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This Cheyne Walk site has hosted several popular restaurants in the past and now with Painted Heron occupying this prime spot since 2002, it's not surprising expectations are soaring. There is a sense of spaciousness here with light, airy interconnecting rooms done up in a trendy manner with modern art and stylish furnishings, and leading to an intimate courtyard.

There is a wide range of choices with starters of red mullet and papaya salad, tandoori lamb chops with nutmeg and wild soft shell crabs fried in sesame and chilli cobra beer batter well up the list. Main courses include diced venison in a hot and sweet Persian curry and meat biriyani with duck, chicken and lamb served with warm curried yogurt. Desserts within Indian cuisine carry a character all their own, witness honey and cinnamon pudding and rasmalai with fresh melon and mango sauce. Head Chef Yogesh Datta has a happy knack of blending seasonal, fresh ingredients into his own particular style of Indian cooking.

There are very few Chinese restaurants that get into the pages of the famed Good Food Guide, but all four branches of Royal China are listed, and with an excellent rating as well. They have been long renowned for the freshest and best dim sum in London, displaying a delicacy of touch and flavour that sets them apart from those offered elsewhere.

They also provide incomparably fine Chinese food at all times, varying from mild dishes, to the fieriest of Szechuan cooking; from deep-fried baby squid with chilli and spicy salt and king prawns with mango salad to Peking duck and yam-flavoured chilled tapioca rice pudding.

It is a good place to go with a party of friends, as the Royal China offers a choice of set price menus ranging from their House or Vegetarian, up to the Seafood Gourmet that includes lobster and their fantastic imperial seafood hors d'oeuvres. Their vegetarian delights include Szechuan tofu, and crispy mock duck.

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YO! Sushi Brompton Road is a vital gastronomic experience rather than simply a place to eat sushi. This exciting and visually appealing Japanese delicacy, almost a cuisine in itself and going back to the 4th century BC, is fast rising in popularity for reasons of both taste and health, as well as its companionable setting. The restaurants offer a range of delectable nibbles that are attractively presented and revolve on a gently moving belt in front of customers, allowing them to sample a real wealth of varieties and eat just what they like best as often as they wish.

Contrary to many people's perception of sushi as raw fish, it comes in many forms drawing heavily on rice, fish, vegetables and seafood but the great variety arises chiefly from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these are combined. Often the same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, yet creating widely differing tastes.

Some of the most popular types are sashimi rolls, made from raw or seared slices of salmon and tuna and meant to be eaten within a couple of hours of being put together. Other options include cones of seaweed with rice and fillings and the little boat shaped parcels called gunkans. Miso soups, salads and nigiri sushi made of rice with toppings all add to its strong visual appeal.

Great beers like Asahi Super Dry and Sapporo support the food superbly, as well as hot and cold sake for those who want to sustain the Japanese experience. The menu also has non-alcoholic drinks and a limited list of wines and champagne. For dessert try the dorayaki, mochi or settle for fresh fruit.

The experience of having a meal at YO! Sushi is enriched by the unique array that appears as if by magic before the diner, with its unique colour coded pricing system. But the real pull is the fresh, healthy and tasty food that keeps people returning to their outlets across the UK.

At the front of this establishment lies a rather exceptional bakery and patisserie, whose extravagant window displays attract a hungry crowd of passers by. If you really like what you see you can buy a little something to take out or venture through to the rear of the shop where you'll find an elegant Parisian style tea salon, the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely lunch or afternoon tea. Paul is just the sort of reasonably priced but high quality snack place that attracts those who are looking for a break from shopping or simply enjoy the luxury of a tasty confection with coffee.

On the menu you'll find classic bites such as omelette, quiches and generously portioned salads. The idea is not to over indulge with your main course though, but to save space for a dessert such as rich chocolate cake, or strawberry tart. There is an enormous range of breads and pastries accompanied by that wonderful aroma of freshly baked goods that cannot fail to stimulate the feeblest of appetites.

For an inexpensive and fun filled evening try a trip to Buona Sera At The Jam on the King's Road. Seating is at booth style tables that are arranged in a somewhat bizarre two-tiered system so diners have to climb a ladder to reach the top dining section. The menu is classic Italian with great garlic bread and antipasti, followed by a tempting choice of pasta and pizzas and a selection of Italian ice cream based desserts.

A truly authentic flavour of Italy is brought to King's Road with the opening of Osteria dell'Arancio. The original restaurant opened several years ago in the Marche region of Italy, and this London outpost diligently follows its Italian sister philosophy by offering a weekly changing menu, with the option to taste little plates of Andrian burrata or fried squid and zucchini with an aperitif or a glass of wine.

First off, it's heartening to encounter marinated salmon flavoured with citrus zest and braised asparagus and seared scallops with Taggiasche olives, oranges and cucumber. The secondi piatti will delight seafood lovers as it includes choices like roasted wild sea bass with panzanella and parsley sauce, grilled wild salmon, pan-fried Dover sole fillets on a bed of lemon spinach, and turbot fillets with cherry tomatoes, black olives, broad beans and oregano.

Wine is another feature that draws diner to Osteria dell'Arancio, with a whole gamut of unique Italian wines, including several Nebuchadnezzars.

O Fado is considered to be the oldest Portuguese restaurant in London and remains the only one presenting traditional cuisine and live fado music, leading diners to discover Portugal in the heart of London. Legend says fado was born from the longing of sailors for their country while on long journeys.

The restaurant grew as a place where the Portuguese community gathered to defeat the 'saudades' or longings they had for their homeland. Today, resident fado singers are one of the highlights of evenings there. Exhibitions of Portuguese artists and commemorations of National Days with themed parties are organised.

When it comes to the food, their dishes are created using regional Portuguese products and organic and free range meats. Start with cabbage soup and octopus salad before moving on to carne de porco à alentejana, a combination of pork and salty clams; bacalhau a gomes de sá, one of 365 ways to create cod in Portugal, or chanfana of lamb in red wine sauce spiced with garlic and bay leaf, ending with a lovely Molotov pudding.