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hand picked restaurants

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's, and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

You can recognise a Bar Med outlet from its characteristic symbol of the sun outside, but once inside, each branch has its own unique personality and style. This chain of seven bars provides a relaxed environment by day, but the pace quickens in the evening with pulsating music and a festive air fuelled by a range of drinks and cocktails. Every one hosts themed nights, such as karaoke, retro, pole dance and rhythm and blues on different days of the week.

They specialise in Mediterranean inspired food, from tapas and fajitas to special stuffed breads, risotto and summer salads. Begin your meal with salt cod croquettes, chorizo sausages, crumbed tender squid or grilled chicken kebabs. The chef's recommendations of Spain's paella and seared tuna loin are sure fire hits, as are the tortilla wraps with innovative fillings such as roasted tomato and onion jam, and tuna mayonnaise, red onion and cheese

Their drinks menu has an interesting mix of wines under different headings, like 'to chill out', 'party', 'to have fun' and 'to take it easy'. Cocktails are served in jugs and are meant for sharing; the list goes on to include a selection of shots, sparkling wines and champagne. End your meal simply but memorably with a chocolate brownie stack or Eli's cookies and cream cheesecake.

The décor is modern, with gaily-coloured orange, green and blue walls, huge glass panels and bright lights. Bar Med brings together entertainment and fun along with good food, making it an attractive destination to stop over for a quick bite or a relaxing drink after work.

Traditional Indian and innovative fusion fare meet at the Blue India restaurant on High Street, Crawley. This stylish restaurant is named after the regal national bird of India and strives to reflect the traditions, romance, majesty, stunning colours, tranquillity and tastes of India and its varied cuisine.

A traditional menu is available for those who seek familiar dishes such as chicken curry and vindaloo, a very hot dish with potatoes. But the main attractions lie in quirky preparations that include gurka's revenge, tender pieces of grilled lamb or chicken in garlic and chilli sauce, spicy and full of flavour, or salmon shah, grilled salmon, flavoured with mustard, dill, coriander and fresh lime. Tandoori food, marinated pieces of meat cooked in a clay oven and various Indian breads are at hand.

A gulab jamoon, deep fried milk sponge in sweet syrup or a blue India kulfi, made from milk and mango flavoured Indian ice cream complete the experience.

The Taj Mahal at Crawley has been a torchbearer for authentic Indian cuisine since 1969 and has over time also gained repute for the nouveau style of cooking, which is fast gaining popularity. It has, since inception, developed a wide range of menus and trademark dishes that has people from as far away as Brighton and London visiting them regularly.

If nibbling on a variety of vegetarian starters is your particular thing you can order the platter that includes onion bhaji, batter fried dumplings with shredded onions among others. Meat lovers can order chicken samosas, made of spiced chicken wrapped in homemade filo pastry.

Try the gosht kaliyan, shredded lamb tossed with onions, tomatoes, black pepper and aromatic spices for mains followed by prawn biryani, a layered combination of fragrant basmati rice with tiger prawns, fresh herbs and spices. The mango lassi, a yoghurt based sweet drink to end the meal will leave you with a smile on your face.

Shimla Indian Restaurant at The Apple Tree offers homemade Indian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. The clearly laid out menu includes traditional seafood, biryani and meat dishes. The house and chef's specials have familiar favourites such as lamb shanks and garlic chicken.

Inspired Italian cooking at its best is what you can expect to find at Galucci, part of Crawley's Arora Hotel, a delectable melange of flavours that encompasses the regions of Italy. Owned by Omero Galucci who attributes his culinary skills and passion to his mother, the dishes there are uncomplicated and move beyond the usual pizzas and pastas to include a range of delicious and wholesome, simple food.

Amongst the antipasti, you could try out the saffron marinated crispy calamari with garlic lemon and then move on to lasagne with crayfish tails and flaked salmon. The slow roasted stuffed leg of chicken finished with red wine and bay leaf jus is just as good as the fillet of hake wrapped in Parma ham with fennel. Don't miss the amaretto flavoured chocolate mousse or the selection of cheeses for the savoury oriented. The carefully chosen wines in the list feature a number of Italian and New World choices.

The Saffron Lounge is an exciting restaurant located in Grand Parade, Crawley. The restaurant's elegant modern interior created by top designer Paul Young, uses the warm colours of saffron to inspire a relaxed contemporary atmosphere.

Expect to find lamb tikka, sliced leg of lamb in a marinade of yogurt, ginger and spices and grilled in the tandoor and chilli prawn thoran, prawns stir fried in coconut, red chillies and lentils among starters. Murgh jalfrezi, diced chicken breast with sliced bell peppers and chillies and achari, chicken curry with pickling spices provide a sample of the hot mains on offer.

Shank of lamb with traditional Goan flavours finished with red wine and exotic spices, and Malabar fish curry, with whole fillet of swordfish in a delicious sauce with coconut, curry leaves and mustard represent the meat and seafood dishes available. Biryanis, breads and other sundries such as poppadums and chutney are also listed.

Located in a 16th century cottage on the edge of Copthorne village, and convenient for Gatwick Airport, The Old House pleases guests with its tranquil surroundings, inglenook fireplaces, old beams, and cosy alcoves.

Every year since 1999 the restaurant has been recognised and awarded AA rosettes for the quality of its food. A two or three-course fixed price, and a monthly changing menu are offered at lunch and dinnertime respectively. Of course, they also present á la carte menus for both meals.

Amongst the starters expect to find pork pâté, tiger prawns, and smoked salmon. Main dishes demonstrate Head Chef Alan Pierce's expertise; think chump of lamb, Dauphinoise potatoes, roasted parsnips, ratatouille and rich basil jus, grilled Dover sole brushed with olive oil and served on or off the bone, and Old House chicken and mushroom pie.

The desserts are particularly tempting and you will be forgiven for falling prey to the iced banana parfait. On offer is a list of over 130 wines, predominantly from France but regularly updated with numbers from the New World.