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Slug and Lettuce has a chain of almost a hundred bars spread across the country sharing a common love of serving down to earth, undemanding food and drink.

The group prides itself on offering dishes prepared using quality ingredients, and you should be attended on by attentive staff in a safe, welcoming and cheerful environment. The Slugs have something for anyone - breakfast for a lively start to the day, lunch for busy people, family meals or even a relaxing glass of wine to bring a tiring day to an end - all in a variety of modern and stylish settings.

The menu features old time English favourites such as Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages in buttered mash or fish pie made with Dartmouth smokehouse haddock, in a Devon cream and leek sauce, although dishes look to Europe and further afield to Asia for inspiration. A good way to start the enjoyment is by sharing platters of Southern fried chicken breast pieces, crispy potato wedges, garlic ciabatta strips, half a rack of BBQ pork ribs, wasabi vegetables with onion rings or some Greek mezze

Hearty steak pies, Thai curry with sticky jasmine rice or butternut squash with goats' cheese lasagne are amongst the more popular main dishes. Sandwiches or wraps - warm tortilla with chicken and Parmesan or aromatic duck in plum sauce - provide for those who prefer something lighter. They also serve burgers as well as tempting salads like salmon, asparagus or tomato and mozzarella. For children they have good old British standby sausage and mash, or pepper pasta and ketchup among other choices, all of which never fail to delight, particularly as some of them seem to have come out of a certain celebrity chef's Book of Forbidden Dishes.

Desserts appear in the form of raspberry biscotti, hot chocolate pudding or a creamy strawberry cheesesake. The wine list is well compiled and substantial. There are not less than seven French, three from Italy and some from Spain, Chile, Australia as well as New Zealand. Slug and Lettuce can cater for events including birthday parties, fashion shows, hen nights, wedding parties or just an enjoyable night out with a few friends.

If your culinary conception of London is built around expensive restaurants or not-so-expensive-less-quality eateries then think again, as there are still places like Byron that offer some good value food to those on a tight budget. Well, how can anyone go wrong with a burger, you may ask, but this burger chain is not just about a slab of meat slapped between two halves of a bun, here the meat is sourced from small farms, the cattle roam freely in the Scottish Highlands, and the hamburgers are freshly ground every day; surely it can't get more simple than that.

The menu opens up an abundance of inexpensive delights, starting with burgers stuffed with dry cure bacon, mature cheddar, Byron sauce, or corn fed chicken fillet with tomato, mayo and baby spinach. Their salads are a wonderful melange of fresh ingredients such as squash and feta unified by garlic and parsley dressing, and buffalo mozzarella and Portobello mushroom with crispy bacon, almonds and cos lettuce dressed with honey balsamic. Desserts include the indulgent banoffee pie and caramel and honeycomb sundae.

Zen Sai is a stunning restaurant featuring teak clad walls, water features and traditional hand-carved wall hangings; it's really like stepping out for a night in Singapore...except there's no need for a 15 hour flight with a two hour stop over in Dubai!

The decor strikes you immediately, authentic Asian furniture with great lighting. The staff are tremendous, always a friendly smile and very attentive, while the Malaysian-Chinese-Singaporean cuisine includes classic dishes of the Asian roadside hawker like satay, and main courses take in nori wrapped salmon with wasabi mash and garlic beans, or garlic and chilli rib eye steak with coriander mash and stir fried vegetables.

The dining room is split over two levels, with the upper dining room available for private hire. On the mezzanine level lies the teak-topped bar serving contemporary and classic cocktails including the eponymous Zensai caipirinha, beers from the Orient, sakes and wines.

Located within the Euston Square Hotel, Zone 1 is trendy restaurant and bar in Central London situated within walking distance of Euston & Kings Cross St Pancras stations and the British Museum. The place is chic and contemporary, with natural lighting and warm confortable seating. The menu is varied and is a well-balanced blend of good food prepared with fresh and locally sourced ingredients including vegetarian options.

An ideal venue for large gatherings, a quick lunch, an evening out or after work get-together, the restaurant serves an assortment of dishes that stays true to their philosophy of freshness and includes tabouleh, a refreshing treat of bulgar wheat, finely chopped tomatoes, onions, parsley and lemon juice; Greek salad; teriyaki steak salad; beef steak zingueur with grilled strips of tender marinated beef accompanied by the Chef?s special zingueur sauce and thick-cut home-style chips. Besides this, a number of sandwiches, rolls and breads are also available.

Desserts include servings of tiramisu, chocolate fudge cake and chocolate mousse for those wanting to indulge their sweet tooth.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.

Tuck into authentic soul food at The Blues Kitchen in Camden High Street. Guests can relax and unwind in its vibrant live music setting with soul and blues music from both new and established artists every night.
  
Get your fill of traditional favourites such as southern fried chicken, gumbo, seafood jambalaya and smoky bbq ribs or tickle the palate with the Blues kitchen chilli, made with brisket of beef and served with sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips. You could also sample one of the house special burgers, lightly spiced Creole bean or jerk chicken, served on a butchers block with a cup of fries and a healthy dollop of homemade coleslaw. Sharing platters, salads and sandwiches add more variety. Key lime, pecan and Mississippi mud pies are desserts befitting the meal. Weekend brunch here adds more spice to your life. An extensive selection of bourbons, Ryes and Tennessee whiskeys, from the Kentucky straights to the perfectly blended small batch, as well as carefully crafted cocktails heighten the evening's mood.

Located on Princess Road, La Collina is a quaint little restaurant that is certainly appealing with its compact dining area, a small garden for al fresco meals and flavour-packed regional style cooking. Although the interior may be minimalist, comfort, relaxation and low prices seem to be the priority here.

Chef Roberto Bullio hails from Northern Italy and this is reflected in his cooking, so alongside octopus carpaccio with artichoke hearts and walnuts, expect to find spaghetti with prawns and langoustines, and risotto with mussels and squid. For those who prefer meatier main courses try the rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic served with fresh spinach and potatoes, and roasted quail stuffed with fennel flavoured pork sausage. For dessert the choice can range from bonet, a Piedmontese chocolate and amaretti pudding, and a creamy amaretto semi-freddo. Customers tend to leave La Collina feeling that they have experienced cooking of integrity and skill.