Located in the heart of this historic Surrey town, close to the University, Caffe Uno Farnham is set in a charming double fronted period building with large windows. A smart contemporary ambience is perfectly complemented with comfortable booth seating and chairs. A delicious Mediterranean menu offers guests an extensive range of dishes.

On Castle Street, just a stone's throw from the 12th century Castle and a 10-minute walk from Farnham Rail Station, Caffe Uno also sells a range of traditional Mediterranean products, many of which are used in the dishes served in the restaurant, including chilli infused extra virgin olive oil, Modena balsamic vinegar, pasta Pugliese and Cuneesi chocolates.

Open from 9am every day, a hearty breakfast at Caffe Uno could include eggs any style, streaky bacon, Cumberland sausage, mushrooms, tomato and toast; bacon or Cumberland sausage baguette, eggs Benedict, plain or chocolate croissant, muesli with yoghurt or honey and toast with jam along with coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

A sumptuous main menu offers starters, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, pasta, grilled fare, seafood and vegetarian options. You could begin with dishes such as yellowfin tuna and mayonnaise with celery and red onion; grilled chorizo and halloumi with salad garnish and lemon dressing or crab cakes with mixed leaves and garlic mayonnaise. There are also vegetarian and traditional antipasto platters which could be equally tempting.
 
The grill's meaty selections include a succulent rib eye steak with béarnaise or green peppercorn sauce; classic burger with 100% prime beef burger, ementhal cheese and garlic mayo in a sesame seed sour dough bun with or char grilled chicken and field mushrooms with baby spinach in a Marsala wine. Lamb shank with Mediterranean vegetables, chorizo sausage and potatoes in a red wine sauce would be equally satisfying. Seafood dishes include a traditional paella of tiger prawns, mussels, chicken breast, chorizo sausage, onions, and peas cooked with Spanish rice or a salmon fillet baked in a creamy saffron sauce with new potatoes, broccoli and green beans.

If you prefer something lighter there's a selection of sandwiches including a steak baguette with sliced steak with Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and roasted onions and a piri piri chicken wrap and buffalo mozzarella with sundried tomatoes, black olives, basil pesto and fresh rocket. Salads could include a classic Nicoise with yellowfin tuna, anchovies, free range egg, marinated olives, capers, cherry tomatoes, new potatoes, green beans and red onions in an Italian house dressing or baked goat's cheese with toasted walnuts and grapes over rocket and spinach leaves with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The pizza selection offers a meat feast of chicken, spicy beef, pepperoni, pancetta bacon, mozzarella and tomato, while heart pasta dishes include penne with Italian sausage in a spicy tomato sauce and spinach and ricotta ravioli in a white wine and butter sauce. Separate lunch and children's menus are also available.

The dessert selection of white chocolate and pistachio cheesecake with raspberry coulee, espresso chocolate tart and pecan and walnut pie with vanilla ice cream will satisfy the sweetest tooth.

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

Housed within the iconic Blakes Hotel on Roland Gardens, Blakes Restaurant expertly combines the best of Eastern and Western cuisineenhanced by elegant service in splendid surroundings. Located in the well-heeled South Kensington area of London, it's close to well-known attractions such as Hyde Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal Albert Hall while the shops and boutiques on Brompton Road are just a short drive away.

The work of the reputed designer and London socialite Anouska Hempel, the restaurant's atmospheric setting combines classic design with luxurious furnishings and exotic artefacts to create a unique ambience in which guests cannot but relax and unwind at leisure.

Dinner could begin with starters of miso soup with silken tofu, carpaccio of beef with parmesan, tortellini of foie gras des landes or salt and peppered soft shell crabs. Add a luxurious touch to your meal with Oscietra or Royal Beluga caviar served with Balkes blini or warm potato soufflé and vanilla ice cream.

Follow with delicious mains of angel hair pasta with black truffle, black cod with miso and ginger sauce; beef fillet teriyaki with hot sake or rack of English lamb and rosemary with mint cous cous. Diners looking for a lighter bite could enjoy refreshing salad of buffalo Burrata mozzarella with tomatoes or warm chicken salad with avocado, pomelo, cashews and nam jim sauce. The lunch menu offers ginko nut curry with lime risottini, baby chicken with thyme and lemon or peppercorn fillet of beef. While the bento box selection includes miso soup with silken tofu, beef teriyaki, lobster toast and ginger rice.

The desserts menu at Blakes is a joy in itself and includes tempting gems such as the light and refreshing dessert of coconut ice cream with lime and palm sugar, a simpler tropical fruit salad or a richer dark chocolate fondant with vanilla and pistachio ice cream and finally, if you wish, coffee with cardamom or ginger tea.

The restaurant's all-day menu serves a selection of dim sums; fried prawn and yuzu sauce, soups, sandwiches and hot food; toasted poilâne sourdough chicken sandwich with avocado and ginger and Blakes burger and French fries and salads; oak smoked scotch salmon.

Breakfast is also served at Blakes with choice of a full English, continental breakfast or more exotic fare such as Changa Turkish eggs, two poached eggs served with leaf spinach, chilli oil and yoghurt; classic Scottish smoked salmon with scrambled eggs spicy Parsee eggs a dish of scrambled eggs with fresh green chilli and coriander. For a healthy alternative try Bircher muesli with Greek yoghurt and fresh berries or compôte of fruit with cornflakes and prunes.

For a delightful break during the day the afternoon tea menu at the adjoining Chinese Room or Courtyard offers finger sandwiches with fillings of beef and chilli horseradish, smoked salmon and egg and cress; fresh scones with fresh strawberries and cream; a selection of tea cakes and choice of tea from Earl Grey, Lapsang Souching and Darjeeling.

An extensive wine list with a range of whites and reds from Italy, France, Germany, Australia and South Africa complements the food perfectly.

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

Belgo Centraal is totally unique in its design, especially its industrial lift, which transports guests over one of the busiest kitchens in London, where dishes from a menu of high quality are produced. Situated in the hub of Covent Garden, Belgo Centraal has been a hit since it opened in 1998 and a destination for tourists and Londoners alike ever since. Well known for its high quality Belgian food and drink, accompanied by unbeatable service and a stimulating environment, it has won a Best London Restaurant Award and was also runner up in the Best Family Restaurant Award 2000.

Affordable, filling meals include their famous mussel platter, served with frites, and other superb seafood, vegetarian or meat dishes, such as rotisserie chicken and haddock in Belgo Wit beer batter. If you have room you should try one of their scrummy desserts featuring Brussels style waffle with vanilla ice-cream, Chantilly cream and a choice of warm white or dark chocolate sauce.

The waiters, dressed as monks, are always willing to guide guests through the vast array of varying Belgian white, dark and fruit beers that are on offer to complement your meal. Belgian food tends to concentrate on leeks, asparagus, potatoes, beetroot, carrots, fennel; onion, celery, thyme, chives, rosemary, turnips, radish, beef, chicken, fish, butter and cream. From this by and large pretty healthy selection by most standards, they produce such classic Belgian dishes as waterzooi and carbonnade.

Do keep an eye out for their special deals, such as the famous 'Beat the Clock', where you pay the price at the time shown on your food order when ordering from their BTC menu, i.e., 6pm is £6. Express Lunch is a set lunch menu for £9.50, served with a choice of Cristal lager, a glass of house wine or a soft drink.

They also have 'Kids Eat Free', which entitles one child to eat free from the 'mini menu', a 2-course meal served with frites or mash, that includes such dishes as rotisserie chicken, pork or leek sausages, or cod goujons, rounded off with Belgo's homemade ice-cream, per one adult ordering a main course from the à la carte menu.

With two seating areas to choose from, firstly their dining area, where reservations can be made, or dine in the more relaxed beer hall area, with bench style seating,  where reservations are not required, this is definitely a unique dining experience. They can also cater for private parties from approximately 50 to 250 guests.

And talking of guests, read on: 'excellent evening! The waiters were very entertaining and so, so knowledgeable about all those different beers'.

'We had a fantastic time, great food and the kids really loved it! The waiter brought them to see the kitchen and gave them a chef's hat. All that and the kids ate for free'.

For information on reservations, parties and private hire, or just to learn more about Belgo Restaurants, visit their well designed Website.

Opposite the City Limits bowling alley in the popular Xscape Entertainment Centre, Chimichanga Milton Keynes offers authentic Mexican food in a vibrant modern setting. As well as the numerous attractions inside the Xscape Centre, the restaurant is also just a 4-minute walk from Milton Keynes Theatre and the Milton Keynes Gallery.
 
Chimichanga's extensive à la carte caters to a variety of palates. A wide range of delicious appetisers includes crab cakes, Buffalo chicken wings and empanadas, a traditional crispy pastry filled with a choice of chicken or chorizo sausage with cheese and served with sour cream. Other choices include piri piri prawns, Cajun chicken with chilli sauce and jalapeno bullets, a dish of deep fried jalapeno peppers with cream cheese and chilli sauce. Appetisers to share include chicken nachos or taquitos, crispy flour tortilla tubes with a range of fillings including cheese and black beans, chicken, cheese and salsa and chorizo and cheese.

Light bites include a range of tortilla wraps including a classic fajita wrap with a choice of char grilled fajita steak or chicken served with peppers and onions in a tortilla with Jack cheese. Vegetarians are catered for with the delicious courgette and Portobello mushroom wraps which comes with chipotle chilli sauce and jack cheese. There's also a number of tempting salad options such as blackened tuna salad with tuna steak coated in a special blend of Cajun spices, blacked on a hot skillet and served over a bed of mixed leaves with roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

For something more filling diners could opt for a tortilla burger, made from 100 per cent fully traceable prime Scottish beef wrapped in a flour tortilla with mayonnaise and served with changa chips.

The char grill section's succulent offerings include barbecue baby back ribs served with change chips and jalapeno coleslaw; sirloin mojo rojo, a centre cut sirloin steak marinated in chilli, garlic and coriander and served with beer battered onion rings and change chips, Santa Fe chicken with rice, black beans and guacamole or flame grilled piri piri chicken.
 
Sumptuous Mexican specialities naturally include chimichanga, a flour tortilla fried golden brown with Jack cheese and served with your choice of filling ? either chunky beef chilli con carne, BBQ pulled pork or bean chilli - sautéed onions and peppers and garnished with sour cream, chives, guacamole and tortilla croutons, as well as a variety of burritos, enchiladas and tostadas. There are also chipotle meatballs, Mexican paella, chilli de la casa and south-western crab cakes. The grande quesadilla is a baked flour tortilla sandwich with your choice of filling and drizzled with sour cream and served with Mexican rice and chipotle chilli sauce.

The lunch menu offers a choice of two or three courses while a children?s menu caters to the tastes of the little ones.

Round off the satisfying meal with scrumptious dessert of giant Mexican profiterole, chocolate fudge brownie or honeycomb smash cheesecake. Alternatively, end with a speciality coffee or liqueur. Chimichanga offers a variety of wines, beers, cocktails, margheritas, sangria and soft drinks to quench the thirst.

More information can be found on their Website.

Offering panoramic views over the River Clyde, Red Leaf Restaurant serves seasonal Scottish dishes within the glitzy Alea Casino Glasgow. Red Leaf offers a private balcony by the river, and the airy dining room is drenched in natural light.

The Red Leaf menu features fresh, local produce, with signature dishes including haggis tortelloni with spiced neeps, shallot, basil and parmesan, and Scrabster fisherman's pie with salmon, haddock and sole in a leek and parsley cream. Other innovative favourites include turmeric and coriander crusted cannon of lamb, and wild mushroom risotto bon bons.

Indulgent desserts like sticky toffee pudding and passion fruit crème brûlée are consistent favourites at Red Leaf. Unwind at the Red Leaf bar, and choose from a fine list of cocktails and champagnes.

Attractive mid-week and weekend dining deals at the Red Leaf Glasgow make for an affordable yet refined dining experience. Odeon Cinema is just a short walk away.

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

Every so often some English pub, usually in the Home Counties, often sadly neglected and run down is the beneficiary of a makeover by a combination of Peach Pubs and an entrepreneurial, local character working with them. The results are invariably of a high order and another proper pub is returned to the fold.

This time it's the turn of The Richard Onslow, in the heart of Cranleigh, a handsome building with hung red tiles, which has been given a thorough overhaul and is back in business to the delight of locals and those from further afield.

In charge is John Taylor. John has wide experience in the trade and after deciding that British hospitality is at its best in pubs he had a spell at the Punch Tavern in Fleet Street before linking up with Peach. John and his team in the kitchen have worked out a menu that celebrates pub favourites as well as something a little different. Fresh food prepared on the premises is their policy, with spectacular results.

Breakfast is served from 9am to 11am. An express menu operates throughout the day, five dishes such as ham, egg and chips, designed for speed, backed by substantial sandwiches all served with chips or soup of the day. A deli board behaves rather like an international selection of tapas, all available individually or a selection by the board, all served with rustic bread or chutney.

Lunchtime, from noon to 2.45pm, could run along the lines of chicken and spring onion terrine with apricot and walnut chutney, Gressingham duck breast with spinach, potato rösti, chickpea and orange jus, options on char-grill and salads.

In the evening the deli board is brought back into play and can serve either as a starter or even as a main course derived from a series of small dishes, possibly for a group. A number of either/or dishes can fit in as required, amongst them courgette, pea and broad bean risotto, with/ without honey roast ham, backed by some more conventional starters potted crab with roasted rye, or roast tomato and mozzarella tart with tapenade.

A char-grill treat of 28 day dry aged Casterbridge côte de boeuf on a board for two comes with chips, grilled tomato, roast vine tomatoes and béarnaise sauce, and from amongst eight main courses look for chilli and lime-spiked fishcake with summer salsa and baby leaf salad, or Gressingham duck breast, spinach, potato rösti, chickpea and orange jus.

Puddings at The Richard Onslow are not to be taken lightly, in any sense, but outstanding are the strawberry Eton Mess, and lemon posset, lime syrup and ginger biscuit. They are strong on aprés la guerre with a good selection of coffee, stickies and nightcaps.

The express menu along with sandwiches is served from noon ? 6.30pm and those who want to have routine in their food can opt for roast of the day teamed with a seasonal vegetable dish. Most dishes points in between there is something to please everyone, except vegetarians! A wine list of elegance and good judgement from all over keeps stride well with the menus.

This is a well recommended pub-restaurant well deserving of Alastair Sawday's judgement of the group as a whole, "The most innovative small pub group in the land". Click on their Website for forthcoming events and menu variations with the seasons.

A delightful neighbourhood restaurant in the West London suburb of Chiswick, Le Vacherin on South Parade serves traditional Parisian bistro food. The brainchild of head chef and owner Malcolm John, formerly of Brasserie St Quentin in Knightsbridge and a product of the Café Royal training with Herbert Berger, a chic setting supplemented by a convivial atmosphere sets the tone for an enjoyable meal, whether it's a business lunch or a romantic dinner.

A regularly changing menu uses the freshest and finest of seasonal ingredients and a prix fixe lunch or dinner could begin with starters of smoked duck served with apple and celeriac rémoulade; chicken liver and foie gras parfait with brioche, radishes and gherkins or roast bone marrow, parsley and garlic crust with heirloom beetroot and horseradish. The lunch menu also includes the house speciality, and namesake, baked Vacherin with a truffle and almond crust for two.

The excellent gastronomic experience continues with delicious mains of aged Hereford rib eye with pommes frites, sauce béarnaise or poivre; confit of wild rabbit with Dijon mustard, sprouting broccoli and frites; breast of pheasant with fondant potatoes, chestnuts and chorizo or sea bass with brown shrimps butter, cockles and pommes purée. If you want to share, try the 28-day aged Châteaubriand with green beans and frites or the roasted crown and confit leg of Barbary duck with caramelised endives, pommes mousseline and orange sauce. 

Vegetarians are well-catered for with starters of poached pear with Roquefort, endives and walnuts, pumpkin velouté with sage and pine nuts or twice baked cheese soufflé, endives and walnuts. This can be followed by mains such as gratin of parsley gnocchi and trompette mushrooms with ricotta beignets or pappardelle with wild mushrooms and black truffle.

Sunday lunch at Le Vacherin could begin with starters of beignet of frog legs with aioli, Burgundy snails in garlic butter or a delicious pumpkin soup with sage and pine nuts. This could be followed by succulent roast rib of beef with duck fat potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; duck confit with green beans and creamed chanterelles; middle white pork cutlet with kale and flageolet beans or beetroot and roasted squash risotto with mascarpone.

The dessert menu is no less indulgent with offerings of Venezuela chocolate fondant with mascarpone ice cream, cinnamon doughnuts paired with apple and calvados sorbet, bread and butter pudding with aged prunes topped with prune and Armagnac ice cream and profiteroles with coffee ice cream and caramel sauce. A range of French farmhouse cheeses offers a delectable alternative.

Le Vacherin's carefully compiled, French dominated wine list complements the food perfectly and includes tempting examples of white and red wines such as Sauvignon Elégance Côtes du Tarn, Pinot Blanc Réserve Particulière, Bourgogne Pinot Noir and Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne. There's also a selection of aperitifs, cocktails and spirits.

While the main restaurant can cater for up to 80 diners for a special occasion, there is a well-appointed semi-private room can accommodate up to 30 guests.

More information can be found on their Website.

In Chelsea, tucked away between the Fulham Road and the Kings Road is an attractive Georgian building known as The Builders Arms. Thanks to a successful makeover, what was once a dreary old pub has now been converted into a first class gastropub, so much so that it won The Evening Standard pub of the year in 1999.

Actually located in Britten Street between Sydney Street and Chelsea Green, it is a large three storey Georgian pub of traditional character and features a spacious interior with attractive artwork, comfy leather sofas, banquettes and brightly coloured bookshelves that lend a relaxed and informal feel to the place. Linger by the fireside on a warm winter's day and sample some of the best drinks and food, all created from local produce whenever possible.

The food is made up of a daily changing all day menu, but you can expect to find dishes such as beer battered fishcakes, a pint of prawns with mayonnaise and watercress; steak sandwiches with wilted spinach, onion rings and tomato jam; fish pies; sausage and mash, roast salmon, succulent steaks and Builders Benedict that takes in English muffins, ham, spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise. Don't forget to request one of the Builders staff to give you information about the day's specials.

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

It is not an easy task to maintain impeccable standards and uniformity of taste across a chain of over eight hundred outlets, yet that is just the distinction that The Gondola Group has achieved. Their restaurants, with the brand names of Zizzi, ASK and Pizza Express, serve authentic Italian food at reasonable prices, in a warm and friendly ambience. The chain continues to grow, with the group opening around twenty-five new outlets each year.

Another talent that the group has is converting listed buildings and in which to house their restaurants. This has helped the group maintain standards, but allows each location to keep its innate charm. Done up in light colours, with wooden floors and gleaming cutlery, Zizzi boasts of a bustling open kitchen which churns out freshly prepared, tasty fare.

Like all good Italian restaurants, the extensive carte offers four distinct sections of antipasti, salads, mains, including pasta, pizza and risottos, a meat and fish menu which changes seasonally and a vast and exciting dessert menu. The restaurant's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. Garlic mozzarella pizza bread and caramelised balsamic onions too, set the tone for a hearty meal.

The calzones or folded pizzas are a treat and come with salads. The carne piccante calzone has marinated chicken, meatballs, Bolognese sauce, mushrooms, chillies, tomato and mozzarella while the clarissa version, has aubergine, and red pepper caponata, olives, goats' cheese, rocket, pine nuts, tomato and mozzarella. The pasta and risotto sections arouse plenty of interest, with the farfalle alla Genovese combined with marinated roasted artichoke hearts, Santos tomatoes, and pine nuts in a delicious creamy pesto sauce or the light risotto with tiger prawns, oak-roasted salmon, calamari, courgettes and baby spinach in a rich creamy base with lemon and chilli.

The pizzas are not far behind either, with funghi topped with field mushrooms, fresh tarragon, mozzarella and tomato while the popular Sophia has marinated chicken, pepperoni, over-roasted sausage, tomato, mozzarella, finished with green chilli and fresh rosemary.

The extensive wine list offers a range of red, white, sparkling and rose wines in addition to beer and spirits while the dessert menu is attractive too, with a range of tempting fare from the homemade tiramisu to the torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base served with vanilla mascarpone. A really hot and tasty cup of coffee, tea or chocolate rounds the meal off well.

The fact that the restaurant hires their employees very selectively is evident in the friendly, cheerful and capable manner with which the staff treat diners, lending each outlet the personalised feel of a family run restaurant.

More information can be found on their Website.

Radisson Hotels can be found the world over, and whilst the degree of universal quality that they offer is reassuring, there is always that frisson of pleasure that comes with discovering their diversity in ways both great and small. As with any quality hotel, the happiness of the inner man is a prime concern, and the award winning Filini restaurant at the Radisson Blu Liverpool offers Italian cuisine of a high order, blending together both Italian and local produce to create a greatly enjoyed and respected dining experience.

The Radisson Blu Liverpool enjoys the advantage of its location in an established maritime city of great charm and distinction in its people, its very individual culture, and its structure. The River Mersey has lent its name to a great deal more than just The Beatles.

The restaurant has undergone a complete refit, with red vintage leather seating comfortably alongside draping red curtains and chandeliers that reflect the sparkle of the conversation beneath.

The hotel is ultra modern, the décor hosting colours that though assertive are not strident, and has 194 bedrooms including Business Class, Junior Suites and the sensational River suite. Guestrooms, which are individually designed in two unique styles, Ocean and Urban, provide more than enough choices to keep everybody happy. Free Broadband, including wireless Internet access is available in all guestrooms and public areas.

The menu opens with a convivium collection of sharing platters, amongst which the cured meats and cheese antipasti is invariably popular. More individual antipasti dishes include prosciutto di Parma with Tuscan garlic bread, or shrimp salad with baby gem, rocket, lemon and oregano dressing.

Risotto can be ordered as a starter or main dish, and many a good night here has revolved round the wonderful blend of flavours that are drummed up by tagliatelle with pesto. Roast chicken breast is served with mushrooms and basil, whilst the grilled sea bass with spinach and pine kernels is another classic that seafood lovers will applaud.

No Italian menu would be complete without a range of pizzas. As befits a restaurant of quality these are the thin crust variety, and include tomato, mozzarella, pecorino, prosciutto and rocket. Italians are so adept at making the best out of vegetables, and here we have garlic mashed potatoes with Parmesan cheese, green vegetables with lemon, as well as the traditional tomato and red onion salad.

Desserts of toasted almond semifreddo compete alongside chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream, the inevitably wonderful gelato selection of any good Italian restaurant, and a selection of ripe Neapolitan cheese.

It is not until one sees an exclusively Italian wine list that the full splendour of Italian wine really manifests itself. In possibly more than any other country, careful selection through their, shall we say, simpler wines produces real gems, with a notable example being the Vin Santo del Chianti Serelle dessert wine from Tuscany. Their well set out Website will tell you more about the menus and other events that constantly grace the Radisson Blu.