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Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury is a relative newcomer on the block, being a mere four years of age, but it is one that is following the current surge in style and performance by Indian restaurants in general, who collectively seem to have taken on board the message that they cannot go on offering the same old formula for ever, however appealing it may be.

Visitors to Salaam Namaste speak with affection of the starter of kathi kabab, a chapatti with spiced lamb, chilli and homemade chutney, and a tandoori-baked whole pomfret, not to mention the peshwari naan which receives high praise. Seafood dishes are popular well beyond the call of duty, with no hint of skimping on quality or quantity.

The final piece of good news is that all this excellence does not cost an arm and a leg, as one might begin to suspect, and an intelligent and diligent staff take a genuine interest in your needs, as well as beaming broadly over the praise that is heaped upon them.

Choosing the mains might be a bit time consuming for the simple reason that you are tempted to try everything! However, for your first foray there, you could opt for the murgh ki shagorana, whole breast of grilled chicken filled with mince lamb and spinach, cooked with mildly spiced fresh cream and an exotic sauce, served with mushroom pulao. The seafood dishes are singularly appealing, and, to confirm that, you might like to indulge in the Bangladeshi macchhi fry, chunks of sweet fresh water fish rolled in spices, fried golden, and served with potatoes, aubergine, tomatoes, fried onion, fresh coriander, lemon wedge and aromatic rice.

While the novelty of the dishes is what seems to pull in the crowd, those who prefer the tried and tested curries that evoke nostalgia will not be disappointed either. Timeless classics such as chicken tikka masala, murgh makhani or as the irreverent choose to call it, butter chicken, are all present on the menu and are definite crowd pleasers.

For dessert, there is the quintessential gulab jamun, smooth rounds of cottage cheese and flour, deep fried and dunked in hot syrup, which meet on your tongue and just melt. Or go for the kulfi, which is traditional Indian ice cream, redolent with crushed cardamom, fragrant saffron and chopped pistachios. Finish with a masala chai, tea infused with spices that linger in your taste buds and bring the meal to a lovely conclusion.

The sensibly priced wine list offers numerous choices from across the world, with some available by the glass too, complementing the dishes superbly.

Named after the Hindi movie, Salaam Namaste, where the iconic protagonist plays a chef, this small restaurant, with its signature dishes, refreshing flavours and reasonably priced menu, could well linger in your memory as one of the best Indian restaurants you have visited, perhaps a visit to their Website will convince you.

Despite vigorous attempts by people, many of whom should know better, and others who know little at all, to suppress them, more natural methods of cure and prevention are advancing in popularity. Since most of these are taken by mouth it is by no mean surprising that restaurants see themselves as having a hand in this movement.

"You are what you eat" is a well known catch-phrase that has about it the ring of truth, and many feel that the structured pattern of modern life is not conducive to natural eating. Itadaki-zen seeks to play its part in restoring a more natural basis to the potentially joyful habit of eating out and eating well as a means of achieving an agreeable taste and the healing qualities that go with the food.

Diners will encounter rice, root vegetables, seaweeds, soya beans and by-products prepared with care and unhurried methods. Side dishes of grilled tofu with a special sauce called yangyeom are accompanied by seasonal vegetables simmered with tasty sauce, large non-seaweed sheets, bean sprouts seasoned with yangyeom, cold tofu with special soy sauce topping ginger and spring onion blend with fresh roll, spring green lightly boiled sheet enfolding okara and vegetable filling, followed by seaweed salad and miso soup.

Special dishes are popular both for diversity and value, amply demonstrated by the neba-neba-don, rice with sliced Daikon radish, okjura, nattou and shredded nori seaweed. NebaNeba means 'sticky', like the sticky ingredients from vegetables good for the immunity system. Followers of sushi will be pleased to see a special sushi menu, with such treats as vegetable sushi rolls, Agesan, a dish of of fried beans curd, carrots, cucumbers and Shiitake mushrooms, and wild garlic rolls made from wild garlic leaves, cucumber and carrot.

In terms of desserts kanten jelly, made from seaweeds, is a vital ingredient in producing such mouthwatering looking confections as soymilk pudding, a delicious mango pudding, a sesame pudding, and the wonderfully named and accoutremented fruits-awase pudding.

The lunch box is a time honoured institution in far-Eastern lands, a little something to keep the engine turning, soothe maybe. The mixed rice version packs a punch with mixed rice of five kinds of grains, five seasonable vegetables simmered with tasty sauce, along with Nori's seaweed sheets and bean sprouts seasoned with Yangyeom special sauce. One of the even more nutritious dishes is Hijiki-no-nimono, a combination of mix vegetables, fried tofu in shoyu sauce and hijiki, a variety of seaweed full of calcium and iron.

But my money goes on the homemade kimchi, naturally preserved vegetables in a piquant blend of red chilli, fine nuts, ginger root, crushed garlic and many other ingredients. Amongst all this beneficial and kindly food it seems at first strange to spy bottles of Whitstable Bay ale, until on closer inspection they turn out to be organically produced. Wines from a well spread net include some impeccable names, and of course, traditional Japanese sake.

Eating at Itadaki-Zen can be a highly refreshing and pleasant experience. Its art gallery establishes the contacts between good art and good food, and their excellent Website will tell you more. Students should take note of the fact that they can always benefit from a 10% discount.

The Chancery Court Hotel, London is a place that embodies luxury and opulence in a historic and landmark building in Holborn, near to Covent Garden. Pearl is their glamorous destination restaurant and bar, designed by the very same people who crafted the look of Nobu, the Metropolitan and Le Cercle. Carrying the heritage of its past into new glamour, the name Pearl is inspired by its original site as the former banking hall of the Pearl Assurance Building.

The Head Chef is the critically acclaimed Jun Tanaka who has previously worked for Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Philip Howard at The Square. Followers of this exciting young chef believe he has finally got the restaurant he deserves, and working alongside him is an expert Sommelier to match the quality of the wines to that of the food.

The bar holds an exquisite selection of wines preserved by the Cruvinet System. This allows an offering of 15 of the world's best wines by the glass, so that everyone has the opportunity to sample some of the most exclusive wines money can buy. Drinks are placed on handmade tables with Mother of Pearl inlay which can be savoured from the comfort of bespoke leather seats while those looking for some simple enjoyment without the hustle of the bar can find some privacy in the elegant walnut booths. Hand strung pearls and quietly lit chandeliers complete the leitmotif while the leather upholstery seems to glow from within.

There is a lot of classic French in the menu along with some fresh, light and seasonal touches which are inspiring as Jun produces dishes with distinct and natural flavours that are intrinsic to the basic ingredients. Amongst the starters, you could try caramelised scallops with parsley puree and frogs legs with wild garlic crust; a seared foie gras with pickled rhubarb and crisp ginger bread, or loin of rabbit with smoked bacon, apricot chutney, almond paste and dandelion salad.

This delicious fare can be followed by poached monkfish with seaweed, oyster tortellini, pickled cucumber, squid and seashore vegetables; baby courgettes stuffed with Swiss chard, pine nut and parmesan courgette pesto and tempura of flowers, or challans duck breast with pastilla, green almonds, couscous, kumquats confit and caramelised chicory.

Some of the delectable desserts on offer there include caramelised apples with salted caramel mousse, thyme ice cream and honey jelly, or artisan cheeses.

The London Magazine claims that 'This is the place you'd go to with someone you wanted to impress.' For more information - including the menus, wine list and a form to use for making online reservations - visit their Website.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's' and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information

When you enter a chain restaurant there is always a sense of déjà vu, yet with the twelve outlets of Giraffe, this may not really be true. Russel and Juliette Joffe and Andrew Jacobs' philosophy behind this group of restaurants is sustaining the driving force of healthy, happy eating, while retaining the difference each location brings. This includes minor variations in the menu too, and explains why the restaurant does not like to be called a chain, but prefers being referred to as a herd. The origin of its quaint name too, is interesting. The giraffe has the largest heart in the animal kingdom, and with its magnificent height is able to perceive things differently. These two features of being different and large hearted sum up the restaurant's proclamation of 'love, eat, live'.

Giraffe offers world food and adds an unusual twist to some familiar dishes. Their breakfast menu has stacked pancakes with bananas and blueberries, warm waffles, ranch styles tostadas and healthy veggie options. Some great starters are a mezze plate with warm naans that offer the best of many cuisines - grilled halloumi, hummus, tzatiki, ratatouille and falafel.  Japanese king fried prawns are a hit, while another bright spot on the menu, is the colourful sunshine antipasti bruschetta, a clever combination of artichokes, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, red onion and rocket on pesto foccacia. If this long list of ingredients is intriguing, just wait until your palate takes over.

The house's special salad, cheekily called 'more than love', is colourful and has crunchy appeal. The Thai chicken and vermicelli noodle version is an equally enticing starter. For mains, there are plenty of options like roasted corn and chilli bran burritos, tangy turkey enchiladas and the much loved sweet potatoes, asparagus, green beans and broccoli served with organic brown basmati rice. One can also settle for a good old burger and wash it down with interesting smoothies. They also offer world wines and unusual cocktails with catchy names like Bombay flower and pomegranate caipirinha.

The dessert section comprises of not just fruit based healthy desserts, but brilliant stars like Swiss mountain chocolate cheesecake, banana waffle split and rocky road ice cream sundaes, which transport the diner to a state of bliss. The friendly staff, who are carefully hired for their sunny disposition, and children's activities help make these restaurants a very special, happy and healthy treat indeed.

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

Strada describes itself as 'a group of stylish, contemporary Italian restaurants, serving good quality, simple and freshly prepared dishes'. The statement sums up what this group of around seventy restaurants offers to people looking for good Italian food. The first outlet opened in Battersea in 1999 and their clientele has been increasing steadily ever since.

Though Strada has grown into a fair sized group, each outlet retains the feel of being a local neighbourhood Italian restaurant. The menu includes pastas, risottos, salads, and fish dishes, but they are best known for their quality pizzas.

They present authentic Italian dishes in contemporary surroundings and aim to use only the freshest and finest ingredients, such as Luganica sausages, Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, imported from Italy to provide exactly the kind of rustic, traditional dishes one would expect to find travelling around its regions.

A meal could kick off with zuppa vongole e fregola, a traditional clam soup with Sardinian fregola pasta grains, wine, chilli and parsley, served with bread, or the delicious sautéed king prawns with garlic, white wine, chilli, and lemon butter served with your choice of bread.

Move on to their creamy risotto verdure, freshly grilled asparagus, broad beans, peas, spring onions, zucchini, green beans, white wine and mint, finished with baby spinach leaves. Or you could opt for the healthier, tagliolini nero granchio, black cuttlefish ink pasta with crab, courgette, red and yellow peppers, spring onion, and a hint of chilli and parsley. A real treat for the taste buds comes in the form of the bistecca manzo, a 10oz rosemary-marinated char-grilled, rib-eye steak with fries and fresh rocket.

A range of pizzas, all spun by hand, is an integral feature of each restaurant. They include the rossa, with spicy southern Italian salami, roasted red peppers, chilli, caramelised onion, garlic, fresh oregano, tomato and mozzarella. Nor are vegetarians are overlooked, and can be found tucking into dishes such as fiorentina, made of spinach cooked with garlic, nutmeg and black pepper with mozzarella, parmesan, tomato and an egg.

For those wanting to satisfy their sweet tooth, there is torroncino affogato, an iced nougat semi freddo with a shot of espresso to pour over, or a classic Italian tiramisu and, as you might expect coffee to round off the meal.

A wine list consisting of purely regional Italian wines, beers and liqueurs, all carefully chosen to complement the menu comes as no surprise and in addition, every table receives a complimentary bottle of purified water.

For further details including their latest news, menus and deals, and to find a Strada nearest to you, their Website certainly warrants a visit.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's, and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

Prezzo has been delighting diners for over eight years, and this Italian restaurant chain has since been able to expand throughout large parts of England and Scotland with some 141 outlets.

Interestingly, the company seeks to restore either impressive buildings or ones of local interest. The conversion of the Newbury library and other listed buildings, such as those in Salisbury, Romsey and Mayfair, are all welcome examples of 'new use'. Their trendy and sophisticated décor usually consists of tiled or wooden floors with delicate lights and colourful paintings, along with wooden furniture and sparkling cutlery, creating a setting that is suitable for a relaxed lunch, a family meal or an evening out with friends.

The restaurants are of particular appeal to those who like genuine Italian cuisine, and they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goat's cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on foccacia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal. Best fun is to order an antipasto platter to share made up from seven well loved Italian nibbles.

Find pastas such as the unusual penne con salmone, with oak-roasted salmon, broccoli and fresh chillies in a red pesto and cream sauce, or firm favourites like spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, and fusilli al pesto, asparagus spears with field mushrooms and roasted peppers in a basil pesto sauce.

Amongst the special pastas, the pollo mariano, seasoned chicken, pepperoni sausage, roasted peppers and fusilli in tomato sauce, is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like tiger prawns with petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular napoletana, topped with yellowfin tuna, tomato, white anchovies, capers, red onion, mozzarella and marinated olives, and the much loved quattro stagioni - pepperoni sausage, prosciutto ham, artichoke, field mushrooms, capers, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with their blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can accompany the food with a variety of tipples, though for many, Italian food requires Italian wines to be enjoyed to the full, ranging from house wine through Morellino di Scansano and Prosecco to liqueurs and beer, and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal, in company with a glass of grappa or sambuca.

This is Italian food at its attractive best, convincing and bringing together the traditional with the modern twist or two against a background of excellent value.

Prezzo is a lively group and opportunities to improve and update are never left on the table for long. Keep up to date with a quick click on their Website.

It's always refreshing to find something completely different, even if slightly repetitive. The fact is you can have almost anything at Hummus Bros - provided you have it with hummus. That, of course, is an exaggeration, but the blend of chickpeas puréed with sesame paste and lemon juice can become compulsive. Starting from a chance encounter in 2003, two years later the first Hummus Bros opened on Wardour Street, with a strong following, and then a second outlet followed, on Southampton Row, Holborn, which is not surprising when you consider their value for money lunch meal.

But it's more than just that. Think hummus with a seasoned chickpea or chunky beef topping, with side dishes of mixed or grilled vegetable salad, tabouleh or smoked barbecued aubergine. Puddings come in the form of double chocolate brownie or perhaps malabi, a delicious milk-based dessert with date honey. And if by any chance you have become addicted there are always tubs of hummus and the various toppings to take home.

This traditional curry house on Gray's Inn Road in Central London serves excellent Indian and Bangladeshi fare. Some of their signature dishes are prepared using unusual kinds of fish like bowal, ayre and bas, specially flown in from Bangladesh and Eastern India. If you are looking to have a leisurely lunch or catch up with friends over an unhurried dinner, this is a good place. It has a casual ambience, which, combined with authentic taste and flavours, draws a lot nostalgic émigrés. The restaurant has lunch specials as well as a la carte dishes. It has also played host to a number of celebrities including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.