Mele e Pere literally translates to 'apples and pears to me and you' in Italian and serves a daily changing selection of modern and contemporary dishes. Enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner at the restaurant or head to the basement bar for a glass of homemade Vermouth or Italian wine.

Sourcing high quality, fresh ingredients, the Mele e Pere menu features small plates of Dorset crab with Alphonso mango, grilled octopus and warm saddle of rabbit with fresh peas. A hearty roast shoulder of lamb is served with soft polenta and salsa verde while the T-bone steak alla Fiorentina is ideal to share between two.

Mele e Pere restaurant offers 2 or 3 course lunchtime and pre-theatre menus that attract the office crowd and theatre goers alike. An eclectic wine list and a range of irresistible cocktails make the perfect accompaniment to a meal.

Close to the Piccadilly Circus Tube Station, Mele e Pere in Soho is less than an 8-minute walk from the Empire Cinemas at Leicester Square and The Plaza Shopping Centre.

More information can be found on their Website.

The British love affair with French cuisine rolls on and all over the country pockets of Gallic expertise pander to this national inclination. The Little French Restaurant, tucked into one of the more civilised and quieter corners of Earl's Court, takes a leading role in perpetuating our adoration of not only the cooking abilities of the French, but perhaps just as importantly their philosophy regarding this highly rated pastime, occasionally cloaked beneath the mantle of necessity.

Given that the entente cordiale is not always the uppermost thought in the minds of the collective British, this is an enormous tribute to the culinary abilities of a race that are characterised by such daily icons as garlic, the whiff of Gauloises, romance and inscrutable politics.

Half the battle in any French restaurant so impudent as to establish itself in a foreign field is to get the décor right. Thoughts of impressionist art, pewter bars, red velvet and dangerously ponderous sparkling chandeliers and a general air of controlled decadence come to mind, and on at least some of these matters The Little French restaurant ticks the box.

But of course, when the chips are down, it is the food and drink that make the pace, so let's start with the wine list. Having perhaps visited their website beforehand you will have noted that the most expensive bottle of wine does not even reach the £25 mark. This, from one of the most respected wine producing countries in the world, may well have surprised and a Crozes Hermitage at £22.95 does not disappoint. As ever an exception is made for the Lanson champagne which does cross the threshold, but wait - the house champagne at £22.95 is most certainly not to be overlooked.

Lunch time in Earl's Court makes the middle of the Sahara look overpopulated and the three course meal on offer at £9.95 is therefore offered at both lunchtime and in the evenings, making it incredibly sound value. With a choice of nine dishes each from the starters and main course the eye catches a traditional start with French onion soup, vichyssoise, corn and crab French potage with scent of fresh parsley, springs, thyme, shallots and black pepper, or tartare of marinated wild salmon with cucumber salad.

Main courses weigh in with coq au vin d'Alsace done the French way in a pot, before even considering the lamb Wellington, hardly an item one expects to find in a French restaurant, but never mind all that was a long time ago. A return to patriotism is signalled by the arrival of the cod à la Provençale, but let nobody ignore the canard Josephine, tender breast of duck, marinated in Asian spices, grilled and served with sauce bigarade.

Desserts such as French apple tart, or crème caramel lead the satisfied diner to a graceful completion before coffee is served and the relative merits of a single malt or an excellent brandy become a talking point.

The Little French Restaurant lives up amply to its name and has all the necessary accoutrements to ensure its neighbourhood status. Do check on its Website for further information and evidence that it is in tune with then spirit of the times.

High above Piccadilly, The Terrace Restaurant is one of the roomiest venues in London; with its vented natural sunlight captured in the shadows of the stone pillars, it boasts a blend of old and new world within its classical yet contemporary surroundings. Compared to the bustling West End below, the restaurant offers a relaxed and refined dining experience.

Alternatively, if you prefer a chic slice of a Venetian 'al fresco', lunch can be served on the balcony.

They describe their menus as, 'Being modern British grill with a cool fashionable twist, serving food which is mouth watering and sumptuous - satisfying the ultimate connoisseur'.

Particularly good value - especially for a top hotel restaurant in London - is represented by their fixed price menus at £21.00 for lunch for three courses and £27.95 menu served for pre-theatre.

The menus is quintessentially British, here you will find starters ranging from Farmhouse terrine with Cumberland sauce, ham devilled whitebait with cracked black pepper and lemon dip, or cured beef with horseradish jelly, pickled mushrooms and hazelnut dressing.

The main courses feature expertly grilled meat like Longhorn sirloin or T-bone, whole roast Packington chicken, and Red Poll 8oz burger 8oz with chips, salad and onion rings.

Their mixed grill, sausage, bacon, kidneys, lamb cutlet and medallions of beef make a fantastic meal for a truly indulgent dining experience.

Diners could, perhaps, enjoy a comfortable aperitif or digestif in the London Gin Bar lounge area, before or after dinner, with one of the largest range of British gin and cocktails to choose from.

Their afternoon tea can be similarly meaningful as you enjoy 'Tea on the Terrace', this is an experience that is all too rare in London these days.

For further details, including information about staying at Le Meridien Piccadilly or holding private parties and conferences there, do visit their Website.

At the luxurious Corinthia Hotel, The Northall oozes sophistication and warmth, inviting diners to enjoy sumptuous British cuisine in an opulent setting. The grand dining room features large windows and orange leather sofas, while mirror panels, pillars and chandeliers add a touch of class.

With a strong focus on sustainable and seasonal ingredients sourced from artisanal suppliers, The Northall menu offers a selection of starters, soups, salads in addition to fish and shellfish. The Northall grill includes exciting cuts of 28 day aged Cumbrian beef, while the Cumbrian beef burger is served with a choice of dry cured bacon, hen's egg or Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire cheese.

The Northall restaurant serves a special market menu for lunch and dinner, and light dishes like hand chopped steak tartare and deep-fried haddock in beer batter are highlights on the bar menu. Varied choices on the breakfast menu herald an exciting start to the day, so try the breakfast buffet, the continental cold buffet or the full English.

A stylish British restaurant, The Northall at Corinthia Hotel is close to the Trafalgar Square, Westminster and Covent Garden.

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

Occupying what must be one of the finest restaurant locations in London, the Park Terrace on the ground floor of the luxury 5 star Royal Garden Hotel looks out over Kensington Gardens, a serene oasis in the capital city.

Executive Chef Steve Munkley works with a brigade of some 80 chefs and in between carrying responsibility for all the catering outlets in the hotel also finds time to be the youngest ever Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs. He graduated from TVU in the '80s.

The restaurant is divided into three areas, designed to deal between them with multi various requirements of those wishing to enjoy the wide availability within the hotel. A British à la carte cuisine has a strong focus on locally sourced ingredients. A lounge area allows more informal dining to proceed all day, with afternoon tea available, and a bar which provides the focal point of the room, visible from the hotel lobby, with an extensive selection of drinks.

As with any major hotel breakfast is available to non residents. A du jour lunch offers around five or so courses well able to keep the average human furnace fuelled, always with fish and vegetarian dishes. The likes of a platter of English cured meats with rhubarb and orange chutney, or rosemary and sherry marinated Shetland salmon with pickled cucumber provide variety within lighter plates, as well as desserts with baked lemon curd raspberry sorbet a popular choice.

The Kensington Tea is the Park Terrace's solution to the 7^th Duchess of Bedford who, in the early 19^th century took issue with what she described as "that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon and arranged for a pot of tea and a light snack to be sent to her boudoir for private enjoyment ad relief. The Kensington Tea goes rather further, The Hampstead Tea even more so with a glass of champagne amongst the goodies.

When it comes to dinner the full force of Steve Munkley's approach to sourcing becomes apparent. Much of the meat derives from a co-operative of farmers in Essex and East Anglia. The animals are all free range, some are classified organic. So precise is the control that they are sometimes able to tell you which farm your meat came from. Label Anglais chickens give an outstanding flavour, and venison comes from the New Forest via a lady called Mrs Tee who also picks for wild mushrooms from the forest for Park Terrace tables.

The same precision and care is taken with the fruits of the sea, and Neal's Yard on Covent Garden are entrusted with the British cheeses. Cromer crab ravioli is served with samphire and shellfish bisque and East Anglia scores again with beef fillet carpaccio, wild rocket, Spenwood cheese and horseradish oil. Turning to more ample dishes the grilled free range Blythburgh pork cutlet with caramelised plum, honey and sherry vinegar, kale bubble and squeak and pork crackling is indeed a dish fit for a prince. A lounge menu, with bar menu and bar plates give wide variation with more informal dishes.

A fascinating wine list bears all the evidence of careful and enlightened choices, although the inclusion of some British labels might not come amiss.

Park Terrace is a treat at any time of the day or year, but as part of a prestigious hotel complex in West London it carries the seal of perfection. Their Website will keep you informed, in particular about the changing menus and special offers.

Looking for interesting, seasonal and light, well-prepared food in a galleried setting with stunning views. The Bay, at Penzance, helped establish the now well-tried tradition of combining culture, in the form of a serious art gallery, with cuisine and rooms - and succeeds. The setting is chic, unstuffy, with superb views above the rooftops of Penzance to Mount's Bay. An excellent place to kick back, relax and enjoy their mix of a Modern European approach to serving seafood and other English dishes.

Throughout the whole year look forward to eating the best of the local produce, in an imaginative and attractive form and calling on an impressive list of local suppliers from Cornwall, where the environment is naturally fresh.

During the day an all day dining menu offers such dishes as prosciutto ham with herbed olive hummus and balsamic vinegar, steamed Fowey mussels in a shallot, garlic and Cornish cider cream sauce, or pan-fried rump steak with baby spinach leaf, straw potatoes and herb hollandaise. At The Bay it's always worth asking what the boats have brought in; fish does not come any fresher than this.

Try a roast Pollock fillet on braised saffron leeks and lemon cream sauce, or a local handpicked white crabmeat open sandwich on homemade granary bread with lemon mayonnaise. For vegetarian tastes there could be a baked aubergine and tomato gateaux.

In the evenings the menu expands and starters could include home smoked breast of guinea fowl, ox tongue and hazelnut salad and date purée, or pan-fried South Coast scallops, potato and vanilla cream with steamed spring onions.

Main courses follow the same pattern with a pan-fried West Country duck breast with smoked fennel, polenta cake and a preserved orange jus; roast fillet of Newlyn landed pollack, baby brown shrimps, cucumber and watercress, and roast Cornish double beef - for two to share - with pan fried foie gras and oxtail ravioli, black truffle and port wine jus.

As you watch the sun subside into the light mists of a velvet Cornish sea evening, you will find the desserts even more beguiling than usual, headed by the white chocolate mousse, sultana fancler and rice wine vinegar reduction, closely followed by the coconut crème brûlée with passion fruit madeleines and dark chocolate sorbet or assortment of miniature desserts.

Local wines, beers and an elite list offer further variety and choice, and, with at least eight available by the glass or 1/2 bottle, you can change wines with each course. Dessert wines are encouraged and include Pedro Ximenez- Jerez from Spain, and Nederburg from South Africa.

The Bay is quality eating amidst beautiful surroundings both in and out, at prices that will leave room for you to contemplate further indulgence amongst the many pictures tastefully displayed in the Gallery.

The past years have firmly established the Bay, in the diners Awards of the Region, they were named West Country Restaurant of the Year in 2002, and Restaurant of the Year 2006-8 in the Cornwall Tourism Awards. Consistently awarded 2 AA rosettes annually, and listed in the Michelin Guide, The Good Hotel Guide and The Good Food Guide.

For those of you wanting further information about The Bay, a visit to their Website would be a sensible idea.

Contemporary and inviting, Tsunami in Clapham serves eclectic Japanese cuisine in a stunning setting. The striking interior blends in bold hues of black, gold and grey, and the trendy bar area is great place to enjoy a refreshing cocktail or a cold sake till late on weekends.

The Tsunami menu offers fresh ingredients and bold flavours in dishes like char-grilled chicken with scallion on bamboo skewers, and king crab tempura served with yuzu butter and creamy garlic sauce. Exotic dishes include a delectable wasabi lamb with creamed leeks and truffle rib eye with mushrooms.

Sushi, sashimi and nigiri rolls are served as well as a fresh range of salads and tempura dishes. The two course Tsunami lunch menu changes regularly and includes a snow crab shumai and roast duck among other dishes.

Close to the Clapham North Tube Station, Tsunami restaurant is just a 4-minute walk from the Clapham Picturehouse.

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

The Montagu offers tranquil views over one of London's most picturesque gardens, yet provides a vibrant setting to relax and indulge in a wide range of modern British, seasonal dishes, all of which are prepared in a striking open kitchen. Located at the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill - in Portman Square the restaurant prides itself on being a neighbourhood restaurant, which serves up a wide selection of wonderful, fresh dishes, with a mission to provide relaxed eating for all those whose lives bring them into contact with the hotel and its neighbourhood. Awarded the prestigious Tea Guild's Award of Excellence for the past three years, The Montagu offers a full afternoon tea service from 3:00pm to 6:00pm which is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street.

The Montagu offers tranquil views over one of London's most picturesque gardens, yet provides a vibrant setting to relax and indulge in a wide range of modern British, seasonal dishes, all of which are prepared in a striking open kitchen. Located at the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill - in Portman Square the restaurant prides itself on being a neighbourhood restaurant, which serves up a wide selection of wonderful, fresh dishes, with a mission to provide relaxed eating for all those whose lives bring them into contact with the hotel and its neighbourhood.

Awarded the prestigious Tea Guild's Award of Excellence for the past three years, The Montagu offers a full afternoon tea service from 3:00pm to 6:00pm which is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. The Montagu Afternoon Tea offers elegant tiered stands bearing a selection of traditionally British, thinly sliced finger sandwiches and warm fruit and plain scones with strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream. The Patissier's selection includes pretty French pastries and fruit tartlets and mini desserts. Also served is a fine selection of exquisite teas.

In addition, The Montagu offers Sex and the City Afternoon Tea, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Created with each of the girls in mind the Sex and the City afternoon tea  includes savoury dishes inspired by the city of New York and include pastrami on rye, and New York bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese.  Mini burgers (named after Jack Berger, one of Carrie's boyfriends) and mini New York hot dogs with a light drizzle of mustard add a little Manhattan glamour to the tea.

On the sweet end of the spectrum, a selection of pastries have been created with each of the girls in mind.  For Carrie, a strawberry-flavoured chocolate pink stiletto; for Charlotte, a pink strawberry cupcake; for Samantha an appletini jelly in a mini martini glass; and, finally, for Miranda, glazed doughnuts.

The Montagu's Chef's Table is a foodie experience with a 5-course menu, prepared and delivered by the chefs, right before your eyes.

For those with time to linger at lunch or having dinner, the choice is wide and focuses on ingredients that are in season. Try the court bouillon poached prawns with cocktail sauce and avocado, or the Dover sole with roasted potatoes and drizzled with lemon butter. Or for those who prefer something meatier, choose from a stunning beef tenderloin with bone marrow crust and braised shallots, or a herbed lamb rump with celeriac mash and glazed carrots.

And for pudding, it is difficult to resist The Montagu's tempting selection. Indulge in a plum crumble with red wine ice-cream and vanilla pod sauce, a spiced hot chocolate with caramelised homemade marshmallows, or a scrumptious sticky toffee and date pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream.

An extensive wine list offers 70 labels covering mix of New and Old World wines, with numerous selections available by the glass.

The Montagu in some ways echoes the grand style of a gentleman's club but one that is shorn of its pomposity and sepulchral silence, instead they are replaced with jollity and laughter, a real fun place to be not least because of the quality of the food and surroundings, and providing a real lift to the area.

However, the best way to find out all about The Montagu and the Hyatt Regency Hotel - The Churchill, one of the most elegant in London, is to visit their Website.

Housed within the luxurious Café Royal Hotel, The Ten Room offers a refreshing take on the dining room concept, serving British cuisine with much flair.

The elegant interior retains many original features of this landmark building and striking red furnishings, large windows and high ceilings add a regal feel. Kick-start your day with a sumptuous Ten Room breakfast menu that includes a choice of continental, English, American and healthy breakfast options alongside bacon, sausages and eggs. A unique blend of classics and contemporary favourites are evident on the a la carte with dishes such as Scottish scallop ceviche, avocado, lime and hazelnuts, or Label Anglais chicken and confit leg 'Royale.

Diners can also enjoy a specialised selection of popular dishes on the Ten Room all day menu featuring pasta, fish, burgers, steaks and a variety of sandwiches. Afternoon tea time brings in a range of choices with black, herbal, oxidised, jasmine and fruit teas, served with pastries, cakes and freshly cut sandwiches.

In the heart of London's West End, The Ten Room on Regent Street exudes much charm as one of London's most famous dining rooms.

Piccadilly Circus Tube Station is a 2-minute walk away.

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

The Marriott Hotel at Portsmouth has recently been further enlivened by the refurbishment of its restaurant and lounge with a modern, contemporary and stylish twist, Solent Chic. The new Sealevel restaurant and lounge has been transformed into a series of comfortable spaces where the travellers of today can mingle and eat, drink, work, meet and enjoy some private relaxation. The AA have recognised the quality of its cuisine with the award of its first rosette.

Portsmouth, with its strong maritime associations and still one of the premier Royal Naval ports of Britain, has a salty chirpiness about it that brings people from all over the world. Amongst its attractions are Henry VIII's warship, the Mary Rose, The Naval Dockyard with Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned ship in the Royal Navy, amongst many others.

Accommodation at the hotel is of the same high standard that one expects to find from Marriott the world over with newly renovated and spacious air-conditioned rooms with a king or two queen beds making them specially suitable for families. Bedding is luxury in style and content and rooms are fitted with wireless high speed internet throughout the hotel, large desk and chair, voice mail, and mini-bar. Expect to find Cable TV, 24 hours news and pay per view movies, hair dryer, iron/board, laptop safe and trouser press. 24 hour service is available.

As with any hotel decent food and drink is high on everybody's list, both for guests and those who provide and proximity to the sea tends to sharpen the appetite and cultivate a menu that is strong on seafood and fish. Clam chowder with smoked pancetta or London cured smoked salmon strike the right note and the sealevel fish pie with smoked haddock and salmon cooked in a cream sauce topped with mashed potato, celery, carrots, leeks, peas and cheddar cheese should most certainly not be missed.

Executive Head Chef Jaap Schep works from a sophisticated à la carte menu with new dishes galore supported by some of the classics such as poached salmon fillet with baby leeks, poached duck egg, Hollandaise sauce and a good sturdy 10z sirloin steak with sea salt and served with watercress, grilled tomato, butter and fries. Apple crumble and cinnamon custard and bakewell tart with warm, clotted cream takes some beating and so does the inspired cheese board which corners some of the best cheeses to be had in the UK.

A spacious wine list certainly keeps pace with the menu, giving plenty of choice, reasonable prices and some twenty or so by the glass, making sensible and enjoyable drinking perfectly possible.

With the daytime popularity as it is, there are very good reasons for offering a fast and attractive lounge menu where eating and drinking can be enjoyed but not allowed to dominate. As might be expected there is more than a whiff of brasserie comfort with dishes that are familiar and filling such as beer battered cod fillet, potato, leek and cheddar dheese pie with plum tomato and red onion salad, and from the grill, 8oz rump steak with butter, roasted tomato, field mushrooms and fries.

Champagne tea is served from 2 till 5 pm which in some ways rather typifies the character of the Portsmouth Marriott, which never forgets that it's a four star hotel but does not hesitate to enjoy itself in the process. The result is a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere, willing staff and a recommendation rate that is a credit not only to this hotel but Marriott Hotels worldwide as well.

Their Website is full of useful information, shorn of boastful claims and likely to answer all your queries with ease.