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The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.

Frankie and Benny's combine classic American and Italian in both style and cuisine. They specialise in home style cooking 'just like Mamma used to make it'. This is a great place to take the entire family and represents excellent value for money. The restaurant and bar is suitable for any occasion, whether it's a leisurely lunch, a family meal or a fantastic evening with friends - they make sure you have a wonderful time.

Walking into the restaurant is like stepping back into 1950s New York, from the clatter and chatter of the open kitchen to the bottle lined bar. Walls with black and white family photographs showing life in Brooklyn's 'Little Italy' surround cosy booth seating and tables. Combined with the classic music of the fifties, a mix of American swing and beat, they definitely provide a fun and friendly atmosphere for all to enjoy.

Frankie and Benny's offers starters, main courses and delicious desserts, and favourites include char-grilled burgers, pizzas, pastas, steaks and house specialities such as chicken parmigiana, BBQ ribs, lamb shank and much more. The bar serves a wide range of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks.

Start with sticky wings, crispy coated chicken strips, tiger prawn skewer or Frankie's fried calamari and if you are dining in a group choose the giant sampler platter. The pastas, calzone and pizzas are all made freshly on order. An interesting dish on the menu is a the Boston 7 speciality pizza fully loaded with slices of pork meatballs, spicy pepperoni, ham, crispy bacon, chicken, peppers and red onion, served on a BBQ sauce base. They also serve a variety of sandwiches and burgers throughout the day.

A good value lunch menu is available on weekdays from 11am until 5pm offering a range of popular dishes from the main carte with one course at £5.95, two courses at £7.95 and three courses at £8.95.

For children up to the age of eleven, an all-inclusive menu features a selection of main courses, desserts and drinks starting at £3.95. As an added treat, they'll also receive an activity pack to entertain them whilst you eat.

Enjoy an American Italian meal at Frankie and Benny's with freshly prepared food and warm hospitality that makes you feel right at home.

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.

Situated opposite the popular Harlequin Centre, Café Mezza is a haven for those yearning for some authentic Lebanese cuisine and grills, which is a speciality there. Step in for a quick, made to order sandwich wrapped in a Lebanese flatbread, or a leisurely meal in the evening.

Artistically presented starters of warak inab, vine leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables in olive oil, and succulent chicken wings with a garlic dip could be followed by the tahini-seasoned lamb skewers accompanied by chilli sauce or deep-fried king prawns smothered in a spicy chilli and garlic sauce. If your looking for a light bite there's the shawarma, strips of chicken, carved from a rotisserie, garnished with pickled cucumber, tomato and garlic sauce, and aged cheese wrapped in finely ground thyme, served with tomatoes, onion and green peppers.

On Friday and Saturday evening, belly dancers and Lebanese music add a touch of zest to the Café Mezza experience.

The Grove is a hotel that flouts normal country house hotel conventions. Though the outside of this Grade II-listed property may look typically impressive, inside it breaks the mould, as the décor is decidedly unusual, filled with numerous works of modern art with only a few antiques.

Similarly, The Glasshouse is more a theatre of cooking where diners could watch chefs at close quarters while the décor continues the 'up to date' theme with remarkable chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows. A selection from the buffet style menu could feature confit prawns in vanilla and chilli from the seafood counter and there's boquerones with roasted aubergine and garlic for tapas lovers. Meat eaters flock to taste a charcuterie plate of chorizo magno, salami felino and lomo terual cured pork loin and for the other's it could be a prime roast rib of Oxfordshire beef or deep fried soft shell crab with Thai green curry with glass noodles and egg fried rice.

Bellissimo Restaurant at The Parade offers a wide range of pizzas, pastas and Italian main courses. Cosy comfortable interiors with striped wooden flooring, marble topped tables and low hanging lights offer a laid back family setting. A small pavement terrace is ideal for alfresco dining in fine weather. The attentive friendly service enhances the pleasure of eating here.

The pizza choice extends from classic margherita to gamberi and New Yorker with toppings of prawns, mozzarella, ham, pineapple, olives, mushroom, spinach, tuna, anchovies, Gorgonzola, chicken breast, pepperoni and beef. The pasta selection offers fusilli with chicken breast, mushroom, onion and garlic, tagliatelle with mussels, prawns, chilli and tomato sauce, lasagne with beef and béchamel sauce and pancakes with prawns and mozzarella. Main course options include king prawns in a rich spicy sauce with rice and salad, grilled chicken breast with fries, chicken Kiev, ham omelette and chicken and bacon salad. An Italian wine list complements the food.

Located in Watford's Redhall Lane, in close proximity to the M25, the Clarendon's cheery ambience, with informal décor and friendly service, is calculated to allow customers to kick back and relax while expecting to dine on fine contemporary fare.

A see-through kitchen allows diners' anticipations to build up. A meal here could begin with steak tartare with organic hen's egg and toast, squid and mackerel burger with pickled cucumber and lime and ginger dressing or pork porchetta with Granny Smith apple puree and parmesan. Moving on to the main course, there's choice of pan fried gurnard with samphire and shrimp beurre noisette, organic chicken glazed with honey and peanuts, and fillet of cod with English peas, gem lettuce and bacon. The meal could end with peach sorbet and shortbread biscuits, crispy thin apple tart with crème frâiche or baked vanilla cheesecake with Scottish raspberries. A glass of premium white or red wine complements the delicious fare.