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Situated in the fashionable suburb of West Bridgford, Oriental Pearl is a sophisticated bar and contemporary Cantonese restaurant with superb Oriental cuisine, together with a wide selection of world beers, stylish cocktails and fine wines. It incorporates a ground floor bar and lounge furnished with soft leather sofas and designer armchairs, whilst on the first floor there is a minimalist Zen restaurant with a glass atrium.

The Pearl underwent a major refurbishment a couple of years ago with an emphasis on bringing back the 'oriental' into the equation. This has involved antique wooden screens, authentically carved dark wooden tables with complementary low seating and mood lighting, giving a whole new feeling of sensual opulence that is wholly at ease with the cuisine.

The Skyline lounge provides a choice of casual bar dining during the day and à la carte in the evenings, all served against a backdrop of sumptuous suede and Chinese silk banquet seating. Upstairs, a contemporary restaurant fitted out with Chinese lanterns and Oriental furnishings is divided into three dining areas that enable the room to suit the mood of those coming to enjoy this carefully crafted temple of Far Eastern indulgence. Pearl is a participating restaurant in the Gourmet Society and was recently named 'the city's finest Cantonese' by Easyjet magazine.

Belle and Jerome is a stylish and sophisticated continental cafe and tapas restaurant which serves delicious breakfasts, lunches and snacks during the day and transforms into a chilled tapas bistro in the evening. At either of their locations, in Beeston or West Bridgford, the ambience is chic European, and diners can sit back and relax with friends over a fine meal. Lighter bites, cakes and delicious Fairtrade coffee ensure that there's always a lively buzz around the place.

Home smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast might be a popular choice for breakfast while later on for lunch you could opt for a slice of freshly baked tart with dressed salad. For dinner, the choice of authentic tapas is ever-changing, but all dishes are bursting with flavour and freshly prepared to order. Dessert may be a rich chocolate brownie with butterscotch ice cream. The wine list is diverse with numerous New and Old World selections.

Plush contemporary interiors fused with ethnic designs. Authentic recipes sourced from royal families and ancient family traditions of the enchanting Indian sub-continent. Impeccable service with ample personal attention paid to every table. These are just a few things that explain the crowds thronging to Bombay, The Indian Brasserie in Nottingham. While the service is timely, one is never under pressure to rush through a meal. After a recent refurbishment and seating for 100, large crowds are no concern and the table is one's own for the evening.

Even with all the frills and fancies, the food is always the hero at Bombay. Cooked fresh to order using only the finest ingredients, curry-craving palates are never disappointed. There are buffet, take-away and party menus apart from the regular a la carte, including an impressive wine list. The Mumbai ghosht karahi - a unique tender lamb preparation and tandoori shahi jinga masala - king prawns marinated in tandoori sauce are only teasers to a never-ending list of delectable delicacies. Kulfis are also on the menu for the incurable sweet-tooth

An idyllic setting in an old village railway station paired with consistently excellent modern British cooking make this a popular venue for Nottingham locals and beyond. Warm and genuine service keeps a loyal base of customers coming back week after week.

Started in 1982 by Tony and Wendy Perkins the place has prospered, which speaks for itself; over the intervening period, Perkins has gained a reputation for food and service excellence, supported by all the top guides. In fact Perkins has been voted the Midlands restaurant of the year by the readers of the Which? Good Food Guide for 2007 and 2008.

There is a small bar where orders are taken from the blackboard menu which offers a surprisingly sophisticated range. They do a speedy two-course lunch, with two choices per course, shall we say salt beef hash topped with fried egg and capers or fillet of home-smoked salmon with creamed leeks and sauté potatoes? The mid-week fixed-price dinner is well-priced. Perkins now boasts their own smokehouse, dishes from which appear regularly on the menu, and really epitomise what Perkins is about - good, solid local ingredients, well executed.

House wines come in at £13.95 and similarly comfortably-priced wines from a short list are also on offer. Would that the country had more of these simple, unpretentious, but thoroughly good places where ordinary people can eat well and reasonably often.