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.

Brilliantly located right in the heart of London's scintillating Covent Garden, Café des Amis, culinarily revitalised by Executive Chef Fabrice Renou, has also been given an update that has put it at the forefront of its kind. Fabrice is from Paris, he trained at La Tour d'Argent and worked with prestigious chefs such as Guy Savoy and Michel Rostand.

Fabrice's French world fusion food, or what you might possibly term French with an exotic twist, as he likes experimenting with new flavours, spices and exotic ingredients, contains enough international influences to ensure it is head and shoulders above the rest, against a background of stylish décor and front of house.

Whilst primarily occupied with an à la carte menu that is both imaginative and good value, they also offer a bar and brasserie menu which, at £14.50 for 2 courses, is tempting to the palate and the pocket.

What's likely to be on offer? Nothing like some good French onion soup to start a brasserie meal, served here with toasted gruyere crouton; crab eblysotto with cardamom, or cannelloni of Grison dried beef with Brousse cheese, mango and ginger dressing.

The inclination towards the fruits of the sea continues into the main courses with a red mullet fillet, niçoise bohemian vegetables and pumpkin seed oil; red tuna steak with tomato salsa and crushed sweet potatoes with argan oil, or Normandy style rope grown moules mariniéres.

The love affair with that most attractive fowl of the air, the duck, goes on and on and here it is roasted, with sauce griotte and polenta with dried fruit. Better appreciation of the quality in food means less leather for the appetites of the eating-out infantry, and the beef here is Simmental sirloin, served with sauce bordelaise and mashed potatoes with marrow and herbs.

Downstairs in a bar that contrives to be both intimate and welcoming, performers from the surrounding wealth of performing arts, and members of their audiences mingle to share their respective pleasures. A well-tuned wine list more than adequately meets the expectations of those who, when served a good meal look for liquid support of the same quality.

The restaurant is open from 12noon to 11.30pm, and on a Saturday night they have a DJ playing ambient, chill out and funky house music in the wine bar.

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

The much-loved Rib Room at Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London's Knightsbridge, originally launched in 1961, has always been a bastion of beef and all that is traditional in British dining. Situated on the Knightsbridge and Belgravia border within Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel, this restaurant is the perfect stop off point after a tough day of retail therapy at nearby Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

The glamorous dining room mixes sophistication with tradition, with remarkably personal service, providing a wonderful setting for lunch and dinner. It really is unabashed luxury with lots of room allowed for every table, no fear of being overheard when you are holding your power lunch there. Start off the day with one of the best English breakfasts London has to offer or step in for a relaxed meal at lunchtime or in the evening.

The Rib Room helps you pull off your private dining event faultlessly with their dedicated menus featuring baked Stilton pudding with a salad of poached pears, crispy walnuts and watercress; roast corn-fed chicken, boulangere of the leg, French beans in Alsace bacon, tarragon and mustard jus, and Valrhona chocolate mousse with a soft peanut centre and raspberry sorbet.

Head Chef, Ian Rudge's seasonal menu showcases the best of modern and traditional British cuisine including the world-renowned roast rib of beef; there is also an emphasis on fresh seafood and fish. Starters include caramelised scallops with slow cooked belly of pork, orange and ginger dressing and caramelised apple tart with pan fried foie gras port and balsamic caramel.

Typical dishes on the restaurant menu includes oak smoked Lch Fyne salmon, Buccleuch roast rib of Aberdeen Angus beef served with Yorkshire pudding and deluxe seafood platter, alongside other favourites such as the classic Rib Room Caesar salad with anchovies and bacon, roast Gressingham duck with spiced cherries and calves liver with sweet cured Suffolk bacon.

The drinks list includes a list of over 500 wines and champagnes expertly crafted by Head Sommelier Louise Gordon, presented to guests on an interactive iPad list, with recommendations to enhance the flavours of every dish or just for a relaxing glass of quality wine. There's also an exciting array of cocktails, premium gins and bespoke bitters, alongside light bites, ideal for a quick lunch or light dinner.

Numerous paintings by Feliks Topolski adorn the walls of The Rib Room, while an imposing carved bronze bull is positioned by the bar, and a triptych fossil sculpture by Renn Thacker Visual Artists in Partnership can be viewed as guests enter through the Sloane Street entrance.

For further information do have a look at their Website.

Il Convivio literally translates as a gathering of dissident intellectual philosophers of the Dante era over food and drink or just to keep things simple let's call it a 'banquet'. Dubbed as one of the most exciting and ambitious projects of the Eturusca group, owners Enzo and Piero have had the confidence and passion, backed by twenty-five years of experience in the catering industry, to put together a welcome addition to Belgravia's restaurant scene.

As you step into the converted Georgian house with all its original charm intact, you might notice a few tables overlooking Ebury Street. The main restaurant's sky lit area has an airy and spacious feel while the conservatory at the back with an electric roof enables year round al fresco dining. Deep red walls embossed with words taken from Dante's poetry reminisce the Romantic era and the limestone and cedar wood panels add to the elegant atmosphere.

The regularly changing menu created by Lukas Pfaff includes antipasti such as terrine of octopus with tomato essence and radish and beef carpaccio with celery and basil infused virgin olive oil. The homemade black spaghetti with lobster and spring onions, alongside duck and pea ravioli with foie gras sauce is a main draw at Il Convivio's elegant tables.

Fish courses take in the Arctic black cod caramelized with aged balsamic, served with grilled asparagus and Muscat grapes and pan-fried fillet of halibut with a 'soft shell' crab sauce and black olive tapenade. From the meat section there is clay pot roasted 'black leg' chicken with an aged Marsala sauce and crispy pancetta served with olive oil infused mashed potato, and veal cutlet with a fine herb and caper butter,

Desserts are a treat to the chocoholics with chocolate trilogy and dark chocolate and pistachio pudding with a sour cherry sorbet. Those who prefer to keep it simple could try a selection of homemade sorbets or ice creams and coffee and petit fours.

Not surprising then, that since opening in September '99, they have proved popular with critics and locals alike. A click on their informative Website will introduce you to II Convivio at home.

There is an air of gentility about The Dining Room at 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh that somehow summarises the graciousness of Edinburgh. A menu that has its epicentre in Britain with outposts in Europe takes full advantage of the abundance of wholesome ingredients for which Scotland is renowned.

As if this is not enough, 28 Queen Street also happens to be the nerve centre of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Whilst whisky of any kind has a part to play in matters of the table, it is less involved than wine so it is encouraging to see the Society taking its gastronomy seriously, with Chef James Freeman in the lead from the time of its opening in 2005.

Everything on The Dining Room's menu is homemade from the amuse bouche to the puddings. Primarily, and apart from private functions, The Dining Room exists to offer an à la carte menu, backed up by a menu du jour, to both members and a wider public. It is an ideal location for a light lunch or something a touch more formal such as a romantic get-together, business lunch or social celebration.

Whether or not you are addicted to the blessed dram, chances are that you will not be unaware of the joys of the grape and The Society can meet you more than half way on such matters. As well as an excellent selection by the glass there is a range of fine wines to please the connoisseur and the recreational drinker alike.

The Dining Room menu has that happy knack of offering two menus that are just long enough to give cause for hesitation and can hardly fail to suit anyone for whom the joys of the table are a serious matter. There is a good balance between the different styles; let's say breast of pheasant and roast scallops followed by chestnut and chocolate millefeuille with a truffle honey sabayon.

Grilled black figs, goat's cheese mousse and a basil salad provide the sort of starter that is designed to stir the palate with a pleasing range of flavours. There are huge numbers of deer in Scotland, so double joy to see venison haunch with winter roots and mustard fruits, spätzle and a black pepper sauce receiving appreciate attention from robust diners. A wonderful yet still largely unappreciated choice of meat.

Imagination is on display with such detail as a sheep's cheese dressing that subtly conveys its presence to a beetroot remoulade accompanying rare venison loin. Amongst the desserts expect to find at the right time of the year the Society Christmas pudding with brandy butter ice cream, or orange gelée with whisky raisin ice cream. Side orders are inspiring and include potatoes roasted in duck fat, chipolatas with bacon and buttered sprouts with chestnuts.

It would of course be churlish not to mention The Scotch Malt Whisky Society's other activities, of which arranging single cask whisky tastings on or off the premises, in fact anywhere in the world, is a major preoccupation. Private parties are also very welcome and you do not have to be a member to book.

The Society's Website is a partly whimsical, but at heart quite a serious statement of what they do, and you might even feel tempted to join. Slàinte mhath!

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.

A location on Eastbourne's Grand Parade and a menu boasting 50 ways to enjoy mussels, along with a selection of over 50 Belgian beers, makes The Belgian Café a popular hangout in this seaside town. Housed in a Georgian building, with panoramic seafront views out towards Beachy Head, the award-winning restaurant offers guests a lively ambience with the option of dining al fresco.
 
Freshly prepared seafood dominates the menu. You can choose to have your mussels on a platter, grilled, with a wide range of toppings; either goat's cheese and honey, bacon and cheese or tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and herbs, and served with bread, butter and frites with mayonnaise. There are also starters of deep fried whitebait with salad and tartare sauce; whole baby calamaris, pan fried with olive oil, garlic and a touch of chilli or deep fried in a light batter and served with tartare sauce. Other starters include seared scallops, cooked either with ginger and soy sauce or garlic and butter; and Scotch smoked salmon with salad, capers and lemon.

Your choice of mains could include salmon fishcakes served on a bed of pak choi with a lemon, cream and caper sauce and frites; sea bass fillets with Pont Neuf potatoes, a carrot purée and coulis of peppers; mixed fish brochette, a skewer of mixed fresh fish with peppers and onions served on a bed of rice with a champagne sauce or paupiette of plaice stuffed with a prawn mousseline and served with a cream and coriander sauce on a bed of rice. Alternatively, try the fisherman's pot, a mountain of mussels with mixed seafood in fish stock or a seafood pasta with mussels, gambas, scallops, cockles, squid and prawns cooked with olive oil, garlic and tomato sauce.
 
If you prefer meat for the main course, the menu offers wild boar and Leffe dark beer sausages; Belgian beef stew with traditional stoemp, a dish of mashed potatoes and carrots and other vegetables; chicken breast stuffed with brie and wrapped in Parma ham  served with salad and frites, or a gourmet lamb burger. A range of salads with mixed seafood, duck and chicken extends the menu's variety.
 
Vegetarians are also catered for with a choice of dishes including a Stilton, mushroom, cream and leek crêpe; chevre salad with warm goat's cheese, sesame seeds and mixed salad leaves or tagliatelle with courgette, fresh basil, garlic and sundried and fresh tomato. Children's tastes are catered to with a separate menu.
 
To conclude on a sweet note, choose from the ultimate Belgian chocolate mousse; Dame Blanche, vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped Chantilly cream; Belgian waffle with a choice of toppings or rollo fondue with marshmallows and fruits.
 
The drinks list offers a variety of lagers and other beers ? white, blond, amber, dark, Trappist, Lambiek and fruit. Unusual beer cocktails offer more exciting options and include exotic combinations of chocolate beer, crème de menthe, passion fruit beer, Malibu, lemonade or coconut beer. In addition, guests can avail themselves of a choice of wines, champagne, spirits or soft drinks.

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

Prezzo has been delighting diners for over eight years, and this Italian restaurant chain has since been able to expand throughout large parts of England and Scotland with some 141 outlets.

Interestingly, the company seeks to restore either impressive buildings or ones of local interest. The conversion of the Newbury library and other listed buildings, such as those in Salisbury, Romsey and Mayfair, are all welcome examples of 'new use'. Their trendy and sophisticated décor usually consists of tiled or wooden floors with delicate lights and colourful paintings, along with wooden furniture and sparkling cutlery, creating a setting that is suitable for a relaxed lunch, a family meal or an evening out with friends.

The restaurants are of particular appeal to those who like genuine Italian cuisine, and they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goat's cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on foccacia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal. Best fun is to order an antipasto platter to share made up from seven well loved Italian nibbles.

Find pastas such as the unusual penne con salmone, with oak-roasted salmon, broccoli and fresh chillies in a red pesto and cream sauce, or firm favourites like spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, and fusilli al pesto, asparagus spears with field mushrooms and roasted peppers in a basil pesto sauce.

Amongst the special pastas, the pollo mariano, seasoned chicken, pepperoni sausage, roasted peppers and fusilli in tomato sauce, is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like tiger prawns with petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular napoletana, topped with yellowfin tuna, tomato, white anchovies, capers, red onion, mozzarella and marinated olives, and the much loved quattro stagioni - pepperoni sausage, prosciutto ham, artichoke, field mushrooms, capers, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with their blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can accompany the food with a variety of tipples, though for many, Italian food requires Italian wines to be enjoyed to the full, ranging from house wine through Morellino di Scansano and Prosecco to liqueurs and beer, and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal, in company with a glass of grappa or sambuca.

This is Italian food at its attractive best, convincing and bringing together the traditional with the modern twist or two against a background of excellent value.

Prezzo is a lively group and opportunities to improve and update are never left on the table for long. Keep up to date with a quick click on their Website.

Prezzo has been delighting diners for over eight years, and this Italian restaurant chain has since been able to expand throughout large parts of England and Scotland with some 141 outlets.

Interestingly, the company seeks to restore either impressive buildings or ones of local interest. The conversion of the Newbury library and other listed buildings, such as those in Salisbury, Romsey and Mayfair, are all welcome examples of 'new use'. Their trendy and sophisticated décor usually consists of tiled or wooden floors with delicate lights and colourful paintings, along with wooden furniture and sparkling cutlery, creating a setting that is suitable for a relaxed lunch, a family meal or an evening out with friends.

The restaurants are of particular appeal to those who like genuine Italian cuisine, and they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goat's cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on foccacia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal. Best fun is to order an antipasto platter to share made up from seven well loved Italian nibbles.

Find pastas such as the unusual penne con salmone, with oak-roasted salmon, broccoli and fresh chillies in a red pesto and cream sauce, or firm favourites like spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, and fusilli al pesto, asparagus spears with field mushrooms and roasted peppers in a basil pesto sauce.

Amongst the special pastas, the pollo mariano, seasoned chicken, pepperoni sausage, roasted peppers and fusilli in tomato sauce, is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like tiger prawns with petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular napoletana, topped with yellowfin tuna, tomato, white anchovies, capers, red onion, mozzarella and marinated olives, and the much loved quattro stagioni - pepperoni sausage, prosciutto ham, artichoke, field mushrooms, capers, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with their blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can accompany the food with a variety of tipples, though for many, Italian food requires Italian wines to be enjoyed to the full, ranging from house wine through Morellino di Scansano and Prosecco to liqueurs and beer, and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal, in company with a glass of grappa or sambuca.

This is Italian food at its attractive best, convincing and bringing together the traditional with the modern twist or two against a background of excellent value.

Prezzo is a lively group and opportunities to improve and update are never left on the table for long. Keep up to date with a quick click on their Website.

In upmarket Mayfair, Cocochan offers contemporary pan Asian cuisine and glamorous cocktails, accompanied by a funky lounge bar and terrace. Bond Street Tube Station is just 4 minutes' walk away from Cocochan.

Cocochan restaurant offers a wide range of dishes from China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and India in a stylish, contemporary setting. You could begin the meal with starters of chicken and water chestnut gyoza, crispy aromatic duck rolls, Vietnamese seared beef salad with nyoc cham or crab cakes with jalapeno mayo and Thai salad. Follow with mains of chargrilled lamb cutlets with moromi miso, pickled acar salad, oven baked miso black cod with edamame, stir fried tiger prawns with sambal or crispy noodles with chicken.

Delicacies on the Cocochan menu include lobster specialities, tempura, sushi and sashimi. To finish, consider salted caramel mousse, pistachio crème brûlée or chocolate fondant. Separate bar and set menus are also available. The wine list at Cocochan London offers a selection of whites and reds from all around the world.

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