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Occupying what must be one of the finest restaurant locations in London, The Park Terrace on the ground floor of the luxury 5 star Royal Garden Hotel looks out over Kensington Gardens, a serene oasis in the capital city.

Executive Chef Steve Munkley works with a brigade of some 80 chefs and in between carrying responsibility for all the catering outlets in the hotel also finds time to be the youngest ever Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs. He graduated from TVU in the '80s.

The restaurant is divided into three areas, designed to deal between them with multi various requirements of those wishing to enjoy the wide availability within the hotel. A British à la carte cuisine has a strong focus on locally sourced ingredients. A lounge area allows more informal dining to proceed all day, with afternoon tea available, and a bar which provides the focal point of the room, visible from the hotel lobby, with an extensive selection of drinks.

As with any major hotel breakfast is available to non residents. A du jour lunch offers around five or so courses well able to keep the average human furnace fuelled, always with fish and vegetarian dishes. The likes of a platter of English cured meats with rhubarb and orange chutney, or rosemary and sherry marinated Shetland salmon with pickled cucumber provide variety within lighter plates, as well as desserts with baked lemon curd raspberry sorbet a popular choice.

The Kensington Tea is the Park Terrace's solution to the 7^th Duchess of Bedford who, in the early 19^th century took issue with what she described as "that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon and arranged for a pot of tea and a light snack to be sent to her boudoir for private enjoyment ad relief. The Kensington Tea goes rather further, The Hampstead Tea even more so with a glass of champagne amongst the goodies.

When it comes to dinner the full force of Steve Munkley's approach to sourcing becomes apparent. Much of the meat derives from a co-operative of farmers in Essex and East Anglia. The animals are all free range, some are classified organic. So precise is the control that they are sometimes able to tell you which farm your meat came from. Label Anglais chickens give an outstanding flavour, and venison comes from the New Forest via a lady called Mrs Tee who also picks for wild mushrooms from the forest for Park Terrace tables.

The same precision and care is taken with the fruits of the sea, and Neal's Yard on Covent Garden are entrusted with the British cheeses. Cromer crab ravioli is served with samphire and shellfish bisque and East Anglia scores again with beef fillet carpaccio, wild rocket, Spenwood cheese and horseradish oil. Turning to more ample dishes the grilled free range Blythburgh pork cutlet with caramelised plum, honey and sherry vinegar, kale bubble and squeak and pork crackling is indeed a dish fit for a prince. A lounge menu, with bar menu and bar plates give wide variation with more informal dishes.

A fascinating wine list bears all the evidence of careful and enlightened choices, although the inclusion of some British labels might not come amiss.

Park Terrace is a treat at any time of the day or year, but as part of a prestigious hotel complex in West London it carries the seal of perfection. Their Website will keep you informed, in particular about the changing menus and special offers.

Every so often there is an occasion in your life when only the best will do, and without doubt Babylon at The Roof Gardens falls well inside that category, combining as it does all that is best in a restaurant that is able to offer that elusive quality - complete reliability.

Much of the attraction of this sleek, modern restaurant atop the Kensington Roof Gardens used to lie in its spectacular views, but now Head Chef, Ian Howard, with years of experience under his belt, has created menus with a focus on fresher produce from local suppliers to increase the quality of dishes served to Babylon's guests.

Ian's stints at The Savoy, The Belvedere Restaurant under Marco Pierre White, and The Cumberland Hotel under Gary Rhodes, have more than just given him an impressive CV, they have also fuelled his passion for modern British cuisine adding a personalised twist to old favourites.

The à la carte menu carries the main presentation with a list of stunning first courses that leave customers in no doubt they have come to the right place. The perfect touch applied to the butternut squash soup topped with whipped crème fraîche and chives is a hint of things to come. Cornish crab mayonnaise has that little extra, presented with celeriac and apple remoulade with wafer thin caraway croutons.

Main courses of Cotswold White roasted chicken breast is served with date puree, baby leeks, café au lait jus with chopped dates and mash potato, or there is celeriac risotto with crème fraîche, parmesan and shredded ham hock and sauerkraut, garnished with red chicory and cornichons.

Portion sizes have increased, too, but make sure you save space for pudding. The menu is designed to suit all tastes, and could include mango and white chocolate mousse with black sesame seed tuille, papaya and rum sorbet, caramelized exotic fruits; crème brûlée, and vanilla and honey madeleines with framboise.

At many restaurants great attention is quite rightly paid to the traditional Sunday lunch. At Babylon Saturday lunch also comes in for special treatment, with prices that are a positive incentive to those taking advantage of the quality shopping that is so conveniently close to Babylon.

Service provided by the slick and very friendly staff, who are attentive without being obtrusive, must be given top marks.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, guests of Babylon can continue their night in The Roof Gardens Club, open from 10pm-3am. So, you can enjoy a quiet cocktail in the gardens or dance the night away until the early hours of the morning - the choice is yours.

Their Website is well worth visiting as a prelude to the real thing.

Over twenty years ago, in July 1989, Bill Wyman opened Sticky Fingers, just the kind of restaurant he most likes to eat in - friendly, welcoming in an informal atmosphere with excellent food and service - the rest is history! Sticky's is ideally positioned in a stunning building, just off the famous shopping Mecca that is High Street Kensington and this haven of great food and original rock memorabilia provides an enviable environment for eating, drinking, and relaxing.

The invaluable collection of Stones memorabilia is a real talking point for both Stones fans and anyone with taste for rock heritage. A comprehensive listing is impractical but some of the highlights include a full-size 3-D photo master of small 3-D photos on the cover of the Rolling Stones album 'Their Satanic Majesties Request.' Released late 1967, it is only one of three known copies in the world.

The Beatles can be seen in the 'undergrowth', and a homemade Electric Bass Guitar built by Wyman in 1960 and amusingly nicknamed by Ian Stewart as 'The Flying Penge.' He played this during early concerts and numerous TV shows and was often used on Rolling Stones' recordings until 1976.

Of course, people go to Sticky Fingers for much more than a great visual experience and a vibrant atmosphere. The justly fabled ribs are a perennial favourite as well as the impressive selection of cocktails, wines, draught and bottled beers which will either compliment the varied dishes or slip down well whilst supping on hand scooped potato skins or crispy shredded duck with cucumber, spring onions and hoi sin sauce, at the bar.

Apart from its burgers such as the Californian, topped with cheese, bacon, salsa, guacamole and sour cream - for which Sticky's has been awarded the 'Best Burger in London' accolade by respected critics at RestaurantSpy - a testament to the talent and restless innovation of their Head Chef, you can also dine on a lovely salad of peppered steak; dishes such as pan-fried new England crab cakes with garlic mayonnaise; sizzling fajitas, homemade lamb burritos with Portobello mushrooms, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and jalapeños, and sign off with a sinful hot fudge and pecan nut brownie.

It is easy to over-intellectualise Sticky Fingers' unique formula. Put simply, it is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail and meal, buy from a wide range of merchandise or simply chill out and relax with the best burgers in town. They are happy to accept bookings and enquiries by E-Mail.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website

Do note that they are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

'Chinese restaurant opens in London' not a headline that is normally likely to inspire enormous interest, however, in the case of the 3 AA Rosette Min Jiang at The Royal Garden in Kensington it ought to as has set new quality standards in so many areas. Managed by the irrepressible and enthusiastic Jason Li, formerly of Hakkasan and the Oriental at The Dorchester - what an impeccable pedigree - it serves superb and interesting food.

But it also starts with the huge advantage of one of the finest views in London from the tenth floor of the hotel, as, if you are lucky enough to get a table by the windows, you would be looking out right across Kensington Gardens and the whole of Hyde Park. On a fine day you can see the Gherkin, London Eye, Post Office Tower and many of the landmark structures of London.

However, the décor is equally unusual; the most prominent colour is red, with dark wood shelves lining some of walls or breaking the area up, these contain niches filled with an enormous selection of Chinese pots, and there is also the wide use of mirrors, on walls and ceilings, definitely not your standard look.

They bring you hot towels first, and then, as we looked at the menu, we realised that we were in for a rather special experience and that the greatest difficulty was going to come in deciding what to select as it all sounded so tempting.

The dim sum platter was first among the appetisers, a must for us, though it is unusual to find them being served in the evening, they had clearly been prepared with great care, absolutely perfect and symmetrical - eight pieces of four different styles, crab meat, pumpkin with mixed seafood, vegetable and prawn.

We accompanied these with crispy fried squid with salt, pepper and chilli, and soft shell crab done the same way, particularly impressive was the fact that they were not greasy - so often a fault with them elsewhere.

Mains of sautéed gung bao king prawns, done with dried whole chillies, which carried a warning of being very spicy, though it was rather milder than might have been expected, and steamed sea bass with back fungus and golden mushrooms were both beautifully presented and tasted perfectly delicious, with a side order of stir-fried asparagus with hoshimeji mushrooms.

We washed this down with a bottle of South African Sauvignon Blanc, recommended by the helpful wine waitress, at £34 it was a good choice, demonstrating her knowledge of the subject. Finally we couldn't resist their snowy flake jasmine tea tiramisu, though we were tempted by the cinnamon cheesecake with green tea ice cream, but lacked room for two desserts.

Miang Jang is mostly busy, always a good sign, and it is worth noting that they offer excellent value with their dim sum menu at lunchtime. Check out full details on their Website.

The Elgin Food Pub and Music House is described as a gastropub for Notting Hillbillies, a play on where it is in North Kensington; with its very own Gin Palace that has 22 gins to tickle your fancy, the mood is loungeability against a background of relaxing music, comfy sofas and a mix and match décor.

It is brought to you by Geronimo Inns, who are the people that have proved if you stop bothering about your more self-expressive inclinations and give the customers what they want instead, you can open revitalised pubs and stay afloat provided you create a warm home from home atmosphere where real food at affordable prices is available seven days a week.

Front of house offers major bay windows; look out and you might see Hugh Grant looking in. More to the back is the 70 cover music room which will also accommodate larger groups, and offers regular live accoustic music sessions. 'If music be the food of love, play on' ,said Shakespeare and what is aptly described elsewhere as 'the weird and wacky world of W11', whose domain this is, does not disagree.

In such circumstances lunch is not a meal, but a staging post long the road to survival for something a touch grander in the evening. So look for basics such as Oxfordshire bread with Netherend farm butter. Soup of course, or some roasted beetroot and Cashel with a Blue cheese salad perhaps. For the desperate there's fish and chips with tartar sauce and mushy peas, or The Elgin's Caesar salad in which anchovies are an item. But if you missed breakfast there's bangers and mash, or a very cool beefburger with bacon, cheese, relish and chips

The evening brings a stirring amongst the smart houses of W11, still worth colossal sums of money, and it's down to the pub time for maybe a game of dominoes or bar billiards over a pint or so of some succulent brew, before moving on to a few of John Clevely's well chosen wines as the world moves from red to blue through green, which is not meant to be a political statement.

A spot of roulade of smoked salmon and salmon mousse with yoghurt-dill dressing, or devilled lambs kidneys and yellow split pea dhal sets the stage for a Yorkshire venison casserole and parsnip puree, or a rump steak with skinny chips and bourguignon sauce. The Elgin fishcakes arrive at table accompanied by spinach, a poached egg and warm tartare sauce.

But for sheer indulgence times two, share a 22oz Scottish T-Bone steak with two kinds of chips, a mixed salad and green peppercorn sauce. Desserts to follow may or may not be just, but honey, thyme and yoghurt parfait with roasted fig seems to me the sort of dish that will nestle up well with almost anything.

Beyond a degree of excellence nothing stays the same for too long at The Elgin with the food. So check on their Website for specialities, as well as great music from aspiring and established musicians alike.

The Papaya Tree is a contemporary style Thai restaurant with lightly coloured walls and wooden floors, serving authentic Thai cuisine using fresh herbs flown in from Thailand. Don't let the fact that it is in a basement put you off; all you can spot is a simple glass doorway on Kensington High Street but even as you step inside it appears a lot more welcoming than many.

Whilst there is a huge choice of Thai restaurants in London this place has consistently produced a higher quality than you tend to find elsewhere, all produced from an amazingly tiny, semi-domestic kitchen.

Their dishes are also much more innovative than you might expect, particularly some excellent seafood like the delicious ocean stir-fry, a combination of fruits from the sea served in chilli sauce.

Lunch presents especially good value with reasonably priced dishes encompassing such delights as pad pet, a stir-fried dish with a spicy Thai chilli paste; geang pet, a red curry with mixed vegetables and coconut milk or pad preow wan, a stir-fried dish with fresh tomatoes, pineapple, cucumber, onion and green peppers in a sweet and sour sauce.

The price is decided by whether you choose seasonal vegetables as the main ingredient, sliced chicken or pork or sliced beef, duck or mixed seafood, served with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice. Or you can select from various noodle dishes like pad bah mee noodles, stir fried egg noodles with sliced spring onions and baby corn all tossed in a light soya sauce, or tom yum dry noodles, rice noodles mixed with a hot and sour sauce with crispy garlic, chilli and ground peanuts, all priced similarly.

Their special dishes are much more innovative than you might expect, particularly some excellent seafood like the delicious and spicy Thai fisherman's treasure, a combination of fruits from the sea served in the famous hot pot with fresh hot basil leaves, chilli and garlic. Don't lightly ignore the green oceanic curry, your choice of king prawn or squid with bamboo shoots and seasonal vegetables in coconut milk, or a selection of various shellfish mixed with glass noodles.

Meat options include tamarind duck, stir fried roasted duck in tangy tamarind juices with sliced tomatoes, pineapple and Thai spices or moo prik king, stir fried pork with runner beans and the chef's special chilli sauce. The normal á la carte offers dishes such as moo pad krapow, stir fried pork with fresh basil leaves, onion and chilli, guaranteed to clear any stuffed up nose, or gai pad met mamuang, stir fried sliced chicken with crunchy cashew nuts, spring onion, mushrooms and roasted chilli.

Two excellent starters are their satay, strips of marinated chicken on bamboo skewers with Thai peanut butter sauce, and the delicious khanom jeep, delicately steamed pork and prawn dumplings, served with a slightly sweetened soya sauce.

Now possibly you can understand why we return time and again to the Papaya Tree, and if you cannot actually get there, then take advantage of the fact that they offer free delivery to the following postcodes in London: W8, W14, SW5 and SW7.

Finally, if you enjoy a fragrant Sauvignon Blanc with your Thai meal, their South African version slips down a treat, light and fruity, a perfect accompaniment.

However, their Website, with the full menu and sometimes some special offers as well, (a 20% off card at present), is the best way to find out full information about this rather special restaurant; and lastly do tell them that Richard Bradford sent you there.

Whether you are in search of fine ales, weekly quizzes and live sport, or some good old banter and a bite to eat with friends, The Curtains Up can offer an ideal spot for you. Both daily specials and hearty British favourites come together to form the delicious menu which is served from midday until 3pm and in the evening, with longer hours at the weekend. 

If you're not feeling too hungry, a simple eggs Benedict or fish finger sandwich could do the trick but equally you could rise to the challenge of a rib-eye steak or a char-grilled beef burger. If you fancy a traditional meal then try collar of bacon with carrots and champ, or beer battered fish and chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas. If you still have room try the summer pudding, or Swayledale, blacksticks blue, and coloomey camembert.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

A short walk from the Gate Theatre, Zizzi Notting Hill Gate offers authentic Italian dining in a spacious setting featuring contemporary artwork and an open plan kitchen. Close to Odeon and Coronet Cinemas, Zizzi is perfect for a pre or post-film meal.

Zizzi also provides a welcome haven for busy shoppers at the nearby Kensington Church Street and Portobello Road market.

The bustling open kitchen at Zizzi turns out freshly prepared, tasty fare. The extensive à la carte offers distinct sections of antipasti, salads, pizza and calzone, pasta, risottos and mains of seasonally changing meat and fish dishes with a variety of tempting desserts to finish.

Zizzi's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. There's also choice of arancini, crispy risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and peas and served with a tomato chilli sauce as well as gnocchi gorgonzola, potato dumplings in a creamy gorgonzola and spinach sauce seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper, setting the tone for a hearty meal.

For a delicious pasta or risotto choose between penne vodka, king prawns, chilli, peas and Grana Padano in a creamy tomato and vodka sauce; ravioli di capra, goat's cheese and spinach ravioli served with tomato sauce and topped with pesto and pine nuts; zucca e pancetta, pumpkin, pancetta, spinach, sage and Grana Padano topped with mascarpone and rigatoni con pollo e funghi, chicken in a tomato, onion, rosemary and mushroom sauce. Gluten-free pasta is also available on request.

If you prefer a pizza, then you could try Zizzi's speciality pizza rustica, which couples extra thin and crispy bases with a range of toppings such as bufala, buffalo mozzarella with sunblush tomatoes, basil, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or mare e monti, one half topped with tiger prawn, courgette and mozzarella and the other with spicy sausage, tomato sauce and chilli, all finished off with a rocket and crème fraîche. The carne piccante calzone has marinated chicken, meatballs, Bolognese sauce, mushrooms, chillies, tomato and mozzarella while the clarissa version, has aubergine, and red pepper caponata, olives, goats' cheese, rocket, pine nuts, tomato and mozzarella. Zizzi's calzon'pizzas, half calzone and half pizza, add an interesting twist to the meal.
 
Sumptuous mains include agnello con peperonata, roasted lamb shank served with basil, roasted vegetables and a little pot of potatoes with tomato, red onion and Grana Padano; duck arrosto, slow roasted whole duck leg in a balsamic, olive and pancetta reduction served with Tuscan potatoes and green beans; and sea bass al vino, sea bass pan fried with wine, garlic and baby plum tomatoes and served with herby potatoes.

The scrumptious dessert list offers torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base topped with rich chocolate torte and served with vanilla mascarpone; homemade tiramisu' creamy vanilla pannacotta with fruit compote and torta Zizzi, an almond-based plum and fig tart topped with pistachios and icing sugar and served with gelato.

The wine list is dominated by a range of Italian wines from regions such as Veneto, Lazio, Sicily, Tuscany and Lombardy. Also on offer is an assortment of beers, and spirits as well as a range of soft and hot drinks.

More information can be found on their Website.

When you enter a chain restaurant there is always a sense of déjà vu, yet with the twelve outlets of Giraffe, this may not really be true. Russel and Juliette Joffe and Andrew Jacobs' philosophy behind this group of restaurants is sustaining the driving force of healthy, happy eating, while retaining the difference each location brings. This includes minor variations in the menu too, and explains why the restaurant does not like to be called a chain, but prefers being referred to as a herd. The origin of its quaint name too, is interesting. The giraffe has the largest heart in the animal kingdom, and with its magnificent height is able to perceive things differently. These two features of being different and large hearted sum up the restaurant's proclamation of 'love, eat, live'.

Giraffe offers world food and adds an unusual twist to some familiar dishes. Their breakfast menu has stacked pancakes with bananas and blueberries, warm waffles, ranch styles tostadas and healthy veggie options. Some great starters are a mezze plate with warm naans that offer the best of many cuisines - grilled halloumi, hummus, tzatiki, ratatouille and falafel. Japanese king fried prawns are a hit, while another bright spot on the menu, is the colourful sunshine antipasti bruschetta, a clever combination of artichokes, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, red onion and rocket on pesto foccacia. If this long list of ingredients is intriguing, just wait until your palate takes over.

The house's special salad, cheekily called 'more than love', is colourful and has crunchy appeal. The Thai chicken and vermicelli noodle version is an equally enticing starter. For mains, there are plenty of options like roasted corn and chilli bran burritos, tangy turkey enchiladas and the much loved sweet potatoes, asparagus, green beans and broccoli served with organic brown basmati rice. One can also settle for a good old burger and wash it down with interesting smoothies. They also offer world wines and unusual cocktails with catchy names like Bombay flower and pomegranate caipirinha.

The dessert section comprises of not just fruit based healthy desserts, but brilliant stars like Swiss mountain chocolate cheesecake, banana waffle split and rocky road ice cream sundaes, which transport the diner to a state of bliss. The friendly staff, who are carefully hired for their sunny disposition, and children's activities help make these restaurants a very special, happy and healthy treat indeed.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.