One of the recent exciting developments in London has been the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush, and there in the thick of it is Fire& Stone, ensuring that this shopper's paradise has easy access to quality pizzas and pasta with an international twist. Feeling fragile after long exposure to a shopping frenzy? Head for some ravishing and tasty solace, freshly prepared and laced with familiarity.

Some years ago I lunched at the first Fire & Stone, in Covent Garden, with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. The vibrancy of the sparkling new and contemporary retail centre at Westfield is infectious and a decent meal is all part of the experience. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are.

Frankly all this rushing about buying things can be pretty exhausting. Give yourself a break and take a close look, for instance, at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95, and  note that lunch starts at 11am, going on to 4pm. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

On the main menu consider the myriad choices drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that each time you buy one of their unique pizzas up to six you collect a stamp, ensuring that your seventh pizza is free. The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, £10 after 10pm, and Kids Eat Free, are frequently to be found.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

Without any shadow of doubt Alla Turca is a place for enjoyment. Located in Glasgow City Centre the different facets of this award winning Turkish restaurant, grill and mezze bar combine to bring an air of jollity to a city of many unusual ingredients, causing one wag to coin the phrase, 'a funeral in Glasgow is more fun than a wedding in Edinburgh'. From the standpoint of an intimate acquaintance with both cities I wouldn't dare to comment, but I do wish that Alla Turca had been in existence when last I was there, some years ago.

This is Turkey at its best away from home. A wonderful combination of exotic Turkish dishes, the enchanting live music of Armagan Alakus and his Turkish guitar every night from 6pm, never intrusive, always entertaining, amidst a décor that is challenging enough in itself, the citizens of Glasgow, their friends and a wider public are all set to have an evening they will recal with pleasure.

Writing in Glasgow West End Roy Beers said, "For Glaswegians and also the increasing stream of visitors who seek out the city's unrivalled dining and drinking scene, a meal at Alla Turca is a journey of exploration into a world of fascinating complementary tastes and food textures, a candlelit oasis of romance and refinement at the busy heart of Scotland's Fine Dining milieu".

The tasting menu starts off with 10 classic mixed starters that include Kisir, Tabule, Borek, Falafel and Sucuk. No need to choose - all ten arrive en table with Turkish bread and - if you take heed of the recommendation, a glass of Turkey's national drink, raki, for everyone. Larger courses include the Alla Turca mixed grill special, barbecued sword fish shish, Scottish king scallops from Shetland, and sitting rather austerely amongst all this frivolity an Angus rib eye steak from the Buccleuch Estate in Dumfriesshire.

As night follows day so does the Turkish Delight and blueberry crème brûlée follow the steak or whatever else your eye lit upon, hotly contested by the much celebrated Baklava with vanilla ice cream or Turkish chocolate, cherry and amaretto mousse with ice cream.

A brasserie menu offers two courses during the day and pre-theatre at an incredibly value for money price, with sesame falafel and humus served with salad and Turkish style fusilli pasta with creamy chicken and asparagus tips, or the chicken casserole of mixed vegetables, apricots and plums with rice and salad.

Over 50 fine wines and champagnes lurk in the cellar. One looks in vain for the odd bin of Chateau Musar, but you never know ? keep on asking. There are some Turkish reds well attuned to the hearty dishes from which you are never far away at Alla Turca. Staff have the same jovial service with a flourish that drums up thoughts of holidays-past in the robust countries of the Middle East.

The live musician plays every evening until late, an ideal accompaniment to the Candlelit Romantic Dinner, meaning you don't have to shout when you pop the all-important question. On certain weekends they even have traditional Turkish dances, do enquire to get details.

And talking of weddings, such occasions are star events at Alla Turca, who if you wish will take care of the whole event, or as much as you would like them to do. From 10 to 100, you can leave it all to them.

The final word should perhaps come from Joanna Blythman, respected restaurant critic, writing in the Sunday Herald ? Feast of the East, "This is definitely one of the most professional and well-run, assured restaurants I've eaten in for quite some time. It's the sort of place where, even in a large group, you know you will be well looked after. The music makes it more attractive still".

Alla Turca has Top Table Awards for 2007-2010, an Eat Scotland Award and is a real fun place in the Glasgow tradition of enjoyment. Click on their Website for further information.

In the heart of the University city, a stone's throw from the Odeon Cinema and the New Theatre, Fire & Stone Oxford offers a range of flavourful stone-baked pizzas in a relaxed modern setting. Located on George Street, nestled among other restaurants and shops, Fire & Stone is spread over two levels with seating for 217 people.

Fire and Stone's stone-baked pizzas are made from fresh ingredients and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Inspired by flavours of the world, the pizzas are grouped into classic, Africa, Asia, Americas, Australasia and Europe. A party menu, kids menu and special offers are also available.

The range of starters includes grilled bruschetta with Parma ham, melted brie, caramelized onion jam and pesto; a Mediterranean board with mixed olives, Italian breadsticks, taramasalata and houmous; crisp fried calamari served with tartare sauce and spicy mixed nuts.

Fire & Stone's signature Pembroke pizza combines the classic flavours of roast lamb with butternut squash, grated mozzarella, roast potatoes and leeks on a red wine gravy base, topped off with a piquant mint sauce. Other classic pizzas include the Naples with mozzarella, tomato sauce and fresh basil and the San Sebastian with mozzarella, tomato sauce, spicy chorizo sausage, garlic and rosemary roast potatoes, roasted red peppers, topped with aioli and chives.

Going further east, there's the Cairo topped with fire roasted red and yellow peppers, courgettes, aubergines, balsamic roasted red onions, mozzarella and tomato sauce topped with crumbled goat's cheese and pine nuts. Lombok has Indonesian flavours with garlic marinated prawns, Chinese hoi sin sauce, fire roasted red peppers, sliced spring onions and mozzarella, drizzled with chilli oil.
 
For New World flavours try an Acapulco with mozzarella, tomato sauce, slow cooked ground chilli beef, jalapenos, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole or, from the Australasia section you could opt for the Byron Bay topped with basil pesto, mozzarella, field mushrooms, cumin roasted sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, green olives, topped with crushed macadamia nuts.

The salads section offers a refreshing choice of chicken Caesar salad with roast chicken breast, cos lettuce, parmesan, rustic croutons and classic Caesar salad dressing; Israeli cous cous salad with mixed peppers, roasted aubergine, whole roast chicken breast, coriander, tzatziki and spicy harissa and spinach, bacon, avocado and artichoke salad tossed with a creamy grain mustard vinaigrette.

If you prefer a pasta there's spaghetti primavera with broccoli, courgettes, peas, broad beans, garlic, sugar snaps, white wine, parmesan and double cream; spicy sausage rigatoni with tomato sauce, chorizo sausage, pepperoni, black olives, chilli and oregano and penne with chicken tossed in a tomato and mascarpone sauce with courgettes, butternut squash, red chilli and topped with pumpkin seeds.

Finish with tempting dessert of rich chocolate brownie with Madagascan vanilla ice cream, vanilla pannacotta with mixed berry compote or a sweet slider with banoffee pizza, rich chocolate brownie, almond biscotti, nut Florentines and honeycomb ice cream, perfect for sharing.

The drinks menu includes a selection of wines, beers, spirits, cocktails, smoothies and shakes..

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

Located in Horner Lane at Old Spitalfields Market, this latest addition to the Fire & Stone portfolio brings "deliciously different pizzas" into the heart of the City of London. Whilst the regular inhabitants of the area may be having to work harder these days they still have to eat and Fire & Stone are part of the pattern that has seen some of London's finest restaurants moving into the City.

Some years ago I lunched at the Covent Garden Fire & Stone with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. Their claim to be a 'hip' place to eat was no idle boast then, nor is it now. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are.

But should time be precious the Fire & Stone takeaway service will make the most of what little you have. The same care and attention that goes into their other menus is applied to the substantial takeaway version that draws on ideas from an international spectrum. If time is money Fire & Stone takeaways are on your side.

Frankly all this rushing about really isn't good for you. Give yourself a break at lunchtime and take a close look at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

On the main menu consider the myriad choices drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that each time you buy one of their unique pizzas up to six you collect a stamp that then entitles you to your seventh pizza free The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, and Kids Eat Free, are frequently to be found.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

Looking out to sea with a timber deck set with white parasols and steel pillars, Fire & Stone Portsmouth offers guests the feeling of being on a cruise liner, perfect for dining al fresco. Situated on Gunwharf Quays, close to the Vue Cinema, the restaurant is perfect for a meal before or after a movie.
 
Fire and Stone's stone-baked pizzas are made from fresh ingredients and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Inspired by flavours of the world, the pizzas are grouped into classic, Africa, Asia, Americas, Australasia and Europe. A party menu, kids menu and special offers are also available.

The range of delicious starters includes grilled bruschetta with Parma ham, melted brie, caramelized onion jam and pesto; crisp fried calamari served with tartare sauce and a charcuterie board with Parma ham, Napoli salami, garlic and fennel salami, smoked ham, houmous, taramasalata, Kalamata olives, cornichons and grilled pitta bread.

Fire & Stone's classic pizza range includes the Florence with mozzarella, tomato sauce, spicy pepperoni, Italian garlic and fennel salami, sun blushed tomatoes and marinated black olives and Athena with roasted red pepper sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, barrel-aged Greek feta cheese and pine nuts, all drizzled with pesto sauce. For something more exotic try a Marrakech with mint yoghurt sauce, mozzarella, cumin spiced ground lamb, olives, red onions, topped with mint and cucumber yoghurt, raisins and chilli oil.
 
Going further east, there's the Peking pizza with Chinese hoi sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons or the Bombay with roast tandoori marinated chicken, spiced tandoori yoghurt base, broccoli, sliced red onion, mozzarella topped with spiced mango chutney, cucumber and mint yoghurt.

For New World flavours try an Acapulco with mozzarella, tomato sauce, slow cooked ground chilli beef, jalapenos, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole or, from the Australasia section you could opt for the Byron Bay topped with basil pesto, mozzarella, field mushrooms, cumin roasted sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, green olives, topped with crushed macadamia nuts.

The salads section offers a refreshing choice of chicken Caesar salad with roast chicken breast, cos lettuce, parmesan, rustic croutons and classic Caesar salad dressing; Israeli cous cous salad with mixed peppers, roasted aubergine, whole roast chicken breast, coriander, tzatziki and spicy harissa and spinach, bacon, avocado and artichoke salad tossed with creamy grain mustard vinaigrette.

If you prefer pasta there's a choice of sumptuous smoked bacon and mushroom penne with mixed field mushrooms, white wine, smoked bacon, double cream and parsley or vegetarian rigatoni alla arrabiatta with giant rigatoni tossed in a classic North African chilli, garlic and tomato sauce with added roasted red peppers.

Finish with tempting dessert of tarte au citron with crème Chantilly and raspberry coulis, banoffee pizza; a sweet pizza base with banoffee sauce, freshly sliced bananas and vanilla ice cream or a selection of Marshfield Cotswold ice cream.

The drinks menu includes a selection of wines, beers, spirits, cocktails, smoothies and shakes..

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

Located in Maiden Lane, Fire And Stone Covent Garden, this is the original and it remains the flagship restaurant of their extending portfolio bringing "deliciously different pizzas" into the heart of the West End. For regular Fire & Stone habitués many feel this is the place to be. Visitors to London weaving their way through one of its most attractive areas are delighted to find this 250 seater restaurant, spread over two floors, with a cool and contemporary interior that attracts without deflecting attention from the fine range of fresh and appealing food.

Some years ago I lunched at the Covent Garden Fire & Stone with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. Their subsequent expansion suggests this was a deserved assessment. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are. They also specialise here with their party menus for groups both large and small.

Give yourself a break at lunchtime and take a close look at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

With not a spot of grappa in sight the way is free to indulge in other liquid excitements from cocktail jugs to a range of uplifting house spirits, and wines displaying a good spread of country and style. Sensibly, many of the wines can be bought by the glass.

On the main menu consider the myriad choice of flavours drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that you collect a stamp each time you buy a pizza up to six, and the seventh pizza is free. The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, Kids Eat Free, and a Sunday Special are to be found. One of the reasons they are able to keep their prices so incredibly reasonable is their efficient booking system that enables them to make best use of space and facilities.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

A location on Eastbourne's Grand Parade and a menu boasting 50 ways to enjoy mussels, along with a selection of over 50 Belgian beers, makes The Belgian Café a popular hangout in this seaside town. Housed in a Georgian building, with panoramic seafront views out towards Beachy Head, the award-winning restaurant offers guests a lively ambience with the option of dining al fresco.
 
Freshly prepared seafood dominates the menu. You can choose to have your mussels on a platter, grilled, with a wide range of toppings; either goat's cheese and honey, bacon and cheese or tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and herbs, and served with bread, butter and frites with mayonnaise. There are also starters of deep fried whitebait with salad and tartare sauce; whole baby calamaris, pan fried with olive oil, garlic and a touch of chilli or deep fried in a light batter and served with tartare sauce. Other starters include seared scallops, cooked either with ginger and soy sauce or garlic and butter; and Scotch smoked salmon with salad, capers and lemon.

Your choice of mains could include salmon fishcakes served on a bed of pak choi with a lemon, cream and caper sauce and frites; sea bass fillets with Pont Neuf potatoes, a carrot purée and coulis of peppers; mixed fish brochette, a skewer of mixed fresh fish with peppers and onions served on a bed of rice with a champagne sauce or paupiette of plaice stuffed with a prawn mousseline and served with a cream and coriander sauce on a bed of rice. Alternatively, try the fisherman's pot, a mountain of mussels with mixed seafood in fish stock or a seafood pasta with mussels, gambas, scallops, cockles, squid and prawns cooked with olive oil, garlic and tomato sauce.
 
If you prefer meat for the main course, the menu offers wild boar and Leffe dark beer sausages; Belgian beef stew with traditional stoemp, a dish of mashed potatoes and carrots and other vegetables; chicken breast stuffed with brie and wrapped in Parma ham  served with salad and frites, or a gourmet lamb burger. A range of salads with mixed seafood, duck and chicken extends the menu's variety.
 
Vegetarians are also catered for with a choice of dishes including a Stilton, mushroom, cream and leek crêpe; chevre salad with warm goat's cheese, sesame seeds and mixed salad leaves or tagliatelle with courgette, fresh basil, garlic and sundried and fresh tomato. Children's tastes are catered to with a separate menu.
 
To conclude on a sweet note, choose from the ultimate Belgian chocolate mousse; Dame Blanche, vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped Chantilly cream; Belgian waffle with a choice of toppings or rollo fondue with marshmallows and fruits.
 
The drinks list offers a variety of lagers and other beers ? white, blond, amber, dark, Trappist, Lambiek and fruit. Unusual beer cocktails offer more exciting options and include exotic combinations of chocolate beer, crème de menthe, passion fruit beer, Malibu, lemonade or coconut beer. In addition, guests can avail themselves of a choice of wines, champagne, spirits or soft drinks.

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

Situated between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, More Bar and Brasserie is a quick stroll from the London Bridge station. At the Brasserie the chef offers special dishes from breakfast through to dinner, and the drinks list at the bar features personally selected wines, champagnes, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from around the world. The restaurant with its modern conservatory black and chrome interior is a good spot for people to enjoy a meal amidst a busy day and especially in summer the pavement terrace is a great place to indulge in alfresco sipping.

Start your day with grilled back bacon sandwich and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with a hot chocolate or a cappuccino. For lunch consider grilled wood pigeon breast, served on warm potato and bacon salad, and poached pear, served with red wine syrup and Chantilly cream. End your meal with chocolate torte served with a chocolate scroll.

Gazette is an authentic brasserie in the style of local French village cafés, a little heaven of true hospitality where one can find at anytime during the day something to suit the occasion: an early breakfast, a comfortable chill out with a glass of wine in the lounge, a business lunch or a romantic night out. Gazette offers a pleasant atmosphere of well-being.

Their cuisine aims to be simple and generous and is based on provincial cooking, the serving and sharing element and conviviality of their table making it a very special experience recalling the warmth and cordiality of simple French cuisine. The menu changes every day and the 'menu principal' takes in moules marinère, foie gras, côte de b?uf and tasty risotto, and there is also a daily selection of plats du jour. You could also choose fresh sandwiches, crêpes, salads, cooked breakfast and soups, with most available to takeaway.

The 1930s bar holds a selection of fine beers, from the organic draft beer produced at the Meantime brewery in Greenwich to a fantastic selection of Belgium and northern France beers. As for the wine, Gazette takes it very seriously and offers a selection of hundreds of references from well-established, as well as upcoming European wine regions.

Set in a grade two listed building, originally the Warrington post office, Grill On The Square sits on the corner of Palmyra Square overlooking Queens Gardens and opposite Parr Hall theatre. Guests can expect to chill out in a relaxed atmosphere with comfortable seating and eat from a menu of international specialities.

Starters of pea and ham soup, Goosnargh duck spring roll, crispy lamb salad and butternut squash risotto open the meal. Diners can then consider more substantial fare such as Cheshire rump steak, runny fried egg and real chips, roast pork belly with creamed potato and Bury black pudding, free range roast chicken breast with creamed leeks and red wine sauce and melted leeks and wild mushroom tart. The gourmet lunch menu promises a three-course meal of home cured beef with potato and horseradish salad, salmon tagliatelle with cucumber and lemon cream sauce and apple and cider trifle. On Sundays look forward to roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and roast lamb shoulder with roast potatoes. A selection of cocktails sets the stage for an interesting meal.