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Start with a cocktail, say a bourbon cookie, cosmopolitan or a parson green apple before tackling some food that will vary from pub to pub. There are bar meals, try lime and coriander chicken in Didsbury, or a more formal approach in restaurant style, what about 21 day hung, 10 oz British sirloin steak in Mayfair, with homemade chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce in Birmingham. In general the menus are very similar, with plenty of choices all round.

There are now over twenty five branches of Pitcher and Piano where you can be assured of the same decent levels of food and drinks, service and quality. Surely that's better than the lucky dip approach?

A restaurant serving Nepalese cuisine, Jojolapa in New Hall Street is distinctly traditional with dark wood and intricate carvings and yet comfortable with cosy seating and soft lighting. The menu at Jojolapa also includes Indian cuisine selections. Jojolapa, which means welcome in Nepalese, is a family run restaurant.

For lunch and dinner, chef Ganesh Shreshta has put together dishes like traditional rice pancake stuffed with minced chicken, deep fried marinated cod, tandoori lamb on the bone marinated with Himalayan herbs and sautéed breast of duck tikka cooked with chilli, coriander, spices and a dash of red wine. Alternatively, there's quaty soup made with seven types of lentils and chicken choyla, char grilled spring chicken cooked with herbs, olive oil and fenugreek seeds. Set menu specials include tandoori chicken, sheekh kebab, prawn chilli garlic, paneer shashlik, mixed vegetables, spinach with fenugreek and chicken tikka masala. There are also special platters for two. Refresh the palate with homemade kulfi, created from a secret family recipe.

YO! Sushi - Birmingham Brindleyplace is a vital gastronomic experience rather than simply a place to eat sushi. This exciting and visually appealing Japanese delicacy, almost a cuisine in itself and going back to the 4th century BC, is fast rising in popularity for reasons of both taste and health, as well as its companionable setting. The restaurants offer a range of delectable nibbles that are attractively presented and revolve on a gently moving belt in front of customers, allowing them to sample a real wealth of varieties and eat just what they like best as often as they wish.

Contrary to many people's perception of sushi as raw fish, it comes in many forms drawing heavily on rice, fish, vegetables and seafood but the great variety arises chiefly from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these are combined. Often the same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, yet creating widely differing tastes.

Some of the most popular types are sashimi rolls, made from raw or seared slices of salmon and tuna and meant to be eaten within a couple of hours of being put together. Other options include cones of seaweed with rice and fillings and the little boat shaped parcels called gunkans. Miso soups, salads and nigiri sushi made of rice with toppings all add to its strong visual appeal.

Great beers like Asahi Super Dry and Sapporo support the food superbly, as well as hot and cold sake for those who want to sustain the Japanese experience. The menu also has non-alcoholic drinks and a limited list of wines and champagne. For dessert try the dorayaki, mochi or settle for fresh fruit.

The experience of having a meal at YO! Sushi is enriched by the unique array that appears as if by magic before the diner, with its unique colour coded pricing system. But the real pull is the fresh, healthy and tasty food that keeps people returning to their outlets across the UK.

The humble soya bean may not look as appetising on its own, but it adapts and mingles beautifully with other flavours and tastes, resulting in a versatile array of products. At Café Soya, a variety of unique and tantalising dishes have been created with it which is bound to elevate its status.

Among the range of spicy starters, look out for the chilli pepper spare ribs, tender marinated pork ribs marinated in hoisin sauce, pan-fried with garlic and chilli pepper. A wide selection of soups, stir fried noodles and rice dishes infused with a combination of Vietnamese and Chinese flavours offers different tastes and textures.

Typical hot pot dishes such as hot and spicy chicken or beef with garlic blackbean sauce can fire your appetite while the tribute to soya continues with special tofu dishes such as pipa tofu, minced prawns and tofu, deep-fried in balls served with oyster sauce and bak choi.