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.

Situated in the Harvey Nichols store in Exchange Square, with panoramic views of Manchester's skyline, The Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie has quickly become one of Manchester's leading destination dining - for its superb modern European food - and drinking venues. The Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie provides three very different venues which open independently from the main store: a formal 92 cover restaurant and a more informal 102 cover brasserie, and an adjacent stylish bar.

This top floor space encompasses a number of cutting-edge design features created by award-winning architects Lifschutz Davidson to provide a stylish environment in which to eat and drink. The mood of the Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie is dramatically transformed from day to night by an integrated lighting system using illuminated glass tanks and coloured, ceiling lighting. By day, the space takes on a cool white appearance, while at night it is transformed with more theatrical, coloured lighting.

A striking black, white and pink colour scheme with polished, black granite flooring, red 'pin cushion button' detailing on the bar, and clean white walls complements these modern design elements.

Second Floor Restaurant:

An à la carte lunch menu is served in the Second Floor Restaurant from 12.00pm until 3pm. The à la carte dinner menu is available from 6pm until 10.00pm; while afternoon tea is available between 3pm and 6 pm (5 pm on Sunday).

A Modern European menu using the finest local ingredients has been created by Head Chef Stuart Thomson. Each course carries around six choices, with starters of, say, shellfish lasagne, salad of lobster, apple and potato; pig's cheek, black pudding, pickled carrots and truffle dressing, or sweetbreads, Cheshire bacon, mushroom bhaji and onion purée.

Main courses could include Morecambe brill, pea tortellini, clam chowder and bacon foam, whilst the more traditional may feel drawn to the fillet of Cheshire beef, truffle mash and shallot purée. But for something refreshingly, in every sense, different do not lightly dismiss the compression of aubergine and red pepper, saffron risotto and balsamic jelly.

Some legendary names appear amongst the cheese selection, but with a roasted peanut parfait with rice crispy crunch and Guanaja chocolate amongst the options, it's an open field.

One of the great virtues of The Second Floor is the views from the large windows which, whilst not exactly on to open countryside, give the same sort of feeling of wellbeing that comes from riding in a well-off-the-ground 4 x 4. And that's before you even start on the pretty faultless food.

There is a separate entrance on Cateaton Street to access the Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, which is served by two express lifts. This allows customers the convenience of direct entry during the day and after the store has closed.

For more details please visit the Harvey Nichols Website.

Photographs - Copyright Chris Gascoigne.

A stylish contemporary restaurant, Artigiano in Belsize Terrace offers a compelling modern Italian menu in a striking setting complete with glass canopies and artful use of lighting and colour. On warm summer evenings the glass frontage folds away to open the restaurant up for an al fresco dining experience. Close to Hampstead Theatre and the Everyman Cinema, Artigiano isn't too far away from Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath either.

The seasonally changing menu at Artigiano has many treats in store for the discerning diner. You could begin the meal with starters of crispy parmesan basket filled with goat's cheese, avocado and asparagus, topped with poached egg and herb mayonnaise; bresaola with roasted peppers and buffalo mozzarella or crab, lobster and asparagus timbale wrapped in spinach leaves.

Artigiano's delicious pasta selection includes homemade potato gnocchi with a mushroom, squid and cherry tomato sauce; linguine with fresh clams and chilli, lobster and scallop risotto as well the restaurant's signature spaghetti alla chitarra with Scottish langoustine and fennel.

For a hearty main course committed carnivores could try pan-fried breaded veal escalope with rocket and balsamic drizzled cherry tomatoes; breast of chicken stuffed with Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, with a virgin olive oil, oregano and tomato concassé or grilled lamb chops with an aubergine and cherry tomato caponata.

Fish and seafood lovers can look forward to dishes such as whole grilled sea bream with olive oil and herbs; sautéed fillet of cod with lentils, sun-dried tomatoes and crisp pancetta or tiger prawns in a spring onion guazzetto.

Vegetarians are also well catered for with a range of dishes including cream of vegetable soup with polenta croutons; beetroot salad with feta, fine beans, toasted pine nuts and a raspberry vinaigrette; chestnut, pumpkin and ricotta cheese ravioli with a sage butter sauce and spaghetti with a fresh tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella.

Tempting confections of vanilla pannacotta with coffee cream and coconut biscuit, lime and orange meringue parfait with a strawberry compote and peach tartlet with vanilla ice cream bring any meal to a delightful conclusion. If you wish, sample a selection of rare Italian mountain cheeses served with honey.
 
A set menu offers guests more options with dishes such as roasted beef tomato stuffed with a cheese mousse and leeks, prawn skewer with a pineapple carpaccio and wild rocket, spaghetti with a beef and basil ragù and pan-fried hake with a tomato and garlic sauce. The restaurant is open from 11am every day and serves a brunch menu with breakfast options, starters, light bites, toasted sandwiches, pasta and risotto, mains and desserts.

The wine list has a fine selection of predominantly Italian reds and whites, enhanced by a small number of old and new world wines available by the glass and bottle.

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

Using only the freshest ingredients, the restaurant serves a variety of seasonal dishes such as cassoulet duck and pork; Dorset crab mayonnaise with avocado and avruga caviar; and hare ravioli with celeriac purée, grelotte onions and Chanterney carrots, which can be enjoyed by a couple or the whole family in a warm and intimate setting.

The desserts offer a choice of plum clafoutis, with crème fraîche and Kerala vanilla crème brûlée, which is definitely worth giving a try.Sampling from an extensive drinks list of vintage champagnes and a good selection of white, red and rosé wines by the bottle, caraffe or glass, makes for a delightful ending to the entire dining experience.

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

Eat on the Green's rustic façade overlooks the beautiful Scottish countryside making it an attractive site to unwind on a weekend and hard to believe it is only 20 minutes drive from the granite sprawl of Aberdeen. The restaurant's large windows, well placed leafy plants, and neat as a pin dining area presents a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere.

Quality local ingredients are skilfully cooked with care and include honey roasted duck breast and fish cakes placed on wilted spinach amongst starters. Award-winning chef Craig Wilson along with his team has created an imaginative range of contemporary and classic main dishes such as Asian-spiced broccoli and almond pancakes, served with cardamom rice and a mild curried coconut and mango sauce.

Cast care to the gentle breezes and treat yourself to 'A Little Taste of Eat on the Green' that might include sticky toffee pudding, fresh fruit salad, strawberry pavlova, a brandy snap basket and some white chocolate ice cream.

The Witchery has held legendary status in Edinburgh for what seems like forever. But in fact it was only in 1979 that James Thomson, the man who has given Scotland's capital city a major lead in establishing itself as the culinary hot spot in a country where good value in such matters had become unfashionable, set up the now internationally celebrated Witchery.

The effect has been electric, and even though new restaurants come and go in Edinburgh as they do everywhere, the staying factor somehow seems to be longer in Auld Reekie. Many would agree this is in no small part due to the standards of excellence set by the leaders. Perhaps this is the way it was following the establishment of the Edinburgh Café Royal in 1817?

Witchery started with a staff of just three. Now a team of over 200 work with James in his Collection of venues and his first year's turnover is achieved each day. As well as providing a memorable experience in eating, accommodation has been added with eight suites, all of which are as individual and stimulating as their names - Armoury, Old Rectory and Inner Sanctum amongst them. Wall to wall decadence joins with gothic décor to provide what is rightly described as 'an unforgettably magical experience'.

However, in the nature of things a wider audience is fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the delights of the table where the very best of Scotland's produce is invoked to bring pleasure to the discerning. Lunch and dinner is served daily from an à la carte menu, with incredible light meal value offered at lunchtime and theatre suppers for a modest £15.95 for two courses, there is also a three course lunch or dinner menu for £30.

The à la carte assembles a selection of about eleven starters, for any of which most of us would gladly make almost any sacrifice, not least the dressed Isle of Mull brown crab with samphire, cherry tomato confit, quail egg, lardons and cider dressing; a steak tartare or the platter of Scottish seafood on which is assembled some of Scotland's finest with a half or whole lobster to suit.

It's reassuring to order roast hot-smoked Loch Duart salmon with sweet potato, green beans and butter sauce, to find that it still had that same distinctive taste remembered from more rustic days when they would be cooked with some immediacy, and far less skill than that deployed here. Oysters and fish remains one of the favorites from the sea, or on your plate at Witchery where it comes with dishes such as Lindisfarne oysters, grown on the seashore of the Lindisfarne nature reserve and Traigheanna Bay oysters served on ice with lemon, Tabasco and shallot vinegar. It is indeed a dish fit for those who pass this way in search of the best and do not make their journey in vain.

A Witchery pudding selection is guaranteed to give pleasure; passion fruit and mascarpone trifle with pistachio biscotti is a combination made in heaven.

Talking of heaven leads on to the wine list which is selected by an enthusiastic team run by James Thomson himself. It embraces almost 500 wines, covering all the great wine producing areas, and has a special selection of seventeen available by the glass.

There are those who say that Witchery is a restaurant you should go to once in a lifetime. I can hardly agree. You should go there as often as you feel able to do so, for places like this are indeed rare, and life is for living - well.

More information can be found on their Website.

Club Gascon brings the delicate balance of flavours that is French cuisine to this West Smithfield location, where likeminded people can meet over a glass of wine or a delicious array of tapas style regional specialities, all in a laidback and easygoing atmosphere. The elegant restaurant beckons everyone who loves French food in all its glory, and the South Western region of France, which is home to Chef Pascal Aussignac, is clearly the inspiration behind the range of delights on offer.

Dishes include a choice of delicacies such as confit of organic salmon, violet tea and citrus chutney; roast halibut, swede pulp, bisque and rouille; duck carpaccio, sea urchins, cauliflower cream and aromatic crosnes or the milk fed lamb cooked on vine shoot embers with dates and baby carrots. A monthly five course menu can acquaint you with some of their appetizing dishes which are superbly paired with the wide range of regional wines and spirits.

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 chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, 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.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

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 chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, 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.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

With a name like The Bountiful Cow, amazing thoughts of bovine love are sure to follow and this Eagle Street public house is the perfect antidote for those meaty cravings. The ground floor dining area basks in subtle lighting and is filled with beef posters in keeping with the pub's unique selling point and this continues through to the lower level where it's fascinating to watch chefs work with slabs of meat.

Consider a starter plate of duck rillettes with toast and Sephardic pâté of chopped chicken liver, onion, eggs and aubergine. Steaks are an obvious main course option arriving in various cuts - rib eye, sirloin, sirloin chop on the bone, filet and T-bone - ordered plain, à la capricorn with melted goats' cheese, or béarnaise or green peppercorn sauce. If you intend to explore the menu beyond steaks then keep an eye open for Napoli sausages and dill cured herring and potato salad.

A glass of Domaine Montplo with its fruity, soft flavour makes a wonderful accompaniment to the meal.