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hand picked restaurants

Set like a gem in the picturesque village of Great Chesterford, in the London to Newmarket Road, is the elegant building called The Crown House. A magnificently restored coach-house inn, the building dates back to beyond Tudor times. There is a well-nurtured garden adorning this historical house, adding shimmer to its ancient façade. If the sights, sounds and history of The Crown House woo locals, tourists and businessmen, the fantastically mouth-watering food available at the AA rosette award-winning restaurant inside ensures that they keep coming back for more.

The menu displays a wide array of dishes including fish and game, well-prepared and inventively presented by a team of experienced, creative chefs who take their work seriously. Roast Mediterranean and feta cheese salad, smoked salmon and white crabmeat parcel, fillet of beef Mac Rossini and grilled lamb cutlets with mint and port jus are top of the charts. All dishes are freshly prepared using only the finest ingredients. If the intimate oak panelled restaurant isn't the mood of the hour, why not opt for the Mediterranean conservatory? Offering an idyllic dining experience with attentive service and an extensive wine list to complement the meal, the Restaurant at The Crown House is perfect for each and every occasion.

The Pink Geranium started life as two cottages sometime in the 16th Century. In 1942 Marjorie Barnes started a tearoom, initially serving servicemen and women during and after the Second World War. The Pink Geranium became synonymous with the finer points in life and to this day it remains a special place in the heart of Melbourn.

The Pink Geranium became famous when Prince Charles named it as his favourite restaurant. In 1987 Steven and Sally Saunders bought The Pink Geranium and continued the traditions of the previous incumbents by enhancing its reputation with their own unique style.

In 1991 The Pink Geranium suffered a devastating fire and it took nine months to restore the restaurant to its former glory. Since then The Pink Geranium has been acknowledged as "One of Britain's finest" by national press and food guides alike. Egon Ronay quotes it as "one of Britain's prettiest restaurants". The Pink Geranium has been the subject of many features in magazines such as Homes & Garden, Country Homes & Interiors, The Cambridgeshire Journal, and appeared in Vogue Magazine and The Mail on Sunday's YOU Magazine.

It has also has been voted "Prettiest Restaurant in East Anglia" by The East Anglia Business Journal. In 2002, for the third consecutive year, the restaurant was awarded 3 AA rosettes, putting The Pink Geranium within the top 10% of restaurants in the country, according to the 'AA Best Restaurant Guide'.

So The Pink Geranium lives on, albeit with a somewhat refined décor and jazz has replaced the classical music of hitherto. Modern British cooking produces a range of dishes to suit all tastes and pockets.

From the well-priced lunch menu to the five course tasting menu, quality and flavour shine through. Couple this with the new owner's attention to detail and warm friendly welcome, and become aware that quality eating has seldom been so enjoyable.

Their food could be described as being the sort that you really want to eat, tempting but familiar with a slight twist, typical starters might be cauliflower soup with herb creme frâiche; marinated salmon,watercress salad, shallot dressing or salad of poached egg, smoked bacon and garlic crouton.

Followed by rib eye steak, stacking potatoes, oven dried plum tomato wild mushroom cream; duck leg confit, crushed new potatoes, confit carrot or haddock fillet, egg noodles sesame wilted vegetable.

Leave room for their puddings, as how could you possibly resist sticky toffee pudding, butterscotch sauce; lemon pannacotta, strawberry mousse or Cropwell Bishop stilton with celery and grapes.

An extensive wine list caters for all preferences and pockets and the staff members are always happy to advise and surprise.

The quaintly named Missing Sock in the tranquil setting of Stow-cum-Quy is a multi-functional venue with restaurant, bar and lounge. Established by a small group of friends it aims high with healthy eating options in a friendly familial ambience and other laudable objectives. The menu is  eclectic and international with self-cook options and a family roast experience. Children are welcome to have an interesting and interactive experience here.

From house speciality Finders fish bake and regular mushroom risotto the selection extends to such dishes as pan steamed mussels with Thai herbs and the African babootie, lean steak mince slowly cooked in a mix of spices and served with steamed rice, banana, sambals and chutney. There's also sluggishly braised beef cooked in real ale, whisky grilled baby back ribs and the vegetarian Ethiopian pot, a 'kindness' dish offered to someone off the table. The exotic fare is complemented by familiar desserts of hot chocolate brownie, banoffee roulade roll and Irish cream and lemon cheesecake.

Those who want try their hand at cooking can do it in an interactive raclette style with a platter of different meats all pan seared and ready to cook with spices and sauces. If stopping by for breakfast expect to have free range egg with a slice of pig's back, Scottish salmon and egg bagel or Irish boxty with crispy bacon.

Put away a pint at the lively bar which offers Asian beer, Brooklyn lager, Belgian white beer and South African cider in addition to an assortment of spirits and wines.

Something new for Cambridge here, and always welcome in a city that still has way to go with its eating out possibilities.

John Hudgell has set out on a journey that takes into account such matters as animal welfare and the impact of his restaurant on the environment beyond. OK, so he's green, and clearly proud of being so. This is the first restaurant in UK to serve 'ethical' foie gras, and all their fish and free range meat comes from sustainable sources.

His menus change with the seasons, local and organic ingredients are used whenever possible, not because that's fashionable but because he clearly believes that this is the way to best results - and in the long term, survival.

Their table du jour menu offers two or three set courses at lunchtimes and post work and pre theatre. Their à la carte menu offers six choices per course and could start with smoked eel and salad of bacon and quince, or perhaps a bowl of Jerusalem artichoke soup, buttered artichokes and truffle mousse.

Slow cooked Denham estate venison is served with celeriac, carrots and gratin dauphinoise, or the delicious pan fried cod, with cauliflower, fennel and chicken jus gras. Some wicked puddings simply cannot be avoided, and as honey crème brûlée with honeycomb is the sort of dessert, the memory of which will remain with you.

An excellent wine list that could grace a College high table offers numerous options by the glass or carafe, as well as the bottle of course. This is a restaurant which is run with right aims in mind and I wish it every success.

There's an unusual and interesting find in King's Parade, Cambridge that goes by the name Rainbow Café. The name probably stems from the core idea that the café revolves around - vegetarian food can be varied, delicious, colourful and imaginative. A vegetarian café, Rainbow specializes in vegan and gluten-free food. All dishes are prepared fresh on the premises from only the finest possible ingredients. When you interact with the staff, browse the menu and sample the food, you realize that this café takes its food and its customers very seriously.

The cheeses here are vegetarian and only non-dairy spread is used for herb and garlic butter. The eggs are free-range, while organic beer, cider and wine make perfect vegan meals. The menu draws from the collective travel experiences of the staff and has everything from West Indian curries and North African delicacies to authentic Italian pastas. Begin with marinated tofu and sun-dried tomato. For mains, it's a toss between Latvian potato bake, Ethiopian mesir-wat, Jamaican patties and gado gado. For dessert, go for the famous carrot cake or Rainbow brownie. There's an extensive drinks list and children's menu as well. The Rainbow Café offers vegetarian dishes at their imaginative best.

Nestled comfortably in the small village of Little Wilbraham, halfway between Cambridge and Newmarket, is a delightful find called The Hole in the Wall. Run by renowned Chef Chris Leeton and his wife Jenny, this heavily timbered little pub has already found its way into both the Michelin and Good Pub Guides this year. What's more, the Good Food Guide even awarded them the accolade of 'Cambridgeshire Newcomer of the year' for 2006, and for good reason.

The menu is well thought out and all dishes are made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. This also means that the menu itself changes frequently offering new and inventive preparations on a regular basis. Begin with warm Cambridgeshire pork Scotch egg followed by Radwinter leg of wild rabbit with bubble and squeak cake, broad beans, pancetta, leeks and sage jus. Everything on the dessert list seems equally tempting, though the bramley apple, cinnamon and blackcurrant crumble is worth a try simply for the fusion of exotic fruits. Hand-made local cheeses from East Anglia such as Norfolk white lady and Suffolk gold are also on the menu along with special dessert wines. Last, but by no means least, the service at The Hole in the Wall, is informative, prompt and friendly, garnishing the whole experience just perfectly.

Carluccio's was started by Antonio and Priscilla Carluccio as a small café and shop stocking Italian food and ingredients in 1991, and grew into a restaurant serving authentic cuisine at sensible prices in 1999. Antonio is an expert on food and has been a wine merchant, restaurant manager and owner, cookery expert on television and author of twelve cookery books. It is therefore not surprising, that today Carluccio's has over fourty-nine outlets across the UK.

Antonio believes Italian cookery involves minimum fuss and maximum flavour. This is exactly what his restaurants try to do by using fresh produce, and working largely with families who make things the traditional way - with care. Their passion also translates into special events like hands-on cookery classes and recipe sharing, Antonio and his team regularly organise for interested guests. They also offer takeaways and a catering service.

The breakfast menu offers croissants and breads served with butter and preserves or honey and free range eggs, either scrambled or fried and served with pancetta or ciabatta. They also have long cured Parma ham and healthier options like muesli and fruits. These are best had with coffee, tea or freshly squeezed juice. Carluccio's offers an impressive list of white, red, rosé and sparkling wines which complement your meal.

The restaurants offer a range of soup and salads which give your meal a nutritious start before moving on to the mains. If you like pasta, enjoy the small filled parcels served in a ham and cream sauce, or sample the Neapolitana spaghetti with whole fresh clams, garlic, herbs and chilli. The branzino con salsa e patate, fillet of pan fried sea bass served with tomato salsa and sautéed potatoes and Somerset rib-eye steak with rosemary potatoes, called bistecca di bue con patate, are good options too. If you are looking for something lighter, you could opt for the numerous sides called contorni and panini.

In the Tuscany region of Italy, meals end simply with almond biscuits dipped in a sweet local wine, Vin Santo and eaten. You can enjoy that experience at Carluccio's, or settle for a more conventional dolci of tiramisu, warm chocolate and kahlua pudding, your choice of Italian cheeses or gelatos in different flavours.

Sitting unobtrusively in the midst of several solicitors' offices on Regent Street, De Luca Cucina and Bar's décor may certainly elicit a 'wowed' response. Each area is done up in a remarkable manner, from the dimly-lit cocktail bar at the entrance and the restaurant with a beautiful sky-lit area at the rear, to the Regency Room for those special occasions, and the stylish, second-floor Regency Club overlooking Parkers Piece.

What better way to begin a meal than with a mixed platter of cured meats, fresh Buffalo mozzarella, provolone cheese, pepperoni agrodolce, artichokes, sun-blushed tomatoes and mixed olives, all meant to be shared between two. Main courses arrive in a simple, straightforward manner and include a grilled 8 oz sirloin served with hand cut chips and a green peppercorn sauce, and a spinach and coppa-stuffed chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham.

Live entertainment featuring an opera duo from London generates a buzz at the bar at De Luca every other Friday evening.