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Lussmanns, with its modern style of English and European food, and its sibling in St Albans, are restaurants with a difference, in that they really do try to reflect the seasons, as well as source local ingredients. There is a kind of transparency of intent about Andrei Lussmann and Tim Hope, whose enterprise creates confidence and trust, feelings which are clearly shared by their customers and staff.

The fish is taken from sustainable stocks using environmentally friendly methods; meat is supplied by Donald Russell, probably the most famous quality butcher in Scotland and who really know how to source and hang the finest beef, and they use only English free range and farm assured chickens.

The Hertford Lussmanns is located in the town centre, within walking distance of the Castle grounds and gardens. Its Egyptian style frontage should not be taken as an indication of the cuisine, but is one of only two built in the 1830s. It was once the meeting place of the secret society of the knights' templar of Aquarius.

The main menu is available generally during opening hours and could include Hertfordshire free-range chicken liver and Armagnac parfait; Moray Firth smoked mackerel and cornichon pâté with granary toast or oatcakes, and the Lussmanns for two people with free range speck and wild rocket, roasted peppers, buffalo mozzarella, artichoke, free-range salami, roasted tomatoes, olive tapenade, basil pesto, olives and tzatziki.

However, it should not leave the hearty diner incapacitated and unready to consider the relative merits of a plate of organic Shetland Isles salmon, a house fishcake, or free range English chicken schnitzel with garlic and chilli linguine. A classic burger is served with Dorset cheddar, frites and coleslaw.
 
Desserts maintain the pace of excellence with a West Country organic chocolate cheesecake alongside English artisan ice creams and sorbets.

Corney and Barrow, always a good name to have around, take a hand in the wine list which is modest in number but punchy in selection and comfortably priced. There are organic fruit juices and long drinks such as elderflower bubbly and Luscombe mule, in addition to some quality British beer.

This is an admirable restaurant where quality and integrity are the virtues around which their success revolves. Learn more about them from their Website that mirrors their exuberance and pleasure in what they are doing.

Finally, their specials menu changes monthly and the latest one can be viewed on their website.

Please note that they do not accept bookings by e-mail, so only use it for questions or enquiries.

Overlooking the River Lea from Lower Hatfield Road, The Whistling Duck embodies the surrounding countryside, with a high profile menu that is an excellent flagship for British cooking with abundant choices; a Chef's brigade led by Head Chef Steve Bower, originally from Papillon, is hungry to ensure that The Whistling Duck always flies in top gear.

When pressed Steve said, "the heart of a good restaurant is its food and using only the very best fresh produce combined with the best of traditional British cooking with an added twist is exciting and fulfilling."

So what of the menu? A dozen or so dishes set the scene for a meal that will be remembered for all the right reasons. Lightly spiced fresh crab cakes are served with a sweet chilli salsa and garlic mayonnaise, whilst caramelised chicken livers comes with mushrooms, onions and balsamic syrup. The duck liver pâté may catch your interest too with its delicate hint of Armagnac wrapped in Parma ham.

They don't spare the fish here. There's a deluxe fisherman?s pie as well as a dreamy bouillabaisse with white wine, garlic, tomato and herb sauce well laced with crustaceans and served with garlic bread more than makes up for that. The ultimate seafood platter is designed with real addicts in mind, think trout, smoked salmon, crab, prawns, crayfish and mackerel roulade. Prime fillet of beef are served on a leek and potato rösti topped with a mild Stilton glaze, dressed with a rich Claret jus garnished with French bean parcels. Rack of lamb, honey roast duck breast and paupiette of pork fillet compete for the attention of diners whose interests are both cosmopolitan yet loyal to their well-honed and often simple tastes.

Sticky toffee pudding is almost a national dish since it escaped from Cartmel, but not always with the seriously rich fudge sauce that is applied to its person at The Whistling Duck. Amongst other desserts that catch the eye are the crêpes Suzette, wonderful wafer thin pancakes steeped in orange, caramel and Grand Marnier syrup before being served with a vanilla ice cream shot. An Ultimate Petite Selection of six positively mouth-watering desserts can, be warned, leave you wishing you had ordered them all - in full.

With their space and setting it is hardly surprising that catering for parties, large groups and special events is a way of life at The Whistling Duck. They're a very sociable lot in Hertfordshire too and partying out finds a warm welcome at the restaurant, with tailored arrangements a speciality. A lunchtime menu with good choices at very reasonable prices is always a good opportunity to test drive a restaurant with bigger things in mind.

Their Website is full of useful information attractively set out, in which pride is clearly taken. A good augury for a restaurant that you leave glowing with a sense of wellbeing.

Prezzo has been delighting diners for over eight years, and this Italian restaurant chain has since been able to expand throughout large parts of England and Scotland with some 141 outlets.

Interestingly, the company seeks to restore either impressive buildings or ones of local interest. The conversion of the Newbury library and other listed buildings, such as those in Salisbury, Romsey and Mayfair, are all welcome examples of 'new use'. Their trendy and sophisticated décor usually consists of tiled or wooden floors with delicate lights and colourful paintings, along with wooden furniture and sparkling cutlery, creating a setting that is suitable for a relaxed lunch, a family meal or an evening out with friends.

The restaurants are of particular appeal to those who like genuine Italian cuisine, and they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goat's cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on foccacia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal. Best fun is to order an antipasto platter to share made up from seven well loved Italian nibbles.

Find pastas such as the unusual penne con salmone, with oak-roasted salmon, broccoli and fresh chillies in a red pesto and cream sauce, or firm favourites like spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, and fusilli al pesto, asparagus spears with field mushrooms and roasted peppers in a basil pesto sauce.

Amongst the special pastas, the pollo mariano, seasoned chicken, pepperoni sausage, roasted peppers and fusilli in tomato sauce, is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like tiger prawns with petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular napoletana, topped with yellowfin tuna, tomato, white anchovies, capers, red onion, mozzarella and marinated olives, and the much loved quattro stagioni - pepperoni sausage, prosciutto ham, artichoke, field mushrooms, capers, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with their blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can accompany the food with a variety of tipples, though for many, Italian food requires Italian wines to be enjoyed to the full, ranging from house wine through Morellino di Scansano and Prosecco to liqueurs and beer, and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal, in company with a glass of grappa or sambuca.

This is Italian food at its attractive best, convincing and bringing together the traditional with the modern twist or two against a background of excellent value.

Prezzo is a lively group and opportunities to improve and update are never left on the table for long. Keep up to date with a quick click on their Website.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.