Tuesday 30 November 2010

The Rise of The Italian Restaurant from Spaghetti Bolognaise to Prezzo

When we think of Italian food our brains automatically start wondering towards the image of crispy pizzas and tasty pasta dishes. Italian restaurants are hugely popular throughout the UK and the world. Everybody loves traditional Italian food. Spaghetti bolognaise and creamy carbonara are long standing favourites, but in more recent years UK restaurants have begun to serve up new and exciting dishes, incorporating local influences while remaining true to tradition.

Innovative Italian Cuisine

Italy is an incredibly diverse country; dishes, ingredients, cooking times and seasonings change radically from one region to the next. Italian cuisine is noted for its regional diversity and abundance of difference in taste. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular cuisines in the world.

The emphasis in Italy has always been on local food and wine, the closer to home the better, with fresh seasonal ingredients dictating the dishes created. You eat seasonally, with people traveling miles from the big cities to small mountain villages to feast on wild mushrooms and truffles in autumn and fresh asparagus, or even wild asparagus, in spring.

Many Italian restaurants in the UK offer modern dishes with a Mediterranean twist and while not all are traditionally Italian dishes they are fused with traditional styles and tastes to ensure an Italian experience. UK restaurants all boast different menus but many more are branching out into new and modern menu ideas, and while pizza and pasta is far from losing its popularity many people are switching to other styles as a way to mix and match new food ideas with classic options.

UK Restaurants

The Italian community in London dates back to the 18th century. An interest in Italian cuisine has been expanding ever since and there are now thousands of Italian restaurants to be found throughout the country. However, many of these restaurants attract people from all over the world as Italian cuisine draws in hungry customers from a wide assortment of backgrounds ensuring its popularity throughout a diverse range of people!

Even the fussiest of eaters love pizza and it is one of the nation’s favourite dishes with its various toppings that range from classic tomato and mozzarella through to more adventurous options including anything from fresh seafood through to a béchamel sauce! The beauty of Italian food in the UK is that the abundance of Italian UK restaurants makes it easy to find a restaurant that offers authentic food rather than an English version of bruschetta or gnocchi.

The Introduction of Prezzo

Prezzo restaurant is one of the more popular UK restaurants and as an Italian cuisine franchise it staves off its competition by offering unique ideas that are exclusive to the brand. Prezzo restaurants has proved its worth in the UK market, as the famous Italian restaurant has quickly expanded since its first dining establishment opened in 2000 in London’s popular Oxford Street area. With more than 80 Prezzo locations throughout the south of the UK, a look at the menu makes it easy to see why the chain is so popular. As well as featuring the classic and ever-popular dishes such as beef lasagna and wood fired pizza, Prezzo offers its customers a fusion of foods while still retaining its Italian roots.

About Bookatable.com

Bookatable.com is Europe’s largest online restaurant reservations service. People using the website can make online restaurant bookings over 6000 restaurants in 19 countries. Booking a table is as convenient and simple as making a few clicks. Restaurant bookings are free, in real-time and are instantly confirmed. Bookatable.com opens up Europe’s top restaurants to site visitors – and we’ve got the tables that you’ll most want to dine at. That’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Diners don’t even need to be next to their computer to research and book a table – they can use our restaurant iPhone app to do this wherever they might be. We’re different because we’re 100% dedicated to restaurant booking and nothing else. We are always looking for new ways to improve the site and would love to hear your opinion.

Booking Christmas Meals with a Difference

Christmas is coming and as the popular holiday season approaches with great gusto, families up and down the country begin their celebratory preparations with various Christmas meals and parties frantically being organised everywhere. Families and friends often enjoy spending Christmas dinner together as the wintery cold encourages loved ones to get closer while eating and drinking their way through the seasonal break. If you don’t feel like spending your Christmas in the kitchen then why not take everyone out for their Christmas dinners cooked in your favourite restaurant? Christmas dinner is after all like any other meal; always better when someone else cooks it!

Christmas Menus

If you want to enjoy a Christmas to remember with a special meal around a table filled with family and friends then you can expect to be able to choose from a choice of festive cuisines. Some restaurants will go with traditional Christmas menus while others will offer fusion dishes that are popular in trendy eateries. The Christmas menus are often simple and fairly short of options in comparison to a ‘normal’ menu but there is usually something for everyone to choose from.

Check out these ideas for what one can largely expect to find on Christmas menus this year:

•    Rich, warm soups such as cream of tomato, leek and potato and carrot
•    Appetisers such as prawn cocktail, pate and meat plates
•    Traditional Christmas dinner - roast turkey, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables and gravy
•    Alternative dinner for vegetarians – crunchy nut roast with vegetables
•    Alternative dinner with fish, baked meats such as ham or a pasta dish
•    Tasty cheese boards and crisp dessert wines
•    Calorific desserts served with warm, sweet custards or creams
•    Christmas cake, trifle and Christmas pudding

Gathering everyone important to you around a festively decorated table without the additional hassle of cooking and cleaning is a great way to celebrate and most Christmas menus will offer a choice of starters/mains/desserts that includes a selection of a traditional menu, a modern choice, a vegetarian option, a meat dish and a fish meal in order to ensure that everyone’s needs are catered to. Imagine sitting down to a table filled with sparkly crackers, merry hats and jovial streamers without having to decorate it yourself.

Eggnog and mulled wine are popular at many a Christmas party as well as a fine selection of wines or a crisp bottle of Champagne for those really celebrating while dining out at a Christmas restaurant this year.

Online Bookings

The dawn of the internet era has changed the way we do many things including making bookings for Christmas dinners. Getting together with your loved ones is important and Christmas is famous for its encouragement of excessive wining and dining that naturally brings people closer. So, why spend all of the holiday season cooking your own Christmas meals when you can book your dinner online with ease and take the whole family out instead? Booking online is simple to do and the simplicity of the process makes it appealing to many people – especially so during peak holiday periods such as Christmas. The online booking systems mean that you can make a booking for your Christmas dinner from your office or from home and you needn’t worry about having the phone number to hand.

Booking in Advance

It is hugely important to pre-book your Christmas meals as the season is particularly popular with people looking to celebrate out for the very same reasons that you want to. With everyone thinking the same thing, the only way to ensure that you don’t miss out on the festive celebrations is to book well in advance. The best offers and deals are also usually only available on a first come first served basis and with Christmas meals for all the family proving somewhat costly it is wise to get in there early to make sure that your special night out can be as special as your wish to Santa intended it to be.


About Bookatable.com

Bookatable.com is Europe’s largest online restaurant reservations service. People using the website can make online restaurant bookings over 6000 restaurants in 19 countries. Booking a table is as convenient and simple as making a few clicks. Restaurant bookings are free, in real-time and are instantly confirmed. Bookatable.com opens up Europe’s top restaurants to site visitors – and we’ve got the tables that you’ll most want to dine at. That’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Diners don’t even need to be next to their computer to research and book a table – they can use our restaurant iPhone app to do this wherever they might be. We’re different because we’re 100% dedicated to restaurant booking and nothing else. We are always looking for new ways to improve the site and would love to hear your opinion.

Be Spellbound by The Witchery

Edinburgh is an eclectic city with a unique selection of historic architecture that successfully blends in with the modern amenities that one would expect to find in the bustling Scottish capital. Edinburgh is home to a wide choice of dining options that range from traditional pubs through to trendy and exclusive establishments, and tourist hotspot The Witchery consistently proves to be one of the most popular. The Witchery Edinburgh boasts amazing Scottish cuisines served up in a somewhat unusual, yet extremely enticing setting, with an opulent interior and a gothic appearance.

What is The Witchery?

The Witchery Edinburgh is located in an historic area, home to endless amounts of streets filled with old buildings and an eerie ambiance, known as Castlehill at the top end of Royal Mile. As diners make their way to the looming castle, The Witchery can be seen on the left hand side of the road, easily distinguishable by its gothic façade and signage.


The interior and exterior are equally gothic, dark and thoroughly theatrical, and indulgence is a primary target for those edgy enough to enjoy the dining experience here. It’s advisable to make a restaurant booking to ensure you don’t miss out on the unique dining experience offered by this stylish restaurant.

The following list gives an idea of what you can expect during a trip to The Witchery:

•    Lunch and dinner served daily
•    Three-course menus for £30
•    An extensive a la carte menu
•    Sensational food that is recognised world-wide
•    An indulgent setting with a unique atmosphere
•    Classic cuisines from Scotland including Angus beef, lamb, game and seafood
•    A relaxed and self-confessed unfussy nature and style

What Can I Eat at The Witchery?

A typical menu at The Witchery Edinburgh includes a wide range of Scottish meals, and the exceptional food choices mixed with such plush, yet distinctive, surroundings makes the experience a must for visitors making a trip to the city. The food compliments the dark and theatrical surroundings of the restaurant, and the style of food here is neither fussy nor too intricate, allowing diners to truly enjoy the ambiance along with their hearty Scottish meals.

Some of the most popular dishes that regularly feature on the menu are:

1.    Scottish lobster
2.    Rock oysters
3.    Hot smoked salmon with leeks and hollandaise sauce
4.    Angus beef fillet with smoked garlic broth

Special ‘Witchery’ dishes are also popular, such as the Witchery haggis served with potatoes and the Witchery fish soup with crispy croutons. Dining out at The Witchery Edinburgh is truly a unique and amazing experience, but making a restaurant booking prior to your arrival is highly recommended due to its huge popularity.

About Bookatable.com

Bookatable.com is Europe’s largest online restaurant reservations service. People using the website can make online restaurant bookings over 6000 restaurants in 19 countries. Booking a table is as convenient and simple as making a few clicks. Restaurant bookings are free, in real-time and are instantly confirmed. Bookatable.com opens up Europe’s top restaurants to site visitors – and we’ve got the tables that you’ll most want to dine at. That’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Diners don’t even need to be next to their computer to research and book a table – they can use our restaurant iPhone app to do this wherever they might be. We’re different because we’re 100% dedicated to restaurant booking and nothing else. We are always looking for new ways to improve the site and would love to hear your opinion.

Tea at The Ritz

Enjoying afternoon tea at The Ritz is synonymous with luxurious living and high quality of life and the institution is talked about the world over. Tea at The Ritz famous for its grand offerings and it is all served up in opulent surroundings in the lavish Palm Court. The age old tradition has never wavered in its worldwide appeal and it continues to welcome diners from all four corners of the world to enjoy the unique surroundings in the heart of London.

A Truly English Afternoon…


Everyone should experience tea at The Ritz at least once in their lifetime and the luxurious dining area boasts a range of teas to taste as well as freshly baked pastries, scone and cakes accompanies with sweet jams and rich clotted cream. Delicately cut sandwiches are also available and tea at The Ritz truly is an English dining experience at its very best. An unforgettable experience is on offer and it is wise to make a restaurant booking to ensure that you don’t miss out during your trip to the city as the experience is so popular.

Here is an example of a typical menu for afternoon tea at The Ritz:

    * Freshly made sandwiches that range from smoked salmon through to mature cheddar cheese
    * Scones complete with Cornish clotted cream and tasty preserve
    * A variety of teas including Chinese, Sri Lankan and Indian leafs
    * Champagne menus for those more daring in the afternoon

Tea at The Ritz makes for an ideal birthday gift or Christmas present and is enjoyed by all who attend. It is safe to call it an institution and it can be thought of as a high class adult version of Disney World. People from around the globe come to enjoy afternoon tea at The Ritz and the famous experience can be guaranteed simply by making a restaurant booking as far in advance as possible.

What to Expect from Your Ritz Experience…

The dress code for tea at The Ritz is as one would expect with jeans and sportswear banned and a formal code is in place for the public areas of the hotel. The food is served up freshly made every day and the tea menu is impressive with teas listed from all over the world. Champagne is also on offer on a special menu choice and all of the food and drink is of an extremely high standard. All of the food and drink is served up in spectacular surroundings with intricately designed tables and chairs standing beneath chandeliers and magnificent lighting assortments. Afternoon tea at The Ritz really is a memorable experience and one that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Ensure your Place at the Table…


Tables for afternoon tea at The Ritz can be reserved up to 12 months prior to your visit and making a restaurant booking is highly recommendable. Weekends can get particularly busy and there are ways to avoid being disappointed on missing out on the experience with a little forward planning.


About Bookatable.com

Bookatable.com is Europe’s largest online restaurant reservations service. People using the website can make online restaurant bookings over 6000 restaurants in 19 countries. Booking a table is as convenient and simple as making a few clicks. Restaurant bookings are free, in real-time and are instantly confirmed. Bookatable.com opens up Europe’s top restaurants to site visitors – and we’ve got the tables that you’ll most want to dine at. That’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Diners don’t even need to be next to their computer to research and book a table – they can use our restaurant iPhone app to do this wherever they might be. We’re different because we’re 100% dedicated to restaurant booking and nothing else. We are always looking for new ways to improve the site and would love to hear your opinion.