Not just ladies who lunch

There's the reek of something sensual at Daphne's. Not just the heady scents of the ladies who lunch, but also the fragrance of the dishes on this perennial favourite's newly truffle-studded menu. How about the sensuousness of champagne risotto with white Alba truffles, or tagliolini with black truffles, or trufflestudded roast capon?

Of course, you'll still find a selection of nontruffleadorned dishes from this most sophisticated of modern Italians, including a reasonably priced set lunch menu at £14.75 for two courses.

We like River Walk, not just for the great setting, but we've been chatted up every time we go. And even more date-friendly is their new 'pan-Asian sharing' menu, designed by executive chef Richard Sawyer for the joys of grazing. Small dishes of food, served on slate, could feature the likes of tempura-fried soft shell crab with pink peppercorn and spiced cucumber salad; pakora salmon with lime, coriander root and ginger; or hoisin roasted duck breast with crunchy tofu, yellow rock sugar and roasted plums.

A new antipasti bar downstairs at Isola sees head chef Mark Broadbent experimenting with British as well as top Italian ingredients. 'Let's face it,' he says, 'it's so hot over there that by the time it arrives a lot of stuff is knackered'. Among the stand-out dishes we tried were capocollo (like Parma ham, only better), and a form of Italian hummus with smoked herring. The menu will change regularly, but at the moment it's varied, cheap and there are 16 wines by the glass. A grazer's heaven.