Named after the legendary actor Charlie Chaplin, Charlie's Ristorante Italiano on North End Road in Barnet is a comfortable neighbourhood Italian with a warm welcoming ambience that makes it perfect for a quick business lunch or enjoyable family dinner. Relax in its pleasant modern interiors - red, white and black décor, tiled floor and marble topped bar - enhanced by the numerous pictures, photographs and assorted Chaplin paraphernalia on the walls. Located right opposite Golders Green underground station, the restaurant is conveniently close to areas such as Hampstead Village, Swiss Cottage, St. John's Wood and Camden Town.

Charlie's offers a varied Italian menu with dishes made from fresh seasonal ingredients either imported from Italy or procured from local suppliers. As with the rest of the freshly prepared food, the pizza dough is made fresh every day and the pasta sauces are traditionally Italian. Starters of funghi ripeni, baked stuffed mushrooms in tomato, cheese and cream sauce, Parma ham with melon or polpette Napoli, prime minced seasoned beef meatballs cooked in a rich garlic and tomato sauce whet the appetite. Then take your pick from a variety of pizza toppings including prosciutto, topped with tomato, mozzarella and ham, Napoli, with tomato, mozzarella, olive, capers and anchovies, Americana, with tomato, mozzarella, sausage, peppers and chilli or cinque stagioni, with tomato, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, olives, artichokes and sausage. There's also calzone, a traditional folded pizza filled with mozzarella, ham and mushrooms.

Choices of pasta include spaghetti Bolognese, linguine with squid, prawns, mussels and clams, penne arrabiatta and tagliatelle with chicken strips and mushrooms. Oven baked dishes feature cannelloni filled with ricotta cheese and spinach and topped with tomato and cheese sauce as well as melanzane alla Parmigiana, sliced aubergines in tomato sauce topped with cheese. Charlie's also offers a range of meat dishes include grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary sauce, chicken or veal Milanese with spaghetti Napoli and sirloin steak with mushrooms, onions and red wine sauce. The fish and seafood selection embraces grilled sword fish steak topped with a light lemon and virgin oil dressing, king prawns in a garlic, wine and chilli sauce and grilled salmon fillet with chopped tomatoes, herbs and lemon dressing. There's also a children's menu for under-10s offers pizza topped with cheese, tomato and sausage, penne with butter or tomato sauce and chicken nuggets with chips.

A carefully selected wine list includes house white and red starting at £11.95 per bottle and £3 per glass, while a bottle of Prosecco, the classic Italian sparkling wine can be had for under £20. The drinks list also includes birra beer, hot drinks and special coffees such as Irish and calypso as well as the expected selection of soft drinks. The restaurant can also cater for any occasion whether it's a birthday, wedding anniversary or office celebration with a variety of fixed priced party menus.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website .

Zizzi Paddington Street offers a bright and relaxed setting to enjoy a delicious Italian meal just off Baker Street. With ample al fresco seating and a warm, contemporary interior, Zizzi is ideal for an intimate dinner or a large gathering with friends.

Less than a minute walk from the Everyman Cinema, the restaurant is perfect for a pre or post-film meal. Zizzi is also just a short walk from popular attractions such as Madame Tussauds and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

The bustling open kitchen at Zizzi turns out freshly prepared, tasty fare. The extensive à la carte offers distinct sections of antipasti, salads, pizza and calzone, pasta, risottos and mains of seasonally changing meat and fish dishes with a variety of tempting desserts to finish.

Zizzi's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. There's also choice of arancini, crispy risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and peas and served with a tomato chilli sauce as well as gnocchi gorgonzola, potato dumplings in a creamy gorgonzola and spinach sauce seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper, setting the tone for a hearty meal.

For a delicious pasta or risotto choose between penne vodka, king prawns, chilli, peas and Grana Padano in a creamy tomato and vodka sauce; ravioli di capra, goat's cheese and spinach ravioli served with tomato sauce and topped with pesto and pine nuts; zucca e pancetta, pumpkin, pancetta, spinach, sage and Grana Padano topped with mascarpone and rigatoni con pollo e funghi, chicken in a tomato, onion, rosemary and mushroom sauce. Gluten-free pasta is also available on request.

If you prefer a pizza, then you could try Zizzi's speciality pizza rustica, which couples extra thin and crispy bases with a range of toppings such as bufala, buffalo mozzarella with sunblush tomatoes, basil, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or mare e monti, one half topped with tiger prawn, courgette and mozzarella and the other with spicy sausage, tomato sauce and chilli, all finished off with a rocket and crème fraîche. 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. Zizzi's calzon'pizzas, half calzone and half pizza, add an interesting twist to the meal.

Sumptuous mains include agnello con peperonata, roasted lamb shank served with basil, roasted vegetables and a little pot of potatoes with tomato, red onion and Grana Padano; duck arrosto, slow roasted whole duck leg in a balsamic, olive and pancetta reduction served with Tuscan potatoes and green beans; and sea bass al vino, sea bass pan fried with wine, garlic and baby plum tomatoes and served with herby potatoes.

The scrumptious dessert list offers torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base topped with rich chocolate torte and served with vanilla mascarpone; homemade tiramisu; creamy vanilla pannacotta with fruit compote and torta Zizzi, an almond-based plum and fig tart topped with pistachios and icing sugar and served with gelato.

The wine list is dominated by a range of Italian wines from regions such as Veneto, Lazio, Sicily, Tuscany and Lombardy. Also on offer is an assortment of beers, and spirits as well as a range of soft and hot drinks.

More information can be found on their Website.

Located on the bustling High Street, just a stone's throw from The Rex cinema, The Kings Arms at Berkhamsted is a beautifully refurbished inn, restaurant and hotel that offers guests an excellent modern British menu in the heart of this historic Hertfordshire town.

The extensive menu offers a range of starters, sharing boards, salads, sandwiches, burgers, steaks and hearty pub classics. A meal here could begin with starters of roasted bone marrow with olive oil, crispbreads, and herb salad; Stornoway black pudding with garlic fried oyster mushrooms and Scottish parsley drop scone or salt and pepper chilli squid with rocket salad, coriander aioli.

Main courses include delicious comfort fare of slow cooked Cornish lamb belly with truffle roast potatoes, classic ratatouille and port jus; the King's 8-hour sticky beef ribs cooked in cola and chilli and served with soured cream, leaves and fries or natural smoked haddock fillet served with bubble and squeak, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The grill offers a variety of succulent steaks from British cattle, dry aged on the bone for better flavour, and served with mushroom ketchup, roasted tomato, fries and rocket salad.

Sandwiches of rustic bloomer bread with fillings of warm rare roast beef with horseradish crème fraiche and water cress or Scottish smoked salmon with lemon mayonnaise and rocket salad and burgers of prime ground beef and butterflied corn fed chicken breast are equally delicious options.

Vegetarians are also well catered for and can enjoy dishes such as chickpea, charred pepper and spiced courgette tagine served with toasted peanuts, green onion and coriander and sandwich of Somerset brie with cranberry jelly and dressed leaves and portabello mushroom burger.

To finish, mouth-watering desserts of white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake, glazed pistachio crème brulée or rhubarb, gooseberry and ginger fool will satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

The drinks list offers a wide range of local real ales, fine wines and exciting cocktails.

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

La Barbe may have been around for a long time now but its bright and fresh look perfectly disguises the memorable twenty-nine years that have passed by. They pride themselves in their claim to be the only 'truly French' restaurant in Reigate and are keen to see diners enjoy a delightful Gallic experience.

The décor is charming with red terracotta style flooring in striking contrast with the pastel shaded walls filled with quirky sketches. The convivial atmosphere provides the background for well spaced tables with full napery is beautifully set for a relaxed meal, balanced with warm and friendly service.

Head Chef Laurent Pacaud presents a new menu every season and the artistically influenced dishes are a feast to the eyes and taste buds. La Barbe's longevity may also be attributed to the fact that they are sensitive enough to cater for the discerning diner who is now more health conscious and well versed with haute cuisine. A fusion enthusiast might be disheartened but their fancy-free style of cooking, which displays loyalty to France, is infinitely appealing.

The menu is presented in French with translations thoughtfully provided, so you could start with snails cooked in garlic butter, or fresh tuna tartar complemented by a tomato salsa. This could be followed by chicken supreme filled with an aniseed stuffing and dill sauce with fresh pasta, or maybe sirloin steak with wild mushroom sauce, shredded potato and oyster mushroom pancake.

In the circumstances it might be considered impolite to ignore the wonderful range of French cheeses, but should you wish to indulge a sweet tooth, apricot and almond tart accompanied by a Muscat wine sorbet or lavender infused crème brûlée could well fit the bill. The wine list offers a venerable range of French wines, with a few from the New World thrown in for good measure.

A very large and exotic feather in La Barbe's cap is its outdoor events arm, where the same culinary presentation and standards that prevail in the restaurant can be deployed and for your special occasion at home or different venue. Owner Serge Tassi and his team are certainly not resting on past laurels but are staying true to what they do best - enchanting customers with classic French cuisine.

For more details, new menus and more than a little Gallic frisson, click on their Website.

Given the restaurants and hotels of London and a yearning to get away from the centre of town on most occasions, I would have to look a long way before finding a more thoroughly desirable place to be than The Bingham, at Richmond.

Ideal for easy access to some of London's most visited attractions, and Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace and Twickenham Rugby come immediately to mind, this boutique restaurant and hotel really does have it all.

The Bingham's highly acclaimed executive chef, Shay Cooper, is the man who sees to it that these expectations are amply met, starting with an à la carte that explores the very best in British and regional dishes. Watercress risotto or summer vegetable salad pave the way for saddle of venison or lemon sole served with samphire, chickpea gnocchi, red pepper and shrimp ceviche. A tiramisu dessert lives well up to its promise. A tasting menu of six courses weaves deftly through the various à la carte options to give a meal of infinite skill and pleasure respectively.

A price fixe luncheon shows The Bingham is capable of combining value with quality, and on Sundays both menu and price make this a serious venue for family parties and leisurely Sabbath breakaways, possibly followed by their Afternoon Tea for the mega indulgent, a luxurious event that manages to escape the excesses of London prices whilst more than equalling the variety and sheer fun of this old English custom.

Visiting Twickers for the rugby? What better way to start than with a hearty lunch at The Bingham, well suited to supporters of both gender and concluding with a pre-match livener.

In keeping with its philosophy the wine list's light shines strongly on the 'boutique' winemakers and fine champagnes, and an inviting selection of wines are available by the glass and carafe. Wine Courses handled by that feisty and dynamic expert in such matters, Angela Reddin, are not unknown at The Bingham.

Fifteen bedrooms embody tranquillity and sensuous style, with bespoke art deco inspired furniture, sumptuous furnishings and state of the art comforts. The number of rooms ensures that the personal touch is retained and guests are known by name rather than room numbers.

As far as room facilities are concerned all the facilities that you would associate with a top quality hotel are there. The River and Superior River Design Rooms enjoy restful river views, with Whirlpool baths and two rooms have antique four-poster beds. In-room beauty treatments, same-day laundry, room service and complimentary newspapers assist in encouraging thoughts to turn with enthusiasm towards a lifestyle of convenience and freedom from everyday worries.

To ensure that these luxuries are enjoyed to the full, the Bingham offers a range of experiences such as The Bingham Lazy Sunday, the Bingham Theatre Experience, Sunday at the Polo or the Wimbledon Experience. Such activities generally require involvement on the part of a restaurant of impeccable charm and performance somewhere along the line. Bingham is listed in the prestigious Michelin Guide and awarded 3 AA Rosettes in 2010, underline its presence at The Bingham.

In an attempt to do the decent thing and give the whole balanced picture, one seeks for some area of perhaps slightly less than excellence at The Bingham. Don't waste your time, or if you do notify this correspondent and I will prepare my hat for eating, though it may be a chocolate one.

Their polished Website tells you lots, lots more, as well as keeping you up to date with this sophisticated but homely hideaway by the river in Richmond.

Tucked away on East Street, a short walk from the seafront and Brighton Pier, Terre à Terre brings together a medley of international textures and flavours to offer delicious vegetarian cuisine created with flair and playful exuberance. The brainchild of Amanda Powley and Philip Taylor, classically trained chefs who have cooked throughout the world, Terre à Terre's uncompromising quality has bagged it two AA Rosettes and Michelin Bib Gourmand awards.

An enjoyable evening in its comfortable, contemporary setting is full of pleasant surprises. While the umpteen benefits of a vegetarian diet have been loudly proclaimed for several years, Terre à Terre sets out to prove that it need not come at the expense of flavour or variety by indulging the palate with expertly blended ingredients to provide a culinary experience with a difference.

Terre à Terre's à la carte is as detailed as it is novel. Using seasonal vegetarian, vegan and organic products, including a host of locally sourced ingredients, it serves up piquant starters of  arepas chilli candy; deep fried corn cakes rolled in spice dust and served with chilli jelly, avocado and lime mayonnaise. While the wittily titled Peas Please turns out to be a delectable pea mousse served with a salad of broad beans, saffron new potatoes, white leeks and little gem hearts. For a sampling of dishes across the menu, why not try the Terre à tapas selection.

The unique combination of flavours continues with a host of sumptuous main course options. Crispy fried potato rösti comes with a buttered spinach topping and accompanied by a soft poached egg and melting cheese. Other choices include delectably soft buttermilk-soaked halloumi dipped in chip shop batter and served with chunky chips, vodka-spiked preserved plum tomatoes, bright fresh pea mint hash and pickled quails egg with a lemony Yemeni relish. There's also choice of shiitake, sake and kombu raman broth finished with courgette noodles, Chinese chives and soy; and red onion, mustard seed and cumin crumpets with ginger root chilli jam.

Delicious desserts such as the Middle Eastern inspired honey glazed pistachio and olive oil cake with velvety chocolate sorbet and a hot honeyed cardamom espresso shot, or sugar spice dusted doughnut straws served with sticky dipping chocolate and Rain Vodka sozzled cherries will satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

The same careful consideration extends to the organic and biodynamic wine list which sparkles with a variety of superb whites and reds from around the world including a Vega Lucia Blanco from Spain, Horsmonden Dry from East Sussex, Syrah from Chile and a Pinot Noir from New Zealand. Organic beers and ciders, aperitifs, cocktails and fruit juice will also quench the thirst.

More information can be found on their Website.

Plum in the middle of pretty Woburn village sits The Black Horse. Its eighteenth century terraced frontage belies a Tardis-like interior in which the cosy bar, lined with old leather-upholstered settles, leads on to a smart restaurant beyond. Through the carriage arch to the side, meanwhile, lies a secluded courtyard garden - 'a secret well worth discovering' as described by The Independent.

The Black Horse is a sister pub to The Swan at Salford. It is a tribute to the success of both pubs that Andrew Coath, the manager, was voted Licensee of the Year in 2007 by the British Institute of Innkeepers, out of 8,000 nominees!

It would be possible to enlarge upon all this indefinitely, but our purpose here is to tell you about The Black Horse and how they put into practice their strongly held principles. First the property, a genuine Georgian building in the middle of an estate town which draws heavily on visitors to Woburn Abbey nearby, home to the Russell family for nearly 400 years and one of the starting points for the surge in stately home interest some fifty years ago.

The pub is open all day from 11am for coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, drinks and dinner. Whether you pop in for a pint, a business lunch or a special dinner, you are guaranteed a friendly welcome. For dinner a deli board opens up a menu that explores the possibilities of mixed olives, black ham and fish leaving you to make up your own selection or, if the chatter's compelling leave it to the staff who will choose a board for you including the bread and chutney. This is the perfect start in trying some of the fantastic ingredients that they take such pride in sourcing, and a splendid way to chill out after a hard day before getting down to the main meal.

On their menu, you will find the very best quality fresh ingredients - fantastic sausages; free range chicken and eggs; Cornish lamb cutlets; 28 day dry-aged Aberdeenshire rump cap steaks - sourced from producers who take pride in their products and an ethical stance in their production.

The Black Horses menu always makes the most of seasonal ingredients, this ensures they avoid air-freighting and keeps us in touch with the cycle of the year, while combining the best of great British cooking and influences from around the world that are now part of our culture.

When the menu emerges can the wine list be far behind - in this case, no, thankfully since tucker like this deserves a sympathetic and timely response from the cellar which, whilst drawing quite heavily on France by no means neglects the exciting new outlets for quality wine. Greene King IPA, continental beers and lagers are well kept and endlessly popular.

While the à la carte menu is served 6.30 - 9.30 pm daily, a selection of great Sunday roasts is also served noon - 5 pm on Sunday.

Click on their Website for latest news, reservations, private room hire and nice comments from happy diners. Do have a look also at The Swan, Salford, the sister pub to The Black Horse, and not far away.

Brazz - Taunton brings you brasserie eating at its best; their aim is to provide good food and drink at popular prices to a wide audience. The feel is bright and modern yet elegant, buzzy and stylish - with its trademark fish tank, walls adorned with hand-painted Italian ceramics and specially commissioned art by local artists.

Brazz is a bar, café and restaurant all rolled into one. Open from morning till late it is the ideal location for morning cappuccino, a quick lunch, an after work glass of wine or that celebratory dinner. An entirely flexible approach.

The bar is a comfortable affair offering a range of draught and bottled beers, many wines by the glass, cocktails and pudding wines from all over the world.
 
The restaurant, refreshingly, is happy serving up straightforward, unpretentious food without ceremony and with smiling service. A typical meal there could begin with chicken liver parfait with granary toast, or an interesting smoked haddock and shellfish chowder with Irish soda bread. They also have Dorset crab and prawn salad with cocktail sauce to entice you while their olives and feta cheese, and Autumn vegetable soup will delight vegetarians.

The main courses could pose quite a dilemma with choices ranging from Loch Duart salmon fishcakes with marinated vegetable salad and citrus aioli, to free range Devonshire chicken breast with crispy bacon roast new potatoes, curly kale, carrots and gravy, or smoked haddock and poached hen egg with horseradish savoy cabbage and new potatoes. There are also steamed Cornish mussels with garlic, lemon, parsley and French fries.

Desserts are of the comfort variety featuring buttermilk panacotta with summer berries and toasted oats, Nynehead strawberry and raspberry mess, although they also have homemade chocolates and thankfully, a good selection of ice-creams and five sets of Somerset artisan cheeses. They also have some excellent bin end wines which offer good value; however they are available only by the bottle.

Whether you are alone, impressing over business, celebrating with a large party, with the children, dropping in before or after the theatre or looking for that romantic setting, Brazz is where you'll want to be.

Situated next door to The Castle Hotel at Taunton, Brazz offers a total contrast to the traditional surroundings and style of the hotel. Brazz is now very much an established part of the city's eating out scene, and like the hotel, is included in all the major food guides.

For more about Brazz, visit their extremely informative Website.

Close to the historic towns of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa, The Queen & Castle offers a delicious modern British cuisine menu with Mediterranean influences in the heart of Warwickshire. Nestled on Castle Green, directly opposite Kenilworth Castle, it's the perfect place for unwinding after a day of sightseeing. The pub also boasts a beautiful, secluded garden that is ideal for al fresco dining in warm weather, with an outdoor play area for the kids and ample onsite parking, making it a wonderfully family-friendly venue for a weekend meal.

The Queen & Castle's traditional brick and tiled roof exterior gives way to a bright and airy interior with wood floors, beamed ceilings and comfortable leather chairs. The light coloured walls and ceilings offer a stunning contemporary take on traditional Tudor decor and witty touches, such as the antler coat-hooks above the hearth complete the stylish setting. The same attention to detail is discernible in the friendly and attentive staff and the excellent service ensures a pleasant experience.

The seasonally changing à la carte uses the finest market fresh ingredients and delivers a range of sharing platters and starters such as winter bruschetta of asparagus, gorgonzola, prosciutto, balsamic on stirata Romana bread and red onion and gorgonzola tart with roasted apple and mustard seed dressing to whet the appetite.

Follow with a flavourful stone baked pizza topped with luganega sausage, chorizo, pepperoni, spit roasted chicken and crushed chillies or roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goat's cheese, cherry tomatoes and rocket. There's also choice of wonderful pasta dishes, no dull uninspiring spaghetti Bolognese here, instead there's lasagne with slow roasted pork, red peppers and roast garlic or linguini with tiger prawns, crab and chorizo in a spicy tomato sauce.

Salads of crispy duck with mooli, carrots, hoisin, spring onions and plum sauce or grilled goat's cheese crostini with roasted sweet potatoes, borlotti beans and blush tomato dressing provide a light main course. While more substantial mains include succulent grilled fare of fillet steak garni with watercress, confit tomato, grilled mushroom and hand-cut jenga chips or blade of beef, slow braised in red wine, with creamy parsley mash and horseradish crème fraiche. Classic burgers come with onion, gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese, relish, and chips with a host of extras including chorizo, bacon or flat mushroom. Alternatively, try one of chef’s daily specials on the blackboard. You could also enjoy Fabulous Fish Fridays with delicious fresh fish and shellfish specials with a whopping 50% discount on a bottle of white wine.

On Sundays, guests can enjoy a variety of beautifully prepared classic roasts with lashings of gravy and seasonal veggies. A prix fixe menu is available mid week until 7 pm while the bar menu includes a variety of small plates and main dishes.

The expertly selected wine list includes a variety of Mediterranean whites and reds, as well as examples from the rest of the world available by the glass and bottle, while the drinks menu offers a variety of aperitifs non-alcoholic drinks along with a range of excellent cask ales and bottled beers to quench the thirst.
 
Enjoyed eating at The Queen & Castle? Why not try its sister pubs; The Encore in Stratford-upon-Avon and The Saxon Mill in Warwick for a similar experience.

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

If at first sight Crouch End in North London does not strike you as one of the more compelling parts of London, just reconsider your stance. Well, Deborah Ross, witty writer and self-styled non-domestic goddess, is rumoured to live there. But far more importantly it is home to one of the most renowned and lively Thai restaurants in the country - yes, that's country. So why? Probably because owner and Head Chef Somchai Kantavanich of O's Thai gives every appearance of having thrown the rule book out of the window and decided that they're going to have a good time and they'd like all their customers to join in with them.

Charles Campion writing in his London guide in 2008 said, 'O brings a youthful zip to Thai cuisine. His café is fast and noisy with current favourite music at high volume', before going on to extol the food.

With main courses at around £7 each there is room for experimentation. If you lack the confidence to do that the cheerful and well informed staff will offer helpful advice if needed. Further more you can knock a few more bahts off the bill (53.5 bahts = £1) by vacating your table before 8.30pm, their answer to the early bird supper. So one way and another it's a pretty accommodating place.

Décor is minimalist with blond wood furniture, a long narrow room with no pretentions to glamour, everything concentrated on good sound food at even better prices. Amongst the starters and snacks are Thai vegetable spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce, kow keap kung, Thai prawn crackers made with real prawns, and luk chin tord, deep fried chicken or fish balls, or their special starters for however many there are in your party, chosen from the menu with spicy peanut sauce and yet more sweet and sour. And, of course there's the ever faithful spicy soups, Tom yam and Tom ka made with lime leaves, coconut cream, lemon grass and galanga.

Some eleven main courses ring the options between meats, bean curd and king prawn as the main constituent. One of the great things about Thai cuisine is the subtlety with which the dishes are composed, where one apparent minor shift of ingredients can make so much change. Amongst the house recommendations are pad morragode, a spicy dish made with king prawn stir fried in 'morragode' green curry coconut sauce, vegetables, fresh lime and sweet basil leaves, served with a veritable mountain of rice.

Watch out as well for their blackboard specials, which could include steamed salmon with fresh ginger and spring onion and soya sauce or yellow egg noodles with shrimp curry paste and lemongrass.

Despite, to our ears, its unpromising name, khow tom mud makes the most delicious dessert with banana and sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf and served with hot coconut cream. Failing that move your attention to kanom moor gaeng, coconut flavoured sponge made with egg, coconut cream, ground yellow beans and palm sugar, served with warm coconut cream.

A short but thoughtful wine list, starting at £11.95, draws heavily on New World and South Africa, with a Stormy Cape Shiraz from Western Cape amongst the reds, a Cape Coral Rosé from Stellenbosch and a beautiful Montana Reserve Sauvignon from Marlborough NZ, all nearly at or under the £20 mark.

Their special lunch has three choices each of starters and main courses, served between 12 and 3, at an incredible £6.95 per head. Their Website should prove a huge help in guiding you round all the exciting choices available there.