Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

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.

When you visit the Millstream Hotel you will find that the comfort of the lodging, the cuisine and the exemplary service provide the perfect ingredients to enhance a rejuvenating walk through the rolling hills, a quiet evening taking in beautiful views of Sussex downs or a drive down to the peaceful harbour at Bosham. The manicured gardens provide a perfect spot to enjoy an afternoon tea or an aperitif. The AA rosette awarded restaurant caters to your gastronomic aspirations which when combined with the surroundings makes for a unique experience.

Start with oak smoked salmon with white crab, lemon, chive and shallot mayonnaise and smoked breast of duck with celeriac and pear remoulade, grain mustard and honey dressing. Main course could include slowly roasted belly of pork with Bramley apple compote, sage crushed potatoes, fine beans and pancetta, cream sauce. For dessert order coconut and Malibu pannacotta, mango, mint and passion fruit salsa.

There is always the risk of becoming misty eyed over time-honoured public houses and The George and Dragon Inn could manage to do just that, prompting Chichester diners to fall in love with its timeless charm and friendly, relaxing atmosphere. Whether it's the conservatory dining area or the converted barn accommodation, this North Street inn manages to find a middle ground between traditional simplicity and stylish modernity.

The cooking is largely modern British although occasionally the gastropub influence slips in, so a slow cooked shredded duck with plum chutney and toast could be followed by rump of lamb glazed with red currant, garlic and rosemary sauce, served pink, sitting atop a buttery mash.

Those who seek nothing more than a peaceful night's sleep after a meal might well head to one of the George and Dragon's ten luxury ensuite bedrooms. Then wake up to a Dragon breakfast of pork sausage, bacon and two fried eggs, hash browns, grilled tomato, mushrooms and baked beans served on toast.

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.

The award winning Royal Oak in the village of East Lavant is the archetypal country pub and restaurant with five stylish en-suite rooms, a flint cottage and two self catering cottages. It serves a combination of French, Mediterranean and New English cuisine with wines to match.

The menu starts with the classic whitebait with lemon and tartare sauce, salad of Bayonne ham, marinated goats cheese, fresh beets and tomato vinaigrette and moves on to Royal Oak dill cured salmon with mustard dressing.

Main courses range from traditional beer battered fish with minted pea puree and hand cut chips to Scottish fillet steak with creamy pepper sauce, bordelaise potatoes and sautéed chestnut mushrooms.

Red berry fool with homemade biscuits and warm chocolate fondant, Armagnac infused prunes and clotted cream are some of the choices for desserts. The wine list displays eight pages of a good selection of wines from across the globe.