Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

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.

A charming riverside garden seating with an external fireplace, illuminated water bodies, chunky sleepers, 2 decking areas, an outdoor grill kitchen and hog roasts during summer sets this refurbished restaurant apart from its peers in the neighbourhood. Inside, sectioned areas attract diners who prefer a more intimate setting while enjoying their meals. The venue can be approached by boat and at the rear there is a mooring with a shingle beach.

The menu focuses on dishes comprising fresh fish, oysters and mussels as specialties. Barbeque favourites include the ploughman with ham, cheese and pickles and venison burgers and hungry anglers can gorge on bread and butter pudding and apple crumble.

Converted from a Victorian boathouse, The Wharf is situated overlooking the River Thames opposite Teddington Lock.  The restaurant, which was established in 2002, has a stylish interior and floor to ceiling glass walls ensuring all diners get their share of the river view!

Starters could include flaked snapper and coconut salad with Szechwan pickled vegetables, using pink ginger and coriander balanced by shredded lime leaves, or yellow pumpkin and seafood curry, two dishes which are helping The Wharf gain its reputation for unusual, soundly based food.

A popular main course is the sea bass, served with the skin crispy and topped with a notable chermoula, described as a Moroccan paste with garlic, coriander, cumin and lemon. If snacking, forget not the humble Wharf steak burger with bacon, melted cheese, fries, dill pickle and relish. For pudding try and find space for the excellent panettone bread and butter pudding with toffee. The Wharf has style, good food and a wonderful location.

In the heart of Teddington, just off Broad Street, Al Borgo is a family run Italian restaurant that aims to offer the cuisine with a 'modern twist'. Spread across an elongated room and a patio, the décor is pleasant and unfussy and the interior is marked by neatly arranged tables with white linen and a well-stocked bar.

Head-chef Massimiliano Grandi and his team infuse creativity into the cooking and you could expect to see starters such as mixed fried fish and courgettes, culatello with glazed fig and saffron rice crouton and veal carpaccio with rocket and radish salad. Amongst the mains, homemade gnocchi baked with fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil share the stage with pan-fried calf liver with butter and sage, pan-fried squid or sea bass fillet in potato crust. Simple desserts such as apple strudel and chocolate salami feature along with more fancy ones including the likes of white chocolate soufflé or rasberry tarte with gratinated zabaglione.

Restaurant Noel embellishes their menu with the delicate flavours of French cuisine effortlessly, creating a charming destination for those who are looking for Gallic fare in Teddington High Street. Smart and stylish, this is a wonderful spot if you want to spend time with friends over a tasty meal, and their decor with its shades of browns and beiges is restful and provides a sense of serenity, helping you to slow down and enjoy everything that is placed before you.

Fresh, seasonal produce is used to create dishes of exceptional quality, some of which could include a starter of soused herring and leek salad with chardonnay vinaigrette followed ably by a main course of roasted cod with potato, chorizo, caper hash and saffron aioli. Finally, there could be a chocolate fondant with mint ice cream to finish. The wine list at Noel is varied, offering some interesting choices from the New and the Old World.