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The Kings Head, sitting atop Winchmore Hill, is a North London presence of the Geronimo group of excellent pubs, who have managed to achieve with elan the tricky task of making that new phenomenen, the gastro pub, traditional. This is no mean feat, but by carefully selecting pubs that have potential character and then tweaking them, in some cases more than a bit, they've done it.

At The Kings Head there is a large bar, a vaulted dining room of potentially gothic aspiration, added to by a covered terrace and decked beer garden. The first floor houses the air conditioned Long Room, a space ideal for gathering of up to 40 people seated, or standing for 70, and has its own bar.

Watch out for the suits of armour and thrones, all adding to the quirkiness of this splendid place, a temple indeed to to Bacchus and Ceres, or as Footloose magazine put it, "there's no stripped pine and designer suits here". Rather is there a feeling of having just dropped in to the junior common room of an Oxbridge college, where style and good company go hand in hand.

The fodder is served from two attractive menus, one each for lunch and dinner. The lunch menu moves subtly from soup and sandwiches, through toasted Cumberland sausage and fried egg sandwich to full blown 10oz rib eye steak, with tomato, mushrooms and chips, and most points between.

For instance you might feel tempted by the fish pie made with smoked haddock, salmon and saffron, or a King's hamburger with streaky bacon and cheese. Such worthy standbys as steak, kidney and mushroom pie with some root vegetables and mash, or chicken Caesar salad with parmesan and croutons does it for many, and for those in a hurry the honey roasted ham and English mustard sandwich in white bloomer is ideal. The point is whether it's three course or sandwich lunch you're after it's all there and it's good ? believe me.

Dinner takes on a slightly more formal approach with pan fried swordfish, a pork fillet with creamed petit pois, bacon and sausage mash, or some very tasty lamb rump with fondant potato, wild mushrooms and a red wine and thyme jus. Penne pasta with chilli, pancetta and parsley and tomato sauce brings a breath of Italy to proceedings and for both lunch and dinner there is always a good array of desserts on the blackboard.

On matters of drink they are fortunate to have the assistance of John Clevely, Master of Wine and father of the founder of Geronimo, who with customary skill has produced a wine list that is comprehensive, tremendous value and explores the world most effectively. There really is something there for everyone.

Do keep The Kings Head in mind when it comes to party time. They know how to do these sort of things and the setting, together with their advice, if wanted, could be just what you're looking for.

Their friendly Website is always available for updates on menus, functions and events.

The Orange Tree has been a public house since 1755 and can be found on the long and winding Totteridge Lane, near the village green. The dining area looks stylish and welcoming - done up in warm shades of brown and copper, offset by polished wood - this belies its age and comes as a pleasant surprise.

It's well stocked, spacious bar serves different beers on tap, ranging from standard lagers to European speciality beers and some cask ales. Apart from several champagnes for special occasions, they also have a fine balance of new and old world wines to suit varied tastes.

Contemporary pubs such as these usually share a number of characteristics. An important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella. So expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their treat may be.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, antipasti of Italian meats, dolcelatte, marinated vegetables and warm stone-baked flatbreads, or Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with flatbreads. Amongst the starters, expect to find freshly made soup, smoked salmon with pomegranate molasses, fennel and micro herb salad, or gambas with rocket, garlic aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day.

The salads offer chargrilled chicken, courgette, fennel, apple, asparagus, hazelnut and balsamic dressing, and for the seafood enthusiasts some prawn and avocado with pecans, mango, bacon, orange and pomegranate vinaigrette tends to please.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; look for a classic margherita of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pomodoro and basil, the rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes, or a piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños. Pastas include linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine, or tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event there is always roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes.

Finally, the classic burger joins the ranks of respectable restaurant food and puts in an appearance on the menu with gherkin, onion, mustard mayo, bacon, relish and frites. The spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and frites is another dish worth trying. For hearty eaters there is a good rib eye steak with smoked paprika and tomato butter, watercress and frites.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes tomato and red onions, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

A well constructed Website enables you to keep in touch with menu changes or forthcoming events.  Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

London is full of gastropubs now, all with their genesis in The Eagle on Farringdon Road, but they vary considerably. Some can lay scant claim to the title, but no such label could be attached to the Lord Palmerston in Tufnell Park North London.

There's a minimum of fuss, almost to the point of bareness with few distractions from the job in hand, and that includes some very good real ale on tap. The menu is on a blackboard and it's the one thing in the place that's perhaps a touch on the fancy side, but who will complain? Answer - not us, much too hungry for that.

So in the corner of Dartmouth Park Hill and Chetwynd Road you will discover a large Victorian building - welcome to the pub that is the Lord Palmerston. The refuge has a conservatory; the 'chapel', which is a converted stable, and the main bar, all excellent venues in which to relax, grab a paper and mingle with the local dog walkers after a walk on the heath. At night make sure you get in early enough to grab a table with a group of friends and lap up the lively Tufnell Park atmosphere.

A thoroughly wholesome menu, with well-cooked food, introduces more than a touch of elegance in execution. Think battered haddock, chips, pea puree and citrus tartare; sautéed chicken, spring onion and roasted garlic, jus; oyster mushrooms with white wine and parmesan risotto or dry-aged British rib eye steak with asparagus flan and hand cut chips, accompanied by a glass of Chateau Lescalle Bordeaux Superior. Indeed it would be possible to dream that some culinary TV star of the future might be out back there deftly creating good food and his own destiny - stranger things have happened.

With welcome contributions from Youngers there is a good wine list, service is prompt to the point that one would like to bring some of our more unhurried brethren along to see what proper service does for the customer, and the atmosphere is lively but not overwhelming. Any reluctant converts to the gastropub concept will have no problems here.

The elegant first floor dining room, lit by fires at night and naturally by day, is available for meetings, dinners and private parties.

Geronimo Inns own and run 28 pubs, each of which creates a warm home away from home atmosphere, where tasty food at affordable prices is available seven days a week. For more information, do visit their Website, which also has details of all the other pubs owned by Geronimo Inns.

Ta Dilina serves up an authentic menu of rustic Greek dishes at Hampden Square in Southgate. The bright and comfortable dining room showcases cool minimalism and live music on Friday and Saturday keep the mood upbeat.

The menu at Ta Dilina restaurant is deeply rooted in Greek tradition but a touch of innovation is also evident. The kitchen team places much emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients and popular dishes includes the succulent crab salad, meat and fish mezze, slow roasted lamb shank and vegetable moussaka.

The Ta Dilina children's menu offers ample choices for little diners while senior diners have a special menu featuring healthier dishes. The drinks list includes carefully selected wines from around the world that complement eclectic Greek flavours.

Offering a relaxed, friendly vibe in a contemporary setting, Ta Dilina Greek Restaurant is close to the Brunswick Park. Southgate Leisure Centre is a 5-minute drive away.

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

If at first sight Crouch End in North London does not strike you as one of the more compelling parts of London, just reconsider your stance. Well, Deborah Ross, witty writer and self-styled non-domestic goddess, is rumoured to live there. But far more importantly it is home to one of the most renowned and lively Thai restaurants in the country - yes, that's country. So why? Probably because owner and Head Chef Somchai Kantavanich of O's Thai gives every appearance of having thrown the rule book out of the window and decided that they're going to have a good time and they'd like all their customers to join in with them.

Charles Campion writing in his London guide in 2008 said, 'O brings a youthful zip to Thai cuisine. His café is fast and noisy with current favourite music at high volume', before going on to extol the food.

With main courses at around £7.50 each there is room for experimentation. If you lack the confidence to do that the cheerful and well informed staff will offer helpful advice if needed. Further more you can knock a few more pounds off the bill by vacating your table before 8.30pm, their answer to the early bird supper. So one way and another it's a pretty accommodating place.

Décor is minimalist with blond wood furniture, a long narrow room with no pretentions to glamour, everything concentrated on good sound food at even better prices. Amongst the starters and snacks are Thai vegetable spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce, kow keap kung, Thai prawn crackers made with real prawns, and luk chin tord, deep fried chicken or fish balls, or their special starters for however many there are in your party, chosen from the menu with spicy peanut sauce and yet more sweet and sour. And, of course there's the ever faithful spicy soups, Tom yam and Tom ka made with lime leaves, coconut cream, lemon grass and galanga.

Some eleven main courses ring the options between meats, bean curd and king prawn as the main constituent. One of the great things about Thai cuisine is the subtlety with which the dishes are composed, where one apparent minor shift of ingredients can make so much change. Amongst the house recommendations are pad morragode, a spicy dish made with king prawn stir fried in 'morragode' green curry coconut sauce, vegetables, fresh lime and sweet basil leaves, served with a veritable mountain of rice.

Watch out as well for their blackboard specials, which could include Thai-style sweet and sour pork with vegetables served with rice or fried noodles with bean curds, egg and vegetables.

Despite, to our ears, its unpromising name, khow tom mud makes the most delicious dessert with banana and sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf and served with hot coconut cream. Failing that move your attention to kanom moor gaeng, coconut flavoured sponge made with egg, coconut cream, ground yellow beans and palm sugar, served with warm coconut cream.

A short but thoughtful wine list, starting at £14.45, draws heavily on New World and South Africa.

Their special lunch has three choices each of starters and main courses, served between 12 and 3, at an incredible £6.95 per head. Their Website should prove a huge help in guiding you round all the exciting choices available there.

The Osteria Spiga is a welcome addition to West Hampstead's vibrant restaurant scene. Located on Broadhurst Gardens, just a stone's throw from West Hampstead Tube Station and a short walk from the O2 Centre, this Italian restaurant offers a range of specialities for the discerning diner in a smart contemporary setting.

The Osteria's à la carte begins with small bites of wild mushrooms tossed with garlic and herbs and meat balls with scarmoza cheese in a rich tomato sauce, followed by starters of fried goat's cheese with roasted mixed peppers, spinach and aged balsamic sauce; and smoked salmon with cucumber and fennel salad, mascarpone and chives. A wood-platter of Italian cured meats and cold cuts with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and grilled smoked mozzarella is a more substantial affair.
 
The pasta selection offers linguine with half lobster meat, cherry tomatoes and chilli, enhanced with brandy, homemade ravioli filled with roast veal and tossed in butter and sage and pappardelle with cherry tomatoes and aubergine enriched with mozzarella.
 
For the main course, you could select roasted chicken breast in a mushroom and cream sauce, served with mashed potato; pan-fried calf's liver with sultanas and toasted pine kernels in Marsala wine sauce garnished with sautéed fresh spinach or Grissini crusted rack of lamb, garlic and rosemary sauce with potato gratin. A set menu is also available for lunch and dinner.
 
After a long walk on Hampstead Heath, just a short drive from Osteria Spiga, why not reward yourself with delicious desserts of vanilla pannacotta with mango coulis, chocolate torte with fresh strawberries or crème brûlée with Irish cream and forest fruits which will satisfy even the sweetest tooth. There's also a selection of ice creams and sorbets as well as a cheeseboard with Italian and English cheeses.
 
The Italian dominated wine list offers a variety of flavourful whites and fruity reds from regions such as Umbria, Abruzzo and Toscana as well as sprinkling of wines from France and Australia.

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

Surrounded by shops and bars in this buzzing North London suburb, Prezzo brings delicious Italian cuisine in a contemporary setting to the heart of the Broadway. Just a short walk from Mill Hill Rail Station, and easily accessible from the M1, Prezzo is also close to Mill Hill Park.

The sleek, trendy interior provides a wonderful setting perfect for a night out with friends, while those looking for a more intimate meal could head to the comfortable banquette seating at the back of the restaurant.

Prezzo restaurants satisfy the needs of those who like genuine Italian cuisine, as they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic pizza bread with caramelised balsamic onions and melted mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goats' cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on focaccia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal.

Find pastas such as the unusual chicken ravioli, made pancetta bacon, petits pois and grana padano cheese in a cream sauce; amongst the special pastas, the polpette al forno with meatballs, field mushrooms, caramelised onions, red chillies and penne in a tomato and garlic sauce is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like chicken and red pesto with roasted peppers and grana padano cheese, while tiger prawns with oak roast salmon and petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce, is enticingly different.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular fiorentina, topped with spinach, free-range egg, grana padano cheese, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato, and the much loved quattro formaggi - gorgonzola, goat's cheese, grana padano, mozzarella, tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with Prezzo's own blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can wash down the food with a variety of tipples - ranging from house wine and Chardonnay to liqueurs and beer and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal.

More information can be found on their Website.

Named after the legendary actor Charlie Chaplin, Charlie's Ristorante Italiano on North End Road in Barnet is a comfortable neighbourhood Italian with a warm welcoming ambience that makes it perfect for a quick business lunch or enjoyable family dinner. Relax in its pleasant modern interiors - red, white and black décor, tiled floor and marble topped bar - enhanced by the numerous pictures, photographs and assorted Chaplin paraphernalia on the walls. Located right opposite Golders Green underground station, the restaurant is conveniently close to areas such as Hampstead Village, Swiss Cottage, St. John's Wood and Camden Town.

Charlie's offers a varied Italian menu with dishes made from fresh seasonal ingredients either imported from Italy or procured from local suppliers. As with the rest of the freshly prepared food, the pizza dough is made fresh every day and the pasta sauces are traditionally Italian. Starters of funghi ripeni, baked stuffed mushrooms in tomato, cheese and cream sauce, Parma ham with melon or polpette Napoli, prime minced seasoned beef meatballs cooked in a rich garlic and tomato sauce whet the appetite. Then take your pick from a variety of pizza toppings including prosciutto, topped with tomato, mozzarella and ham, Napoli, with tomato, mozzarella, olive, capers and anchovies, Americana, with tomato, mozzarella, sausage, peppers and chilli or cinque stagioni, with tomato, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, olives, artichokes and sausage. There's also calzone, a traditional folded pizza filled with mozzarella, ham and mushrooms.

Choices of pasta include spaghetti Bolognese, linguine with squid, prawns, mussels and clams, penne arrabiatta and tagliatelle with chicken strips and mushrooms. Oven baked dishes feature cannelloni filled with ricotta cheese and spinach and topped with tomato and cheese sauce as well as melanzane alla Parmigiana, sliced aubergines in tomato sauce topped with cheese. Charlie's also offers a range of meat dishes include grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary sauce, chicken or veal Milanese with spaghetti Napoli and sirloin steak with mushrooms, onions and red wine sauce. The fish and seafood selection embraces grilled sword fish steak topped with a light lemon and virgin oil dressing, king prawns in a garlic, wine and chilli sauce and grilled salmon fillet with chopped tomatoes, herbs and lemon dressing. There's also a children's menu for under-10s offers pizza topped with cheese, tomato and sausage, penne with butter or tomato sauce and chicken nuggets with chips.

A carefully selected wine list includes house white and red starting at £11.95 per bottle and £3 per glass, while a bottle of Prosecco, the classic Italian sparkling wine can be had for under £20. The drinks list also includes birra beer, hot drinks and special coffees such as Irish and calypso as well as the expected selection of soft drinks. The restaurant can also cater for any occasion whether it's a birthday, wedding anniversary or office celebration with a variety of fixed priced party menus.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website .

A warm familial atmosphere with a gastro pub menu distinguishes The Duchess of Kent in Liverpool Road. Guests can chill out in the comfortable laid back setting enjoying the company of family and friends or a board game from the well-stocked games cupboard.

Whether it's traditional pub grub such as sausages and mash, fish and chips and fish cakes or something more expressive, the use of fresh ingredients is paramount here. You could begin the meal with grilled Portuguese sardines and tomatoes on toast, salmon saltimbocca with grilled aubergine or goat's cheese with beetroot and walnut salad. Then proceed with Hereford ribeye steak with skinny chips and peppercorn sauce, char grilled ratatouille brochettes with tomato and couscous salad or grilled leg of lamb steak with Puy lentils and tzatziki. A carefully compiled wine list gives the customer a wide variety of individual wines, typical of the region and its grape varieties, as well a range of beers, spirits and soft drinks.

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

Surrounded by shops on the historic Muswell Hill Broadway, Dalyan Meze Bar and Restaurant serves a wonderful blend of Turkish flavours in a rustic setting. The interior showcases a traditional theme with exposed brick walls, wooden furniture, shimmering lanterns and artefacts.

Stylishly presented dishes on the Dalyan menu include hot and cold starters of stuffed vine leaves, and vodka marinated squid with tartare sauce. A wide range of fish and seafood and casseroles are served alongside a selection of grills such as the centik special, a delicious Ottoman dish where grilled cubes of lamb and chicken are placed on a bed of matchstick-cut potatoes, topped with yogurt sauce and a hint of garlic.

There are brunch, feast and specials menus offered at the Dalyan restaurant. The wine list moves across the Turkish borders, serving a short selection from the Old and New World.

Evoking a casual vibe in a traditional setting, Dalyan Meze Bar is just a short walk from Odeon Cinema Muswell Hill.