Looking out to sea with a timber deck set with white parasols and steel pillars, Fire & Stone Portsmouth offers guests the feeling of being on a cruise liner, perfect for dining al fresco. Situated on Gunwharf Quays, close to the Vue Cinema, the restaurant is perfect for a meal before or after a movie.
 
Fire and Stone's stone-baked pizzas are made from fresh ingredients and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Inspired by flavours of the world, the pizzas are grouped into classic, Africa, Asia, Americas, Australasia and Europe. A party menu, kids menu and special offers are also available.

The range of delicious starters includes grilled bruschetta with Parma ham, melted brie, caramelized onion jam and pesto; crisp fried calamari served with tartare sauce and a charcuterie board with Parma ham, Napoli salami, garlic and fennel salami, smoked ham, houmous, taramasalata, Kalamata olives, cornichons and grilled pitta bread.

Fire & Stone's classic pizza range includes the Florence with mozzarella, tomato sauce, spicy pepperoni, Italian garlic and fennel salami, sun blushed tomatoes and marinated black olives and Athena with roasted red pepper sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, barrel-aged Greek feta cheese and pine nuts, all drizzled with pesto sauce. For something more exotic try a Marrakech with mint yoghurt sauce, mozzarella, cumin spiced ground lamb, olives, red onions, topped with mint and cucumber yoghurt, raisins and chilli oil.
 
Going further east, there's the Peking pizza with Chinese hoi sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons or the Bombay with roast tandoori marinated chicken, spiced tandoori yoghurt base, broccoli, sliced red onion, mozzarella topped with spiced mango chutney, cucumber and mint yoghurt.

For New World flavours try an Acapulco with mozzarella, tomato sauce, slow cooked ground chilli beef, jalapenos, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole or, from the Australasia section you could opt for the Byron Bay topped with basil pesto, mozzarella, field mushrooms, cumin roasted sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, green olives, topped with crushed macadamia nuts.

The salads section offers a refreshing choice of chicken Caesar salad with roast chicken breast, cos lettuce, parmesan, rustic croutons and classic Caesar salad dressing; Israeli cous cous salad with mixed peppers, roasted aubergine, whole roast chicken breast, coriander, tzatziki and spicy harissa and spinach, bacon, avocado and artichoke salad tossed with creamy grain mustard vinaigrette.

If you prefer pasta there's a choice of sumptuous smoked bacon and mushroom penne with mixed field mushrooms, white wine, smoked bacon, double cream and parsley or vegetarian rigatoni alla arrabiatta with giant rigatoni tossed in a classic North African chilli, garlic and tomato sauce with added roasted red peppers.

Finish with tempting dessert of tarte au citron with crème Chantilly and raspberry coulis, banoffee pizza; a sweet pizza base with banoffee sauce, freshly sliced bananas and vanilla ice cream or a selection of Marshfield Cotswold ice cream.

The drinks menu includes a selection of wines, beers, spirits, cocktails, smoothies and shakes..

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

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 European 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 £17.95 for lunch for three courses and £27.95 menu served for pre-theatre.

The menus are seasonal and during a summer visit be prepared to find starters ranging from curried scallops with cauliflower purée and crisp pancetta, ham hock terrine with gooseberry relish, or smoked duck breast with spiced orange marmalade.

This imaginative and diverse approach continues through to the main courses from organic Scottish salmon with sautéed wild mushrooms and celeriac purée, pan fried sea bass with tomato fondue and gremolata dressing to roast fillet of beef, marrow bone, camembert fondant with red wine shallots.

Their pan fried Guinea fowl breast with fricassee of peas, pearl onions and lettuce served with barrel new potatoes and crème fraiche mustard sauce make a luxurious meal for a truly indulgent dining experience.

Diners could, perhaps, enjoy a comfortable aperitif or digestif in the Bar lounge area, before or after dinner, with a wide range of wines and champagnes 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.

Think of Brighton, and English's springs to mind, particularly if seafood is your weakness; owned by the Leigh-Jones family since 1945, English's has established itself as one of the most famous seafood restaurants in the South of England. Established by the Braziers during the last century, the restaurant is set within three fishermen's cottages dating back 400 years with wonderful al fresco dining. The three series of murals painted in 1996 by two local art students, Catarina Perestrello and Mark Davies feature Edwardian dinner scenes in the Spode Room. The Wedgwood Room has after dinner pleasures, and the Minton commemorates the handbag scene from 'The Importance of Being Ernest', with none other than the author himself casting a sardonic eye over proceedings. The menu includes a comprehensive array of seafood dishes with a particular emphasis on local and sustainable produce.

Head Chef Gavin Lee started his career about 19 years ago at The Savoy in London, his interest in food started from a very young age, and he was lucky to be offered an apprenticeship in this premier London hotel at the age of 16. He has not looked back since. Gavin draws his inspiration from the creative process; the way a dish starts out in his head and culminates in a delicious meal. It's really about how the journey evolves along the way. Being a chef has also given him the opportunity to travel, having worked in some of the best kitchens in America and New Zealand amongst others.

Due to the seasonality of the products, the menu changes regularly to take advantage of the best that the markets have to offer. Ingredients are, whenever possible sourced locally and an ever increasing emphasis is put on sustainable sources both locally and further afield. Oysters are particularly popular, with a selection of rock oysters available all year round and a selection of native oysters available from September till the end of April. All the oysters come from well respected suppliers who take the utmost care and attention to ensure a superior product for the customer.

Great care and attention is taken in the selection of wines making the List. Bringing you a variety of wines with interesting back stories as well as great tone, character and taste. A good deal of time and effort has been spent sourcing, tasting and compiling a carefully chosen mix of wines, champagnes, dessert wines and half bottles which means it goes beyond the examples widely available on the High Street. The list is tweaked and refreshed on an on-going basis, whilst retaining many of the firm favourites. You also cannot fail to be impressed with the selection available by the glass, which offers variety and flexibility to your choice.

Whether you choose to sit 'sur le terroir', at the famous Oyster Bar or in one of the Edwardian plush dining rooms you will experience a traditional and expertly executed service which has all but disappeared in the modern wave of the branded restaurants. Whether it's due to the notable volumes of regular guests or the confidence and surety throughout this establishment, there is a genuine and relaxed friendliness in the air. The stereotypical pretentious nature synonymous with celebrated restaurants certainly does not exist here.

It's hard to say anything more about this restaurant so just go there, sit outside on a good day and enjoy superb seafood with the salty breeze off the Channel; or nestle into the plush red velvet and gold décor for an evening of unbridled pleasure.

For vastly more information about English's, a unique Brighton institution, their private dining and full menus, do visit their Website.

At the Fish and Grill in Croydon, it's indeed all about the freshest fish and juiciest grilled meats. Malcolm John, of the acclaimed French restaurants Le Vacherin and Le Cassoulet, serves up more heart warming fare with this stylish British brasserie. The smart contemporary decor with its clever lighting, modern art prints and wooden tables enhances the dining experience, making this the perfect venue for a business lunch or dinner date. Located on South End, the Fish and Grill is just a 9-minute walk from South Croydon Rail Station.

The restaurant sources fresh fish and shellfish from the south coast and Cornwall on a daily basis, while rare breed meats and free range poultry are sourced from the best producers. A meal could begin with starters of South coast mussels and Suffolk bacon cooked with Dorset cider, potted smoked Cornish mackerel, and seared diver-caught scallops with green beans and hazelnut butter. There are also choices of Colchester or Carlingford rock oysters and a luxurious seafood platter.
    
For the main course, try the à la carte's Cornish line caught sea bass, cooked and served whole on the bone with tartar sauce, delicious whole grilled crab with garlic, chilli and ginger butter or classic beer battered haddock with pea purée. The Fish and Grill's grilled selection includes succulent choices of Aberdeen Angus T bone steak, Chateaubriand for two served with roasted bone marrow and chips and house burger with hand diced Angus beef, blue cheese or cheddar and bacon or jerk seasoning. If you wish, they can be paired with a side dish of sprouting broccoli with almonds and thyme, buttered sea vegetables, creamed spinach or minted Jersey royals.
  
A set menu delivers value for money with dishes such as leek and potato soup with smoked salmon, broad bean, borloti and feta salad, char grilled squid with bok choy, chilli and garlic and grilled old spot pork chop with glazed apples and BBQ sauce. While vegetarians are also catered for with dishes of asparagus with soft boiled duck egg and hollandaise or beignet of courgette flower stuffed with mozzarella, tomato and basil and served with green salad. 

For Sunday brunch the Fish and Grill offers starters of tomato and mozzarella salad, scrambled egg with smoked salmon and moules marinières followed by mains of grilled kipper with poached egg, grilled pork chop with apple and marjoram or steak burger with fried egg and chips, not to mention the roast of the day.

The breakfast menu's wholesome choices are perfect for kick starting the day and options include a full English breakfast with tea or filter coffee, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or crayfish, Aberdeen Angus steak sandwich or even pancakes with strawberries and maple syrup.

Tempting desserts bring the meal to a pleasant end at the Fish and Grill and include cherry Bakewell tart with yoghurt ice cream, English strawberry Pavlova, Knickerbocker glory and chocolate macaroons.

The wine list is an eclectic selection, featuring expertly chosen reds and whites from across the world. A range of draught and bottled beers, spirits, soft drinks and aperitifs also quench the thirst.

More information can be found on their Website.

Housed within the iconic Blakes Hotel on Roland Gardens, Blakes Restaurant expertly combines the best of Eastern and Western cuisineenhanced by elegant service in splendid surroundings. Located in the well-heeled South Kensington area of London, it's close to well-known attractions such as Hyde Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal Albert Hall while the shops and boutiques on Brompton Road are just a short drive away.

The work of the reputed designer and London socialite Anouska Hempel, the restaurant's atmospheric setting combines classic design with luxurious furnishings and exotic artefacts to create a unique ambience in which guests cannot but relax and unwind at leisure.

Dinner could begin with starters of miso soup with silken tofu, carpaccio of beef with parmesan, tortellini of foie gras des landes or salt and peppered soft shell crabs. Add a luxurious touch to your meal with Oscietra or Royal Beluga caviar served with Balkes blini or warm potato soufflé and vanilla ice cream.

Follow with delicious mains of angel hair pasta with black truffle, black cod with miso and ginger sauce; beef fillet teriyaki with hot sake or rack of English lamb and rosemary with mint cous cous. Diners looking for a lighter bite could enjoy refreshing salad of buffalo Burrata mozzarella with tomatoes or warm chicken salad with avocado, pomelo, cashews and nam jim sauce. The lunch menu offers ginko nut curry with lime risottini, baby chicken with thyme and lemon or peppercorn fillet of beef. While the bento box selection includes miso soup with silken tofu, beef teriyaki, lobster toast and ginger rice.

The desserts menu at Blakes is a joy in itself and includes tempting gems such as the light and refreshing dessert of coconut ice cream with lime and palm sugar, a simpler tropical fruit salad or a richer dark chocolate fondant with vanilla and pistachio ice cream and finally, if you wish, coffee with cardamom or ginger tea.

The restaurant's all-day menu serves a selection of dim sums; fried prawn and yuzu sauce, soups, sandwiches and hot food; toasted poilâne sourdough chicken sandwich with avocado and ginger and Blakes burger and French fries and salads; oak smoked scotch salmon.

Breakfast is also served at Blakes with choice of a full English, continental breakfast or more exotic fare such as Changa Turkish eggs, two poached eggs served with leaf spinach, chilli oil and yoghurt; classic Scottish smoked salmon with scrambled eggs spicy Parsee eggs a dish of scrambled eggs with fresh green chilli and coriander. For a healthy alternative try Bircher muesli with Greek yoghurt and fresh berries or compôte of fruit with cornflakes and prunes.

For a delightful break during the day the afternoon tea menu at the adjoining Chinese Room or Courtyard offers finger sandwiches with fillings of beef and chilli horseradish, smoked salmon and egg and cress; fresh scones with fresh strawberries and cream; a selection of tea cakes and choice of tea from Earl Grey, Lapsang Souching and Darjeeling.

An extensive wine list with a range of whites and reds from Italy, France, Germany, Australia and South Africa complements the food perfectly.

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

Housed in an elegant Grade II listed building, The DaScalzo is a charming brasserie and art gallery all rolled into one, and is the perfect place to put your feet up after a busy day of shopping at the nearby Victoria Place Shopping Centre. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Parisian cafes, where Bohemian artists enjoyed food and drink in exchange for their artwork, DaScalzo skilfully combines good Italian food and contemporary art in a warm setting. Spread over two floors, the dining area exudes a Parisian feel with arched ceilings, wooden furniture and subtle lighting.

The menu features well-presented Italian dishes and there is a good choice of starters like the antipasto Italiana, a selection of cured Italian meats with olives and anchovies, sautéed scallops and prawns with lemon and chilli sauce, and calamari and zucchini fritti with garlic mayonnaise. The pasta selection is equally impressive with a tagliatelle carbonara, pancetta, parmesan and cream sauce, and spaghetti alle vongole with clams and fresh tomato in white wine, garlic and chilli.

Fish lovers might appreciate the organic grilled salmon with salsa verde, boiled new potatoes and baby spinach, or sea bass and salmon fishcakes served with a lobster sauce, sour cream, rocket salad and chips. Moving onto the restaurant?s main courses, diners can expect to find classic dishes such as scaloppa Milanese, a traditional dish of breaded veal with parsley and garlic, pan-fried and served with spaghetti Bolognese, or grilled sirloin steak with a green peppercorn or brandy sauce, chips and garlic mushrooms.

DaScalzo's breakfast is highly recommended and the full English makes for a hearty start to the day and other choices include Scottish oak smoked salmon, eggs Florentine, Benedict or royal, and a selection of coffee, tea, and fresh juices. The carefully selected drinks list features wines from across the globe alongside a selection of beers, ciders, whiskies, cognacs, liqueurs and digestifs.

There is a fantastic selection of artwork on display and DaScalzo also plays host to exhibitions and private viewings regularly.

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

Situated in the Harvey Nichols store in Exchange Square, with panoramic views of Manchester's skyline, The Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie has quickly become one of Manchester's leading destination dining - for its superb modern European food - and drinking venues. The Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie provides three very different venues which open independently from the main store: a formal 92 cover restaurant and a more informal 102 cover brasserie, and an adjacent stylish bar.

This top floor space encompasses a number of cutting-edge design features created by award-winning architects Lifschutz Davidson to provide a stylish environment in which to eat and drink. The mood of the Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie is dramatically transformed from day to night by an integrated lighting system using illuminated glass tanks and coloured, ceiling lighting. By day, the space takes on a cool white appearance, while at night it is transformed with more theatrical, coloured lighting.

A striking black, white and pink colour scheme with polished, black granite flooring, red 'pin cushion button' detailing on the bar, and clean white walls complements these modern design elements.

Second Floor Restaurant:

An à la carte lunch menu is served in the Second Floor Restaurant from 12.00pm until 3pm. The à la carte dinner menu is available from 6pm until 10.00pm; while afternoon tea is available between 3pm and 6 pm (5 pm on Sunday).

A Modern European menu using the finest local ingredients has been created by Head Chef Stuart Thomson. Each course carries around six choices, with starters of, say, shellfish lasagne, salad of lobster, apple and potato; pig's cheek, black pudding, pickled carrots and truffle dressing, or sweetbreads, Cheshire bacon, mushroom bhaji and onion purée.

Main courses could include Morecambe brill, pea tortellini, clam chowder and bacon foam, whilst the more traditional may feel drawn to the fillet of Cheshire beef, truffle mash and shallot purée. But for something refreshingly, in every sense, different do not lightly dismiss the compression of aubergine and red pepper, saffron risotto and balsamic jelly.

Some legendary names appear amongst the cheese selection, but with a roasted peanut parfait with rice crispy crunch and Guanaja chocolate amongst the options, it's an open field.

One of the great virtues of The Second Floor is the views from the large windows which, whilst not exactly on to open countryside, give the same sort of feeling of wellbeing that comes from riding in a well-off-the-ground 4 x 4. And that's before you even start on the pretty faultless food.

There is a separate entrance on Cateaton Street to access the Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, which is served by two express lifts. This allows customers the convenience of direct entry during the day and after the store has closed.

For more details please visit the Harvey Nichols Website.

Photographs - Copyright Chris Gascoigne.

The Bull stays true to its claim of being a 'humble pub' in the middle of the fashionable Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush. It's informal and welcoming with charmingly mismatched furniture, a billiards board and other games to keep the crowds busy. Weary shoppers could pop in for a coffee, sit back to enjoy a relaxed meal, or sip on some traditional English ales, lagers or wines, chosen by John Clevely, Master of Wine.

The menu changes everyday and features British classics such as fisherman's pie with cheddar mash, braised beef and carrots, and fish and chips, served with peas and tartare sauce. Lunchtime shoppers keen to grab something quick to eat could try the terrine of pork and veal, chutney and toast, wild mushrooms and duck egg on toast, or eggs Benedict. For desserts a white chocolate cheesecake is light on the tongue, or there's a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream that's rich in flavour and taste.

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

It was more or less inevitable that Indian cuisine should pick up on tapas - after all what is Mumbai street food but a form of tapas? At Imli, run by the same team that operates Tamarind, a more homely, less formal version of Indian food is the vogue. Its other major virtue is that a wider choice of tastes and flavours is immediately available, either hot or cold. Whatever you have ordered is brought to your table in one fell swoop, and courses as such cease to exist.

Generally three items per head are reckoned to be the equivalent of a two course meal, but the choice is entirely yours. Many order crispy papadums and home made chutney to keep the pangs at bay as they work though the menu making their selections. Quite obviously this is tremendous fun with a party, giving ample opportunity for self expression.

Amongst the cold choices look for papdi chaat, whole wheat crisps and bean sprouts with vermicelli, sweet yoghurt and mint chutney, or grilled paneer and broccoli marinated with pickling spices, cream cheese and cooked to perfection. Moving on to the hot, a delightful experience is samosa chaat, vegetable samosa topped with chickpeas, yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutneys, and spicy chicken satay, chicken marinated in house blend of spices, served with salad and beetroot chutney.

Probably, the truth is that Indian food presented as tapas is one of the ultimates in comfort food, a sort of exercise in grasshopper grazing, no experience lasting too long but always repeatable if the call comes. India's great stretches of coast with accessibility to vast swathes of ocean mean that seafood is always going to be popular. The likes of minced lamb with potatoes and garden peas cooked with ginger, tomato and cumin and served with toasted bread are but a foretaste.

For childhood memories of friends home from India, are of people who seemed to talk incessantly of eating vegetables and chickens, though one must concede that Indian chefs make a wonderful job of cooking both, so chicken tikka masala, chicken cooked with dried herbs, creamed tomatoes and cashew nuts, and for vegetarians, matar paneer, Indian cottage cheese cooked with fresh garden peas, or Bombay aloo potatoes tossed with onion, cumin, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves should most certainly not be lightly ignored.

In almost any cuisine on earth there comes a point where new dishes are introduced by the chef with an international twist. People interested in trying new and exciting fare, should try crisp fried squid in spicy batter with lime or Amritsari fish, batter fried fish in Imli's special recipe with mint chutney. Those who may not always find new excursions to culinary world exciting can try the chicken biryani, chicken cooked with basmati rice and whole spices, served with cucumber raita. Excellent! But for the big one consider the tandoori lamb chops, lamb chops marinated with raw papaya, crushed peppercorn, green chilli and black cumin and grilled to perfection.

Desserts could include gulab jamun, milk dumplings served with fig and ginger ice cream, or carrot fudge made with carrots, melon seeds and raisins served with ice cream.

It is customary to find an Indian nouvelle restaurant with an ample list of exotic cocktails and Imli is no exception, served with enthusiasm and precision. The customary list of quality beers, spirits and fruit beverages is extended by a limited range of wines, several from south of the Equator.

Click on their Website for more menu details, recipes and special offers.