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hand picked restaurants

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.

Frankie and Benny's combine classic American and Italian in both style and cuisine. They specialise in home style cooking 'just like Mamma used to make it'. This is a great place to take the entire family and represents excellent value for money. The restaurant and bar is suitable for any occasion, whether it's a leisurely lunch, a family meal or a fantastic evening with friends - they make sure you have a wonderful time.

Walking into the restaurant is like stepping back into 1950s New York, from the clatter and chatter of the open kitchen to the bottle lined bar. Walls with black and white family photographs showing life in Brooklyn's 'Little Italy' surround cosy booth seating and tables. Combined with the classic music of the fifties, a mix of American swing and beat, they definitely provide a fun and friendly atmosphere for all to enjoy.

Frankie and Benny's offers starters, main courses and delicious desserts, and favourites include char-grilled burgers, pizzas, pastas, steaks and house specialities such as chicken parmigiana, BBQ ribs, lamb shank and much more. The bar serves a wide range of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks.

Start with sticky wings, crispy coated chicken strips, tiger prawn skewer or Frankie's fried calamari and if you are dining in a group choose the giant sampler platter. The pastas, calzone and pizzas are all made freshly on order. An interesting dish on the menu is a the Boston 7 speciality pizza fully loaded with slices of pork meatballs, spicy pepperoni, ham, crispy bacon, chicken, peppers and red onion, served on a BBQ sauce base. They also serve a variety of sandwiches and burgers throughout the day.

A good value lunch menu is available on weekdays from 11am until 5pm offering a range of popular dishes from the main carte with one course at £5.95, two courses at £7.95 and three courses at £8.95.

For children up to the age of eleven, an all-inclusive menu features a selection of main courses, desserts and drinks starting at £3.95. As an added treat, they'll also receive an activity pack to entertain them whilst you eat.

Enjoy an American Italian meal at Frankie and Benny's with freshly prepared food and warm hospitality that makes you feel right at home.

If you are keen on exploring Norfolk and you want to stay in a place that pulls all the stops when it comes to luxury, then you might want to visit Strattons Hotel which is located in the market town of Swaffham. The rooms have a unique and distinctive style and this independent family run boutique hotel offers some of the best comforts in an opulent atmosphere - and they're even environmentfriendly. If that sounds too good to be true, a visit to their restaurant affirms that there are more delights to follow.

The chic award winning restaurant located in the semi-basement is adorned with specially commissioned works of art that reflect the Brecks' landscape and everything about the ambience is relaxed and welcoming. Local suppliers win hands down in providing fresh produce, meats and seafood for dishes such as potted shrimp with Iceni beer bread, honey roast ham terrine, smoked Oxford eel and delectable desserts such as almond and orange crackle wafers with marmalade ice cream. Stratton's excellent wine list meets your requirements with aplomb.

The Norfolk Mead Hotel is located in Coltishall quite near the edge of the Norfolk Broads and is a very serene spot, perfect for a weekend retreat. This beautiful Georgian country house has an informal atmosphere with a sense of luxury while the underlying peace is a refreshing break from the mindless clutter of everyday life. There's a lovely lake and you can wander around in the mead without a worry, and finally conclude the day with a delightful meal at their restaurant.

In fact, you could even make a start there with lightly smoked kippers and haddock and free range eggs for breakfast. Fresh and locally sourced produce feature highly in the menu and can include starters of chicken liver parfait on toasted brioche with pear and sultana chutney followed by chicken breast with herb stuffing wrapped in Parma ham, leeks and crispy potatoes. End with an upside down pear and polenta cake served with vanilla ice cream and the global wine list offers a wide selection.

This old English pub, located in the village where the eccentric Rector of Stiffkey ministered to the faithful before meeting an unfortunate fate involving a lion, has an uncluttered charm that appeals to the walkers, birdwatchers and those seeking refuge from the rigours of the excellent camp site nearby, most of whom welcome its excellent local beers, including Nelson's Revenge from Woodforde stable, as well as the excellent food, mostly fresh from local sources, at prices that please.

There is no piped music, old pews abound and the fire in the bar makes a welcome centrepiece when the wind is straight off the sea.

Look for the local fish, bought out of King's Lynn Market, Blakeney whitebait, Norfolk game pie, soft herring roes on toast and the superb crab salads that are such a feature of the area. There is a strong vein of Thai cooking in the area, so no surprise to find Thai spring rolls competing with the broccoli and Stilton quiche

You can eat in or out, and on hot days the cool from the stream offers welcome freshness. A short but enterprising wine list is well supplied with wine by the glass.

This is an admirably atmospheric pub, a part of old Norfolk, which it is to be hoped, no 'improver' ever gets their grips on.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolate make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of hors d'oeuvres takes in classic French onion and beef soup with a melted gruyere crouton, classic snails in melted garlic butter, and pan-fried crab cakes with a chilli, lemon and coriander jam. Salads, pasta and quiches feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include smoked Toulouse sausages with sautéed with new potatoes, caramelised onions and balsamic vinegar on a salad of mixed leaves.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of sauces that include the signature sauce de Café Rouge, prepared specially from over twenty secret ingredients. No French menu would be complete without the demi poulet, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.