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hand picked restaurants

If you're looking to catch a glimpse of Latin life and cuisine this side of the Atlantic, hop right in to any Las Iguanas outlet across the UK. Each eatery is designed differently and brings out diverse flavours and colours - from the stillness of the Argentinean Pampas to the energy of Rio at Carnival time - some outlets are bathed in colour while others are more sober. Don't be surprised if you come across a few life-sized Latinos too.

All the action is centred on the food, a fusion of native Latin American, Indian, Spanish, Portuguese and African influences. Their signature dish called xinxim, Brazilian lime chicken in a creamy crayfish and peanut sauce with rice, fine beans and sweet plantain happens to be football legend Pele's favourite.

The tapas menu served throughout the day offers braised chorizo in Rioja wine with country bread; peri-peri, crisp cassava coated chicken with Brazilian style hot garlic; crayfish marinated with fresh mango, and quesadilla, a chargrilled tortilla filled with portobello mushroom, melted brie dressed with homemade tomato, garlic and coriander salsa.

Argentinean steaks are simply seasoned, flame grilled and served with potato, salad or cassava fries. Traditional fajitas - hot sizzling platters with onions and bell peppers, served with homemade salsa, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole and warm tortillas can be enjoyed with chicken fillet strips, steak, mushrooms or artichoke and squash.

Latin rhythm in the background and an extensive choice of wine, cocktails, champagne, beer and caipirinha, made from their very own cachaca, Brazil's national drink produced in their own sugarcane plantations complete the picture.

Desserts such as Ipanema mess, made of creamy mascarpone, natural yoghurt, raspberries, guava preserve and crushed meringue lend the meal a befitting end.

Bray is a quiet little commuter village not far from Maidenhead, known until recently for its questionably good fortune in having The Waterside Inn and The Fat Duck in its midst.

Now those who are looking for something a touch less formal have joined in the fun, and under the wing of Heston Blumenthal no less, there is now a gastropub to meet the need.

The surroundings are bucolic, with a long, low wood-panelled room that sets the mind at rest, and that's before you even see the menu.

A wonderful array of user-friendly dishes, potted shrimps with watercress salad, Lancashire hotpot, oxtail and kidney pudding, rabbit and bacon terrine with char-grilled bread and Cumberland sauce, or steak and kidney pudding; yes, the general trend is towards good, hearty food that pleases.

It is possible to eat at the bar, which places you marginally nearer to the admirable Hook Norton bitter, or in a nearby serviced dining room. This is a refreshing demonstration that one of the maestro chefs in UK has his feet firmly on the commercial ground and can tackle two sectors of the eating out market with equal skill.

Zerodegrees has embarked on a drinking and dining concept that pioneers the emerging trend in fresh, hand crafted beers brewed by microbreweries. Diners are guaranteed a theatrical experience with the sight, sound and smell from the working brewery and a busy kitchen with its traditional stone-fired pizza oven dishing out favourites such as mango tandoori chicken and Peking duck.

The menu encompasses a selection of gourmet pizzas, delicious salads, speciality sausages, pastas and kilo pots of mussels served with a variety of sauces. International wines and freshly brewed beers seek out the tastiest and most exotic flavours from across the world, while adding their own seasonal and speciality numbers. The range extends from black lager to pale ale, with some delicious fruit beer in between.

Incorporating the mechanics of the working brewery into the building's architecture has resulted in a functional and futuristic place and the industrial feel whilst unavoidable is an added attraction.

The Chequers Brasserie in Cookham Dean has been considered one of the better gastro pubs in the Thames Valley for the last fifteen years. They offer a seasonal menu supplemented by daily blackboard specials, all sensibly priced. Wooden beams and an open fire greet you on arrival at the Chequers, and there is a small intimate bar area with comfortable seating; and dining is either in the main older part of the building or a conservatory.

Regular favourites among the starters include - seared King scallops with a crayfish tail risotto and an orange piquant syrup and foie gras parfait, toasted brioche, truffle oil and watercress salad - and from the main courses, fillet of smoked haddock with a soft poached egg and hollandaise sauce or roast rack of lamb, celeriac and potato boulangère, curly kale and shallot jus. While you could wrap your meal up with desserts like chocolate and honeycomb cheesecake or blueberry fool with toasted sponge cake.

On Sundays and Bank Holidays they serve traditional British roasts. An extensive wine list is available as well as real ales from their bar.