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Bella Italia is a restaurant that pulsates with Italian style and fashion, where the day starts with breakfast, not least the Inglese, the familiar bacon, sausage, mushroom, tomato and fried or scrambled eggs and sauté potatoes with ciabatta toast so beloved of hearty eaters seeking a good start to the day, particularly when they don't have to prepare it. A vegetarian option is available, along with the bambini of sausages, tomato and scrambled egg, or a strapazzata, scrambled eggs on ciabatta toast. A cappuccino or hot chocolate offers a more gentle awakening and croissant or pastries are welcome at almost any time.

It is always worth remembering that eating Italian is a great opportunity to work away through something rather more liberating than the conventional 3 course English meal. Little and often seems to be the motto but move on to the antipasti and it's immediately obvious this is no easy task, confronted with well over a dozen dishes, not one of which you really have the heart to turn down. The selezione classica assembles a few of the favourite starters; oven baked lemon and rosemary chicken wings, spiced meatballs, calamari, mini garlic butter-filled calzoni and lightly battered courgettes served with flamed pepper and lemon herb dips.

A speck e rucola pizza, added to a traditional margherita brings together two traditions with Italian speck ham providing the second, but it is within the pasta and risotto dishes that you can adapt almost any main ingredient, as well enjoy some of Italy's most traditional treats. Who can deny a well formed spaghetti Bolognese or penne Marco Polo? And not for nothing is a nicely prepared spaghetti carbonara the preferred dish of many.

From a selection of five choices amongst the secondi many will head unerringly for controfiletto ai ferri, a 7oz sirloin steak char-grilled to preference and served with garlic butter, roast field mushrooms, fries and rocket, or the fritto misto, lightly battered prawns, cod fillet, calamari and courgette with fries and a herb lemon and caper dip.

Could anything be more appropriate than The Godfather, for 1 or 2 naturally, with nutty chocolate fudge brownies, vanilla and toffee ice cream with chocolate sauce, fresh cream and wafer curls, and rest assured the coffee will do justice to the meal.

With a wine list that makes few concessions to other countries - and why should it - good Italian food can receive an equally national baptism by wine. For further enlightenment, news about their on-line shop and special deals, a click on their lively Website will reveal all.

Only a short walk from the iconic Royal and Ancient Golf Club, Zizzi St Andrews offers delicious Italian food in a relaxing atmosphere that's perfect after a game of golf. Zizzi is also an ideal place to grab a quick bite before a show at the Byre Theatre nearby.

Numerous tourist attractions such as the New Picture House cinema, the British Golf Museum and St. Andrews Cathedral are just a short walk away.

The bustling open kitchen at Zizzi turns out freshly prepared, tasty fare. The extensive à la carte offers distinct sections of antipasti, salads, pizza and calzone, pasta, risottos and mains of seasonally changing meat and fish dishes with a variety of tempting desserts to finish.

Zizzi's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. There's also choice of arancini, crispy risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and peas and served with a tomato chilli sauce as well as gnocchi gorgonzola, potato dumplings in a creamy gorgonzola and spinach sauce seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper, setting the tone for a hearty meal.

For a delicious pasta or risotto choose between penne vodka, king prawns, chilli, peas and Grana Padano in a creamy tomato and vodka sauce; ravioli di capra, goat's cheese and spinach ravioli served with tomato sauce and topped with pesto and pine nuts; zucca e pancetta, pumpkin, pancetta, spinach, sage and Grana Padano topped with mascarpone and rigatoni con pollo e funghi, chicken in a tomato, onion, rosemary and mushroom sauce. Gluten-free pasta is also available on request.

If you prefer a pizza, then you could try Zizzi's speciality pizza rustica, which couples extra thin and crispy bases with a range of toppings such as bufala, buffalo mozzarella with sunblush tomatoes, basil, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or mare e monti, one half topped with tiger prawn, courgette and mozzarella and the other with spicy sausage, tomato sauce and chilli, all finished off with a rocket and crème fraîche. The carne piccante calzone has marinated chicken, meatballs, Bolognese sauce, mushrooms, chillies, tomato and mozzarella while the clarissa version, has aubergine, and red pepper caponata, olives, goats' cheese, rocket, pine nuts, tomato and mozzarella. Zizzi's calzon'pizzas, half calzone and half pizza, add an interesting twist to the meal.
 
Sumptuous mains include agnello con peperonata, roasted lamb shank served with basil, roasted vegetables and a little pot of potatoes with tomato, red onion and Grana Padano; duck arrosto, slow roasted whole duck leg in a balsamic, olive and pancetta reduction served with Tuscan potatoes and green beans; and sea bass al vino, sea bass pan fried with wine, garlic and baby plum tomatoes and served with herby potatoes.

The scrumptious dessert list offers torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base topped with rich chocolate torte and served with vanilla mascarpone; homemade tiramisu; creamy vanilla pannacotta with fruit compote and torta Zizzi, an almond-based plum and fig tart topped with pistachios and icing sugar and served with gelato.

The wine list is dominated by a range of Italian wines from regions such as Veneto, Lazio, Sicily, Tuscany and Lombardy. Also on offer is an assortment of beers, and spirits as well as a range of soft and hot drinks.

More information can be found on their Website.

The Kingdom of Fife has an identity all its own, which it has stoutly maintained, and defended when necessary. Not unnaturally this has led to a strong sense of individuality that has not stopped short of eating. So it really should not come as a great surprise to find that the former Cambo Arms at Kingsbarns, described by one reliable witness as "downtrodden", has been given a new lease of life under the guidance of Ian and Marilyn Murtagh who have transformed a fine traditional set of buildings into a modern restaurant with rooms, without losing the patina of charm bestowed by the centuries.

Only five miles from St Andrews, The Barns is a runaway success that has been waiting to happen. A devotion to well above average food is one of their strongest assets, and with produce drawn from the surrounding farms and waters Head Chef Jimmy Thomson and his team leave nothing to chance. For starters think of dressed brie, breadcrumbed and lightly fried, with salad and redcurrant jelly, or the best Scottish salmon served freshly hot-smoked.

After that it's into the main courses which are dominated by burgers and steaks. For those reaching for the smelling salts let me assure you these are burgers as you have never before known them, 100% properly hung local beef. The same goes for the quite superb steaks, from the 18oz T-bone to the 10oz sirloin - alas! poor Hector, I knew him well.

Deep fried local scampi and fillet of haddock grace the same menu, together with three generous lamb cutlets chargrilled to your taste. Hand cut chips, salad and homemade coleslaw accompany all the main courses.

For years I sought to persuade the National Trust for Scotland, with limited success, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with things like hand cut chips and burgers in their cafes and restaurants, always provided that, like their properties they have integrity and are the best of their kind.

The excellent wine and drinks list offers succour to locals and diners alike, all of whom mingle merrily in this splendid new (2005) addition to the already gilded restaurant scene in Fife.

The Road Hole Grill offers the very best of Scottish and organic produce as the basis of a classical menu. An extensive wine list is available - over 165 wines from which to choose. Attentive service in an intimate setting overlooking the majestic Old Course and the St Andrews coastline.

If there's anything that stands out about The Inn at Lathones in St. Andrews, apart from its blackface lamb cutlets, shellfish soup and specialty beef, it has to be the thoughtful service, the accommodative staff and memorable dining experience. Located 5 miles south of St. Andrews, this country inn with its unique setting has won 2 Rosettes with the AA for 12 consecutive years.  And that comes as no surprise given their unique setting and exceptional attention to detail.

The meticulous care taken during preparation of meals is more than evident in the outcome - a satisfying gastronomical experience. The Scottish smoked salmon with mixed leaves and the roast rib of Angus beef are both recommended and the breakfast menu deserves a mention for its incredible variety and pleasantly lingering taste. The wine list also has plenty to choose from and the overall dining experience is a real find given how easy it is on one's purse strings.

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.

What a difference a couple of years can make. The last time I looked at this restaurant there were perhaps more than a fair share of the attendant difficulties that go with preparing a new restaurant around, let alone one as daring and vertically challenging as this one.

But now all is well, the accolades are rolling in, there's hardly enough wall space to display the gongs, and the golfers and dons of St Andrews, never mind the rest, are flocking there in impressive numbers. Whichever way you turn the views are spectacular. Look out over the North Sea, the Old Course and West Sands, look in and enjoy seeing Craig Millar and his team working in their open kitchen. They claim to employ experience, professionalism and friendliness, and it's hard to fault them.

On a site such as this it would not be all that easy to think of any food except fish, which is just as well. The odd exception is made, but in the main it is fresh fish, not exactly caught from the restaurant, but not far off. For starters think of a salad of lobster and mango with chilli sauce and parsley pesto, or a terrine of foie gras and smoked ham shank for the dissenters. Follow with a timbale of kiln roasted and smoked salmon with Avruga and a shallot and chive crème fraiche. For golfers worrying about their handicap a half dozen Kilbrandon oysters might do the trick.

A grilled fillet of turbot with soft herb crust and sauternes sauce is well accompanied, and it did occur to me that baked fillet of halibut with a macadamia nut crust might be a play on words to keep the dons happy. The roast breast of Gressingham duck is there with the customary leg confit, red onion marmalade and a red wine and thyme jus.

Desserts offer a Drambuie and raspberry mousse, but the prune and Armagnac pudding with banana ice cream and butterscotch sauce is a consistently popular choice for many. Nor are the cheeses confined to Scotland, with a nifty Gogonzola providing significant competition to a well kept mature Cheddar from the Isle of Mull.

For service and the like let me refer you to the earlier claim made by the restaurant, which sums it up well. The wine list certainly repays close study, providing some very handsome options for the settlement of golfing wagers après la guerre.