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The Beefeater Grill range of restaurants, owned by the well established firm of Whitbread has transformed over time into what is now predominantly a cooking platform for chargrill. The restaurants are warm, modern and stylish, with low lighting and contemporary artwork. A comfortable, cosy, mainly booth layout offers guests their own space with no feeling of being hurried at any point. Staff are friendly and helpful if need be - what a difference that can make to a good evening out.

Be it the wide open spaces of Argentina, the intimate setting of a French restaurant, or a busy grill in London's West End, there's no denying the popularity of chargrill. As the production of quality beef, chicken, fish and lamb has grown, prices have come down by comparison, and the simple and traditional art of minimally cooking dishes by chargrill, sealing in the flavours and tastes by intense heat has caught the public imagination.

All the steaks at Beefeater Grill are matured for a minimum of 28 days before being seasoned. Whether it be juicy rib eye, the classic sirloin, that emblem of the Sunday lunch, a tender fillet, or a delicious 7oz rump, all grilled to your own specification, you're never far away from perfection. Even beefburgers have shaken off their dubious image and the highly popular Beefeater burgers are made from 100% beef.

The popular sirloin with giant prawns offers a treat to those for whom an alliance between sea and pasture is a natural attraction, whilst a 16oz steak platter links rump, fillet, sirloin and rib eye into one mouth-watering dish served with chips, battered onion rings, grilled tomato, a flat mushroom and peppercorn and brandy sauce.

Many of us love rib meat, and the rack of ribs at a Beefeater Grill has a meaty rack smoky flavour; maple ribs of pork with a choice of three sauces, mojito, smoked caramel and apple glaze, or Bourbon and black BBQ. And if all else fails and you are totally baffled by the wealth of choices, ask to have a word with the Steakmaster who will help find what is right for you, together with the best cooking method. These guys leave nothing to chance.

On a menu that is a delight to read, let alone choose a meal from, expect to find smaller dishes such as traditional prawn cocktail, whitebait, chicken liver pâté and baked Camembert, or juicy lamb koftas served with yoghurt and mint dip. There's something about a good steak meal that always leaves a gap for a little temptation to sweeten up the scene and from amongst twelve options look for Belgian chocolate cheesecake, treacle sponge pudding or a caramel apple crumble pie.

Throughout the day a wide range of more general dishes are yours for the ordering, sandwiches, jackets, classic favourites like fish and chips, pasta, salads, and sharing dishes of nachos, potato shells and a Beefeater Grill combo. Next door to many of the restaurants are Premier Inns, so staying the night whatever the circumstances need not be a problem.

And what about wine? Endorsed by Matthew Jukes, wine writer in the Daily Mail and bon viveur in his own right, a wine list that marches with the menu completes an impressive and compelling invitation to enjoy whatever takes your fancy at the nearest Beefeater Grill.

Click on their Website for menu updates and special offers.

The first Browns opened at Brighton in 1973 with one simple guiding belief, that classic food, well delivered in a stylish environment would be a recipe for success. The only thing that has changed since then is the number of Browns, now running at fourteen, of which six are in London, all prospering with the same theme.

Some of their buildings are particularly legendary in style, sometimes listed and always interesting. The premises at Bristol formerly served as the City's museum, art gallery and the University Dining Rooms, and are modelled on the Doge's Palace in Venice.

The main menu, available throughout the day, starts with appetisers, designed for sharing, with antipasti of Italian meat, vegetarian or seafood. Try the flatbreads with a range of interesting toppings.

In amongst the thirteen starters expect to come across smoked duck, crisp noodle and cashew nut salad with red peppers, tumeric cauliflower, spring onions and a sherry vinaigrette. The fish and salad choices include fish and chips tempura battered cod with minted mushy peas and tartar sauce and pan-fried butterflied tiger prawns tossed with linguine in a tomato, coriander and chorizo sauce.

The same theme of comfortable food, well-cooked and presented, continues throughout the mains course with roast chicken breast in sour dough bread with baby spinach, tomato and mayonnaise, served with seasoned chips, and steak frites 6oz prime sirloin, served with a lemon, parsley and peppercorn butter.

The chalkboard carries a list of the day's specials, but every day except Sunday is Browns's afternoon tea day, served from 2 to 5.30 pm, and on Sundays it offers a choice of three roasts. It would be harder to find a dessert much more English than lemon tartlet with crème fraîche.

By the way their breakfast and brunch menu is just one of the best, and they do a very nifty prix fixe menu from 4:00 - 6.30 pm.

The wine list is masterful and not over long, sometimes a great relief to those who find it tiresome to navigate their way through even an interesting list such as this. Many bottles are available by the glass and each group of wines is helpfully classified under headings such as white, red and rose with a reserve selection, house recommendations, New and Old World under them.

Browns at Bristol are well able to deal with groups, and have special menus to look after their particular interests. Click on their excellent Website for further details and menu changes.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but occasionally un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

In Birmingham du Vin has taken on the former Birmingham Eye Hospital, a handsome building in the best style of Victorian public buildings, strategically placed in the newly revitalised Jewellery Quarter, but close enough to the city centre to make a liver-livening stroll in the morning a real pleasure.

Equipped with a spa and gym, the hotel has 66 bedrooms and boutique sites round a central courtyard that is blessed with many of the building's striking original features, including the grand sweeping staircase and granite pillars. Every room has handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths, power showers and high speed wireless internet access.

In the classy bistro a choice of six starters could include lamb's kidneys and wild mushrooms on toast with mustard crème, Serrano ham and celeriac remoulade, or Uig Lodge smoked salmon and traditional garnish. Tournedos Rossini remains one of the great dishes of all time, served with garlic roast potatoes and red wine jus. Poached smoked haddock is served with bacon and pea risotto, crispy leeks and chive veloute.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of four sommeliers, headed here by François Bourde, there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but often un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

Think quintessential British style, elegant and unpretentious. Combine this with a great spirit, wit and an unquestionable devotion to wine, and you have captured the essence of Hotel du Vin.

This area of Dorset is a popular destination for visitors and holiday makers alike as well as a welcoming stopping-off point for the many yachts and cruisers that ply the waters of the harbour and the wider Purbeck heritage coast. In Poole, also the haunt of the well heeled, du Vin has taken on the former Mansion House. In addition to the customary delights of a first class hotel they have some extra goodies. For cigar lovers there is the Bothy Lodge where enjoyment of that particular kind can be pursued lawfully and without hindrance. You can dine there al fresco too in the sheltered courtyard. A La Roche tasting table in the hotel permits wine-lovers to embark on a voyage round the world's finest vineyards with minimal effort.

Thirty-eight bedrooms and suites incorporating many of the original features of the Mansion House, with handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, plasma screens and DVDs throughout, deep baths and power showers. High speed wireless internet access is available in all rooms.

In the classy bistro, called Banquette, a choice of nine starters could include twice baked Dorset cheddar soufflé with herb cream, linguini Pea and smoked salmon risotto, a delicious Caesar salad with Cajun chicken, deep fried whitebait with mayonnaise, or basil pesto with slow roast cherry tomato papardelle.

Head Chef, Darren Rockett follows a cuisine that changes daily and supports the hotel's philosophy of the finest and freshest local produce. Operating from an open kitchen that services the 80 seat bistro, 'simple classics' for the first two courses yield whole pan fried trout almandine, pressed ox tongue, watercress and potato soup, and grilled sardines with confit tomatoes and gremolata. The fish round here must not be missed, exhibiting freshness to the last degree.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of experienced sommeliers there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

Located just outside Wokingham on the Forest Road, The Warren is a real country pub. Its deep leather seating, spacious interiors and teak furniture give it a relaxed atmosphere, while the stone fired ovens and log burning hearth lend it warmth. The garden has a great south facing sun trap where one can eat, drink and get away from the pressures of the day. When it was first opened in the 1850s, The Warren, surrounded by lush farmlands, was the centre of village life of a thriving community. Even today, it combines the values of traditional pub hospitality with modern service and attracts a regular clientele.

Contemporary pubs such as these usually share a number of characteristics. An important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have a garden, optional al fresco eating out space, and by no means least a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously. If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Warren provides ample evidence that this is true.

But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella. So expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their treat may be.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, garlic pizzette with caramelised onion and rocket, a box baked camembert with stiratta romagna and homemade tomato jam, and Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with warm flatbreads. Amongst the starters is freshly made soup, lamb koftas with mint yoghurt, kohlrabi, cumin and carrot salad, and gambas, garlic, rocket and aioli with rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day.

The salads - sorry that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck, mouli, carrots, hoisin, water cress and spring onion with plum sauce, and for the seafood fiends some prawn, avocado, pecans, mango, bacon with orange and pomegranate vinaigrette is received with enthusiasm. A fantastic addition to the menu is the honey glazed goats' cheese with chorizo, butter beans, radish, sugar snap peas and oregano.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find margherita, a classic medley of pomodoro, mozzarella, oregano and basil; piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños or rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes.

Pastas include bucatini with salmon, chilli, almonds, red pepper pesto, pecorino and rocket, or tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event there is a roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes. The blackened cod fillet with egg noodles, pak choi, mango and chilli salsa is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating, as is the spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and chips. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks, and calves liver with tray baked potatoes, red onion, bacon and sage panagrattato.

A wide range of supporting dishes include green salad, Belgian chips and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard, and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Warren stocks a wide range of beers, both well-loved ales and lagers, bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub.

A well constructed Website enables you to keep in touch with menu changes or forthcoming events. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

The Royal Saracens Head, an eighteenth century free house, is situated in the attractive town of Beaconsfield and offers its customers a comfortable experience combined with warm hospitality. The original site is believed to have been a tavern as far back as the 12th century and was reputed to be a regular haunt of Richard I. The results of refurbishment are clearly visible in its trendy ambience - stripped wooden artefacts, large mirrors and stylish lighting.

The menu is simple but up-to-the-minute with lots of comfort appeal and offers homely dishes like pizza, steaks and pasta as well as ones with more contemporary, global touches, all delivered by friendly and cheerful staff. Their wine list contains well known favourites alongside more unusual numbers from around the world.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, garlic pizzette, caramelised onion and rocket, a box baked camembert with stiratta romagna and home made tomato jam.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup, sardines on bruschetta with red onion, plum tomato and gremolata or water melon with prosciutto ham and feta with chilli ice cream. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck with mouli, hoisin, carrots, spring onions and plum sauce, for the seafood fiends some prawn, avocado, pecan, mango, watercress, bacon with orange and pomegranate vinaigrette.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic margherita of tomato, mozzarella, oregano and basil, piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños or the rustica of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese, cherry tomatoes and rocket.

Pastas include linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine, or strozzapreti of fresh tomato, goats' cheese, spinach, pine nuts and raisins. For the big event there is always Indian spiced salmon fillet with wilted spinach and sweet potato with aubergine and mango chutney.

The roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. There is a lovely spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and frites, as well as calves liver, tray baked potatoes, red onion and bacon with sage panagrattato.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes green salad, Belgian frites and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. For desserts choose between Eton mess or apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard. There is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

When one of the country's most respected and leading critics says that a restaurant in this group is 'the best Italian Restaurant outside London' it is time to take them seriously. Britain's love affair with Italian food is a cause célèbre of long standing and shows no signs of waning, so it is always welcome news when somewhere like San Carlo sets out to reach for the skies.

Located in the heart of Manchester, San Carlo is well suited to catch both day and night time business, and the menu reflects this. There are a wide range of dishes, plus blackboard specials, offering snacks, meals, celebrations, all in true Italian style, dishes that bring Italy into the very centre of life in the city. San Carlo is one of a chain of similar restaurants, yet each one has its own personality.

The San Carlo at Manchester has become one of the busiest restaurants in the relatively short period of time it has been around. In 2006 they won Cheshire Life Manchester Restaurant of the Year award and this demonstrates clearly that a San Carlo is not a theme restaurant but a highly lavish exclusive Italian venue for people who appreciate fine food, good service, luxurious and comfortable surroundings, as well as value for money.

Favourite dishes include sliced prime Scottish fillet of beef with a light dressing of capers, anchovies, garlic and extra virgin olive oil, and that old favourite of connoisseurs the world over, pan fried breast of chicken with white wine, mushrooms and cream sauce, garnished with asparagus. Many of the ingredients to create these dishes are imported from Italy, and it goes without saying that the wine list is unashamedly and spectacularly of the same origin.

A combination of Italian cuisine and fish has always seemed logical - all that coastline - as well as highly attractive to the British taste. The antipasti at San Carlo includes a mixture of squid, prawns and mussels, deep-fried whitebait, and scallops in white wine and garlic. Amongst the main courses expect to find grilled whole sea bass, a mixed grill of fish, special pasta with lobster, brandy, tomato, cream and peas, or giant prawn and scallops in garlic and chilli.

It is customary to look for Italian wines in such places, nor will you be disappointed, but there are a few French inclusions also, with a rather nice Chablis in evidence. House wines, and few off the list, are available by the glass. Service is a good example of that Italian 'just make yourself at home we'll look after everything' manner, when you generally surprise yourself by taking their advice. In Britain we just say 'no problem', which may be succinct, but lacks style.

Groups are welcome at San Carlo, but to preserve the balance between groups, a limit of up to nine people applies on Friday and Saturday, and twenty to thirty on weekdays. Booking will always make for security but in general the arrangements mean there is room for everybody.

Ultimately a restaurant is judged by two main factors, each dependent upon the other. Combine quality food with life's movers and shakers in attractive surroundings and you have a sure fire record for the sweet buzz of success that permeates San Carlo.

Make sure you check out their Website to bring you up to date on special events at San Carlo Manchester.

glo at Reading has brought an added air of sophistication to eating out in this popular university town. Whatever the purpose of your call at glo, winding down with colleagues after a brusque day or just enjoying the company of friends, you can enjoy some expertly constructed cocktails in a chic and romantic environment to set your evening in motion before dining in the restaurant.

The signature cocktails are the perfect way to go, perhaps starting with one of the six listed martinis, before going on to classic longs, sparklers or shooters. Driving? Then select one of the four non alcoholic varieties.

An international menu offers many interesting choices, and they recommend sharing food for maximum pleasure, although many do not wish to do this. Dim sum is a speciality so look out for pork and prawn siu mai, hoi sin duck, and scallop and shiitake mushroom dumplings amongst the steamed.

That old favourite duck spring roll leads off the crispy dim sum, cashew and prawn dumplings represent the new wave and vegetarian spring rolls are pure melt in the mouth. Starters include mushrooms with gorgonzola and coriander, Thai crab cakes and hoisin duck pancakes.

They also have an interesting selection of noodles, and pesto and coriander, Thai green and kung po are amongst them. Nowadays you seem to be never less than ten metres from a pizza, and glo is on the mark once again giving a new dimension to this much loved Italian invention, all served with a unique house tomato base and lightly sprinkled with Asian spices, the hoi sin duck or Thai spicy pepperoni are highly recommended.

The grills are equally spectacular with Thai BBQ ribs and poussin chicken, manuka rump steak, and pesto lemongrass chicken skewers. Whilst exploring your way through the dessert menu you might encounter a chocolate box, or ice cream money bags, hot and crisp on the outside with creamy Asian ice cream on the inside, topped with warm manuka honey.

The taste in wines is eclectic and not so large as to be thoroughly confusing. Several are by the glass and all under £20. glo stays open until 2am and as a refuge for the restless night hawks it could hardly be bettered.

Their smart Website will tell you more. Only one thing left to say - enjoy! It is even open for breakfast from 10.30 each day as well.

Everybody in London knows Browns. Whether they were first introduced whilst at university in Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton or Bristol, or they work near one in the City, Covent Garden or Canary Wharf, Browns has become very much part of the London scene.

The strengths of Browns have always been you know what you are going to get, attractive staff, straight forward food cooked well and excellent value wines and cocktails. However, as with any enterprise, no matter how good, time moves on, and Browns have given their restaurants a different look that has retained the best and added where necessary.

Browns opened up in Islington, on the Green and next door to Waterstones in a part of London, which has always had a cutting edge to it. In October 2004 a novel design was unveiled with a much more contemporary flavour including a lounge space at the front of restaurant that is equally appropriate for drinking or dining. The whole area now feels a great deal more comfortable whilst still retaining the original Browns style.

The bar is where the transformation is most obvious. The bar counter is now clad in pewter, which gives it the feel and look of Paris in the 1920s. The wine list is as diverse as ever and there are still the wonderful signature cocktails for all to try. There has also been the addition of some great draught beers such as Staropramen, Leffe, Erdinger and Amstel; perfect for the after work drinkers.

The back area of Browns is reserved for diners and is much more of a serene environment than it was before with pastel colours used to add a sense of warmth. The whole ambience is one of quality coupled with the thought that someone has spent a great deal of time and effort in creating a truly special feel.

The menu has been over-hauled to reflect all the design changes. It still has all the old favourites with some lighter options for those who don't need comfort food all the time. They all combine to provide a menu that suits all needs, whether it is a light lunch, afternoon tea or a pre-theatre meal. Thus, starters could include Scottish langoustine gratin with spinach, Emmental and cream served with crusty bread; pan seared Black Pearl scallops with a lemon and pea risotto and chilli butter dressing, or homemade soup of the day.

Moving down, the range of main courses include slowly braised pork with black pudding and crisped bacon served with mashed potato and sage gravy; slowly cooked shoulder of lamb with garlic and rosemary jus, sprouting broccoli, Chantenay carrots and mashed potato, or chicken schnitzel served with a poached egg and a tomato, onion and herb salad. Hard to resist are puddings such as poached pear with warm chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream, and raspberry and chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.

What Browns has always done so well is provide a place where you can enjoy yourself and nothing has changed there. If you are out shopping with the family, meeting friends for dinner, going out with colleagues for a drink after work leading on to a bite to eat, then Browns is a superb choice. The service is always friendly and efficient but unlike some other chains in Islington, Browns delivers the quality of food to back it up.

If you haven't been to Browns for a while then you really should give Browns Islington a go. My guess is you will be pleasantly surprised. Their Website will yield further information particularly on menus and opportunities for other social gatherings.

Brasserie Forty 4 is a bright, buzzing, fun-loving restaurant located in a waterfront setting in Leeds city centre. Hardly a brasserie, more a restaurant, though the distinction seems to become steadily more blurred these days, this refuge occupies a former grain store - one of the earliest conversions of its kind. Some would say the principle has not changed very much and the interior is a striking example of the genre.

It is a highly popular, informal venue with a fun and lively ambience emphasised by an interior refurbishment. The restaurant scores consistently high marks in the most respected guides for offering an excellent service and good food at very reasonable prices.

Brasserie Forty 4 has a cosmopolitan style of food and atmosphere that is instantly appealing and set apart from the brasserie norm... it's well-liked by personalities from television, stage, music and sport.

Their starters might include choices such as seared king scallops with parsnip purée and roasted hazelnuts; chicken liver parfait with pear chutney and granary toast; or duck roulade with beetroot and sweet red onions.

Whilst the well presented mains could consist of roast breast of chicken with wild mushroom and pancetta cream sauce; slow braised lamb shoulder with butter beans and Savoy cabbage, and fillet of Yorkshire beef with slow cooked tomato, field mushroom and red wine sauce.

A 10oz Yorkshire sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce; or confit leg of duck with bubble and squeak mash and port sauce help to ensure a consistently wide spread of choices, your only problem being to focus on just one.

You cannot ignore their desserts; Brasserie Forty 4's famous chocolate fondue enriched with marshmallows and fresh fruit; spiced apple strudel; winterberry cheesecake; vanilla crème brûlée, or pear and almond tart, all crying out for attention. Simply irresistible?

Patisserie Forty 4 adjoins the brasserie, specialising in wedding, novelty, celebration and corporate cakes. Full details, including their excellent value fixed price menus, wine list and much more can be found on their Website.