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hand picked restaurants

El Cantara, deep in the heart of London's raffish Soho, is the first to bring together the Spanish and Moroccan elements in a setting that is highly prized for what is regarded as the real McCoy. The arabesque décor and plush seating provide an atmosphere of natural enjoyment, and together with authentic cuisine and agreeable company, it?s like being transported from bustling Soho to tranquil Marrakesh or Andalusia.

The list of starters is so vast, underlining the tapas trend, that it is broken down into soups, vegetarian and meat, with harira and cream of vegetable to set the ball rolling. Beetroot and avocado salad is served with a balsamic and olive oil dressing and the piquillo de patatas offers baby peppers stuffed with a potato and carrot purée.

Spinach with olive oil, olives and compote lemon will be better recognised by some as baccoula and a tortilla emerges as a Spanish omelette with potato and onion. Broad beans are a popular vegetable, particularly when served as habas a la Catalana, with mixed herbs, cumin and garlic. All these attractive dishes emphasise the Mediterranean dependence upon vegetarian sources for so much of their ingredients, and perhaps helps explain the longevity of the inhabitants.

However, faced with pan fried spicy sausages served in spicy tomato sauce, grilled chicken wings in a fragrant orange and paprika marinade, oven baked sardines served with a mixed herb crust, crispy buttered squid rings, or mussel shells stuffed with crab and mussel meat the attention of even the most dedicated carnivore might begin to stray.

Couscous, steamed fluffy cracked wheat, is served with a choice of lamb, chicken or Mergeuz, vegetables or Royal. The charcoal grill is a major force when it comes to preparing Mediterranean food, and the mixed grill on one side, the grilled chicken with a lemon, saffron and garlic marinade is in a class of its own.

Lovers of the tagine, that delightful Moroccan stew served in the traditional pot will be cheered by the choices, which include seafood, lamb, vegetable and chicken. The menu of any self-respecting Mediterranean restaurant could not exist without its paella, with seafood and chicken served as a dish for two. A real delicacy is the pollo Basque, chicken served with a sweet pepper, garlic and cream sauce, but possibly the ultimate is the frito mixto Andaluz, an assortment of five different seafoods served on a bed of rice.

Moroccan or Spanish bread lends a whole new meaning to the word artisan in this connection, and small mixed salads add a nice touch to the meal. A tapas menu at £16.95 embraces any four starter dishes, and the 3 course set menu for six people or more is good value, particularly as it includes a jug of sangria. A pre-theatre menu at £19.95 starts with a tapas platter, and a choice from two main courses.

The food is of commendable quality, the surroundings authentic, and with house wines at £13.95 and Chateau Musar from the Lebanon all is well with the world.

Another indulgence at El Cantara is the shisha terrace when you can experiment with fruity flavours such as apple, strawberry, mint and grape, or you could team up your fresh apple or milk shisha with an array of cocktails. Guests are also guaranteed generous doses of entertainment with either the belly dancer with her snake or the flamenco artists in their amazingly colourful attire. What?s more, you can even learn belly dancing or ask the tarot card reader to predict your future.

The two beautifully appointed private dining rooms at El Cantara are done up in a charming manner, the lounge bar can accommodate up to 50 and the first floor is spectacularly decorated with Moroccan artefacts. It can accommodate up to 80 diners and includes an outdoor terrace and private sound system.

Do click on their Website for latest news on menu changes and offers.

Housed in an elegant Grade II listed building, The DaScalzo is a charming brasserie and art gallery all rolled into one, and is the perfect place to put your feet up after a busy day of shopping at the nearby Victoria Place Shopping Centre. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Parisian cafes, where Bohemian artists enjoyed food and drink in exchange for their artwork, DaScalzo skilfully combines good Italian food and contemporary art in a warm setting. Spread over two floors, the dining area exudes a Parisian feel with arched ceilings, wooden furniture and subtle lighting.

The menu features well-presented Italian dishes and there is a good choice of starters like the antipasto Italiana, a selection of cured Italian meats with olives and anchovies, sautéed scallops and prawns with lemon and chilli sauce, and calamari and zucchini fritti with garlic mayonnaise. The pasta selection is equally impressive with a tagliatelle carbonara, pancetta, parmesan and cream sauce, and spaghetti alle vongole with clams and fresh tomato in white wine, garlic and chilli.

Fish lovers might appreciate the organic grilled salmon with salsa verde, boiled new potatoes and baby spinach, or sea bass and salmon fishcakes served with a lobster sauce, sour cream, rocket salad and chips. Moving onto the restaurant?s main courses, diners can expect to find classic dishes such as scaloppa Milanese, a traditional dish of breaded veal with parsley and garlic, pan-fried and served with spaghetti Bolognese, or grilled sirloin steak with a green peppercorn or brandy sauce, chips and garlic mushrooms.

DaScalzo's breakfast is highly recommended and the full English makes for a hearty start to the day and other choices include Scottish oak smoked salmon, eggs Florentine, Benedict or royal, and a selection of coffee, tea, and fresh juices. The carefully selected drinks list features wines from across the globe alongside a selection of beers, ciders, whiskies, cognacs, liqueurs and digestifs.

There is a fantastic selection of artwork on display and DaScalzo also plays host to exhibitions and private viewings regularly.

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

A stylish contemporary restaurant, Artigiano in Belsize Terrace offers a compelling modern Italian menu in a striking setting complete with glass canopies and artful use of lighting and colour. On warm summer evenings the glass frontage folds away to open the restaurant up for an al fresco dining experience. Close to Hampstead Theatre and the Everyman Cinema, Artigiano isn't too far away from Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath either.

The seasonally changing menu at Artigiano has many treats in store for the discerning diner. You could begin the meal with starters of crispy parmesan basket filled with goat's cheese, avocado and asparagus, topped with poached egg and herb mayonnaise; bresaola with roasted peppers and buffalo mozzarella or crab, lobster and asparagus timbale wrapped in spinach leaves.

Artigiano's delicious pasta selection includes homemade potato gnocchi with a mushroom, squid and cherry tomato sauce; linguine with fresh clams and chilli, lobster and scallop risotto as well the restaurant's signature spaghetti alla chitarra with Scottish langoustine and fennel.

For a hearty main course committed carnivores could try pan-fried breaded veal escalope with rocket and balsamic drizzled cherry tomatoes; breast of chicken stuffed with Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, with a virgin olive oil, oregano and tomato concassé or grilled lamb chops with an aubergine and cherry tomato caponata.

Fish and seafood lovers can look forward to dishes such as whole grilled sea bream with olive oil and herbs; sautéed fillet of cod with lentils, sun-dried tomatoes and crisp pancetta or tiger prawns in a spring onion guazzetto.

Vegetarians are also well catered for with a range of dishes including cream of vegetable soup with polenta croutons; beetroot salad with feta, fine beans, toasted pine nuts and a raspberry vinaigrette; chestnut, pumpkin and ricotta cheese ravioli with a sage butter sauce and spaghetti with a fresh tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella.

Tempting confections of vanilla pannacotta with coffee cream and coconut biscuit, lime and orange meringue parfait with a strawberry compote and peach tartlet with vanilla ice cream bring any meal to a delightful conclusion. If you wish, sample a selection of rare Italian mountain cheeses served with honey.
 
A set menu offers guests more options with dishes such as roasted beef tomato stuffed with a cheese mousse and leeks, prawn skewer with a pineapple carpaccio and wild rocket, spaghetti with a beef and basil ragù and pan-fried hake with a tomato and garlic sauce. The restaurant is open from 11am every day and serves a brunch menu with breakfast options, starters, light bites, toasted sandwiches, pasta and risotto, mains and desserts.

The wine list has a fine selection of predominantly Italian reds and whites, enhanced by a small number of old and new world wines available by the glass and bottle.

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

The Castle with its stylish classic pub atmosphere, great food and music seldom fails to charm and is one of the famous pubs that form part of Geronimo Inns. It may be located on the busy Pentonville Road but step into the beautiful rooftop terrace and it seems a world away with just a book and Brazilian lounge music to keep company.

The concise menu includes starters like crispy Cornish squid with aioli and deep fried brie with cranberry chutney, followed by lemon and thyme roasted chicken breast with colcannon and red wine jus, and shredded ham hock with root vegetable casserole and parsnip crisp. They certainly come up with some interesting ideas for sandwiches at lunchtime, smoked salmon and free range egg bagel and steak, caramelised onions, roasted cherry tomato and blue cheese are some of them.

Trust the Master of Wine, John Clevely's choice of wines to accompany your meal at The Castle.

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

The Chancery Court Hotel, London is a place that embodies luxury and opulence in a historic and landmark building in Holborn, near to Covent Garden. Pearl is their glamorous destination restaurant and bar, designed by the very same people who crafted the look of Nobu, the Metropolitan and Le Cercle. Carrying the heritage of its past into new glamour, the name Pearl is inspired by its original site as the former banking hall of the Pearl Assurance Building.

The Head Chef is the critically acclaimed Jun Tanaka who has previously worked for Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Philip Howard at The Square. Followers of this exciting young chef believe he has finally got the restaurant he deserves, and working alongside him is an expert Sommelier to match the quality of the wines to that of the food.

The bar holds an exquisite selection of wines preserved by the Cruvinet System. This allows an offering of 15 of the world's best wines by the glass, so that everyone has the opportunity to sample some of the most exclusive wines money can buy. Drinks are placed on handmade tables with Mother of Pearl inlay which can be savoured from the comfort of bespoke leather seats while those looking for some simple enjoyment without the hustle of the bar can find some privacy in the elegant walnut booths. Hand strung pearls and quietly lit chandeliers complete the leitmotif while the leather upholstery seems to glow from within.

There is a lot of classic French in the menu along with some fresh, light and seasonal touches which are inspiring as Jun produces dishes with distinct and natural flavours that are intrinsic to the basic ingredients. Amongst the starters, you could try caramelised scallops with parsley puree and frogs legs with wild garlic crust; a seared foie gras with pickled rhubarb and crisp ginger bread, or loin of rabbit with smoked bacon, apricot chutney, almond paste and dandelion salad.

This delicious fare can be followed by poached monkfish with seaweed, oyster tortellini, pickled cucumber, squid and seashore vegetables; baby courgettes stuffed with Swiss chard, pine nut and parmesan courgette pesto and tempura of flowers, or challans duck breast with pastilla, green almonds, couscous, kumquats confit and caramelised chicory.

Some of the delectable desserts on offer there include caramelised apples with salted caramel mousse, thyme ice cream and honey jelly, or artisan cheeses.

The London Magazine claims that 'This is the place you'd go to with someone you wanted to impress.' For more information - including the menus, wine list and a form to use for making online reservations - visit their Website.

Belgo Kingsway caters for both the diner and the drinker with this bar/restaurant concept from the company that brought us the three other Belgos, Noord, Centraal and Clapham.

With a warm and welcoming atmosphere, you can enjoy a drink and snacks in the bar area, located in the vault of this former bank building which has been converted into a beer cellar. By contrast the rest of the conversion has yielded a contemporary and open feel with the curved walls and high glass ceilings.

Waiters, dressed in traditional monks' habits, are on hand if needed to help you choose the right beers, making suggestions from the various white, black and fruit beers available, as well as a large selection of wines and other drinks. Selected from one of the largest suppliers of Belgian beers in this country, you can see why when you view the menu, so take your time to look through your drinks menu and don't hesitate to ask the bartender or a waiter for their suggestions and help.

The true beauty of the food here is its sublime simplicity. Nothing fancy or overblown; just good honest food such as their famous mussels and other range of superb seafood, vegetarian or meat dishes.

Starters of king prawns pan fried in garlic, chilli, ginger and herb butter or salmon fishcakes served with baby spinach and lime hollandaise make excellent beginnings, leading on to main courses of char grilled 10oz rib-eye steak with frites, caramelised onions and peppercorn sauce. Other tasty options include their famed rotisserie chicken, spit roasted chicken basted in Belgian blonde beer and apple juice served with wild mushroom and cream sauce.

There's a great choice for those with a sweet tooth with their amazing desserts featuring Belgian dark chocolate cheesecake on a baked biscuit base with dark chocolate sauce, homemade strawberry pavlova, crème brûlée with a tuile biscuit, and of course the renowned bread and butter pudding with brioche, orange confit, dark Belgian chocolate and Mandarin Napoleon liqueur.

The mussel platter comes to table accompanied by crisp golden frites, while moules blanches cooked in Belgo Wit beer arrives with shallots, smoked bacon and parsley with frites. Belgium is the land of beer, seafood and the world's finest chocolate. It is a land of German portions and French culinary skills, and there's really only one thing left to do - enjoy it!

Do keep an eye out for their special deals, such as the famous 'Beat the Clock', where you pay the price at the time shown on your food order when ordering from their BTC menu, i.e., 6pm is £6. The 'Express Lunch' is a set lunch menu where you can choose between a bowl of marinière mussels served with frites, grilled goats? cheese salad, pork and leek sausages, or salmon fillet, leek mash and mustard sauce.

They also have 'Kids Eat Free', which entitles 1 child to eat free from the 'mini menu', a 2-course meal served with frites or mash, that includes dishes such as rotisserie chicken, pork and leek sausages, mussels or cod goujons, rounded off with Belgo's homemade ice-cream, per 1 adult ordering a main course from the à la carte menu.

For reservations and party bookings contact them from 11am onwards, or visit their Website to learn more about Belgo Restaurants.

Zizzi Paddington Street offers a bright and relaxed setting to enjoy a delicious Italian meal just off Baker Street. With ample al fresco seating and a warm, contemporary interior, Zizzi is ideal for an intimate dinner or a large gathering with friends.

Less than a minute walk from the Everyman Cinema, the restaurant is perfect for a pre or post-film meal. Zizzi is also just a short walk from popular attractions such as Madame Tussauds and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

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.

The Clarence is situated close to the corridors of power and its walls must have witnessed many whispered confidences, character assassinations and other choice snippets. It has even been suggested that the PM him/herself might take a late night lubrication or two there after a heavy day. Stranger things have happened.

100 yards up the road is Trafalgar Square; Horse Guard's Parade and the MOD are both equally near and it's a great place to take on fuel before a night at the theatre or in the West End. All told, what might be termed "strategically placed".

Downstairs in the friendly bar it's possible to find some very fine real ales, whilst the Pol Roger dining room upstairs caters for the more measured approach and private parties as required. The wine list has John Clevely, Master of Wine's fingerprints all over it, and no further evidence is needed to obtain conviction when you view, or better still come to taste, the contents.

What then of the rations? Ignore the soup at your peril, particularly on one of those days when the wind comes off the Thames up Whitehall and small brass monkeys are all over the place. On more clement days perhaps some whitebait with bloody Mary sauce, or a rare roast beef sandwich with onion chutney and creamed horseradish. Sausage and egg on toasted muffin with cheese might well fortify you for a brusque dust-up with a senior colleague in the Treasury in the afternoon, especially if assisted by a bottle of something robust from Mr Clevely's list.

Larger dishes for those with more time could include steak and kidney pudding with smashed carrots and swede, a baked vegetable cobbler, some cured gammon from Wiltshire with duck eggs and hand cut chips, or a crafty chicken curry, but don't forget the mouth freshener before you touch base later in the day.

Banana split might well indicate a divided Cabinet meeting, and the lack of any fudge on the menu is a deprivation that might just be met by the presence of treacle sponge and custard.

The Clarence is the sort of foodpub that encourages comradeship and continuity. To assist the growth of these excellent qualities The Geronimo Club has been launched. The initial benefit is a drink on the house for giving your details, followed by regular information on what's to do, a little present round your birthday and joining anniversary date, maybe an invitation to a party, a few recipes, some vouchers. Should you inadvertently receive a data base containing the full details of every consenting adult in the United Kingdom you can be reasonably sure the system has failed you.

Business meetings, lunch and dinner parties, champagne breakfasts, tasting events, charity events and sporting dinners are all grist to their mill. So don't hesitate to give them a chance to quote when the time comes.

Meanwhile keep a weather eye on their Website, which also gives you access to all other Geronimo Inns - each one different, all focused on their own patches, each giving the same genuine and cheerful service to their customers.

Located in Portland Place with commanding views across the surrounding area Roux at The Landau offers a classically constructed French cuisine with British assistance that follows contemporary inclinations for lighter dishes whilst making no sacrifices to flavour and certainly not to quality.

For the first time in 18 years Albert and Michel Roux, those Michelin-starred and celebrated chefs, are working together in order to bring the legendary Roux gastronomic experience to a second West End address. In the magnificent dining room designed by David Collins, and part of the award-winning luxury Langham Hotel, Roux at The Landau has firmly set its cap at achieving a top placing in London's highly competitive restaurant scene, where dining will acquire that special quality which has already been firmly established at Le Gavroche.

The à la carte draws upon a choice of nine courses with which to set the scene, starting with a lightly creamed white bean velouté with aged Manchego croquettes, celery and pimenton de la vera. A Parker House lobster roll arrives with pickled vegetables and baby gem salad. But for sheer perfection in the seafood scale the seared Orkney scallops with Jerusalem artichoke and truffle are in a class of their own. Belle Isle oysters are on call when the time is right.

There has never been any doubt about the quality of Castle of Mey beef and a grilled rib eye steak from that quarter with pommes Sarladaise and truffle hollandaise underlines the integrity of this finely factored product from one of the best producing locations in Britain.

Seven or so choices of dessert list amongst them a crème brûlée amandine, homemade ice creams and sorbets or a caramelised apple millefeuille with aged Calvados bavarois.

Roux at The Landau is near enough to the theatre scene to provide a just the right sort of setting for some pre-theatre sustenance, where a typical supper might consist of ham hock and foie gras terrine and fresh piccalilli salad provides an alternative to seared cod cheeks with soy glazed eryngli mushrooms and purple broccoli. The classic hare 'Royale' with fresh tagliatelle and cèpe mushrooms run with roast fillet of sea bass with braised leeks and saffron ratte potatoes are succeeded by spiced pumpkin tart with chestnut and rum ice cream.

A tasting menu romps through seven courses and reverting to the other end of the day a breakfast menu fit for a king can be taken via a superb English traditional version, or Chinese, Japanese and Lebanese versions to ring the changes.

Special offers are no stranger to this scene, and these straddle the lunch, dinner and breakfast menus, the latter with a 20% reduction of the food bill.

Brought together with a fine wine list and immaculate service it would seem that nothning can stop Roux at The Landau from achieving its objective of becoming a force with which to be reckoned in West London.

Their Website will keep you right up to date on matters of menu and offers.

Indian food at midday for Ladies Who Lunch? What an impossible proposition, but believe it works here in the august purlieus of Motcomb Street. The Amaya restaurant won the twin accolade of Tio Pepe ITV Restaurant Awards for Best Restaurant and Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2005, to be followed by a Star in the Michelin Red Restaurant Guide since 2006. A casual and joyous restaurant, people can relax and eat with whatever they like, including their fingers.

Nor are the kitchens tucked away in some faltering lean-to at the back. The very visible kitchen offers an exceptional feast of culinary theatre, so every opportunity to pick up a few hints as you eat as you observe three core Indian grilling methods at play; Tandoor in a really hot clay oven, Sigri, where the cooking is done over a coal flame, and Tawa where a hot thick iron plate supplies the working surface.

Through these three processes pass lobster in the shell, king scallops large prawns, oysters, grouper, venison, quail, leg of lamb, duck, all of which are transformed into the most scintillating Indian dishes. Vegetarians will be thrilled with the choices that wait them from a cuisine that lends itself particularly well to their favoured form of ingredients.

For lunch guests can enjoy the vast amount of natural light that floods the restaurant through a glazed atrium covering the main dining area. Guests can eat in soft natural light observing the culinary spectacle of the show kitchen in action.

This harmonises with the delectable light lunches and healthy eating that make the focus of the lunch offerings. The subtly flavoured grills accompany lightly flavoured exotic salads. Many desserts are light, and some are sugar free.

Part of the Chutney Mary family, who also own Veeraswamy and Masala Zone, Amaya really is in a class of its own and many trillions of miles away from flock wallpaper and frail paper napkins. It is large, open and decidedly dramatic. A wide range of dishes spanning the familiar to the almost unknown keep the customers on their toes and coming back for more. The result is arguably some of the best and most contemporary Indian cuisine in London.

Curries are not evident, the menu is drawn more from sophisticated grills and as their staple. Chef Karunesh Khanna does a tasting menu with 11 different items that arrive in measured order. All of this is a refreshing change to a cuisine which has been around in Britain long enough now to sustain new approaches, a movement in which Amaya seems to be well to the forefront.

Amaya is to be congratulated on its approach to the question of wine which rejects outright the notion that Indian food is worthy only of windy lager and CAMRA approved real ales, though these are available. Matthew Jukes, the award winning wine author has lent his authority to the creation of an eclectic and wide ranging collection, and knowledgeable on the spot advice can be given to link the right dishes with the correct bottles.

For those many enthusiastic people who have come to accept Indian cooking as an essential part of the British culinary scene Amaya is a real gift from whoever your god may happen to be. For groups looking for something extra special, Amaya's private dining room, The Silver Room, offers a sophisticated venue for intimate parties. The room is decorated in shimmering wall paper, with dramatic purple lighting conveys chicness, style and glamour and is perfect for groups of up to 14.

Check out their Website for up to the minute details of menus and offers.