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This handsome house is part of the Somerleyton Estate in Suffolk, a lively place where thousands of people every year come to enjoy unspoiled countryside and genuine entertainment in this idyllic piece of England. The hotel backs on to Fritton lake, a major feature of the estate, and has a nine hole pitch and putt golf course, waterbased and childrens' activities in plenty including pony riding and an adventure playground. The menu in their restaurant consists of typical brasserie food, without leaving any doubts as to its English origins and inspiration.

A typical three-course meal might consist of potted crayfish spiced with nutmeg, piquant mayonnaise and char grilled toast followed by slow roasted lamb shoulder served with creamy mash, pea and mint gravy. The list of desserts includes such delights as the baked white chocolate and orange cheesecake and a good selection of cheeses with homemade chutneys and oatcakes. The association between a decent wine cellar and stately homes is not lost here and a good selection of sensibly priced wines grace the cellars of Fritton House.

If you always thought that waffles were something best eaten doused with a good lashing of maple syrup, you'll be pleased to discover that The Waffle House on St.Giles Street in Norwich offers you much more. In fact, it's amazing to be told that these waffles are healthy options for anytime of the day. The unpretentious and friendly atmosphere is welcoming and diners find that their dilemma over sweet and savoury eventually leads them to try both!

If you're there for breakfast don't miss the Scottish smoked salmon layered over moist scrambled eggs with chives served with a choice of wholemeal, plain or spelt waffle. For lunch, maybe you could try the chilli con carne, minced beef cooked with peppers and kidney beans in a spicy tomato sauce served with grated cheddar, sour cream and tortillas. End with a delectable banoffee waffle, fresh sliced bananas smothered with homemade toffee sauce and sprinkled with flaked chocolate. Fresh fruit juices, milkshakes, coffees, teas and soft drinks are perfect for quenching the thirst.

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Whilst the 42 Loch Fyne restaurants have a shared background there is a welcome degree of individuality encouraged throughout the group, which makes for customer interest. If you like wholesome, fresh and reliable seafood caught and reared under carefully controlled conditions, well presented in unfussy surroundings, and you enjoy being well looked after by pleasant staff, Loch Fyne is for you.

There is an increasing awareness of other food staples with an extended choice of meat dishes, but it is the original fare upon which their success was created that prevails. Loch Fyne kippers, a fine bouillabaisse, braden rost, kiln-roasted salmon fillet, and the toothsome oysters on ice, with a selection of accompaniments, all are to be found throughout the various restaurants, as well as Glen Fyne 21 day aged rib-eye steak and Scottish smoked venison. There is invariably a well-travelled wine list available which is sensible, both in content and prices.

Loch Fyne's greatest achievement has been to prove to a sceptical populace that chains or conglomerates can be made to work in the eating-out public's best interests.

Sometimes known as the pub without a bar, the real Lord Nelson was no stranger to these premises. In 1793 Nelson held a farewell party in the pub for the villagers, and today the Victory Barn serves a similar purpose for those who wish a self-contained dining room for special events, weddings and private lunches or dinners.

In the Nelson Bar, which does not have one, your drinks are served on trays from a large hatch that leads through to the equivalent of a ground floor cellar. Woodforde ales are in great profusion, including Nelson's Revenge. In the Ward Room you can enjoy good, home cooked food, with local ingredients and produce in the ascendancy.

The daily-changing menu could contain starters of homemade asparagus and smoked salmon soup, a warm fillet of smoked eel with new potato and dill salad on a Japanese mustard dressing, or steamed Norfolk asparagus Parmesan cracknel topped with a soft poached hen's egg and hollandaise sauce, though for the more robust the roast breast of pigeon on grilled black pudding with juniper and orange sauce takes some beating.

Moving on to greater things there's a grilled 10 oz rib eye steak served with chips and salad, or that greatly under-rated fish, the mackerel, done as a kebab on ratatouille with basil and tomato sauce, a fresh dressed Cromer crab salad, or roast breast of Gressingham duck with black truffle on orange and cointreau sauce.

Predictably the puddings list Nelson's Mess, a fresh fruit platter topped with passion fruit sorbet, or try the iced terrine of liquorice with brandy snap basket filled with soft fruits, with vanilla sauce.

The Lord Nelson does excellent lunches, there's a barbecue and children's menu, snacks with hot sandwiches of chicken bacon mayo and mushroom, or bacon and blue cheese, the list is endless. And of course you'll find it difficult to leave without sampling the well-regarded Nelson's Blood, though I must say it's a different concoction from the one I have been drinking ever since my naval days, though probably just as lethal.

Located in a quiet courtyard setting, in the heart of Fakenham, D'Inacios offers a modest and tranquil ambiance to enjoy a relaxed and meditative dining out experience. The interior, done up in whites with contrasting dark furniture, creates an airy and spacious feel.

A seasonal à la carte is to hand for lunch and dinner and encompass well the modern interpretations of classic British and European dishes infused with world flavours. Begin with a platter of prosciutto, chorizo, pickled onions and olives, served with a salad, or a goats' cheese and a red onion bruschetta. Follow with baked cod loin or pan seared supreme of local chicken for a hearty meal. Amongst light lunches seared sirloin minute steak and the beer battered fillet of haddock are two good options.

D'Inacios serves exclusive coffees all day, in a south-facing courtyard under, perhaps, the most ancient wisteria to be found in East Anglia.

The north east corner of Norfolk yields wonderful surprises not least of which is pubs like The Rose and Crown, with their ancient form, their hints of smuggling and other mildly nefarious activity, and remoteness from the less pleasant aspects of everyday life.

All this, together with many of the decidedly more pleasant 21st century benefits adds up to a place to cherish and enjoy.

You can, of course, stay at The Rose and Crown, and one of the best reasons for doing so is to enjoy to the full the delights of the table and cellar, even if part of the cellar has been converted into a very cosy place in which to eat. But my money would be on the dining room with its warm décor, low ceiling and general air of undemanding informality. The menu draws on surrounding produce and Thornham oysters sit well with local game and seafood. A starter of parmesan crumpet with duck livers and oranges makes an attractive starter, or whole sardines with a black pudding fritter and chorizo oil. For main courses choose from a wide variety of dishes including game pie with black cabbage and garlic mash, crispy salmon with warm peach and a mussel and kale salad, or an open flamed ribeye steak with horseradish butter and some thoroughly sinful fries. Their Caesar salad with lemon and black pepper chicken, bacon, anchovies and croutes is renowned.

For the puddings you may well be injured in the rush for the caramelised banana pancakes with mascarpone, in which case the citrus parfait with raspberry and tarragon syrup makes a sound alternative. A well-stocked cellar, decent local beers and cheerful service all adds up to an evening to recall with pleasure, particularly as the prices are reasonable to the point of disbelief.

The serene Broad House Hotel set in the midst of the Norfolk Broads National Park in Wroxham is a delight for the senses, particularly if your nerves are strained by the pressures of modern living. This boutique hotel is surrounded by 24 acres of lush parkland, making it the perfect venue for weddings and other such special occasions. You could easily get used to the luxury and comfort offered by this gorgeous hotel and its lovely rooms and facilities and when it comes to fine dining, the Trafford's Restaurant is an excellent choice.

The sophisticated and elegant atmosphere of the restaurant is a wonderful spot to savour the delicious dishes on offer and the menu could typically begin with starters of crab cakes with avocado ice cream and dressed leaves leading on to partridge with fondant potato, braised red cabbage, redcurrant and port jus. Finally, there's the caramel mousse and wines from the Broad House Hotel cellars which complement every aspect of the meal superbly.