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Boutique bowling was hitherto an unknown idea but now All Star Lanes deserve applause for pioneering this concept by bringing in the first boutique bowling alley to London. In this 1950s American styled venue there are four slick lanes with an integrated diner, serving top quality American food.

A good array of appetizers include pressed salt brisket with herb, stuffed chillies and pickle salad, and eggplant, cilantro and jalapeño quesadilla. Main courses bring in world influences on to a plate with black shrimp and clam linguini vongole, spaghetti and meatballs and Cajun spiced pork fillet skewers with New York potato salad. Steak lovers could feast on an 8oz rib eye steak and 12 oz New York striploin accompanied with a choice of green peppercorn, béarnaise or mushroom sauces.

The bar is well-stocked with an extensive collection of bourbons and offers an endless list of exotic cocktails. All Star Lanes is definitely a venue that just keeps on giving.

In the past burgers were quintessentially American food, but that doesn't hold good any more. Now the world has embraced burger culture with enthusiasm and there is plenty to discover at the Ultimate Burger, where all beefburgers are made using fully traceable, prime Scottish grass-fed beef and sour dough sesame seed buns.

The menu strikes a right balance between the classic and innovative, so a crispy bacon and Monterey Jack cheese works well, and so does a Thai chicken with hoisin sauce, bean shoots, spring onion, fresh chilli, basil and coriander. Some of the other variations include 100% ground prime cuts of English lamb with Moroccan spices, hummus, tomato relish and garlic mayo, and a chunky char-grilled Portobello mushroom basted with smoky BBQ sauce and spicy battered onion rings.

With three outlets in London and one in Lincoln, the interior at Ultimate Burger is done up in a simple yet stylish way, and a good place for friends and families to satisfy their burger fix.

Things seem to move fast at Wagamama - the Asian inspired, noodle restaurant chain that was started in 1992. As soon as you decide what you want to eat, your order is taken via a PDA, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen, so it can be made fresh and served right after. The restaurant chain does not believe in taking reservations, and all customers are seated on a first come, first serve basis. In fact, be aware that most of the tables are long ones and you will often be asked to share them.

The restaurants are modelled on traditional Japanese ramen bars that have been popular for hundreds of years - ramen are Japanese style noodles, served in a meat-based broth, topped with pork, dried seaweed or even corn. Chilli beef ramen, made of noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled sirloin steak and fresh vegetables, is hearty and satisfying.

Apart from ramen, you could opt for the coconut soup based kare noodles or teppan, cooked on a hot, flat griddle. They also offer many rice dishes like katsu curry, chicken fillet deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a lightly spiced curry sauce and sticky white rice. Vegetarians are definitely not ignored, as they can opt for saien soba, made using whole-wheat noodles in a soup topped with stir-fried vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and garnished with sliced spring onion.

Meat and vegetable dumplings, skewered chicken, deep-fried prawns and raw salads double as both sides and starters. Steamed green soya-beans, called edamame, go well with drinks - hold them up to your mouth and squeeze the succulent beans from the pod. If you've noticed, Wagamama is more about eating healthy food fast and less about the order. Don't be surprised if you're served the main course before the side dish - order isn't important, the aim is, don't wait - just tuck in and share.

Wash down your meal with sake, plum wine or even a Japanese beer. Wind up your meal with coconut reika - three scoops of dairy coconut ice cream topped with a fresh, tangy mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes or the tamarind and chilli Pavlova, with a crunchy meringue base served with a raspberry and tamarind sauce.

At Wagamama, you can also shop for cookbooks, sauces, ramen bowls and t-shirts. The restaurant is all about enjoying genuine, reasonably priced, Pan-Asian cuisine in a sleek but informal setting.