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.

If you're on the lookout for 'good food, good wine and good company', a French restaurant in the heart of Nottingham's city centre provides each guest with just that and more. Located near the theatre and cinema, Petit Paris is known for its elegant decor and friendly and informal ambience.

Stop by for an intimate à la carte dinner or for a relaxed pre or post-theatre meal. The menu offers French classics such as brioche, coq au vin, filet mignon, fruits de mer and moules marinère alongside a selection of daily specials and British and Italian dishes.

A starter of home-cured salmon gravadlax and citrus salad will give you an idea of just why Petit Paris is famed for its real French experience. Main courses encompass duck breast cooked to your liking with glazed nectarines and served with steamed rice and citrus jus, and a summer vegetable risotto topped with a free-range poached egg and shaved parmesan cheese.

Trust a hand crafted chocolate and amaretto biscuit cheesecake served with apricot coulis to give your meal a perfect conclusion.

Tom Browns Brasserie is situated next to the River Trent in Gunthorpe, Nottingham; it is a friendly, family run business with a very decent standard of food and service.

The no-smoking restaurant boasts a mezzanine floor area with wonderful river views. In January 2005, they added a brand new lounge bar, which is not only light and airy, but is also the perfect setting to relax in, either before or after a meal. In the summer months, there is also an outdoor wooden-decked, seating area, over-looking the River Trent, where you can eat, drink and watch the world go by.

Modern and conveniently located, The Nottingham Gateway is an AA three-star hotel three miles from the city centre and just one from the M1 motorway. The refuge's strongest points lie in its conference facilities that can make up to 250 guests feel at ease, and in its top-notch Strings Bar and Bows Gallery Restaurant.

With crisp white walls and colourful canvases, splashes of red with beige and black leather seating, the refurbished restaurant offers a sleek and luxurious ambience. Enjoy beautiful views through floor to ceiling windows, and feast on dishes from a new European menu.

Starters encompass a chicken liver and smoked bacon parfait served with a plum and vanilla chutney and toasted focaccia, while a selection of freshly roasted meats, fish and homemade pies make up the main course list.

The bar offers a bistro style menu of hand-cut sandwiches, light snacks, and homemade pizza. You could relax over a glass of wine, browse the internet, or sit back and enjoy live sporting events there.

An unashamedly Gallic experience that seems to be greatly cherished by the patrons. Everything about the high-ceilinged basement restaurant is French, with the exception of most of the customers. This matters not, they are all enjoying themselves, they keep on coming back to enjoy the reliable and unfussy cooking of France, at a cost which is dramatically low, demonstrating that this is what a bistro is really all about. Set 2 courses lunch/pre-theatre is on offer at £9.90. Wine? Why do you ask - just check it out in person, you won't regret it.

Since September 2010 as the restaurant menus are now being served on the ground floor as well as the basement. The resulting doubled number of covers is supported by a brand new, relocated kitchen. French Living is maturing into a modern and versatile venue, whilst retaining its core values of French cuisine without a foreign accent, served by professionals at a sensible price.

Several restaurant kitchens receive centrally supplied, readymade ingredients, however at French Living the chefs cook everything on site using fresh ingredients.

Located in a sixteenth-century cottage overlooking the village church, Launay's is a charming restaurant and bar in the heart of the Sherwood Forest. The refuge benefits from a patio for al fresco dining and an orangery complete with classic chandeliers, moody lighting and a cocktail bar ideal for parties and weddings.

Under the ownership of Head Chef Alain and Alison, you can be assured that Launay's provides high quality food and service, whether you unwind with a modern European or French meal, or just a glass of wine.

Fresh steamed mussels in white wine, parsley and shallot liquor served with sliced baguette ensure your meal is off to a brilliant start. For mains you could choose between a pork fillet wrapped in Parma ham, and best end of lamb wrapped in bread crust and chicken mousse with pea and mint puree, green bean salad and rosemary sautéed potatoes. Baileys Irish cream crème brûlée with toffee sauce and kipferl pastry helps bring matters to a comforting close.

The diverse wine list offers the perfect accompaniments to a meal.