Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

In the past burgers were quintessentially American food, but that doesn't hold good any more. Now the world has embraced burger culture with enthusiasm and there is plenty to discover at the Ultimate Burger, where all beefburgers are made using fully traceable, prime Scottish grass-fed beef and sour dough sesame seed buns.

The menu strikes a right balance between the classic and innovative, so a crispy bacon and Monterey Jack cheese works well, and so does a Thai chicken with hoisin sauce, bean shoots, spring onion, fresh chilli, basil and coriander. Some of the other variations include 100% ground prime cuts of English lamb with Moroccan spices, hummus, tomato relish and garlic mayo, and a chunky char-grilled Portobello mushroom basted with smoky BBQ sauce and spicy battered onion rings.

With three outlets in London and one in Lincoln, the interior at Ultimate Burger is done up in a simple yet stylish way, and a good place for friends and families to satisfy their burger fix.

Giving free rein to their creativity, Inamo St. James on Regent Street combines cutting edge technology with an innovative pan Asian menu to give guests a unique gastronomic experience. Diners can order food using an interactive ordering system, watch the chefs at work and even choose their own virtual tablecloth.

Influenced by the cuisines of Japan, China, Thailand and Korea, the menu offers appetizing choices such as asparagus and cucumber maki wrapped in peppers and avocado, thin slices of marbled beef with truffle vinaigrette, tamarind duck breast or cinnamon chicken. The familiar mixes easily with the unusual in dishes like baked salmon wrapped in cedar wood with ginger butter sauce or Berkshire pork neck with confit of apple and spicy chocolate sauce. For something out of the ordinary, opt for Alaskan king crab, fiery Thai beef salad or pan fried salmon glazed with fish sauce and Javanese sugar. The venue also offers an authentic sushi bar and facilities for private dining.
 

Wong Kei is a legendary Chinatown restaurant, legendary that is for its rude staff. However, it is this rather comical element that attract diners every bit as much as the food does. On arrival you'll be briskly ushered upstairs to one of the upper dining floors and have a menu immediately thrust upon you and expected to order almost simultaneously. The food here is of reasonable rather than exceptional quality but the low prices bring loyal customers back time and time again.

Reviewed by Linda Buttle

Situated amongst many a smart establishment on Dover Street, Alloro is an equally chic restaurant with a calm and cool décor that makes your meal a real pleasure. Alloro, which is Italian for bay leaf, was opened to huge critical acclaim in June 2000. It has remained a busy, vibrant restaurant for both lunch and dinner service ever since.

Keeping to a simple recipe of Italian favourite dishes, the seasonal menu never ceases to exceed expectation and Alloro continues to remain the backbone of the Mayfair business lunch trade. Much of their food is quite classical in style, and typically for Italian restaurants the starters are simple dishes packed with flavoursome fresh ingredients such as crab and avocado salad. For the main course both char-grilled tuna steak or roast duck breast make excellent choices.

In the evening the atmosphere at Alloro changes as a more elegant clientele descends upon the restaurant to enjoy long and leisurely dinners accompanied by an intriguing wine list encompassing not only traditional favourites but also less well known producers.

A sense of dèja vû may well prevail in the newly opened Arbutus in Frith Street, Soho when Chef Anthony Demetre returns to his old haunts at what, in 1993, was then Bistrot Bruno (Loubet). Now teamed up with manager Will Smith the pair are operating a 60-seater restaurant with a small bar for up to 12 people.

The décor carries much use of natural materials, colours and design motifs, including subtle use of the arbutus, or strawberry tree. Typical dishes include a salad of Jersey Royals, watercress, spring onions and goat's curd, sea bream, risotto of sea lettuce and cockles, or saddle of rabbit, shoulder cottage pie, hispi cabbage and mustard sauce.

Desserts of floating island with pink pralines and custard, or warm chocolate soup with caramelized brioche and pecan nuts help to reinforce the tendency towards innovation.

Expect also to see recreations of forgotten dishes such as pied-paquets, matelote of eel and tendron of veal, together with a selection of dishes designed to rouse thoughts of a montage of robust and light-hearted offerings from the kitchen.

A list of around 60 wines starts at £12.50 a bottle, with all wines served in 250ml carafes, a nice touch.

YO! Sushi Trocadero 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.

JW Steakhouse in Park Lane offers a pleasant modern ambience where guests can unwind at leisure. Take advantage of a spacious private terrace looking out across Park Lane and Hyde Park. For special celebrations or executive dinners, you can reserve the private dining room which seats up to 10 guests.

At JW Steakhouse enjoy a regularly changing menu of tender hand-cut selections of dry-aged American USDA prime beef, soups, salads, fresh seafood and desserts. This includes dishes such as cream of crab soup, classic Caesar salad, fish and chips with tartar sauce, wrapped meatloaf, spit roasted half chicken and Maryland style lump crab cakes. Steaks offered are Angus ribeye, Welsh lamb rack chops, New York strip and braised short ribs, with choice of creamy horseradish and béarnaise sauces and toppings of blue cheese and crabmeat with asparagus. Call it a day with Bettie's bread pudding, cheesecake or warm brownie pudding. At the bar, sample classic cocktails with a contemporary twist or dip into the boutique menu of small batch bourbons.