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With great views of River Thames, Zizzi Hampton Court offers good value Italian cuisine in a bright, trendy ambience on the banks of the river. The glass-fronted dining room offers a relaxed setting, while the outside seating area is perfect for an al fresco meal during summer.

With excellent public transport links, Hampton Court Rail Station is within a 2-minute walk, Zizzi is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious Italian meal after taking in the sights at Hampton Court Palace and Gardens.

The restaurant's bustling open kitchen turns out a wide range of freshly prepared, tasty fare. The extensive à la carte offers traditional antipasti, pizza, pasta and salads, as well as 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.

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.

The very name conjures up the image of food from India - rich, unique, tantalising and a legacy that goes back to the days of the maharajas. The family owned Golden Curry restaurant takes pride in bringing you distinct flavours from recipes that have been passed down from one generation to another. The choices available are extensive in every sense of the word, from biryani and tandoori specialities, to curries, vegetables and bread. 

For starters, you could have chicken chat, cucumber and tomato fried in ghee or the simpler Ayr biran, spiced fish, fried onions and green peppers. The succulent array of kebabs is both tempting and varied, with something to suit everyone. Ordering the main course is not difficult, as the options are some of the best in Indian cuisine. Do try the innovative tikka biryani or the good old mutton one, a traditional speciality that leaves a lingering taste and brings you back for more.

If you want to taste food grilled in the clay oven or the tandoor, order the mixed kebab grill, served with naan bread, tomato, lettuce and lemon. The juicy tandoori king prawns, spiced, marinated and skewed on charcoal, make another delightful option. Side orders like aloo gobi, an interesting combination of cauliflower and potatoes, or a delicious medley of sweet peas and cottage cheese enhance the enjoyment of an already tasty meal.

Golden Curry stands out from other Indian restaurants with sensible menu options like mild, medium and hot curries listed under separate headings, giving diners more variety to choose from. At almost twenty years old, the Golden Curry is one eatery that has left its mark on the very popular Indian cuisine scene. The restaurant promises to meet requests for unlisted dishes as well, a feature that presumably very few people would have need to avail themselves of, considering the variety on the menu.