Located in Horner Lane at Old Spitalfields Market, this latest addition to the Fire & Stone portfolio brings "deliciously different pizzas" into the heart of the City of London. Whilst the regular inhabitants of the area may be having to work harder these days they still have to eat and Fire & Stone are part of the pattern that has seen some of London's finest restaurants moving into the City.

Some years ago I lunched at the Covent Garden Fire & Stone with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. Their claim to be a 'hip' place to eat was no idle boast then, nor is it now. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are.

But should time be precious the Fire & Stone takeaway service will make the most of what little you have. The same care and attention that goes into their other menus is applied to the substantial takeaway version that draws on ideas from an international spectrum. If time is money Fire & Stone takeaways are on your side.

Frankly all this rushing about really isn't good for you. Give yourself a break at lunchtime and take a close look at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

On the main menu consider the myriad choices drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that each time you buy one of their unique pizzas up to six you collect a stamp that then entitles you to your seventh pizza free The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, and Kids Eat Free, are frequently to be found.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

In the heart of London's Mayfair, close to the landmark luxury hotels The Dorchester and The Ritz, La Brasserie Mayfair is the newest acquisition by the owners of Fakhreldine, and rather unsurprisingly specialises in modern European food, majoring on the best of France, Italy and Spain, an attractive trio when it comes to matters of culinary distinction.

At the helm of this landlocked temple to Copia and Bacchus is Italian chef Erik Paternoster. His aim has been, and remains so, to create a restaurant that mirrors a modern-day French restaurant. However, he will sometimes smilingly refer to his Mediterranean Brasserie. So no red and gold but a monochrome theme, reflecting informality. Whilst enjoying your meal you can watch a range of top musicals or listen to the soundtracks of you favourite old musicals.

Despite its 80 covers La Brasserie soon fills up with guests anxious to enjoy a number of dishes ranging from the exotic to the simply gorgeous. If I wasn't already a hopeless addict when it came to prawns I would fall for gambas "pil pil", prawns cooked in bubbling oil, chilli, garlic and parsley. A classic salade Niçoise revolves round a French style tuna salad, composed of red onions, green beans, boiled eggs, capers, anchovies and black olives.

Down amongst the big boys a simple fillet of cod, pan fried, is blessed with braised leeks and a parsley sauce. One could hardly ask for a more straightforward dish, yet it's the twinning that counts here. The same goes for spaghetti with garlic, tomato sauce and basil. A poulet Paillard with roast new potatoes and spinach carries a hint of true country cooking using the best of ingredients and allowing them to make their contribution over time rather than being blasted to anonymity amidst a host of choices.

None of the countries that contributes to La Brasserie Mayfair can be said to be short of ideas when it comes to dessert time. Two classics, an Italian tiramisu and the much loved crème brûlée are always in demand, and the meal can be even more enjoyably extended by an assiette de Fromages.

The menu is made up of only 15 dishes including starters and main courses, and five desserts. For those accustomed to lengthy menus that can leave you baffled and with a feeling of deprivation, this might at first glance seem to be a challenge. But look closer and the clever way in which the tastes and flavours have been linked becomes more apparent. Add to this the fact that the prices are gentle on the pocket

Whoever selected the wines had no need to travel beyond the three countries either, and they chose well, picking wines that respond to the theme of simplicity - and integrity. For those in need of something a touch different, jugs of Sangria Espanola, sometimes described as the national drink of Spain are very much in evidence.

Their Website will tell you more about this coming together of three star European countries that have so much to offer in terms of culinary pleasure.

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.

Burton on Trent has a classy looking brasserie that it should be proud of, a place where you can visit with friends or family and have some well prepared modern British food, all in a most relaxed setting. It's quite easy to tick off all your objectives for dining out at 99 Station Street, as they concentrate on using only fresh, local and seasonal produce, their cooking is simply superb.

A warm welcome from the friendly front of house team sets the ball rolling and you could soon be seated in the comfortable restaurant, perusing the concise menu that is not overburdened with items, so choosing your meal becomes a pleasurable and simple activity. Lunch time rumblings can easily be assuaged by starters of homemade pâté with dill pickled cucumber, followed by fillet of salmon with soft herb crust and wild garlic oil and orange, lemon and lime cheesecake.

Evenings warrant a more elaborate service and starters such as thin slices of home oak maple smoked venison saddle with sweet and sharp hedgerow fruits and port caviar, or warm Cornish crab in Chapel Down Flint cream sauce on a toasted spring onion, cream cheese and chive pancake drizzled with herbed Staffordshire rapeseed oil are right on the mark. This could be followed by main courses along the lines of baked loin of halibut topped by a soft herb crust with poached mussels in a white wine and roasted garlic velouté finished with double cream, or roast rack of Stockley park lamb on a spring onion and Staffordshire cheese potato cake with a sharp mint puree and red wine sauce.

Those not on a calorie counting spree will enjoy a glance at their dessert menu listing delicious confections ranging from a rather unique bread and butter pudding, layered with single malt soaked raisins on creamy custard, to warm apple crumble tart with homemade cinnamon ice-cream. Chocoholics will love the blissful combination of coconut Cambridge cream topped with a chocolate crust and served with short bread biscuit whilst those who prefer savoury endings can opt for the cheese board.

99 Station Street has a few local wines, some classics as well as some New World creations including cava and champagne, which are eminently suitable for different courses of the meal. They also have private dining options and cater for special occasions with specifically prepared menus and they positively welcome add-ons such as hand made place settings and cakes to infuse that distinctive touch to your party.

They have garnered some prestigious accolades already, and judging by their popularity some more are surely bound their way. For information about menus, wine list and upcoming events, do check their Website.

Cha Plu has become something of a local West London landmark for Thai cuisine. On Fulham Road, right opposite the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, it's the sort of place where you could linger over a relaxed meal and drink with family and friends. The restaurant's stylish interior blends Thai statues, bronze masks and other traditional artefacts with leather chairs and dark metallic tables to create a delightful contemporary ambience.

The extensive à la carte menu includes starters such as yum pu nim, a dish of succulent deep fried soft shell crab served with Thai mango salad; pla murk gra tieum, dried crispy squid with garlic and pepper and typical Thai style charcoal grilled loin pork on a stick served with a tamarind chilli dip. If you prefer a salad then go for charcoal grilled duck breast mixed with fresh chillies and lime juice, minced chicken with spring onions, lime juice and dried chilli or som tum, a traditional papaya salad.

Main course dishes capture the essence of authentic Thai cooking with offerings such as lamb massaman, lamb braised and cooked with mussaman paste, potatoes, onions, and peanuts; beef pad kra chai, stir fried sliced tender beef with sweet basil, krachai leaves, pepper seeds and fresh chillies; stir fried light buttered crispy pork loin with pepper and garlic and tamarind duck, roast duck breast on pak choi topped with tamarind sauce.

The seafood section offers a variety of delectable dishes including sea bass neung see eiw, steamed sea bass fillet with light soy sauce, ginger and spring onions; stir fried river prawn with red curry paste and lime leaves and stir fried scallop with asparagus.

You could also try house specialities of stir fried sirloin with Thai green curry paste, coconut milk lime leaves, bamboo shoots, kra chai roots and sweet basil; spicy pan fried sea bass topped with Panang curry sauce or stir fried soft shell crab with black pepper seeds, red and green peppers and chillies. The assorted seafood sizzling platter delivers stir fried king prawns, squids, scallops and mussels, cooked and flavoured with sweet basil, fine beans, onions, red and green peppers and chillies.

The royal banquet set menu for a minimum of four persons offers a platter of mixed appetisers such as chicken satay, Thai fishcake, crab spring rolls and goong hom pah, all served with variety of dips and followed by tom yum tiger prawn or chicken tom kha soup. For mains, there's a choice of dried green curry halibut fillet, duck red curry, beef pad lemongrass or pad Thai prawn and chicken served with steamed jasmine rice. Round off with Thai pancake served with vanilla ice cream. A three-course set menu is also available.

The same care and attention to detail extends to the drinks list which offers a selection of wines and champagnes from around the world as well as cold beers, ales and spirits. The cocktail menu includes classics such as pina colada, mai tai, mojito, daiquiri and margarita as well as a range of non-alcoholic cocktails to enhance the pleasure.

More information can be found on their Website.

The picturesque and awe inspiring landscape of the town of Perth is home to the smart New County Hotel where the award winning Opus One restaurant continues to gather laurels and awards for their impeccable modern British gourmet cuisine. The hotel is located on County Place in the heart of Perth City Centre and is an ideal retreat whether you're there for business or pleasure. The marvellous adventure sports scene in Perth draws many an enthusiast, and at the end of the day the respite offered by the hotel is enough to rejuvenate even the most exhausted participant.

The light and airy bedrooms are furnished splendidly in stylish monochromatic colours, where white teams up with black for a classic look, and with beige for a more understated but elegant feel. The en-suite bedrooms are equipped with every conceivable comfort including flat screen TV, direct dial telephone, hair dryer and a well stocked hospitality tray.

The 2 AA Rosette awarded Opus One restaurant has garnered other prestigious awards too, such as a Silver Award from EatScotland at the end of 2008 and a Platinum Plate for their outstanding food with Hotel Review Scotland. And to add to that they were named the 'Rising Star Restaurant for 2009' and also achieved a runner-up place for Scottish National Hotel Restaurant of the Year in the Scottish Hotel of The Year Awards; while in 2010 they were 'Urban Restaurant of the Year' in the Scottish Restaurant Awards. Little wonder that the restaurant's popularity has been increasing from strength to strength and their Head Chef, Romuald Denesle from Normandy, who has worked in many excellent restaurants, most recently as Senior Sous Chef at The Ardeonaig Hotel on Loch Tay, is busy as ever trying to raise the bar even higher.

Opus One, we are told, could mean several things, such as the first masterpiece of an artist or composer or the famous wine from Napa Valley. The restaurant, which can be perceived as a magnum opus on its own, has been furnished with a contemporary taste where elegance combines graciously with modern style. The seasonal menu draws on the best of local produce and for lunch starters might include chicken liver parfait with red onion jam and oatcakes, or wholemeal blinis with thick cut smoked salmon with salad leaves and a grain mustards crème fraîche.

Main courses could involve delights such as slow roasted belly of pork with braised red cabbage, truffled potatoes and a sultana and thyme jus, or breast of corn fed chicken with celeriac and potato rösti, Savoy cabbage and Madeira jus. Dishes tend to become more elaborate in the evening, where meals could typically begin with goats' cheese pannacotta with caramelised beetroot and rocket salad, or carpaccio of monkfish cured in lime oil and a caviar dressing. Follow this with fresh market fish of the day or pan-fried fillet of beef.

Luscious and decadent, the desserts at Opus One could easily meet your calorific fantasies more than half way, for who can resist the pineapple and star anise mousse with roasted pineapple and green apple sorbet, or sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce? To ably accompany such excellent food be sure not to miss the selection of fine wines and spirits. Their signature wine is understandably the Opus One, a Napa Valley number that is produced meticulously as a result of the inspired collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi.

There's much more information about opening times, menus and drinks lists on their elegantly designed Website and a few clicks will bring you closer to this wonderful dining destination. Do note that they do not accept children under the age of ten.

One of the recent exciting developments in London has been the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush, and there in the thick of it is Fire& Stone, ensuring that this shopper's paradise has easy access to quality pizzas and pasta with an international twist. Feeling fragile after long exposure to a shopping frenzy? Head for some ravishing and tasty solace, freshly prepared and laced with familiarity.

Some years ago I lunched at the first Fire & Stone, in Covent Garden, with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. The vibrancy of the sparkling new and contemporary retail centre at Westfield is infectious and a decent meal is all part of the experience. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are.

Frankly all this rushing about buying things can be pretty exhausting. Give yourself a break and take a close look, for instance, at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95, and  note that lunch starts at 11am, going on to 4pm. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

On the main menu consider the myriad choices drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that each time you buy one of their unique pizzas up to six you collect a stamp, ensuring that your seventh pizza is free. The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, £10 after 10pm, and Kids Eat Free, are frequently to be found.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

The Restaurant is situated behind the Brasserie and is the focus of 1 Lombard Street's central theme. Located in a grade II listed, transformed corner bank site which until 2008 might have been calculated to instil some frisson of security. Alas, no more. Instead, from a circular bar cocktails of both a lethal and aristocratic origin, with names forever associated with the surrounding City and its preoccupation with matters of money, are dispensed by staff who certainly know what they are about.

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.

When one of the country's most respected and leading critics says that a restaurant in this group is 'the best Italian Restaurant outside London' it is time to take them seriously. Britain's love affair with Italian food is a cause célèbre of long standing and shows no signs of waning, so it is always welcome news when somewhere like San Carlo sets out to reach for the skies.

Located in the heart of Leicester, San Carlo is well suited to catch both day and night time business, and the menu reflects this. There are a wide range of dishes, plus blackboard specials, offering snacks, meals, celebrations, all in true Italian style, dishes that bring Italy into the very centre of life in the city. San Carlo is one of a chain of similar restaurants, yet each one has its own personality.

The San Carlo at Leicester is particularly famous for having the city's only wood burning oven, ensuring that they produce the freshest pizzas in the area.

Favourite dishes include sliced prime Scottish fillet of beef with a light dressing of capers, anchovies, garlic and extra virgin olive oil, and that old favourite of connoisseurs the world over, pan fried breast of chicken with white wine, mushrooms and cream sauce, garnished with asparagus. Many of the ingredients to create these dishes are imported from Italy, and it goes without saying that the wine list is unashamedly and spectacularly of the same origin.

A combination of Italian cuisine and fish has always seemed logical - all that coastline - as well as highly attractive to the British taste. The antipasti at San Carlo includes a mixture of squid, prawns and mussels, deep-fried whitebait, and scallops in white wine and garlic. Amongst the main courses expect to find grilled whole sea bass, a mixed grill of fish, special pasta with lobster, brandy, tomato, cream and peas, or giant prawn and scallops in garlic and chilli.

It is customary to look for Italian wines in such places, nor will you be disappointed, but there are a few French inclusions also, with a rather nice Chablis in evidence. House wines, and few off the list, are available by the glass. Service is a good example of that Italian 'just make yourself at home we'll look after everything' manner, when you generally surprise yourself by taking their advice. In Britain we just say 'no problem', which may be succinct, but lacks style.

San Carlo Leicester is a real gem amongst the San Carlo collection, with its location in Granby Street, and its architecture and décor providing the best of Italian luxury. Groups are welcome at San Carlo, but to preserve the balance between groups, a limit of up to nine people applies on Friday and Saturday, and twenty to thirty on weekdays. Booking will always make for security but in general the arrangements mean there is room for everybody.

Ultimately a restaurant is judged by two main factors, each dependent upon the other. Combine quality food with life's movers and shakers in attractive surroundings and you have a sure fire record for the sweet buzz of success that permeates San Carlo.

Make sure you check out their Website to bring you up to date on special events at San Carlo Leicester.

glo's restaurant at Walton on Thames has introduced a much welcomed brand of pleasurable eating to this pleasant and prosperous western suburb of London. Whatever the purpose of your call at glo, winding down with colleagues after a brusque day or just enjoying the company of friends, here you will find an upbeat and romantic environment to set your evening in motion before dining in the chic restaurant.

The signature cocktails are the perfect way to go, perhaps starting with one of the six listed martinis, before going on to classic longs, sparklers or shooters. Driving? Then select from one of their four non-alcoholic varieties.

An international menu offers many interesting choices, and they recommend sharing food for maximum pleasure, although many do not wish to do this. Dim sum is a speciality so look out for pork and prawn siu mai, hoi sin duck, and scallop and shiitake mushroom dumplings amongst the steamed.

That old favourite duck spring roll leads off the crispy dim sum, cashew and prawn dumplings represent the new wave and vegetarian spring rolls are pure melt in the mouth. Starters include mushrooms with gorgonzola and coriander, Thai crab cakes and hoisin duck pancakes.

They also have an interesting selection of noodles, and pesto and coriander, Thai green and kung po are amongst them. Nowadays you seem to be never less than ten metres from a pizza, and glo is on the mark once again giving a new dimension to this much loved Italian invention, all served with a unique house tomato base and lightly sprinkled with Asian spices, the hoi sin duck or Thai spicy pepperoni are highly recommended.

The grills are equally spectacular with Thai BBQ ribs and whole poussin chicken, manuka rump steak, and pesto lemongrass chicken skewers. Whilst exploring your way through the dessert menu you might encounter a chocolate box, or ice cream money bags, hot and crisp on the outside with creamy Asian ice cream on the inside, topped with warm manuka honey.

The taste in wines is eclectic and not so large as to be thoroughly confusing. Several are by the glass and all under £20. glo stays open until 2am and as a refuge for the restless night hawks it could hardly be bettered. Their smart Website will tell you more. Only one thing left to say - enjoy! It is even open for breakfast from 9 am every day.