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Naming themselves as 'Rani', which translates to 'queen' from Hindi, is perhaps the thought Rani Indian Restaurant, situated at the heart of Newcastle Quayside, wants to convey. One of the best known places in the area to enjoy the cuisine, it has an elegant and subtle styled décor that sooths the senses.

Making good use of the freshest ingredients available locally, the kitchen follows traditional Indian recipes to create flavoursome dishes that will get you back at its doorstep asking for more. Get started with lightly spiced prawns served with baked green pepper and mussels prepared in a sweet, sour and hot sauce, cooked with lentils. Specialities at Rani include the likes of hariali chicken, lean chicken breast marinated and barbecued and cooked again with fresh crushed garlic, ginger, green chilli, coriander, cream and spinach.

At Rani Indian Restaurant a good variety of sides and traditional breads are to hand to accompany the dishes.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.

At Sachins you will not only master the art of eating Punjabi style but simply revel in the sheer enthusiasm of the staff. Spread over two floors, the dining area decorated with terracotta pots, polka dotted flooring and a life size image depicts a busy Indian road, an up-close-and-personal experience of real India.

An assorted platter of five tandoori dishes to start could be followed by a main course of murg karahi, diced chicken cooked in Punjabi spices tossed in a wok over a bed of onions, or the Mughlai Akbari, tender lamb simmered in lightly whisked egg, nuts, fresh cream and sauce.

King prawns and monkfish feature in the seafood section and is served pot roasted with tomatoes, ginger, capsicum and coriander, or marinated, barbecued and cooked in a medium spiced sauce. For dessert the delectable honey pot filled with vanilla and toffee ice cream topped with toffee sauce and caramelised pecans may catch your attention.

Welcome to this informal café-style restaurant in a double-fronted shop conversion, located in comfortable green-belt surroundings with ample parking.

The chef-owner, to whom one can only wish a long and happy stay, is Ian Lowrey. His aim here is to provide deliberately uncomplicated food, making the best use of the finest, local produce.

The place specialises in a blend of traditional and contemporary so far as the menu is concerned. From cheddar cheese and spinach soufflé one could move to slow cooked confit of duck, lyonnaise potatoes, fine beans, rosemary and thyme jus.

At Cafe Lowrey they know and appreciate the importance of creating a warm, relaxed and inviting environment where diners can really enjoy their food and know it is the best it can be.

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.

In a short time, The Cherry Tree has earned for itself a reputation for being a great place to enjoy modern British cuisine. The restaurant gives customers a stunning dining experience featuring a mezzanine floor with glass balustrade and open spiral staircase, but retaining some of the old features of the building, previously the Jesmond telephone exchange and Scout shop.

Service is friendly; creating a relaxed atmosphere with live background music played most evenings. The Cherry Tree aims to provide the best modern British cuisine in the North East all created by head chef Tony Riches and team.

Begin with a classic Bury black pudding, and soothing leek and potato soup with native oyster and caviar cream. Move on to mains of rump of Ingram Valley lamb, or fillet of turbot with king prawns, mash and lobster bisque, before giving in to a tempting sticky toffee and pecan pavlova. An eclectic list of sixty-eight wines covers most wine producing regions of the world.