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.

Close to the historic town of Rye and near the castles of Sussex and Kent lies a haven of comfort and beauty called Flackley Ash. The Georgian country house hotel promises to be a great destination for a few days of fun and relaxation for the entire family with country and seaside walks, tree top playhouses for children, cosy bedrooms, not to forget the lovely conservatory restaurant.

There's an emphasis on local, free range and organic ingredients. Local fish and seafood caught off Rye and Hastings, meats, vegetables, salads and herbs from nearby farms, all play a role.

You can expect to savour traditional English dishes with Mediterranean influences from wholesome homemade wild mushroom and Madeira soup; whole grilled Dover sole glazed with citrus butter, and braised Romney Marsh lamb shank with crushed new potatoes, rosemary and lamb jus, to good old sausage and mash and traditional English afternoon cream teas.

Located on Middle Street in the centre of Brighton, Gobi serves authentic Mongolian barbecue cuisine, with buffet style-dining in a chic and stylish environment. The large and spacious restaurant is perfect for groups of families and friends, with the music and the ambience setting the vibrant mood. The restaurant uses locally sourced produce including fresh poultry and vegetables wherever possible.

The varied range of set menus includes meat and fish delicacies which the barbeque chefs can spice and flavour according to the tastes of the individual diner. Vegetarians are also catered for with tofu replacing meat in many of the dishes on offer. For those still hungry for more, there are a range of chocolate desserts, such as chocolate fondue with a choice of Turkish delight, profiteroles, marsh mallows or fruit.

The drinks menu includes a range of wine, beer and cocktails are also served, with the restaurant's in-house liquor, Yakbit being much in demand.

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.

One of those delightful sturdily built Sussex pubs that suddenly materialise round a bend in the road, demanding attention, and more often that not receiving it. This one has taken full advantage of the move towards dine and sleep, with luxurious suites and bedrooms that would charm most people out of any desire to move one inch further.

So whilst the 17th century still prevails it does so with deference to time moving on, most certainly as far as the restaurant is concerned, where a combination of the best of the London markets and sound local produce blend by means of an exciting menu.

Amongst the starters expect to finds sautéed pigeon breasts, smoked haddock with spinach and poached egg, or herb crusted sardines. West Sussex rack of lamb competes with grilled whole lemon sole or roasted quail, but my money goes on the homemade steak and kidney suet pudding with creamed potatoes and braised cabbage.

The desserts offer the customary range of temptations, including a simple baked rice pudding much enlivened by butterscotch sauce, which makes in an interesting variant on the customary raspberry jam, but keep an eye open also for the baked Camembert served with homemade sultana and almond bread, with red onion chutney. En passant they recommend a dessert wine from Sicily, Moscato de Pantellaria, which is seductive in the extreme.

A good wine list, excellent service and the distinct feeling that they are out to please for all the right reasons makes this a place not to miss.

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.