(8 Kings Road, Southsea in Portsmouth, United Kingdom)

8 Kings Road restaurant is Southsea’s first destination restaurant. More than a million pounds was ...spent transforming this former bank into a beautiful, superbly stylish yet unpretentious restaurant, a very modern blend of relaxed ambience, high style and professional finesse. Head Chef Karl Byron, formerly Just St James’s, sources the best ingredients from Britain and Europe to create his own French/English cuisine in signature dishes like starter of Cornish crab and avocado with mango and chilli (menu listings deal in straight talk), and main course of honey-glazed pork with bubble & squeak, apple and cinnamon. 8 Kings Road’s stellar wine list is judiciously priced. Irresistible lunch menu. Opening hours: Tues - Sat 12pm - 2:30pm & 7pm - 10pmSun 12pm - 3pm [moreless]

( in Futeau, France)

L’Oree Du Bois is a delightful small hotel and restaurant hidden among the hilly orchards of Futeau,... not that far from the world-famous Champagne country of north east France. Birdsong, sweet-scented flowers, trees everywhere, panoramic valley view, space, silence – this really is a stunning natural setting. ‘Maître cuisinier de France’ Paul Agesse causes a complementary stir in the plush, formally-set country-style dining room where he serves a gourmet menu of dishes from his native Brittany and the historic Meuse area of the Lorraine region. From farm-raised game to shellfish and truffles, every dish at L’Oree Du Bois is perfectly prepared and presented. Agesse’s wife, Roselyne, does an admirable job of choosing the wine; a happy marriage indeed. L’Oree Du Bois is, generally speaking, a special occasion restaurant, and somewhere scenic and relaxed for a refined traditional Sunday lunch in the countryside. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Tue 7:15pm - 9pm Wed - Sat 12pm - 1:30pm & 7:15 - 9pm Sun 12pm - 1:30pm L’Oree Du Bois is a three-star hotel... [moreless]

(60 Via Antonio Serra in Rome, Italy)

Red alert. The gastronomes of Rome are stampeding to Acquolina Hostaria, the newest venture of the ...brothers Troiani. For years Il Convivio Troiani has been a peak of Roman dining, and now the energetic brothers Troiani have opened this small, exclusive new place. Acquolina Hostaria is modern and elegant with some al fresco seating for typical Roman weather. The menu relies heavily on the catch of the day, featuring oysters, clams and anything that swims prepared in a mixture of classic and modern styles, including raw and sushi-style preparations. The wine list, as at Il Convivio, is absolutely huge and, at eighty percent white, very well matched to the fish dishes. Dinner only, with a tasting menu that will have you hooked. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 20€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 24 hours or for a no show Acquolina Hostaria is short cab ride from Piazza del Popolo. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 8pm - 12amSun: closed all day [moreless]

(30 North Street , Devon in Ashburton, United Kingdom)

Agaric Restaurant is almost entirely to blame for Ashburton’s recent transformation from quiet Devon... town to foodie mecca. With local food champion Nick Coiley at the helm this unassuming, quirky little place combines B&B, restaurant and cookery school with simply stunning results. Yes, the décor is lovely but we can’t believe that you’ll be checking out wallpaper or judging tablecloths when the smells emanating from the kitchen hit you. With pretension and over-styling thrown out of the window Coiley prepares mouthwatering menus using incredible local produce, from wild mushrooms to live crabs, and he does it all from scratch every single day. The results are enough to have critics and fellow chefs calling this place food heaven and we’d be fools to disagree. Opening hours: Wed - Fri: 10pm - 2pm & 7pm - 9pm Sat: 7pm - 9pm Celebrity Chef Jean Christophe Novelli has called Nick Coiley ‘the most underrated Chef in all UK’. [moreless]

(62 Rue Mazarine in Paris, France)

Sir Terence Conran's bright, buzzing, and wonderfully stylish eateries have now conquered Paris with... Alcazar. Set in a 17th-century real tennis court, and once a notorious transvestite bar and nightclub, the space has been transformed with a twelve metre high glass roof, trendy decor and lighting and a changing series of photographic exhibits. The Mezzanine Bar is adored, not only for its heart-stopping drinks but also for the sounds its DJs mix. Food is French contemporary. Starters include wild duck terrine and fig chutney, mains include foie gras-stuffed farm chicken with pan sauteed mushrooms, and puddings include liquorice-flavoured raspberry vacherin. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability for bookings of 4 people or over - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 30€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 2 days or for a no show During the Christmas period,there is a specific credit card policy please check under the Christmas Eve and New Years Eve menus. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 3pm & 7pm - 2amMezzanine only open in the evening [moreless]

(Praia da Falésia, PO BOX 644 in Albufeira, Portugal)

Morocco meets the Mediterranean in this regal restaurant set atop a cliff in the Algarve. Tucked awa...y inside the lush Sheraton Algarve resort, Aldar restaurant boasts panoramic views of the ocean and a bright and colourful Morocan mise-en-scène, decorated with richly coloured textiles in royal blues, ruby reds and saffron yellows. The restaurant is surrounded by fragrant pine trees, and Aldar is renowned for its moreish and luxurious Middle Eastern menu. Signature dishes include the lamb couscous with seven vegetables; the Tajine Tfaya with chicken, olives and preserved lemons; and the special Aldar appetiser – a selection of salads and deep fried Briouates with lamb, seafood and spinach. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sat 7pm - 10:30pm Sun - Mon: closed Aldar restaurant is located in the Sheraton Algarve resort in Praia da Falesia... [moreless]

(354 Castlehill, The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, United Kingdom)

Amber is a paragon of all that’s great about Scottish food and drink. Housed between the old stone w...alls of the Scottish Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, it offers seriously sophisticated tribute to Scotland's culinary traditions. Just read these typical dishes: choux pastry with woodland mushrooms and sloe berry jelly, fillet of Buccleuch beef with rich wild mushroom and truffle sauce, honey-roasted courgette filled with Inverloch goats cheese and sun-dried tomatoes… it’s glorious stuff. Whisky complements rather than dominates the menu, even though there are 300 single malts, rare aged blends (and a few surprises) to choose from. A comprehensive wine and cocktail list appeases those who aren’t attracted by the tasting menu whereby the whisky sommelier recommends a malt for each course, explains the provenance of each, and why he’s chosen them. Please be aware the bar of Amber Restaurant is strictly 18 and over.Last orders for food is 8:30pm.The maximum booking size is 10 diners at this restaurant. Opening hours: Tues - Sat: 7pm - 9pm [moreless]

(The Felbridge Hotel, London Road in East Grinstead, United Kingdom)

Anise restaurant in East Grinstead’s luxurious Felbridge Hotel is one seriously smart venue for fine... dining. The hotel’s recent transformation into four-star luxury puts the flagship restaurant on the local culinary map in a new way. Anise’s elegant dining room features sophisticated dark walls, neutral leather upholstery, coolly figured carpet and white table linens and fine china and crystal. Anise brings a touch of the West End to leafy Sussex. The modern menu, based on French technique, includes dishes like roasted breast of Barbary duck with confit of leg, rosti potato, savoy cabbage, griottine cherry jus and baby carrots. Fine wines complement the meal and the service is four-star, too. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 3pm & 6:30pm - 10pm [moreless]

(32 Rue de Berri in Paris, France)

Annapurna restaurant in Paris’ chic 8th arrondissement just around the corner from landmarks like th...e Georges V is the oldest Indian restaurant in the capital. It’s a long-time favourite of lovers, lovers of Indian food and various celebrities. The service is charming while the décor is luxurious and refined, like a true maharajah’s palace, with vibrant sub-continental colours and gorgeous tapestries. In the tiny Indian salon you dine at low tables enjoying the sitar player who is there every evening – the French find it ‘depaysant’, transporting them to another country. The menu is authentic and very familiar to British diners – samosas, curries, tandoories, nans – though here they are spiced with a delicate hand. The biryanis seem to be a favourite, but you could probably choose with your eyes closed and have a marvelous meal. Well-matched wines make Annapurna a very special Parisian institution. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 2pm & 7:15pm - 11:15pm Sat 7:15pm - 11:15pm Sun:closed [moreless]

(18 Via Garibaldi in Rome, Italy)

In the 17th century, the Antica Pesa was an inn serving the peasants who came to deliver grain to th...e Vatican’s customs office. In the 19th, the bocce champions of Trastevere challenged each other in the in the court at the rear. Now the Antica Pesa is one of the best restaurants in Rome, and the old bocce court is a charming garden where a well-dressed, well-heeled and well-known clientele revels on summer evenings. Everyone from Hollywood stars to high government officials has dined here, including many Trastevere-inspired artists from the mid-twentieth century, whose paintings and sculpture are on display. The menu is a combination of regional traditional and innovative Italian under the direction of Simon Panella. Dishes change with the seasons and on a daily basis, and include steamed shrimp with zucchini blossoms, ravioli stuffed with white truffles, thyme-crusted lamb, and basil sorbet with caramelized apples. Enjoy the international wine list and the buzz in the air. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 7:30pm - 11:30pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]