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hand picked restaurants

Everybody in London knows Browns. Whether they were first introduced whilst at university in Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton or Bristol, or they work near one in the City, Covent Garden or Canary Wharf, Browns has become very much part of the London scene.

The strengths of Browns have always been you know what you are going to get, attractive staff, straight forward food cooked well and excellent value wines and cocktails. However, as with any enterprise, no matter how good, time moves on, and Browns have given their restaurants a different look that has retained the best and added where necessary.

Browns opened up in Islington, on the Green and next door to Waterstones in a part of London, which has always had a cutting edge to it. In October 2004 a novel design was unveiled with a much more contemporary flavour including a lounge space at the front of restaurant that is equally appropriate for drinking or dining. The whole area now feels a great deal more comfortable whilst still retaining the original Browns style.

The bar is where the transformation is most obvious. The bar counter is now clad in pewter, which gives it the feel and look of Paris in the 1920s. The wine list is as diverse as ever and there are still the wonderful signature cocktails for all to try. There has also been the addition of some great draught beers such as Staropramen, Leffe, Erdinger and Amstel; perfect for the after work drinkers.

The back area of Browns is reserved for diners and is much more of a serene environment than it was before with pastel colours used to add a sense of warmth. The whole ambience is one of quality coupled with the thought that someone has spent a great deal of time and effort in creating a truly special feel.

The menu has been over-hauled to reflect all the design changes. It still has all the old favourites with some lighter options for those who don't need comfort food all the time. They all combine to provide a menu that suits all needs, whether it is a light lunch, afternoon tea or a pre-theatre meal. Thus, starters could include Scottish langoustine gratin with spinach, Emmental and cream served with crusty bread; pan seared Black Pearl scallops with a lemon and pea risotto and chilli butter dressing, or homemade soup of the day.

Moving down, the range of main courses include slowly braised pork with black pudding and crisped bacon served with mashed potato and sage gravy; slowly cooked shoulder of lamb with garlic and rosemary jus, sprouting broccoli, Chantenay carrots and mashed potato, or chicken schnitzel served with a poached egg and a tomato, onion and herb salad. Hard to resist are puddings such as poached pear with warm chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream, and raspberry and chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.

What Browns has always done so well is provide a place where you can enjoy yourself and nothing has changed there. If you are out shopping with the family, meeting friends for dinner, going out with colleagues for a drink after work leading on to a bite to eat, then Browns is a superb choice. The service is always friendly and efficient but unlike some other chains in Islington, Browns delivers the quality of food to back it up.

If you haven't been to Browns for a while then you really should give Browns Islington a go. My guess is you will be pleasantly surprised. Their Website will yield further information particularly on menus and opportunities for other social gatherings.

The Betjeman Arms at St Pancras Station is part of a small group of friendly, but individualistic pubs, which if you pressed me I would concede are probably gastropubs - reluctantly, because I am never quite sure what the term means.

The fight to preserve St Pancras Station is well catalogued, and it is very much to the credit of Sir John Betjeman that it stands today restored, reinvigorated and ready for the 21st century with a series of dining rooms, terraces and drinking spots to accommodate a range of customers, moods, events and offers.

The station terrace allows views of the arriving trains and a full length view of the truly spectacular Barlow shed. The Euston Road terrace makes the most of our limited English sunshine, under the façade of the gothic station and hotel.

Inside the high bar helps identify the weary traveller or local over a sea of faces, seeking a pint of ale in a handled glass. Through the bar are two dining rooms as well as a boardroom. The Kitchen dining room is reminiscent of the country kitchens of old and is ideal for a glass of wine and a quick bite to eat before heading under the Channel to foreign fields, whilst the main dining room is wonderfully grand without being imposing.

Betjeman Arms opens at 7.30am and serves breakfast until 11am. Naturally this includes the Full English, traditional fare for those away from home, the hungry, and some would say the wise. Scottish smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or a bacon sandwich with tomato chutney are also available, and for those who prefer the healthy option there is Greek yoghurt with granola and honey, or a fresh salad of seasonal fruit. Croissants, pain au chocolat and toasted buttered crumpets all help to revitalise the spirit, as well as the body. Sir John would have approved.

The all day menu kicks in at 11am with a good selection of gastro dishes, and seven starters could include a Welsh rabbit (or rarebit depending on your opinion), bubble and squeak with soft poached egg and smoked bacon or chicken liver and wild mushroom pate with rye toast. Some of these dishes make good light meals.

Main courses of beer battered fish and chips is served with crushed peas, 28 day aged Hereford rib eye steak has chips and béarnaise sauce for company, or head for the tuna steak with white beans and chorizo. More light meals of a ploughman's made with Cornish Yarg, pickles, bread and salad, or a salt beef sandwich with pickle and English mustard are available, before a look at the short but versatile puddings list where rhubarb crumble is served with fresh cream, or enjoy a deliciously moist treacle tart with crème fraiche.

The Betjeman and its siblings have not been slow to appeal to a discerning public, and their list of Awards from 1996 onwards demonstrates beyond doubt that here is a small group of pubs, wise enough to retain the Britishness of its houses to the obvious delight of its customers.

Freshly opened (August 2010) the spears are already waving for Shaka Zulu and its South African style food under the control of Executive Chef Barry Vera at Stables Market in Camden. The whole scale of the place is cosmic, from the open plan kitchen to the exclusive chef's tables, not forgetting to mention the world-class chefs.

From the moment of entry it's clear that Shaka Zulu Camden is a place with, well no perhaps I'd better not say that. Let's just say it's already on the way to becoming iconic. The culture of the Zulu world is assembled round the walls, culminating in the Warrior Wall where King Shaka himself stands amongst a group of warriors sculpted into incredible 60ft statues.

A Seafood and Oyster bar reinvents a time honoured custom and the Braai Grill Restaurant provides the setting for some very serious indulgence. Much of the music follows the African sound and music and dancing comes to a reluctant end at 2am.

The Braai is where the theatre of food comes to life with a range of starters that includes Ethiopian braised chicken in berberé, a spicy red pepper sauce; mussel chowder made with corn and saffron, or Prestige oysters with shallot vinegar, tabasco and lemon. A Cape Malay chicken curry is based on Malaysian cooking with the best of South African food and a generous helping of Indian flavour and style. This is curry with horns. Unlike the carpaccio of ostrich with goat's cheese, peppadew and horseradish.

The virtues of slow cooking are still not fully appreciated, but the spit roasted dorper lamb is marinated before being roasted for 7 hours, then served with a spicy African vegetable relish, chakalaka by name. Fruits de mer never fail to ring the bell and come in various sizes for companionable eating as up to six people pick on lobster, langoustines, fresh prawns, oysters, crevette grises, winkles and mussels. Rather more individual is the half poached native lobster with harissa mayonnaise, lemon and watercress.

Looking for something different? It's not difficult at Braai, and the Shaka Zulu sample board goes overboard with springbok, ostrich, kudu, boerewors with monkey gland sauce, mint and peanut chutney and chakalaka. Moving rather nearer home we find ourselves staring Royal Sandringham in the face as we tackle fillet or a sirloin steak from the Red Poll beef that this old estate breed produces. Its distinctive flavour is superb.

Even the modest sausage is not safe from this invasion of fine food, so welcome the grilled boerewors variety, full of coarsely ground beef and lamb with toasted coriander, pepper, nutmeg and cloves and allspice, served with mint and peanut chutney. After this even a Speyside Highland Rib served on the bone comes as a bit of an anticlimax until those pickled girolles and garlic with red wine sauce start tickling the tasties.

Even the side dishes at this estimable restaurant and club are not without special note. It would never have occurred to me for instance to bring together bell pepper, tomato and curry with cabbage, thereby creating Zulu curry. But, as they say, it works. Boy, does it work.

Shaka Zulu sets new standards at a time when we need them, and it's difficult to avoid the thought we deserve somewhere like this to shake off the last few years and get us through the next few. If that is taken as a political statement you are of course quite wrong. But you could start by giving yourself membership of the King's Club. Don't wait for Christmas.

There's a whole lot more to know about Shaka Zulu, and their Website will do so much, but there's nothing like the real experience.

The modern cellar-like interior of Belgo Noord is wildly atmospheric, split into two areas with curved walls and high glass ceilings. Round the walls the names of medieval fish are engraved, with an open plan kitchen, and a variety of the famous Belgo dishes served by waiters in traditional monks' habits.

Affordable, filling meals include their famous mussel platter, served with frites, and other superb seafood, vegetarian or meat dishes, such as rotisserie chicken, pork and leek or wild boar sausages, or roast duck breast served with a light spring onion mash and a plum beer jus. If you can find the space you should try one of their scrummy desserts featuring Belgian dark chocolate cheesecake on a baked biscuit base with dark chocolate sauce.

The waiters are always willing to guide guests through the vast array of varying Belgian white, dark and fruit beers that are on offer to complement your meal. Belgian food tends to concentrate on leeks, asparagus, potatoes, beetroot, carrots, fennel; onion, celery, thyme, chives, rosemary, turnips, radish, beef, chicken, fish, butter and cream. From this by and large pretty healthy selection by most standards, they produce such classic Belgian dishes as waterzooi and carbonnade.

Do keep an eye out for their special deals, such as the famous 'Beat the Clock', where you pay the price at the time shown on your food order when ordering from their BTC menu, i.e., 6pm is £6. Express lunch is a set lunch menu for £6.95, available daily, with spit roast chicken, bowl of mussels marinière, and salmon fillet served with leek mash and mustard cream sauce.

They also have 'Kids Eat Free', which entitles one child to eat free from the 'mini menu', a 2-course meal served with frites or mash, that includes such dishes as rotisserie chicken, pork and leek sausages, or cod goujons, rounded off with Belgo's homemade ice-cream, per one adult ordering a main course from the à la carte menu.

With two seating areas to choose from, firstly their dining area, where reservations can be made, or dine in the more relaxed beer hall area, with bench style seating,  where reservations are not required, this is definitely a unique dining experience. They can also cater for private parties from approximately 50 to 250 guests.

And talking of guests, read on: 'an excellent night! Fantastic food and service, I would recommend Belgo to anyone'.

For information on reservations, parties and private hire, or just to learn more about Belgo Restaurants, visit their well designed Website.

Namaaste Kitchen in Camden town is an Indian restaurant with a difference, created by The Salaam Namaste Bloomsbury team, and drawing heavily upon kitchen theatre. At its heart a theatrical restaurant show-kitchen enables diners to enjoy the spectacle of sophisticated Indian grills and different varieties of quality Indian and Pakistani cuisine in preparation. By the use of subtle and complex marinades they create distinctive dishes that are a delight of mingled flavours.

To match this modern approach the décor has been designed to respond in full, with a mix of traditional and contemporary design. The principal area is modern but with a rustic flavour of bare brick walls, chimney breast and fireplace. American walnut pillars contrast well with `cream leather seating.

A welcome innovation is the two Chef's Tables with a privileged view of the restaurant grill room, which between them can cater for groups of 8 covers. Three very core Indian grilling methods are used throughout; first the Tandoor, traditional Indian cooking done through a really hot clay oven, then the Sigri, a simple but effective method using a coal flame, and finally the impressive Tawa, where food is cooked or griddled on a hot, thick iron plate.

By now you may be asking whether the quality of the food matches that of the sense of theatre, to which the only real answer is, go and find out. But if you trust those who have, you will find no cause for hesitation. The menu offers around 16 starters, and whilst some of the respected dishes of long standing are there, look for the newcomers, the twists on old friends, and the inspirational, witness the Tandoori Portobello mushroom, marinated before being filled with figs, cashew nuts, raisins, green chilli and homemade cheese in a curry leaf dressing. It is often said the street food of India is amongst its best - test that statement with chowpatty Bhelpoori, vegetarian street food from Mumbai.

It is always fascinating to see the food of one country being adapted to the recipes of another, so why should we raise even so much as an eyebrow at wild rabbit leg Achari, cooked in pickling spices with missi roti and aubergine compote, never mind Peshwari lamb chops marinated with fresh ginger paste, raw papaya and specially selected herbs and spices. But my favourite comes from Rajasthan, the land of forts and palaces, where Tandoori Barbary duck breast is served with roasted tiger prawn in a tangy fresh salad, simple but inspired.

Dates and ginger naan, dhall Panchratan, a five-lentil mix of great charm, and exquisite lemon rice serve to bolster the principal courses, as if any were needed, but the biding memory is of the wonderful aromas that intertwine through the restaurant. It would be presumptuous to assume that the wine list in such a restaurant could be anything but sophisticated, and you'd be right. Light years ahead of any outdated assumptions that decent wines and Asian cuisine do not share the same aims, the wine list at Namaaste is a well annotated production that, whilst not lengthy, makes a strong case for the union at prices that only apply the rod in the Champagne area, and offer up towards a dozen by the glass.

The main bar has a feature wall of lights and stone slate to admire as you savour a cocktail before or after, and there is a good range of bar snacks and an all day dining menu. Absolutely no excuse at all for not paying an early visit to this increasingly popular Indian haven to high standards all round.

Check their Website for updated menus, offers and - yes, believe it or not - a takeaway menu. Lucky old Camden town!

The Castle with its stylish classic pub atmosphere, great food and music seldom fails to charm and is one of the famous pubs that form part of Geronimo Inns. It may be located on the busy Pentonville Road but step into the beautiful rooftop terrace and it seems a world away with just a book and Brazilian lounge music to keep company.

The concise menu includes starters like crispy Cornish squid with aioli and deep fried brie with cranberry chutney, followed by lemon and thyme roasted chicken breast with colcannon and red wine jus, and shredded ham hock with root vegetable casserole and parsnip crisp. They certainly come up with some interesting ideas for sandwiches at lunchtime, smoked salmon and free range egg bagel and steak, caramelised onions, roasted cherry tomato and blue cheese are some of them.

Trust the Master of Wine, John Clevely's choice of wines to accompany your meal at The Castle.

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.- 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.

Masala Zone Camden Town is a relative newcomer to the multi coloured scene of Indian cooking. Owned by Masala World, who also own Amaya, Veeraswamy and Chutney Mary, three of London's top Indian restaurants, they aim to bring informal and real Indian food to London at sensible prices, and not before time.

They serve tasty Indian street snacks, together with more conventional offerings. The atmosphere is terrific, very laidback and authentic. They also do vegetarian food, to which the Indian approach is always such a success thanks to its historic foundation in the sub-continent, which is prepared in a separate kitchen manned by Brahmins - a nice touch.

The décor is striking enough before you get anywhere near the food with each Masala Zone restaurant featuring a different form of Indian art. Masala Zone Camden features evocative, colourful and humorous Indian posters created in the 1930s and 1940s advertising Western products. This welcomes you to another world where the genuine taste of India helps to subtly fortify you for return to the one you've just left.

Starters of spiced mash cake with yoghurt and chutney (aloo tikki chaat), vie with chana dabalroti, a tangy chickpea curry, lotus root with hunks of toasted bread, a famous sindhi dish.

Indian street food is world famous and you are most likely in for some exceedingly pleasant surprises as you scan the menu. Perhaps the adage "you are what you eat" will flit through your mind as you note the sparing use of oil, the fresh ingredients and the thalis that offer a balanced combination of nutrition, flavours, textures and colours. A gujarati thali on its stainless steel platter will offer gujarati vegetarian canapés, vegetables, dals, chapattis, rice, salads and pickles.

The grand thali, the equivalent of a two course meal, is for the very hungry, and the regular version caters well for the less-challenged. Look also for curry and rice plates that embrace some of the great Indian classics, such as rogan josh, prawn malai, and butter chicken, as well as Indian grills enabling an eat light approach, with chicken tikka, lamb seekh kebab, and prawns.

Indian desserts are notable for their seductive powers with homemade ice cream (kulfi), gulab jamun, falooda (a fun Indian sundae) and various sorbets and ice creams.

Drinks include several versions of lassi, the frothy yoghurt whip, a wide range of juices, Indian squash, and wine list chosen with Indian food in mind, starting at £13.05 a bottle with nothing more than £19.25. Indian and European beers are also available, but cooking this good demands, shall we say, something a touch more sophisticated. No reservations required. Find out more about this user friendly small group on 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.