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hand picked restaurants

The Restaurant is an essential part of the new boutique hotel in Brighton, Drakes. As such it enjoys the same degree of sophistication as the rest of the project and one is left with the notion that the Regency crowd who created the Brighton Dome would feel very much at home here.

The food is demonstrative and bold and might have those of a tender disposition reaching for the smelling salts. Starters could include seared squid with black tagliatelle and Parmesan. Both lamb and hare feature amongst main courses, again boldly presented, the hare on a Madeira sauce. Puddings take the same course and a hot raspberry soufflee with a lavish back-up of raspberry ripple ice cream, the final touch in decadence.

A well-bred wine list supports the meal well, as does the service, never servile but definitely user-friendly. The general consensus is that Brighton can do with some more places like this.

Brighton has its fair share of Chinese restaurants and among them, the easy to find Pagoda in the Marina's West Quay offers customers some authentic, reasonable and flavoursome food. The floating eatery takes its name from the East Asian pyramidal tower with an upward curving roof.

The restaurant is a converted Dutch barge and there are two decks, the lower one has a fine art gallery that opened in 2002 and the higher one is the dining area with high backed chairs and spacious tables. They serve dishes like aromatic duck and seafood supreme to start with, a variety of soups, and mains such as spare ribs in a sticky sweet and sour sauce, and king prawn with mango in birds nest, from a comprehensive menu.

Ingredients imported from Thailand, chefs who have mastered the cuisines and a traditional ambience, you'll find it all here at the Sukothai Palace, in the heart of Brighton, close to the lanes and Churchill Square shopping areas. Their extensive a la carte menu is available all day and you can choose from a range of traditional and classic dishes.

You can try the green and red curries and the tom yum soup or the Hong Kong beef served sizzling on a hot plate at the table. For the more adventurous, there's the haw mok curry, a delicious, smooth, creamy red curry steamed on banana leaves and sweet basil, topped with a coconut cream sauce. If you want it spicier you have only to ask.

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.

Ashoka's aim is to treat diners to some traditional and innovative Indian dishes, in a relaxed atmosphere. Its demure entrance leads you to a large dining room, replete with rich dark hues and warm lighting.

The main draw is owner Rafiq Miah's specialities, which are tried and tested by the man himself. The ayre mas with sathkora is a blend of fresh, de-boned fish, slightly bitter lime, chillies and mustard oil, and chicken or lamb mashriki cooked in a thick sauce with green capsicum, garlic and onions with a hint of spinach. These specialities, served with pilaf rice, are made using seasonal ingredients and are subject to availability.

The menu is helpfully divided into sections based on different styles of Indian cooking, like tandoori, bhuna, dupiaza, rogan, balti, vindaloo and kurma. Other house specialities include garlic tikka king prawn and Mughlai chicken.

With its fondness for the pioneering path it is perhaps entirely right and proper that Brighton should have this temple dedicated to the organic cause. And believe me it has not been done in half measures either. Starting at the top the restaurant is solar-powered for its hot water and descending to the lower regions uses renewable energy to run everything else. Formerly The Windsor Tavern, it was relaunched in 2001 and seems to be meeting the need well. Virtually everything is organic, beer, food, wine, hemp T-shirts for the staff and, wait for it, cigarettes. Now there's inverted hedonism for you. Having just read of a celebrity chef who said he would gladly sacrifice a few years of his life for a certain taste in prepared food I am in an ambivalent state of mind. I can only suggest you go and give it a try - it really is worth it.

Not immediately obvious, you will need to keep your eyes skinned for this outpost of the Blanch House Hotel, to which it acts as the restaurant, though under different ownership.

There is a daily menu and the offerings are original and frequently exciting. Think of a dark chocolate and beetroot cake with a surprise of rich white chocolate within, accompanied by a dash of sour crème fraiche, and you have the picture. Good wine list with house wine at £11.50.

White leather banquet seating and walnut tables make Blanch House a simple yet comfortable and chic destination in which to spend time, and food always takes centre stage. The chefs maintain high standards, placing a strong emphasis on local produce and altering the menu every six weeks. That way they keep up with the seasons and succeed in giving customers an exciting choice of culinary delights.

Their cocktail bar is a buzzing and interesting place for either pre or post supper drinks, and, if, for any reason, you don't feel in a hurry to go home at the end of your evening, the hotel is a stunning place to stay and round off the experience.

A typical meal might offer Anatalya tea smoked duck egg, fruit purées and soldiers, followed by pan seared lemon sole, nettle soufflé, cherry tomato compote and slow roasted marrow, finishing with a selection of cheeses, apple sorbet, mushroom piccalilli and biscuits.