The Little Snail, Pyrmont

We used to visit The Little Snail back when it was in a pokey premises on Broadway. The new location at Pyrmont offers romantic water views but is compromised by the questionable interior decorations of plastic palm trees, swinging monkeys and fake tree stumps.

The garlic snails are always a winner although we really should remember to order bread rolls to mop up the garlic butter remains. The

Zaaffran, Darling Harbour

Founded in 1998 by two brothers from Bombay, Zaaffran prides itself on serving modern Indian without abandoning the long-standing traditions of Indian cooking.

Head chef Vikrant Kapoor (formerly chef de cuisine at Raffles in Singapore) says: "Whilst you might find many western dishes use three or four ingredients, our dishes will typically have a dozen or more herbs and spices. It is the uncanny