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.

Haandi is named after a cooking utensil that allows for even spreading of heat, usually covered with a lid, it traps the subtle flavours of the ingredients being cooked, and is used extensively in Northern India and its frontiers.

Haandi is also a sophisticated restaurant chain with branches across the globe and a menu that pays homage to classic Indian food with bold flavours. Popular fare such as the spicy bhuna lamb jalandari with onions and fresh pepper, and tawa prawn masala are prepared in the open kitchen by chefs trained in the original Nairobi branch, adding a touch of theatre to the meal, watching the pans being stirred, checked and flambéed. Amongst starters you might encounter a skewered and spiced tilapia, tandoori chops flavoured with ginger and yogurt marinade and meat samosa, and finally for some sweet indulgence there's kesar rasmalai, cheese dumplings soaked in sweetened saffron flavoured milk.

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.

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.

This is one of those places where relaxing atmosphere and good food blend to create a comfort zone that draws you back within its doors, time and again. Red Peppers, with outlets in Birmingham, Esher and Teddington, has unpretentious décor and friendly staff, and has become a lunch time favourite for many. In summer, you can sit outside and enjoy your meal on the terrace overlooking the canal.

The menu has a few international undertones with Thai and Mexican influences creeping in and starters such as small rack of baby back ribs or smoked mackerel pâté. But it is the pizzas there which hold the most appeal, with a range of at least eleven to choose from carrying toppings that include chicken fajita, goat's cheese and eggs Florentine. Desserts include sinful delights such as tiramisu and chocolate parfait while the Italian wines on their list are totally on the same wavelength.

The Barn Hotel is an elegant boutique styled place located in Ruislip, not too far from Heathrow Airport, and provides modern comforts in a traditional old world setting. Their rooms are well equipped and are decorated with the finest furnishings and fabrics and every aspect of the hotel seems intimate and cosy, with a glamorous sheen. Hawtrey's Restaurant is designed to resemble a Jacobean baronial hall with rich mahogany panelling adorned with fine oil paintings, oak beams supporting an intricate coffered ceiling and fine carpets. This is an ideal venue for relaxing and enjoying some delicious modern French cuisine in their richly decorated dining space.

The 2 AA rosette winning restaurant offers a subtle melange of flavours with roasted duck foie gras and essence of coffee and hazelnut in the list of starters, followed by a main course of slow cooked monkfish with caramelised cauliflower puree, baby leeks, shallot, chive and vinegar dressing. The wine list is comprehensive with quite a few choices available by the glass.