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Set in chic, contemporary surroundings, The Laguna Kitchen and Bar is done up in contrasting warm and light hues with huge windows creating an airy and spacious feel.

Using the finest and freshest ingredients from excellent Welsh suppliers, the restaurant has successfully created the perfect fusion of flavours to suit all tastes. Good options to begin with, grilled portabella mushroom and ricotta comes with baby spinach, watercress and crostini, whilst ham hock and parsley terrine is accompanied by piccalilli sauce and grilled ciabatta bread. To match your appetite, both steamed Brixham Harbour mussels and confit free range chicken, come as small or large.

Grills such as whole lemon sole or sirloin steak might be served with béarnaise sauce, peppercorn sauce, tomato and chilli jam, hollandaise sauce, tartare sauce, lemon mayonnaise, roasted garlic mayonnaise.

At the Laguna Bar, expect an eclectic mix of fine champagnes, wines and beers. An excellent inventory of cosmopolitan cocktails is also to hand.

Things seem to move fast at Wagamama - the Asian inspired, noodle restaurant chain that was started in 1992. As soon as you decide what you want to eat, your order is taken via a PDA, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen, so it can be made fresh and served right after. The restaurant chain does not believe in taking reservations, and all customers are seated on a first come, first serve basis. In fact, be aware that most of the tables are long ones and you will often be asked to share them.

The restaurants are modelled on traditional Japanese ramen bars that have been popular for hundreds of years - ramen are Japanese style noodles, served in a meat-based broth, topped with pork, dried seaweed or even corn. Chilli beef ramen, made of noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled sirloin steak and fresh vegetables, is hearty and satisfying.

Apart from ramen, you could opt for the coconut soup based kare noodles or teppan, cooked on a hot, flat griddle. They also offer many rice dishes like katsu curry, chicken fillet deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a lightly spiced curry sauce and sticky white rice. Vegetarians are definitely not ignored, as they can opt for saien soba, made using whole-wheat noodles in a soup topped with stir-fried vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and garnished with sliced spring onion.

Meat and vegetable dumplings, skewered chicken, deep-fried prawns and raw salads double as both sides and starters. Steamed green soya-beans, called edamame, go well with drinks - hold them up to your mouth and squeeze the succulent beans from the pod. If you've noticed, Wagamama is more about eating healthy food fast and less about the order. Don't be surprised if you're served the main course before the side dish - order isn't important, the aim is, don't wait - just tuck in and share.

Wash down your meal with sake, plum wine or even a Japanese beer. Wind up your meal with coconut reika - three scoops of dairy coconut ice cream topped with a fresh, tangy mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes or the tamarind and chilli Pavlova, with a crunchy meringue base served with a raspberry and tamarind sauce.

At Wagamama, you can also shop for cookbooks, sauces, ramen bowls and t-shirts. The restaurant is all about enjoying genuine, reasonably priced, Pan-Asian cuisine in a sleek but informal setting.

In the swinging city that is Cardiff, El Puerto is well to the fore. Its key position in the handsome former Customs House in Cardiff Bay certainly helps and a steady stream of favourable reviews and happy customers tells its own story.

Whilst the cuisine centres on Spanish dishes this is by no means the end of the story and culinary inspiration from around the Mediterranean is cheerfully and expertly called upon. The impression given is somewhere between a 20th century brasserie with overtones of bistro, though La Marine upstairs will not only enhance your view but also offer a more formal dining experience.

A fascinating wine list, almost suggesting that HM Customs House did not make a clean sweep when they vacated the premises.

Homemade fresh food from Wales, good service, top brand drinks, and music events combine to make The Promised Land a popular and lively venue. Located at 4 Windsor Place Cardiff, at the top end of Queen Street, it is a pleasant spot for coffees, meetings and all the way through business lunches, shopping breaks, busy afternoons, after work gatherings to evening and late night food and drinks.

Try the elephant beef burger, served with lettuce and three individual relish pots, blue cheese, tomato and garlic mayo and a toasted bun, and roasted vegetables bound with a tomato and basil sauce and topped with a crispy crumble topping. Among sandwiches there is baked ham with dill mustard and Llangloffan cheese. If you prefer salads you can opt for smoked chicken and mango. Desserts include lemon tart, chocolate mousse and Mario's Welsh ice cream.