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Housed within the One New Change shopping centre on Cheapside, Zizzi is a perfect spot for a delicious Italian meal after a busy day of shopping. Offering splendid views of St. Paul's Cathedral, Zizzi's contemporary interior offers a relaxed setting for diners to enjoy authentic pizza and pasta dishes.

With excellent public transport links, Zizzi is within walking distance of St. Paul's and Mansion House Tube Station as well as Farringdon and Moorgate Rail Stations. The restaurant is also a stone's throw from attractions like Museum of London and Guildhall Art Gallery.

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.

Strada describes itself as 'a group of stylish, contemporary Italian restaurants, serving good quality, simple and freshly prepared dishes'. The statement sums up what this group of around seventy restaurants offers to people looking for good Italian food. The first outlet opened in Battersea in 1999 and their clientele has been increasing steadily ever since.

Though Strada has grown into a fair sized group, each outlet retains the feel of being a local neighbourhood Italian restaurant. The menu includes pastas, risottos, salads, and fish dishes, but they are best known for their quality pizzas.

They present authentic Italian dishes in contemporary surroundings and aim to use only the freshest and finest ingredients, such as Luganica sausages, Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, imported from Italy to provide exactly the kind of rustic, traditional dishes one would expect to find travelling around its regions.

A meal could kick off with zuppa vongole e fregola, a traditional clam soup with Sardinian fregola pasta grains, wine, chilli and parsley, served with bread, or the delicious sautéed king prawns with garlic, white wine, chilli, and lemon butter served with your choice of bread.

Move on to their creamy risotto verdure, freshly grilled asparagus, broad beans, peas, spring onions, zucchini, green beans, white wine and mint, finished with baby spinach leaves. Or you could opt for the healthier, tagliolini nero granchio, black cuttlefish ink pasta with crab, courgette, red and yellow peppers, spring onion, and a hint of chilli and parsley. A real treat for the taste buds comes in the form of the bistecca manzo, a 10oz rosemary-marinated char-grilled, rib-eye steak with fries and fresh rocket.

A range of pizzas, all spun by hand, is an integral feature of each restaurant. They include the rossa, with spicy southern Italian salami, roasted red peppers, chilli, caramelised onion, garlic, fresh oregano, tomato and mozzarella. Nor are vegetarians are overlooked, and can be found tucking into dishes such as fiorentina, made of spinach cooked with garlic, nutmeg and black pepper with mozzarella, parmesan, tomato and an egg.

For those wanting to satisfy their sweet tooth, there is torroncino affogato, an iced nougat semi freddo with a shot of espresso to pour over, or a classic Italian tiramisu and, as you might expect coffee to round off the meal.

A wine list consisting of purely regional Italian wines, beers and liqueurs, all carefully chosen to complement the menu comes as no surprise and in addition, every table receives a complimentary bottle of purified water.

For further details including their latest news, menus and deals, and to find a Strada nearest to you, their Website certainly warrants a visit.

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.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's' and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

The bohemian outlook is inspiring. Makes you want to jump right ahead and get all set for a party. At Ortega it's possible, because the atmosphere is festive and buzzy with a hip, young crowd and a very determined attitude towards fun. Brightly painted walls, wooden floors and funky décor create the magic of a cantina, making it the perfect choice for an evening out with friends.

Tapas options are plenty and are ideal for sharing. Choices include crunchy croquettes stuffed with chorizo and ham and grilled chicken skewers with red pepper and onion. There are also more substantial main courses such as roasted salmon fillet with warmed tomato salsa and herb potatoes and of course, the delicious paella.

Finish the meal with a tasty tempting treat from Catalonia, a light custard with crispy caramel top. Drinking options include numerous Spanish wines and beers such as San Miguel while sangria and cocktails are always available to raise the mood to a new high.

Brick Lane Brasserie is a contemporary Indian restaurant in the bustling Brick Lane area of London. The restaurant is decorated in a contemporary style with bright lighting, neutral shades and comfortable seating matched by a menu offering delicious Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, notably a selection of exquisite fish dishes.

The kitchen demonstrates a passion for quality ingredients and authentic cooking techniques, diners can expect to find dishes such as lamb chops marinated in yogurt and cooked in a clay oven, deep fried cauliflower encased in a thin pastry, and chicken tikka amongst starters. Chef?s recommendations include the delectable raja chingri bhuna, king prawns cooked in a special blend of ground spices and herbs in a medium thick sauce, and chicken or lamb lemongrass. Brick Lane Brasserie also offers an impressive selection of biriyani, balti, tandoori and thali dishes, and a lunch and takeaway menu.

The restaurant also has a private party room that can be booked for any occasion, from family parties to corporate events.

Cinnamon Kitchen, in the Devonshire Square development, is situated in a building that was once an East India Company warehouse. Like its sister restaurant, Cinnamon Club, this stylish dining destination draws on the ethos of innovation and creativity to present modern Indian cuisine in a relaxed setting. The interior is inspired by Indian architecture and beautifully blends textures and lighting.

You could linger in the Anise bar and enjoy imaginative cocktails, wine or beer, catch up with friends in the outdoor terrace, or chat with the chefs in the main dining room's tandoor bar and grill, considered to be London's first interactive dining space.

A seasonal menu offers spiced corn soup with masala corn kebab to start; grills of wild African prawn or duck with a flavoursome sesame tamarind glaze, or a main course of seared haddock and Devon crab kokum crust, and roast lamb saddle accompanied by a mint-onion sauce could follow.

Indian desserts are always a speciality and there the list includes cardamom yoghurt and tamarind glazed figs, and an Indian banana tarte tatin.