sides and starters. Steamed green soya-beans, called edamame, go well with drinks - hold them up to your mouth and squeeze the succulent beans from the pod. If you've noticed, Wagamama is more about eating healthy food fast and less about the order. Don't be surprised if you're served the main course before the side dish - order isn't important, the aim is, don't wait - just tuck in and share.

Wash down your meal with sake, plum wine or even a Japanese beer. Wind up your meal with coconut reika - three scoops of dairy coconut ice cream topped with a fresh, tangy mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes or the tamarind and chilli Pavlova, with a crunchy meringue base served with a raspberry and tamarind sauce.

At Wagamama, you can also shop for cookbooks, sauces, ramen bowls and t-shirts. The restaurant is all about enjoying genuine, reasonably priced, Pan-Asian cuisine in a sleek but informal setting.

The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.