Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Whilst the 42 Loch Fyne restaurants have a shared background there is a welcome degree of individuality encouraged throughout the group, which makes for customer interest. If you like wholesome, fresh and reliable seafood caught and reared under carefully controlled conditions, well presented in unfussy surroundings, and you enjoy being well looked after by pleasant staff, Loch Fyne is for you.

There is an increasing awareness of other food staples with an extended choice of meat dishes, but it is the original fare upon which their success was created that prevails. Loch Fyne kippers, a fine bouillabaisse, braden rost, kiln-roasted salmon fillet, and the toothsome oysters on ice, with a selection of accompaniments, all are to be found throughout the various restaurants, as well as Glen Fyne 21 day aged rib-eye steak and Scottish smoked venison. There is invariably a well-travelled wine list available which is sensible, both in content and prices.

Loch Fyne's greatest achievement has been to prove to a sceptical populace that chains or conglomerates can be made to work in the eating-out public's best interests.

Time was when wine bars seemed to be in recession, but Davy's have put that right with Champagne Charlies. With 32 wine bars, most in the centre of London, offering a dazzling choice of refreshment well supported by quality food, this is an equation not to be missed. Named after a famous Victorian music hall song, composed by George Leybourne, Champagne Charlies is one such conventionally-styled ale and port house.

The cooking is traditional at its core with some satisfying dishes like Rosary goats' cheese and fresh fig with mixed flower honey, avocado and prawn dressed with infused lemon oil, and oakwood smoked Scottish salmon with crab and dill mustard. To discover more excitement on the plate choose char-grilled lamb cutlets or a specially selected 28 day aged grilled rib eye steak with grilled vine tomato and hot buttered potatoes.

Celebrate the Truckles of Pied Bull Yard experience with a pint of Davy's Old Wallop served in a proper pewter tankard.

Bateaux London's dining cruises create the ambience and atmosphere of the ultimate luxury while their restaurants onboard present patrons with some delicious British fare. The marvellous views, the lazy rhythm of being on a cruise, and the charming experience, all come together to present you with the perfect opportunity to spend a special evening, an anniversary or a birthday with those you love.

Dinner guests receive a welcome drink on boarding the cruise, followed by a sumptuous four course meal, while soothing jazz notes play in the background. Drifting down the Thames and taking in the sights of beautifully lit up spots is a delight, while lunch time guests may find it to be a charming and pleasant escape from the daily pressures of life. On Sundays, there is a special jazz cruise that is more leisurely and brings together all the elements of a traditional weekend special lunch sur la rivière.

The fact that Henry's has something for everyone makes it one dining destination no one should miss and if you're yearning for some good food and drink, drop right in to one of their bright and stylish outlets. Each cafe manages to retain its individuality by way of a unique core idea and design.

Delicious food is served all day, starting with breakfast, sharing dishes of tempura battered chicken, chilli nachos and baked camembert sharer, perfect for friends wanting a snack and a glass of wine. The host of tempting choices never fail to please. Salads, fresh burgers, sandwiches, Henry's popular fish and chips, pastas, puddings, tostadas and chicken tikka masala add variety to the exciting menu. Desserts could include sticky toffee pudding and baked vanilla cheesecake.

There's an extensive drinks list as well and the Grand Margarita and Raspberry Caipirinha, is a popular favourite. Henry's Bar and Café also offers wireless connectivity, which makes it the perfect spot for business as well as pleasure.

The popularity of patisseries in London and elsewhere is a longstanding tribute to human indulgence. When spirits are low there are few better kick-starts than a visit to the nearest purveyor of wonderful cakes, sticky, creamy confections that melt in the mouth, leaving a comfortable feeling of having scored one up on whatever malaise is afflicting you.

Madam Valerie, a lady of Belgian extraction, knew all about this when she established her first patisserie in Firth Street in 1926. Some years later the Luftwaffe, with typical insensitivity, obliterated the place, but not Madam who moved round the corner to the present site in Compton Street, now much patronised by media people, celebrities and art students, who adore its Parisian informality.

There are now 31 Valeries in the UK. In addition to the most gorgeous confections, some of them also do breakfast, which in its own way is another propper-up of human frailty, however transient. Evening meals are also served at Patisserie Valerie.