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hand picked restaurants

Slug and Lettuce has a chain of almost a hundred bars spread across the country sharing a common love of serving down to earth, undemanding food and drink.

The group prides itself on offering dishes prepared using quality ingredients, and you should be attended on by attentive staff in a safe, welcoming and cheerful environment. The Slugs have something for anyone - breakfast for a lively start to the day, lunch for busy people, family meals or even a relaxing glass of wine to bring a tiring day to an end - all in a variety of modern and stylish settings.

The menu features old time English favourites such as Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages in buttered mash or fish pie made with Dartmouth smokehouse haddock, in a Devon cream and leek sauce, although dishes look to Europe and further afield to Asia for inspiration. A good way to start the enjoyment is by sharing platters of Southern fried chicken breast pieces, crispy potato wedges, garlic ciabatta strips, half a rack of BBQ pork ribs, wasabi vegetables with onion rings or some Greek mezze

Hearty steak pies, Thai curry with sticky jasmine rice or butternut squash with goats' cheese lasagne are amongst the more popular main dishes. Sandwiches or wraps - warm tortilla with chicken and Parmesan or aromatic duck in plum sauce - provide for those who prefer something lighter. They also serve burgers as well as tempting salads like salmon, asparagus or tomato and mozzarella. For children they have good old British standby sausage and mash, or pepper pasta and ketchup among other choices, all of which never fail to delight, particularly as some of them seem to have come out of a certain celebrity chef's Book of Forbidden Dishes.

Desserts appear in the form of raspberry biscotti, hot chocolate pudding or a creamy strawberry cheesesake. The wine list is well compiled and substantial. There are not less than seven French, three from Italy and some from Spain, Chile, Australia as well as New Zealand. Slug and Lettuce can cater for events including birthday parties, fashion shows, hen nights, wedding parties or just an enjoyable night out with a few friends.

Tucked away just behind Finsbury square and located between Liverpool Street and Moorgate, The Flying Horse Pub is a comfortable diner that is an ideal place for travellers on their way home from work to indulge in a relaxed meal and plentiful drinks in cosy comfortable surroundings. With just the right ambience creating the mood, the pub offers diners every kind of food, be it quick bites or a more elaborate affair.

The classic English meal complements the varied selection of drinks perfectly, with dishes such as homemade beef lasagne; traditional fish and chips; Branston pickle with gherkins, piccalilli and bread and BBQ chicken melt served with chips. A variety of sandwiches with different combinations including tuna, mayonnaise and roast beef with horseradish sauce are also available.

The drinks menu is comprehensive and affordable and has draught beers, fine ales, champagnes and exotic fine, making it a perfect way to unwind before the journey home.

Situated in the fashionable Brick Lane in London's East End, Fika is a Swedish restaurant that exudes an appealing Scandinavian charm, delivering traditional cuisine in a simple and well-presented manner. The attractive wooden interior offers the perfect ambience to have a Fika, which in Sweden, refers to spending happy times over food, drink, and good company.

Unique starters such as Swedish meatballs on skewers, pickled herring, and dill cured salmon help kick-start an authentic meal. The smörgåsbord or à la carte menu could include mains typically served on a sealed smoked oak plank. Choose from prime rib-eye steak, grilled salmon from Norway or herb-marinated grilled chicken. The menu continues to a choice of fabulous desserts including a delicious muddy chocolate cake. The weekend breakfast is just as special and customers can enjoy a range of sweet and savoury waffles with a range of toppings.

The ample bar stocks a distinctively Swedish array of drinks including snaps, liquors and cocktails, alongside a well-chosen variety of wines, beers and ciders.

Fika caters for meetings and hosts regular special events.

Plateau sits in a prime fourth floor location at the top of Canada Place building opposite Canary Wharf tower. The stylish, futuristic restaurant looks out on awe-inspiring views of the surrounding city landscape. Plateau offers two distinct dining areas and a semi-open view kitchen - a Bar and Grill and a more formal Restaurant each with their own outside terraces. A principal feature of the space is the part glazed ceiling which swathes the space in reflected natural light.

The Bar and Grill offers an informal dining experience and Head Chef Allan Pickett has created dishes such as free range poussin with mustard crust, lemon spinach, green bean salad and veal schnitzel with mash potato, capers and lemon sauce. Old favourites such as Guinness battered day boat fish and chips and lamb burger with cucumber and mint yoghurt also find favour while a separate vegetarian menu is available.

Plateau attracts a business crowd in the daytime but when the lights dim, local Canary Wharf dwellers flock to the restaurant to sample Tim's unique cuisine and stunning night time views. Plateau is only a short distance from the O2 Arena and Excel Centre so what better way to top off an exhibition or show than to dine at Plateau beforehand.

Suffused with the dramatic splendour of its stained glass dome, dining at 1901 at Andaz Hotel London in Liverpool Street is a sophisticated affair in elegant interiors and a modern British cuisine menu with a sparkling wine list to match. Unwind at leisure as time passes graciously.

Ingredients of known provenance and quality provide diners with a menu that is interesting and well balanced. Tuck into pot roasted wood pigeon and cauliflower puree, duck liver mousse with manjari chocolate or king prawn cocktail to sample what's on offer. Then take the plunge with confit shoulder of lamb with smoked aubergine, salmon risotto with octopus or pot roasted loin of venison with truffle jus. Desserts of Cambridge burnt cream with homemade Mandarin marmalade, gingerbread with Chantilly cream and rice pudding with aniseed poached pear as well as cheeses of Boswell Ash, Wigmore and Adrahan make for a happy ending. Your choice of sherry cobbler, black pear, Polish sling or Bellini gives the occasion its edge.