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The history of The Old Bull and Bush goes back to 1721 but it leapt to fame in the 1920s with the music hall song 'The Old Bull and Bush' sung by Florrie Ford, the 'Madonna' of her time. It is one of those pubs that have surfaced on the mainstream of casual eating in the UK and are taking an increasing share of the market, evidenced by their growth in numbers and the popularity of what they have to offer. If this results in a 'type' there is certainly no harm in that.

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 an al fresco eating out space - The Old Bull and Bush has a front courtyard with soft bench seating and cafe style furniture - and by no means least a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Old Bull and Bush, with its traditional pub hospitality, deep leather seating and attractive teak furniture provides ample evidence that this is true.

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, garlic pizzette with caramelised onion and rocket, a box baked camembert with stiratta romagna and homemade tomato jam, and Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with warm flatbreads. Amongst the starters is freshly made soup, baked mushrooms, spinach, dolcelatte and stiratta romagna, and gambas, garlic, rocket and aioli with rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day.

The salads - sorry that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck, mouli, hoisin, carrots, spring onions, watercress with plum sauce, and for the seafood fiends some prawn, avocado, pecans, mango, bacon with orange and pomegranate vinaigrette is received with enthusiasm. These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find margherita, a classic medley of pomodoro, mozzarella, oregano and basil, piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños or rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes. For the big event there is a roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes.

The classic burger, which has risen from the confines of fast food chains, carves a niche for itself on the menu and comes with gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese, relish and chips. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks, and spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and chips. A wide range of supporting dishes include green salad, Belgian chips and mayo, 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.

The Old Bull and Bush stocks a wide range of beers, both ales and bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good traditional English gastropub.

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.

It's not every day that a new restaurant opens on Park Lane, and 140 Park Lane Restaurant and Bar at the London Marriott Hotel Park Lane brings a delightfully fresh approach to this exclusive avenue.

Accommodation there is of a high order, with 157 spacious and elegant air conditioned guest rooms with luxury bedding. Executive rooms and all suites have a sofa bed in each room; Club Rooms and Executive rooms are given access to the Executive Lounge. The Marriott bedding package includes luxury cotton bedding, down mattress topper and duvets. Minibars, cable-satellite TV, separate tubs and showers, bathrobes are only some of the host of amenities that you would expect - and will - find in this superb hotel.

The modern British-European menu at 140 Park Lane has been praised by the Square Meal Guide for its 'craftsmanship' and 'artistic flair'. Be sure to arrive early to sample the Bruised Apple - their exclusive, signature cocktail.

A novelty at 140 is the open plan kitchen, not normally a feature of a restaurant of this quality, but none the less welcome, bringing a sense of involvement as well as heightened interest. Equally welcome is the fine wine display, creating an image that can hardly be anything other than tempting.

Sunday brunch is an institution at 140, with a menu that would not disgrace a decent brasserie and then some. Starters of chicken Caesar salad with fresh chicken breast strips, anchovies and croutons, smoked salmon accompanied by minced onions and capers, or potato salad crumbled with crispy bacon and spring onions, precede a good variety of main dishes of which the undoubted champion is the Sunday roast beef.

The à la carte menu opens up a range of dishes that demonstrate only too clearly the versatility of the team, with starters of guinea fowl consommé with winter vegetables and rosemary oil, and crab and prawn cakes with apple and fennel slaw, garlic spinach roasted pepper remoulade and petite salad, to name but a few.

The growth of sea bass as a leading menu item has been part of the fall out of over-fishing, and though line-caught fish can still be had, most are now farmed, and make a very sound meal, Usually baked it is served here with lemon and dill cream. Roast rack of lamb is another popular dish, the culinary equivalent of a 'safe pair of hands' and the accompaniment of glazed onions and asparagus is traditional.

Penne with grilled chicken artichokes, courgettes and tarragon cream is a step towards vegetarianism, but you can go the whole way with goat's cheese gnocchi garden peas and beetroot, a dish rich in flavour contrast and interest. Going to the other end of the scale, the dish that no self respecting menu could be without, here in 10oz form the 100% grain fed Angus, served with Marriott steak butter.

The beauty of somewhere like 140 is its ability to provide contrast, both in food and setting, so that a restaurant which is never far from the benefits of traditionalism can still hold hands comfortably with one of the most up to date and well run hotels in the world's greatest city. Their Website should help to prove this to you.

Signor Sassi, in London's fashionable Knightsbridge, is one of a dying breed, as once upon a time London had masses of cheerful, bright, friendly Italian trattorias, where you could always be assured of a warm welcome, assiduous service and interesting food. There was the Mario and Franco chain that set the trend, and San Frediano in the Fulham Road, where the inimitable Franco, the finest host in London, who had an encyclopaedic knowledge of names and faces, ran a superb place.

Sadly there seem to be few good ones left, however, that was until a rejuvenated Signor Sassi came into the picture; for many years the former owner Mario held sway there, until he sold it to Carlo Distefano, who has transformed its rather tired image and décor, improved the food, with a fish selection that would put many a seafood restaurant to shame, and generally brought back some of the charm that was missing.

Managers Donato and Jo greet their many regular customers in a truly Italian manner, immediately you know that you are going to enjoy the whole experience, as it runs the gamut, with the occasional singing waiter, and the fake cappuccino coffee cup trick, through to an outstanding menu with some old favourites and many more modern touches.

There is a £2 cover charge, this may seem steep, but you will change your mind when you see what you get for it, a bowl of wonderful olives, a selection of breads, bruschetta with tomatoes and shavings of a good quality parmesan cheese, almost a meal in itself.

A starter of cured slice of beef may catch your attention, though seared tuna with sautéed fennel and citrus dressing runs it close as an alternative, it is finely chopped, and beautifully presented with rocket and topped with shavings of parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice. Follow on with a baked rack of lamb with Chianti and mixed herbs or whole lobster with brandy, béchamel, shallots, English mustard and cheese.

The food is presented with style and standards are high throughout for a neighbourhood Italian restaurant, while the wine list is enterprising, fairly short, but with a good choice between £20 and £30 a bottle, including most of the usual culprits, Verdicchio, Orvieto, Pinot Grigio, Frascati in the whites and a decent selection of reds also.

So there is much to recommend about Signor Sassi, if you want to enjoy a lively evening out with genuine Italian hospitality at its best, combined with cooking of real quality, and leave feeling pampered and full, it should be the perfect choice for you. Their Website should inspire you to venture in their direction.

Hidden away in St George's Wharf on the banks of the Thames, The Riverside bar and restaurant offers patrons an oasis to unwind in at leisure in elegant and capacious interiors. Apart from the modern British and European food, stunning views of the London skyline up and down the river will have their attention.

After having imbibed a cocktail or two at the stylish bar, you could settle down with pressed terrine of gammon, chicken salad with Wiltshire bacon and honey or a crispy duck platter. Then, progress to butternut squash risotto, steamed sea bass with pak choi, fish pie topped with golden Cheddar mash or sweet potato curry with Kashmiri pilau. Traditional British food classics served here include fish and chips, bangers and mash, salmon and smoked haddock fishcakes, and West County fillet steak with Portobello mushrooms. To pamper the sweet tooth, there's warm chocolate fondant, berry crumble with white chocolate ice cream and baked Camembert cheese. The Riverside's premium selection from wines to whiskies gives guests their choice of tipple.

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

Located in the heart of London, close to the iconic department store, Selfridges, Ayoush on James Street offers Middle Eastern, Moroccan and North African cuisine just a stone's throw from Bond Street Tube Station and the shops on Oxford Street. The restaurant's vibrant contemporary ambience is enhanced by authentic Middle Eastern artwork and decorative touches while the 'caves' and booths downstairs are perfect for a romantic dinner for. Café style seating outside affords a ringside view of all the street side buzz while live belly dancing keeps the atmosphere inside sizzling.

Ayoush offers a selection of the best flavours and ingredients from Egypt, Morocco and the Middle East. The wide range of cold and hot starters includes classic dishes such as labna, tangy soft cheese made from yoghurt with finely chopped cucumber, fresh mint and olive oil; vine leaves stuffed with rice, lemon juice and olive oil; tabouleh; grilled chicken wings marinated in fresh ginger, herbs and lemon and mergueze; and grilled North African sausage. A special mezze menu is a great way to sample a range of the region's unique flavours.

You could follow with a sumptuous main course which includes chef's specials of chicken spinach roulade served with rice; oriental roast leg of lamb; or a vegetarian platter with a selection of grilled vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs, topped with mozzarella cheese and served with rice.

The à la carte lists other authentic specialities including a variety of couscous, served with a Moroccan special flavoured sauce, and tagines, served sizzling in traditional pots, with Arabian bread, steamed couscous or rice. These include lamb couscous with tender lamb stew with traditional Moroccan mixed herbs, raisins and steamed vegetables; chicken tagine, a classic chicken stew, with the light touch of Moroccan spices, preserved lemons and green olives; and Couscous Royal of tender lamb, chicken, mergueze, steamed vegetables, raisins and chickpeas.
 
The grill offers succulent fare such as shish tawouk, a dish of grilled chicken cubes with onion, red and green peppers marinated in a herb garlic sauce, and the ever popular lamb kofta. If you prefer fish and seafood, there's choice of grilled Mediterranean king prawns marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and herbs; grilled whole sea bass topped with a flavourful tomato sauce mixed with leek, dill, fresh coriander, garlic and chilli and a tempting fish tagine which combines cod chunks with potatoes, carrots, courgettes and turnips in a traditional Moroccan herb sauce. A variety of set menus gives diners other options.

The dessert menu maintains the Middle Eastern authenticity and offers mouth-watering choices such as mehalabia, a traditional Egyptian dish made from cornflower, milk, eggs, fresh strawberry and topped with whipped cream, or masfouf, a Tunisian dessert of steamed fine couscous mixed with sugar, pomegranate and topped with nuts and cinnamon.
 
The drinks list offers a wide range of cocktails and shooters, white and red wines, beers and spirits.

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

The Elgin Food Pub and Music House is described as a gastropub for Notting Hillbillies, a play on where it is in North Kensington; with its very own Gin Palace that has 22 gins to tickle your fancy, the mood is loungeability against a background of relaxing music, comfy sofas and a mix and match décor.

It is brought to you by Geronimo Inns, who are the people that have proved if you stop bothering about your more self-expressive inclinations and give the customers what they want instead, you can open revitalised pubs and stay afloat provided you create a warm home from home atmosphere where real food at affordable prices is available seven days a week.

Front of house offers major bay windows; look out and you might see Hugh Grant looking in. More to the back is the 70 cover music room which will also accommodate larger groups, and offers regular live accoustic music sessions. 'If music be the food of love, play on' ,said Shakespeare and what is aptly described elsewhere as 'the weird and wacky world of W11', whose domain this is, does not disagree.

In such circumstances lunch is not a meal, but a staging post long the road to survival for something a touch grander in the evening. So look for basics such as Oxfordshire bread with Netherend farm butter. Soup of course, or some roasted beetroot and Cashel with a Blue cheese salad perhaps. For the desperate there's fish and chips with tartar sauce and mushy peas, or The Elgin's Caesar salad in which anchovies are an item. But if you missed breakfast there's bangers and mash, or a very cool beefburger with bacon, cheese, relish and chips

The evening brings a stirring amongst the smart houses of W11, still worth colossal sums of money, and it's down to the pub time for maybe a game of dominoes or bar billiards over a pint or so of some succulent brew, before moving on to a few of John Clevely's well chosen wines as the world moves from red to blue through green, which is not meant to be a political statement.

A spot of roulade of smoked salmon and salmon mousse with yoghurt-dill dressing, or devilled lambs kidneys and yellow split pea dhal sets the stage for a Yorkshire venison casserole and parsnip puree, or a rump steak with skinny chips and bourguignon sauce. The Elgin fishcakes arrive at table accompanied by spinach, a poached egg and warm tartare sauce.

But for sheer indulgence times two, share a 22oz Scottish T-Bone steak with two kinds of chips, a mixed salad and green peppercorn sauce. Desserts to follow may or may not be just, but honey, thyme and yoghurt parfait with roasted fig seems to me the sort of dish that will nestle up well with almost anything.

Beyond a degree of excellence nothing stays the same for too long at The Elgin with the food. So check on their Website for specialities, as well as great music from aspiring and established musicians alike.

The neo-classical interior is graced by domed skylights by Pietro Agostini and curving banquettes provide a particularly plush surface for the hind quarters of the well heeled. What better place than to regale ones self with a big boy's lunch whilst taking a short break on a hard day making money?

The full à la carte does not stay still for long but expect to find dishes along the lines of starters of carpaccio of tuna, oriental spices and toasted sesame seeds, radish, ginger and lime vinaigrette, or salad of Cornish crab and avocado with brown crab meat, herb mayonnaise, lemon oil and bloody Mary sorbet. However, the scallops 'mid cuit' with citrus and tarragon, virgin olive oil, liquorice and fennel will bring a quiet smile of delight to the connoisseur.

From the main fish courses the seared sea bass with fennel seeds, Provençal vegetables, basil mash and warm saffron and tomato vinaigrette is a rare treat, whilst amongst the meat and poultry the limousin veal fillet comes to table with sweetbreads and asparagus Chablis and sorrel velouté puff pastry.

From an impressive list of puddings keep a lookout for a chocolate, whisky and coffee praline lombardo. There's also a feuillantine of caramelised Granny Smith and Guinness ice cream topped off deliciously with glazed hazelnuts. A wine list that is impressive in its scope includes legendary names and years.

1 Lombard Street - The Brasserie and Restaurant are bookable online, please use the drop-down booking box to bring up Brasserie in it; be careful to use Restaurant if you want to book that.

Their Website is well worth visiting as a prelude to the real thing.

At the very heart of the vibrant Covent Garden quarter, Tuttons has for over 30 years occupied its enviable position, offering high quality Modern European cuisine to an enthusiastic and cosmopolitan clientèle. Now refurbished and re-opened looking across to the sublimely beautiful front to the Royal London Opera House, Tuttons again takes its place in the scheme of things.

Large sliding, folding windows enable diners to enjoy some of the best views across Covent Garden's market, much enhanced by the dining terrace where alfresco rules.

In keeping with the tradition of freshness that the name of Covent Garden recalls, the menu calls upon the best of seasonal produce in the daily specials. As one might expect from a former market area the tradition of an early breakfast is maintained and at 8am daily the doors are opened and the delights of a major breakfast menu revealed. Two delightful private dining rooms are available from 8am for business breakfast meetings. What a civilised start to the day!

An à la carte menu eventually takes over with around twelve choices, of which I am happy to say four originate from the sea, with Dorset potted crab, mace butter and sour dough leading the way. Warm smoked ham hock with an Umbrian lentil vinaigrette carries warmth and recollection in its flavours, and a roulade of goat's cheese, with roasted baby beetroot, red chard, pine nuts and beetroot vinaigrette can be served as a main or starter. An attractive charcuterie board for sharing makes a pleasant change and ice breaker if needed.

The menu has been well designed by Executive Chef Darren Lock (lately of Tom's Kitchen) so that it provides lighter dishes more suitable for lunchtime to some of the more traditional brasserie style favourites such as chicken liver and Madeira parfait and confit duck leg. Children are able to enjoy their own menu with five main dishes of the sort beloved by the young (and some young at heart adults).

The grill makes a major contribution to the Tuttons scene, with steaks and Middle White pork cutlet, caramelised apple and red wine jus. Good to see Mid Shires rose veal schnitzel with lemon and caper butter sauce back on menus, including Tuttons, and also the pan fried line-caught pollock with turlu turlu, a Turkish vegetable and chickpea stew, an unusual and delightful combination; even the side dishes have received careful attention, notably the broccoli transformed by the addition of Pecorino cheese and olive oil.

Tuttons does a brisk business in Hen and Birthday packages where everything is thought about, even to disposable cameras at the table. These are frequently held in the vaults, offering a comfortable and sociable setting to a minimum of 12 guests.

For a central London venue within easy distance of main line stations and tubes, theatres and entertainment Tuttons is hard to beat and looks set to enjoy a further 30 years giving good food in pleasant surroundings to an admiring following. Do click on their Website for offers, menu changes and images.

Where can you find a genuine country pub in London with probably the largest garden in the capital Moreover, one that also benefits from an enclosed courtyard external bar following through to an open landscaped area, and finally, with a front terrace that can provide dining for 100 people. Search no further, as all you need to do is to journey out a little way from Central London to Hampstead and locate The Freemasons Arms, situated a stone's throw from The Heath.

In 2004 it was converted back to its former glory and has already taken its place as one of London's premier gastropubs. You should appreciate the smart interior, featuring open kitchens, stone fired ovens and log burning fires, offset by beautifully landscaped decking for al fresco dining, making a stunningly different experience to anywhere else that you could find in London.

The atmosphere at the Freemasons Arms is relaxed, friendly and informal, while the overall impression is of a pub which is comfortable, light and open.

How wonderful to find somewhere with two beautiful gardens, seating a total of two hundred people? Over the summer months you could meander the day away there enjoying fine food and chilled wines and beers, trying to forget about the worries of work; mind you, you would have probably got the sack at the end of it as you would have lost track of time!

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, box baked Camembert with red onion jam and rustic bread and Greek mezze of taramasalata with red pepper hummus, tzatziki, feta and flatbreads.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup, smoked mackerel pâté, seared pigeon breast, or a red onion tart. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer Persian chicken kebabs, fattoush salad, yoghurt and mint dressing, and for the seafood fiends some smoked trout, prawn, pancetta, horseradish dressing, watercress, spinach and baby potatoes.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic Margherita of tomato, mozzarella, oregano and basil, another with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños. Pastas include rigatoni, pork, veal and oregano meatballs with arrabiata sauce, and smoked haddock risotto.

For the big event, there is always a fish of the day on request. The spit chicken with roast garlic, lemon, thyme, aioli and frites is worth trying too. The classic burger, which has risen from the confines of fast food chains, carves a niche for itself on the menu and comes with onion, gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese and bacon. For hearty eaters there is a five spice duck confit, or lamb rack with a spiced dukkah crust, char-grilled stuffed peppers and minted potatoes.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes Belgian frites and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple and frangipane gallette and Cognac ice cream, and there is also a selection of local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

In the winter the two log fires welcome people looking for a calming oasis amongst the bustle of Hampstead. An interesting wine list as well as great beers all adds to the reputation of what must now be considered as one of London's finest pubs.

For their latest menu and much more information, visit their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.