Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

It is not an easy task to maintain impeccable standards and uniformity of taste across a chain of over eight hundred outlets, yet that is just the distinction that The Gondola Group has achieved. Their restaurants, with the brand names of Zizzi, ASK and Pizza Express, serve authentic Italian food at reasonable prices, in a warm and friendly ambience. The chain continues to grow, with the group opening around twenty-five new outlets each year.

Another talent that the group has is converting listed buildings and in which to house their restaurants. This has helped the group maintain standards, but allows each location to keep its innate charm. Done up in light colours, with wooden floors and gleaming cutlery, Zizzi boasts of a bustling open kitchen which churns out freshly prepared, tasty fare.

Like all good Italian restaurants, the extensive carte offers four distinct sections of antipasti, salads, mains, including pasta, pizza and risottos, a meat and fish menu which changes seasonally and a vast and exciting dessert menu. The restaurant's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. Garlic mozzarella pizza bread and caramelised balsamic onions too, set the tone for a hearty meal.

The calzones or folded pizzas are a treat and come with salads. 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. The pasta and risotto sections arouse plenty of interest, with the farfalle alla Genovese combined with marinated roasted artichoke hearts, Santos tomatoes, and pine nuts in a delicious creamy pesto sauce or the light risotto with tiger prawns, oak-roasted salmon, calamari, courgettes and baby spinach in a rich creamy base with lemon and chilli.

The pizzas are not far behind either, with funghi topped with field mushrooms, fresh tarragon, mozzarella and tomato while the popular Sophia has marinated chicken, pepperoni, over-roasted sausage, tomato, mozzarella, finished with green chilli and fresh rosemary.

The extensive wine list offers a range of red, white, sparkling and rose wines in addition to beer and spirits while the dessert menu is attractive too, with a range of tempting fare from the homemade tiramisu to the torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base served with vanilla mascarpone. A really hot and tasty cup of coffee, tea or chocolate rounds the meal off well.

The fact that the restaurant hires their employees very selectively is evident in the friendly, cheerful and capable manner with which the staff treat diners, lending each outlet the personalised feel of a family run restaurant.

More information can be found on their Website.

Love it or hate it - and there are more in the former group than the latter - the opening of Cipriani in London has made quite an impact.

The Cipriani family are most renowned for ownership of the world famous Harry's Bar in Venice, something of an institution as it opened there in 1931, however, as there is a totally unconnected Harry's Bar in London, they have created Cipriani, joining fellow restaurants in other world centres that they have.

Essentially they serve simple, high quality Italian food at prices to match, from carpaccio to salads, homemade pasta to fresh fish, everything is reassuringly familiar.

Bound to be a huge success though it will not be everybody's proverbial cup of tea, and bound to reap many column inches in Michael Winner's letters page in The Sunday Times for many months to come.

Jan Moir in The Telegraph said, after criticising certain aspects of the place: "But I don't care. I love it here! I'm coming back. So there." This view was supported by the Harpers and Moet Restaurant Awards for 2005 when Cipriani was voted best Scene.

Yoshino is tucked away from the glare of Piccadilly Circus along the somewhat difficult to find Piccadilly Place. The effort in finding this Japanese restaurant is certainly worth it though, as the mainly Japanese clientele suggests; many consider it as probably the most authentic Japanese restaurant in London, and the major guides praise it highly. The sashimi is very good here, as is the miso soup but the restaurant is best known for serving oden, a rich stew of vegetables to which other ingredients of your choice can be added such as yam noodles or fish dumplings to make it as interesting as you wish. All in all a quiet, good value and businesslike restaurant, but much better value at lunchtime, when they serve specials, than in the evening, closed on Sundays.

True Vert is both a shop and a restaurant. They sells a variety of wonderful cheeses, breads and general deli produce from which you can select to eat in the restaurant at the back of the shop in a picnic kind of approach. Alternatively the menu also features tasty treats from the kitchen such as bruschetta with ricotta cheese and avocado or chicken livers with herb polenta, before moving onto mains such as grilled tuna with salad nicoise or a filling sausage and mash using the finest Toulouse sausages; with a wonderful raspberry crème brûlée to finish.

Truc Vert is both the ideal place to do your shopping and enjoy a meal out at the same time. Breakfast is a speciality from 7.30 am, with croissants, Danish pastries, breads, quiches, savoury vegetarian pasties, and the more usual muffins and cakes are all baked on the premises.

Nuocmam is situated minutes from Oxford Circus tube station and offers Vietnamese and Japanese fusion cuisine. This is a modern restaurant ideal for intimate dining where youngsters as well as executives gather for lunch and dinner. The venue also serves wines that come in various flavours including raspberry and Fiji apple.

Start with vegetarian gyoza, shitake mushroom and oriental vegetable filled crispy parcels with black sharp dip, and cha glo, pork and prawn Vietnamese crispy spring rolls. The main course could consist of salmon, with spinach, lotus root, seasonal vegetables in a sticky teriyaki sauce, and lamb cutlets char-grilled in miso chili sauce with a kim chee dressing and bouquet of pickled veg. If you are feeling adventurous, then try hand rolled sushi, served with ginger and wasabi. End with warm chocolate fondant, served with green tea pandan ice cream and traditional Vietnamese coconut and slow cooked sticky rice and black eyed bean pudding.

Fino's Wine Cellar opened in 1971 and has established itself as one of Mayfair's favourite watering holes. There is an element of delight in going down various passageways leading to secret alcoves and secluded private dining areas.

The bar is open from noon until 11 pm, serving some good value imported wines. The restaurant menu features traditional specialities, such as game in season, fine meat products and 24 month 'aged on the bone' Parma ham.

Diners have come a long way from being quintessentially American, horse-drawn wagons serving hot food - today, they have become a part of urban culture, along with bars and nightclubs. Ed's Easy Diner founded in London's Soho in 1987, is one such place that recreates that classic 1950s diner experience.

If you're someone whose definition of indulgence includes a meaty burger, with a portion of cheesy fries and a milkshake, then go to Ed's and enjoy the food. The setting is casual and lively, the ambience bright and colourful. For those of you who love jukeboxes, a tabletop Seeburg 100 Wallomatic plays fifties rock and roll.
 
Once in, you cannot help but take notice of the quick service provided by the energetic and cheerful staff. Your desire to sink your teeth into a burger is met with immediate enthusiasm - load it with a filling of your choice, cheese, bacon, egg, guacamole or sautéed onion. The meat used is lean, ground steak and made from named cattle herds.

The original burger is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, mayonnaise and mild American mustard, the cheeseburger comes with everything the original has along with low fat cheddar, Emmental or American cheese. The heavier big bubba is stacked with smoked crispy bacon. You could beef it up with a double patty and upgrade to a king bubba for an extra charge. Don't fret if you're vegetarian, for the bean spice served with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, mayonnaise and mild American mustard will more than please you. The all day big breakfast with a burger, egg, bacon, cheese and steak sauce is substantial and keeps you going all day.

The atomic American fries with salsa, chilli, sour cream and guacamole or the onion rings can be had with the mains. Beef hotdogs and meat and vegetable salads are other options worth exploring. Shakes like the banana peanut butter and mint chocolate, as well as soft drinks and juices help wash down a meal. And if you're above sixteen, you could choose a beer. To make sure children have a good time, Ed's has a junior bites menu too - three-ounce burgers, pork frankfurters and crispy chicken fillets, served with fries. The small size milkshakes, baby sundaes and milk glasses are other thoughtful additions. 

Finally, if you're wondering where the desserts are, the creamy cheesecake, pecan pie and the American malt waffle seem just perfect to end a memorable meal at Ed's.

Grace in Great Windmill Street is a new multi-room, multi-experience venue, designed to take you on a seamless journey from day to night. Guests can gather here for breakfast, a casual lunch, pre-theatre dinner or a late night party experience. Spend an enjoyable evening in the chic contemporary ambience with comfortable seating and friendly service while dining from an international fusion menu that includes tapas.

If you want something to nibble with your drink, there's choice of salted cashewnuts, steamed endamame beans, rosemary and garlic mozzarella bread and toasted pitta breads. Sharing pots of hand cut tortillas, crumbled goat's cheese and tomatoes, baby back ribs, sautéed chorizo, spiced fish cakes, and char grilled tiger prawns offer more choice. Main course options include Cajun spiced salmon steak, asparagus, ricotta and spinach tortellini, prime sirloin steak, roast half chicken and grilled goat's cheese and pomegranate salad. Gourmet burgers of mature Cheddar and bacon, chicken breast and coleslaw, Stilton and bacon and vegetarian falafel and spinach add more variety. Desserts such as steamed treacle sponge, chocolate fudge cake and hot banana waffle pamper the sweet tooth.