Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

I discovered the Black Rabbit many years ago and it has lost none of its charm in the intervening years. Set alongside the river at a point where it has already become tidal, you look out over the marsh meadows, which are a nature reserve and take in that distinctive aromatic blend of sea and land. In winter the log fires glow warmly, in summer enjoy the view from the benches outside. An air of agreeable informality. The food is decent quality pub grub, backed up with an interesting collection of wines, many of them on the blackboard and by the glass.

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.

Amberley Castle is a magnificent luxury hotel in West Sussex, perfectly embodying the general notion of such an extremely English edifice, with its sprawling grounds and beautiful rooms. A visit there affords many pleasures, particularly if you are fond of tennis, croquet and golf or other simpler pursuits like strolling through the manicured gardens or walking by the lake. Their excellent restaurant with its fresh and seasonal cuisine is also a huge draw, where fine dining in the magnificent Queen's Room is elevated to another level altogether.

From the modern British kitchen, you can expect starters of braised pig cheek, noodles, and poached duck egg. Further down, choices for main course lie between the lemon sole in warm muscat jelly and gently spiced wild venison with ale pie. The cinnamon cream with caramelised pear for dessert brings the meal to a delicious end and the diverse wine list offers a number of interesting options.

The Cedar Room Restaurant was refurbished in April 1997 incorporating the old style panelling with the new décor and was so named due to an old Cedar Tree, which was positioned right outside the Restaurant. It was apparently one of the oldest Cedar Trees in England but unfortunately it is no longer standing. You can still see where it was on the front lawn outside the windows of the Restaurant.