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hand picked restaurants

As soon as you walk through the doors of a Gusto outlet, you should instantly feel welcome. They are a chain of modern restaurants that offer a dining experience based on good food, drink and service in stylish surroundings. Their name stands for a hearty and enjoyable dining experience.

The ambiance is influenced by the glamour of 1950's New York Italian eateries, but in a contemporary setting, with a focus on freshly prepared classic and modern Italian fare; there is a stand-alone bar along side the restaurants, and a range of wines, beers, spirits and cocktails.

Among starters, expect to find the classics calamari and caprese salad, as well as seared and marinated beef carpaccio. The restauarant also has an extensive choice of pizzas including all the old favourites such as the Margherita, Carnivore and Fiorentina.

The menu has a range of delicious dishes including whole lobster, salt baked sea bass and homemade Italian beef burger - all added to a range of specials created by the chef each week. Of course, being an Italian restaurant they serve an excellent selection of pasta, piled hot and steaming into large bowls - perfect for lunch or early evening with a crisp side salad like the apple, gorgonzola, walnut with baby gem and spinach. Ingredients are sourced responsibly both on land and at sea, seeking out local suppliers wherever possible.

Children are particularly well catered for at Gusto. The menu is varied and even encourages participation, for instance they can create pizzas with their own choice of toppings and take them down to the kitchen themselves.

The dessert list comprises of chocolate and marscapone calzone, a local favourite, and tiramisu among other choices for those wanting to indulge their sweet tooth. Along with champagne and prosecco, Gusto also serves old and new world wines.

The 'Dining Room' is a good quality restaurant serving an excellent selection of modern and imaginative dishes - without being afraid to keep it simple when necessary. This is where East meets West, classic meets contemporary.

The Dining Room is, quite simply, unique. Not because it is a fine restaurant, but, because of its distinct design, it also provides an atmospheric setting. The subtle and seductive lighting creates a relaxed mood, worthy of the interesting food and helpful service.

The Dining Room is open from 12 noon, taking on various menus throughout the day, and in typical New York style they serve fine food as late as 1 am. So, whether it is a business hospitality lunch, post work sustenance, or fine evening dining, the Dining Room at Apartment provides a suitable venue.

Things seem to move fast at Wagamama - the Asian inspired, noodle restaurant chain that was started in 1992. As soon as you decide what you want to eat, your order is taken via a PDA, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen, so it can be made fresh and served right after. The restaurant chain does not believe in taking reservations, and all customers are seated on a first come, first serve basis. In fact, be aware that most of the tables are long ones and you will often be asked to share them.

The restaurants are modelled on traditional Japanese ramen bars that have been popular for hundreds of years - ramen are Japanese style noodles, served in a meat-based broth, topped with pork, dried seaweed or even corn. Chilli beef ramen, made of noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled sirloin steak and fresh vegetables, is hearty and satisfying.

Apart from ramen, you could opt for the coconut soup based kare noodles or teppan, cooked on a hot, flat griddle. They also offer many rice dishes like katsu curry, chicken fillet deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a lightly spiced curry sauce and sticky white rice. Vegetarians are definitely not ignored, as they can opt for saien soba, made using whole-wheat noodles in a soup topped with stir-fried vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and garnished with sliced spring onion.

Meat and vegetable dumplings, skewered chicken, deep-fried prawns and raw salads double as both sides and starters. Steamed green soya-beans, called edamame, go well with drinks - hold them up to your mouth and squeeze the succulent beans from the pod. If you've noticed, Wagamama is more about eating healthy food fast and less about the order. Don't be surprised if you're served the main course before the side dish - order isn't important, the aim is, don't wait - just tuck in and share.

Wash down your meal with sake, plum wine or even a Japanese beer. Wind up your meal with coconut reika - three scoops of dairy coconut ice cream topped with a fresh, tangy mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes or the tamarind and chilli Pavlova, with a crunchy meringue base served with a raspberry and tamarind sauce.

At Wagamama, you can also shop for cookbooks, sauces, ramen bowls and t-shirts. The restaurant is all about enjoying genuine, reasonably priced, Pan-Asian cuisine in a sleek but informal setting.