Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

The trendy Waterloo Bar and Grill overlooks the Old Vic and is slowly becoming the favoured destination for theatre goers, while its proximity to the famed station is an added bonus. Contemporary and stylish with its use of dark, brooding colours and low lighting, the effect is sultry and sophisticated.

Since they serve breakfast all day, you could saunter in for a late petit dejeuner that is either continental, English or the WB special. Starters of pan fried tiger prawns with red pepper coulis and lobster oil could lead on to the more substantial fillet mignon of pork served with herb sauce and braised red cabbage. Do try the berry crumble with vanilla ice cream for the interesting mingling of its textures and tastes. The international wine list is extensive and offers a number of champagnes, reds and whites to suit your taste and a spirited cocktail list is there to assist those who prefer their alcohol rocket assisted.

Serving contemporary Bangladeshi fare in a modern and contemporary setting, the Bengal Brasserie at Hither Green, London is an intimate restaurant frequented by the locals of the area for the delicious meals served at very reasonable rates. With mouth-watering dishes prepared from the freshest and finest ingredients, guests can savour authentic Bangla meals featuring some of the all-time favourites as well as the in-house creations.

The restaurant's à la carte menu includes dishes such as tandoori trout marinated in special spices and roasted in a charcoal oven; prawn jalfrezi cooked in rich spicy sauce with sliced green chillies; lamb dhansak a hot, sweet and sour dish, cooked with lentils; lamb vindaloo and Bengali specialties like lamb sali ana roshi cooked with honey and pineapple and lamb korai, a traditional spicy dish served in an iron wok.

Paying more emphasis on the food rather than the décor, and a wide choice of reasonably priced wines, the drinks accompany the scrumptious meal perfectly.

Certain things are never meant to change. Take the 'quality first' catchphrase of Balls Brothers for instance; after trading in fine wines for over 150 years, this motto still hold true. The Fish Restaurant at Balls Brothers Hay's Galleria is a splendid specimen of a Balls Brothers restaurant, although here the focus is not only on classic British food as in the other outlets, but plenty of fresh fish and seafood.

The menu could offer starters of marinated mussels and squid or pickled cockles while the cured fish option of gravadlax with beetroot relish and horseradish is tantalising. The volcanic black rock grill has plenty of drama and action as you cook your meal right in front of you, according to your specifications. Traditional dishes such as fish pie and fish cakes are executed perfectly, while classics such as grilled whole plaice or skate are excellent choices.

Another draw to Balls Brother is their exciting wine dinners and tastings, and there are plenty of others as well.

Peruvian cuisine is somewhat of a undiscovered territory in London, but Tito's aims to fill that gap in the dining experience. In the basement area, diners are able to enjoy a selection of sandwiches and drinks such as Chica Morada and Inka Cola, whereas on the first floor of this restaurant, you are invited to enjoy a more formal dining experience. Guinea pig, seafood and various vegetarian dishes are all served in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Zerodegrees has embarked on a drinking and dining concept that pioneers the emerging trend in fresh, hand crafted beers brewed by microbreweries. Diners are guaranteed a theatrical experience with the sight, sound and smell from the working brewery and a busy kitchen with its traditional stone-fired pizza oven dishing out favourites such as mango tandoori chicken and Peking duck.

The menu encompasses a selection of gourmet pizzas, delicious salads, speciality sausages, pastas and kilo pots of mussels served with a variety of sauces. International wines and freshly brewed beers seek out the tastiest and most exotic flavours from across the world, while adding their own seasonal and speciality numbers. The range extends from black lager to pale ale, with some delicious fruit beer in between.

Incorporating the mechanics of the working brewery into the building's architecture has resulted in a functional and futuristic place and the industrial feel whilst unavoidable is an added attraction.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.