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In a short period, Sagawa has grown to become one of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne's most popular Japanese restaurants, thanks to its authentic, healthy and flavoursome dishes. Customers wanting to try something new and different love the venue's friendly and buzzing atmosphere, that's good to bring the family or spend time with friends.

Most of the dishes on Sagawa's menu are all available in Japan while a few have been adapted to please the western palate. A range of specialities are served from time to time and these change with the season. Choose from cold starters of cod roe or marinated baby squid, and hot ones of deep-fried tofu or fishcakes with cheese. Move on to tasty sushi or sashimi of salmon, yellow tail, Arctic surf clam, scallops, raw beef or sea urchin; maki and temaki rolls before enjoying mains of assorted tempura or ginger pork teriyaki, accompanied by rice and noodles.

Four private rooms give diners an opportunity to enjoy free karaoke in the affable Japanese atmosphere.

The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.

A smart restaurant in the increasingly thriving North East offering good Italian food and interesting choices of pizza and pasta. The antipasto misto makes an excellent starter, rousing the tastebuds without killing the appetite. The rack of lamb cooked in rosemary, garlic and white wine sauce may seem fairly commonplace but I do find that as often as not the Italian version has a piquancy not always carried by others. The dessert is no contest, once I see chocolate rum truffle with crème Anglaise everything else can go home.

Quality house wine at £9.95 and a wine list of mainly Italian origin look after that department very well, particularly as I love the wines grown on the volcanic soils of Italy and they have a Lacryma Christi Caputo on the list. The price of a meal very much depends on whether you are opting for pizza or pasta, in which case it might well be quite a bit less than the figure given, or for more ambitious fare.

A Review from The Evening Chronicle in Newcastle:

If tasty Italian cuisine is your style, coupled with a lively atmosphere, you will love Spago. A friend and I decided to sample what was on offer on a busy Friday night. We hadn't booked but a table was quickly found for us by the window where we could people watch to our heart's content. And a busy Friday night in Osborne Road certainly throws up plenty of people-watching opportunities as people stagger past, in various stages of cheerfulness!

If you want a quiet, candlelit, romantic dinner, Spago isn't really for you. But if you love the buzz of a busy Italian, where waiters compete with the constant lively chatter to shout orders and laughter fills the air, then this restaurant will be just what you are looking for.

While the waiters are rushed off their feet, they still find time to fit in some personal attention and we found that hardly had the wine touched our lips, when a friendly Italian appeared miraculously by our side to refill our glasses.

The choice at Spago ranges from your usual Italian fare - potato skins, pastas and pizzas with any topping imaginable to a selection of meat dishes in various tasty sauces. We opted for the exotic sounding bucce di patate (potato skins with garlic or barbecue sauce, £3.25) and insalata caprese (tomato, mozzarella and basil with virgin olive oil, £3.60) for starters.

The dishes were generous and filling but, fuelled by a constant stream of red wine, we decided we could still manage a hearty main course, choosing pollo Spago (chicken breast cooked in garlic, rosemary and white wine, £10.25) and a pizza calzone (£5.95), a folded pizza with mozzarella, ham, mushrooms and tomato.

The dishes arrived swiftly and were consumed in record speed. At £10.25 for a main chicken dish, prices are a little bit more than your average town Italian, and you will have to decide for yourself whether it's worth it or not. We certainly enjoyed our food but, with happy-hour prices in town to compete with, Spago has to work hard to keep up the high standards and fight off the competition.

Located next to the Osborne Hotel, in a building that formerly housed the Apollo, Spago certainly has location on its side, with Osborne Road becoming more and more popular not just with the students but with locals, too, who flock there for the pubs and restaurants.

And Spago certainly looks good on the outside, and in, with Art Deco style rich red walls, Italian furnishings and eye-catching paintings. It's glamorous and sophisticated, and yet friendly and cosy, maintaining the atmosphere of a family-fun, friendly eatery where the regulars are welcomed like old friends. The bill for the two of us, including copious amounts of red wine, came to a reasonable £26.10.

Evening Chronicle - Feb 13 2002

Located in one of Britain's biggest commercial art gallery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, David Kennedy's Food Social is owned by award-winning chef David Kennedy, formerly of Black Door fame. It's contemporary and spacious inside with luxury leather sofas, artwork and sculptures, and the menu concentrates on beautifully presented, fresh, local produce.

Diners could choose from a tapas menu, an a la carte, set lunch and early week special, all of which change regularly. Each dish is presented in an exquisite manner, so expect to find dishes like tartlet of poached smoked haddock, free-range egg and Hollandaise sauce, rump of Northumbrian lamb with couscous salad and hummus dressing, and sticky toffee pudding with hot toffee sauce.

The debate about what goes to make up the authentic Indian taste is one that will happily maintain momentum as long as the popularity of Indian food is maintained outside its country of origin. However, instinct is a great quality, and a visit to Vujon somehow suggests that here is a holy grail of authentic Indian cooking, making this one of the most notable Indian restaurants in the North East.

Nor does the genuine feel stop at the food, with staff, décor and atmosphere sophisticated and tasteful. You might feel that all this excellence would cause a financial crisis - not so, prices are higher than usual but certainly not in proportion to the high standards set at Vujon.