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YO! Sushi Soho 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.

Gordon Ramsay's latest foray into the restaurant world was never going to be run of the mill, and the Maze restaurant at the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square certainly confirms that forecast. From the drawing board of American architect David Rockwell, he of the Grand Central Station to name but only one other achievement, the 90-seater restaurant is a rich assembly of hand-crafted luxury suitable for the unusual menu that head chef Jason Atherton and his team have dreamed up - not so much unusual in its content but in the way it is structured.

So what's on offer? Slow roast quail with walnut purée and pickled lemons, white bean and Madeira sauce to start and roasted fillet of Gloucestershire beef, with griotte onions, artichokes and bacon and cep purée to follow. For pudding many may find the peanut butter and cherry jam sandwich a new and delightful experience. This is Ramsay doing what he's best at, inspiring a team of his making to produce accurately a menu that bears his stamp and ingenuity.

Hidden below Cafe Libre oppsite to Carnaby Street and styled on a New York speakeasy, this basement bar and restaurant is serious about its music, food and drinks. Their selection of dishes draws heavily on Asian influences, the spices matching and complementing their cocktails to create an interesting fusion of exotic flavours. They have a well-deserved reputation for serving some of London's better cocktails, many of them exotic creations of their own, and they also stock a wide range of wines and champagnes. Comedy on Tuesday costs £3.50, music with DJs from 8 pm on Friday and Saturday with free entry.

Japanese Restaurant Miyama was opened in October 1982 and is located in Clarges Street Mayfair London, close to Green Park and Piccadilly. After twenty successful years they have a long-standing reputation for its high standards of Japanese traditional food and service, particularly for the quality of their sushi, though they also have a teppanyaki area downstairs as well. However, they also have a full 'a la carte' menu as well, with choices like grilled sea bass with salt; assorted tempura prawn and vegetables or grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce and salad. Quality levels are high enough for them to be included in the Round Up section of the 2003 Good Food Guide.

Café Med is a small group of Mediterranean styled local restaurants. Most of the food comes from the open grill, which stands in full view of diners, enabling them to see their meal being freshly cooked. Café Med prides itself on the use of only the best ingredients.