Heathcotes Brasserie offers a range of British and French classics, sprinkled with the celebrated signature dishes of MBE chef, Paul Heathcote. Guests can relax in an elegant setting filled with glistening silverware and spotless white tablecloths.

Made using fresh local produce, the Heathcotes menu offers starters of roast beef salad with leeks and walnuts, lobster risotto with tarragon and coral butter and hash brown of black pudding with Lancashire cheese, mustard butter and caramelized pear. Sumptuous main courses at Heathcotes restaurant range from slow-cooked lamb with creamed flageolet beans and jus, to grilled halibut with duxelle, champagne sauce and fine beans.

Round off with an indulgent treacle tart with marmalade ice cream, chocolate pots with salted caramel or Paul Heathcote's famous bread and butter pudding. A variety of white and red wines complement the food perfectly, whilst a chic cocktail bar serves refreshing mixes.

Set in pretty Winckley Square, Heathcotes Preston is a short walk from Fishergate Shopping Centre.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Every so often there comes into the orbit of this website a restaurant virtually in a class of its own. Of such an ilk is Ardeonaig, tucked away on the south shore of Loch Tay, but well within reach of those for whom true excellence in culinary matters represents the Holy Grail.

The chef/owner is Peter Gottgens, a fourth generation hotelier who grew up in South Africa. Amongst his achievements is the world's biggest known barbecue, for 35,000 people, and being Nelson Mandela's Chef of choice in the UK for many years, resulting in him being the lead chef for State banquets, etc.

Peter says, 'I've taken the things I love about my birthplace and married them to the very best of what my adopted home can offer'. Guests can choose to relax in the new and unique cellar dining room or dine in the restaurant or the more casual Study.

The cuisine, which won them a Michelin Bib Gourmand and an Inn of the Year award, is based on ingredients locally grown with the emphasis being on flavour driven food. There is a seasonal restaurant menu and a very popular six course signature gourmet menu. Within the comprehensive carte, examples are St Monans? smoked haddock with buttered leeks, lightly fried quails egg and grain mustard sauce, or Glen Lyon Estate wood pigeon breast with bone marrow, pearl barley and vegetable casserole.

Main course choices could include trio of Glen Quaich reared pork with cured belly, braised cheek, fillet ?a la plancha? and parsley mash, and roast line caught Strathy turbot with locally grown rooster potatoes, Amalfi lemon and capers. No menu at Ardeonaig would be complete without Scottish beef in one form or another, and amongst the variations you may spot a fillet with potato crumpet, bone marrow, snails, garlic and parsley.

Desserts, which are clearly a forte, follow the same pattern and include a Windward Island banana soufflé with Amarula ice cream and caramel sauce, or the chocolate mielie meal pudding with Madagascan vanilla bean ice cream. The wine list represents a triumph for South African wine, and must be one of the best live showcases for the product in this country. The same could also be said of the array of malt whiskies, one of the finest collections for quality.

Being snowed in at Ardeonaig must be one of life's most fulfilling experiences; however, don't take my word for it, find out far more about this wonderful spot on their exceedingly informative Website.

There's more than a whiff of the Thai life at Cookham High Street, characterised by the infectious enthusiasm to share good food. Anong Thai is more that just a culinary tour of Thailand or the generic western slant to Thai food; it's all about some rigorous cooking and a blend of exotic herbs such as galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaf, holy basil and of course chillies!

The décor is warm and welcoming and the dark wood furnishings, elegant crockery, cutlery and glassware set the mood for a relaxed dining experience.

The menu is clearly laid out and those who'd like to start on a spicy note could try the hot and sour soup with mixed seafood, chilli, lime leaves and lemon grass, while spring onions, coriander and minced prawns wrapped around a piece of sugarcane, encrusted with breadcrumbs and deep fried may please more delicate palates.

Chef's specials feature the weeping tiger, marinated strips of steak char-grilled and served with a spicy homemade dipping sauce, and pad pong gare kung, king prawns stir-fried with a yellow curry powder and a hint of springs onions and egg. Two special recommendations are the lamb and black pepper stir fry served on a sizzling platter, and a char grilled aubergine salad with lemon and chilli dressing.

No Eastern meal would be complete without a warm and tingling curry, so tickle the palate on a delectable range of these wonderful dishes such as roast duck cooked in a red curry paste with coconut milk, pineapple and tomatoes and a Thai green curry with fresh basil, bamboo shoots, aubergines and coconut milk. Seafood buffs could consider the relative merits between a fillet of sea bass dipped in light batter, deep fried and served with a sweet relish, or squid, prawns and scallops stir-fried with aromatic herbs and spices.

Vegetables, which ought to be a joy, and encouraged, are so often a boring experience. Here there is a mixed vegetable dish stir fried with lemongrass, chilli, sweet basil and garlic, turning them into a worthy dish on their own account as well as an accompaniment. A bowl of noodles tossed with bean sprouts, peanuts, chicken, prawns, vegetables or bean curd, or the lightly spiced rice noodles prepared the Singaporean way may prove to be a welcome break from the customary jasmine or coconut rice.

The sight of a chef deftly tossing a sizzling wok with masterly élan may leave you mesmerized, the more so if you taste some of the stir fried dishes at Anong Thai where chicken, beef, prawns or squid are first seared before chilli, fine beans, onions and holy basil and sauces are introduced to spruce up the flavour.

Apple and banana fritters as well as pandan pancakes feature on the dessert menu while the wine list has been specially chosen for its compatibility with Thai food with the customary Singha and Chang beers. They also offer a take-away service. The full menu, and much more, can be viewed on their Website.

This is the fifth Belgo restaurant to be established in south-east England, and as with the other four it is essentially a coming together of beer and food, not always in that order, but pretty often. Put another way round it offers La Cuisine à la biere, since much of the union involves the preparation of food with the aid of beer via a sauce or marinade. Beer lends itself well to the stewing of beef and also enjoys a reputation for being a good tenderiser.

It's a strictly Belgian notion to combine moules, frites and beers, and a very fine one too. But whilst that may be typical it's but the tip of the iceberg. In any case before you gain anything like access to the food there are some 50 specialist Belgian beers to be assessed. Amongst this rich harvest you will find Chimay Rouge, brewed under the supervision of Trappist Monks, dark roasted Grottenbier and fruity Floris beers.

Décor is relaxed and good humour abounds. Promotions include Beat the Clock and an Express Lunch menu at under £7 enables decent food and work to co-exist comfortably. Those who revel in statistics may not by this time be surprised to hear the average Belgian drinks 150 litres of beer per head every year, with 800 different beers from which to choose.

So on to the food where a warm salad of smoked bacon, shredded duck, eggs and black pudding with garlic croutons and a Dijon mustard dressing could make your day. Mussel pots offer the fine mollusc in six manifestations, all of them mouth-watering, or you can order a platter with frites. Braised red cabbage with raspberry beer sounds pretty adventurous and stoemp mash introduces a mash of root vegetables, often mixed with cream. A beef carbonnade is braised in sweet Gueuze beer with apples and plums, served with frites.

Monday to Fridays five rattling good dishes are on offer from 5 to 7 pm., including the bowl of marinière mussels with frites; you pay the price of the time you order. But it's the children who come off best at Belgo, with free eating to spur them on, as if the little devils need any spurring when it comes to tucker time.

Michael Jackson in his book The Beer Hunter says, 'Belgium is the land of beer, seafood and the world's finest chocolate. It is a land of German portions and French culinary skills', which seems to sum up the situation admirably. To crown it all you will by now be not in the least surprised to hear that the world's first beer academy opened in 1999 at Herk-de-Stad.

Details of other Belgo branches, prize draws and the solution to a Belgian maths equation can all be found by a click on their Website.

Housed in a period building, opposite to the Market Cross, Prezzo Beverly offers authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of this bustling Yorkshire market town. Close to popular attractions like Beverley Minster, the Treasure House and Art Gallery and Beverley Racecourse, the restaurant is also just a short walk from the Beverly Rail Station.

Spread over two floors, the impressive interior features large windows and mirrors, creating a relaxed, airy setting for a delicious meal with friends or the family.

The restaurants satisfy the needs of those who like genuine Italian cuisine, as they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic pizza bread with caramelised balsamic onions and melted mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goats' cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on focaccia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal.

Find pastas such as the unusual chicken ravioli, made pancetta bacon, petits pois and grana padano cheese in a cream sauce; amongst the special pastas, the polpette al forno with meatballs, field mushrooms, caramelised onions, red chillies and penne in a tomato and garlic sauce is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like chicken and red pesto with roasted peppers and grana padano cheese, while tiger prawns with oak roast salmon and petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce, is enticingly different.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular fiorentina, topped with spinach, free-range egg, grana padano cheese, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato, and the much loved quattro formaggi - gorgonzola, goat's cheese, grana padano, mozzarella, tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with Prezzo's own blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can wash down the food with a variety of tipples - ranging from house wine and Chardonnay to liqueurs and beer and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Housed within the busy Freeport Village shopping complex, Caffe Uno Braintree offers a delicious Mediterranean menu in a smart contemporary setting. Ideal for a relaxing meal after a shopping trip, or even fortifying yourself beforehand, the restaurant is a stone's throw away from Braintree Freeport Rail Station.

Close to Chelmsford and Colchester, and easily accessible on the A131 and A120, Caffe Uno also sells its own products, many of which are used in the dishes served in the restaurant, including extra virgin olive oil, Modena balsamic vinegar, Italian rocket and almond pesto and Cuneesi chocolates.

Open from 9am everyday, a hearty breakfast at Caffe Uno could include eggs any style, streaky bacon, Cumberland sausage, mushrooms, tomato and toast; bacon or Cumberland sausage baguette, eggs Benedict, plain or chocolate croissant, muesli with yoghurt or honey and toast with jam along with coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

The à la carte offers a sumptuous variety beginning with starters of chilli tiger prawns with garlic, parsley, lemon and mixed leaves, grilled chorizo and halloumi with salad garnish and lemon dressing or a quesadilla with chicken, salsa and served with garlic mayonnaise. Alternatively, try the tempting traditional antipasto platter with prosciutto ham, salami Milano, bresaola beef, marinated olives, fresh rocket and ciabatta bread.

Follow with mains of fillet of sea bass with green beans, capers and new potatoes in a white wine and butter sauce, char grilled chicken and field mushrooms with baby spinach in a Marsala wine sauce or aubergine parmigiana; layers of grilled aubergine baked in the oven with parmesan cheese and fresh basil in tomato sauce.
 
Alternatively, you could choose between a hearty meat feast pizza with chicken, spicy beef, pepperoni, pancetta bacon, mozzarella and tomato or a lighter Mediterranena pizza with grilled courgettes, roasted peppers and roasted onions with a houmous base. Pasta dishes include penne with Italian sausage in a spicy tomato sauce and gnocchi with buffalo mozzarella and red onions in a tomato and basil sauce.

For a quick lunch, customers can pick from a range of sandwiches including a steak baguette with sliced steak with Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and roasted onions or a piri piri chicken wrap and buffalo mozzarella with sundried tomatoes, black olives, basil pesto and fresh rocket. Salads include a classic Nicoise with yellowfin tuna, anchovies, free range egg, marinated olives, capers, cherry tomatoes, new potatoes, green beans and red onions in an Italian house dressing or baked goat's cheese with toasted walnuts and grapes over rocket and spinach leaves with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A children's menu is also available at this family friendly restaurant.

Round off with a tempting treat from the dessert menu which offers classic tiramisu; pannatone pannacotta with chunks of fruity pannetone; blood orange tart with cream or mini desserts of hazelnut Marsala semi fredo, coffee cream latte semi fredo or Belgian milk chocolate semi fredo, all served with your choice of coffee.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

The Red Hot World Buffet family keeps on growing and this time it's the people of Leeds, in the Light building, who can now feast themselves upon this amazing world dining experience for one fixed price, whether it's Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Tex mex, Cajun, Thai or English cuisine.

As befits a buffet restaurant with such international credentials, dishes are created at live cooking stations by some of the best chefs from around the world who, along with the guests, enjoy the buzzing atmosphere. For one set price Red Hot offers you the world on a plate.

From World starters be prepared for pepperoni or ham and apple pizza, chicken tikka or chick pea masala, chilli con carne or nachos with a salsa bar, or pork spare ribs with an alternative of crab claws. There is certainly no lack of choice from any country at any stage of the meal.

A salad and seafood bar offers a fine selection of sushi, and chilli and garlic flavoured mussels provide a balanced flavour that retains its fresh from the sea staple. Ham, salami and chicken come in various manifestations, and assorted breads provide contrast and enlightenment. No less that fourteen salads inevitably yields unusual pairings, with fennel and mango dressed with citrus, mini savoury tartlets with glacé cherry and Philadelphia cheese, or broccoli and snow peas with garlic flakes. Whichever you choose it arrives at table with condiments and dressings.

On the live counters prepare for conflict. A made to order pasta station serves five types of pasta with nine sauces from which to choose, including Bolognaise, Carbonara and Americana. The noodle bar is busy with several types to marry up with a choice of four meats, four sauces and a good array of vegetables. Think glass noodles with shrimp, chilli Ramen, bamboo shoot and scallion.

Made to order Chinese stir fry has choices that could keep the average diner on their toes for a month or more, provided they were not deflected by the chargrill where the choice may be less but the enjoyment factor guaranteed. Amongst the main courses five cuisines parade their best, with yellow beef curry, egg noodle, lamb Rogan Josh, chicken tikka masala and Mexican chilli pork amongst those dishes jostling for attention.

By now you can well imagine the feeding frenzy presented by the desserts. To make matters even more scintillating if you really have the creative urge you make your own fruit compote with a different liqueur, or nip a cross to the sundae counter where DIY is positively encouraged.

A visit to Red Hot is a time to let your hair down and become participatory. Try saying that when you've done a little research on the cocktails, mocktails and shooters, linked your meal with a choice from amongst the international wine list, or embarked on an in depth study of some of the vast collection of world beers. If it's a party, pitchers of your preferred beverage can ensure that the party continues until late in the evening.

Eating is one of life's pleasures; eating under the panoply of fun and zing factor offered by Red Hot Buffet ensures it will be even more fun. Their Website says it all.

Chloe's Restaurant is a gift to that part of the population of Plymouth that cares about good food and is arguably the best in the city. French chef Didier Franchet and his fiancée Jo have clearly decided that it is time modern French cuisine came to Plymouth, and few would disagree.

Let's start with the piano, a Waldstein baby grand, where every evening a pianist caresses the strings of the piano and the emotions of the diners with romantic melodies. Such customs as champagne before dinner and a measured approach to the evening are cultivated to the point where every meal at Chloe's is a satisfying memory.

The menu is inspired by Pierre Gagnaire and Alain Ducasse whose experience gleams through an array of dishes chosen from a combination of old favourites and interesting twists on traditional themes. Starters on the carte number around eight and could include mi-cuit of fresh sashimi tuna with homemade avocado tartar, accompanied by sauce vierge, or Chloe's foie gras trilogy.

It's not every restaurant where you would take kindly to the suggestion of rabbit leg as a main dish, but you would here, done moutarde and served with gratin Dauphinois. Fresh local scallops in their shell arrives with diced belly pork and mixed vegetables, whilst vegetarians will rejoice in freshly baked aubergine stuffed with a homemade ratatouille and topped with grated cheese and sauce vierge.

Chloe's can command fish as fresh as anywhere and the roasted back of local lemon sole with seasonal vegetables in a light lemon butter has to be one of the great classic dishes of all time though the cassolette des copains carries fillet of catch of the day set on a bed of salted cod brandade, flash cooked spinach and Hollandaise sauce with a golden grilled finish comes a very close second. Each dish is a symphony of tasteful design and top class ingredients.

Five desserts plus a fine selection of English and French cheeses ranges from a stunning fresh summer fruit salad topped with tangy lemon sorbet quenelle through baked hot cherry clafouti topped with pistachio ice-cream to the most wonderful Chloe's Monte Carlo for chocolate lovers.

Lobster and champagne evenings are held around once a month, the centrepiece of which is grilled lobster with cognac and tarragon sauce, starting with lobster bisque and croustille.

A wine list makes up for its brevity by the skill with which it is chosen, starting with an unoaked Terret from Michael Laroche and moving upwards. A reserve list awaits attention from the discerning wine connoisseur.

Close by is the Theatre Royal and Chloe's opens at 5.30pm for pre theatre dinners, and bless them, they do supper after the show for orders taken between 10.00 and 10.20pm. This place is a great find and the sort of restaurant that cares for its regulars whilst providing a welcome surprise for newcomers.

A friendly Website keeps up to date with events and menu changes.

Described, quite justifiably, as a 'proper pub, The James Figg graces the heart of the English market town of Thame offering well kept beer, honest pub food and a warm welcome. As a mission statement that's pretty undefeatable, and it works. Named after James Figg, England's first undisputed champion boxer, who is believed to have lived in the building during the 18th century, the opening of his eponymous pub has been hailed as a great addition to the town's amenities.

The James Figg takes great pride in serving some of the best of British ales, with Bombardier from Charles Wells in Bedfordshire, UBU from Stratford-on-Avon's award-winning Purity Brewery, guest ales from our local Vale Brewery, lager from Kirin Ichiban and cider from Addlestone's.

The menu is delightfully simple and very appealing. Small food offers home-made pork scratchings; soup of the day or Scotch egg, and breaded camembert. Sausage rolls strike a pleasantly retro note, and there are spicy prawns for those who like their starter small and flavoursome. Main courses have a great proper pub appeal, starting with a slab of home-roast ham, egg and chips; traditional fish and chips to classic Ploughman's. Chocolate Sundae, and banana split are one of life's little comforts, but others are available along the same lines.

The James Figg makes the most of nature's bounty in the form of ham from outdoor-reared pigs, then roast at home. Newitt's Butchers are conveniently close so hardly surprising their pies and sausage rolls are part of the more casual fare.

A simple selection of sandwiches and side dishes looks after the needs of those in search of something swift and simple. Expect to find cheese and tomato toasties; prawn Marie Rose, hot beef bap and roast potatoes or Caesar chicken wrap.

The wine list is brief, but good value is never far away. All are available by the glass, or 'pinta' which corresponds to a 500 ml carafe served in an old fashioned milk bottle. Only two stray over the £20 bottle price, but not drastically.

Behind the pub, in what used to be the Stables Block, a large events space has been created for happenings night or day. Private parties of up to 60 people seated or 100 standing can be comfortably accommodated, with its own bar and facilities for live bands, DJs and a dance floor. Business meetings, product launches or small conferences can also be made welcome. Call to discuss your requirements.

A vigorous programme of events is never far away, and whilst you may have missed the first Thursday music club on first Thursday of every month, plenty of sporting watching on the large screen ensures there are few dull moments. This is a child and dog friendly establishment, with treats for pooches and double lollies for children.

This is a thoroughly refreshing, in every sense, pub that will appeal to those who are looking for a genuinely welcoming, no-nonsense approach to pub-keeping which not unnaturally attracts the same sort of customers. Do check on their Website for further details and read, if you need any further encouragement, what the press coverage has to say about The James Figg.

Housed within the Freeport Village, a bustling entertainment venue and shopping centre, Chimichanga Braintree delivers a wide range of affordable Mexican dishes in a smart contemporary setting. There is plenty of on-site parking, and the restaurant is just a 3-minute walk from Freeport Braintree Rail Station, making it the perfect place for a delicious meal after a busy day of shopping.

Chimichanga's extensive à la carte caters to a variety of palates. A wide range of delicious appetisers includes crab cakes, Buffalo chicken wings and empanadas, a traditional crispy pastry filled with a choice of chicken or chorizo sausage with cheese and served with sour cream. Other choices include piri piri prawns, Cajun chicken with chilli sauce and jalapeno bullets, a dish of deep fried jalapeno peppers with cream cheese and chilli sauce. Appetisers to share include chicken nachos or taquitos, crispy flour tortilla tubes with a range of fillings including cheese and black beans, chicken, cheese and salsa and chorizo and cheese.

Light bites include a range of tortilla wraps including a classic fajita wrap with a choice of char grilled fajita steak or chicken served with peppers and onions in a tortilla with Jack cheese. Vegetarians are catered for with the delicious courgette and Portobello mushroom wraps which comes with chipotle chilli sauce and jack cheese. There's also a number of tempting salad options such as blackened tuna salad with tuna steak coated in a special blend of Cajun spices, blacked on a hot skillet and served over a bed of mixed leaves with roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

For something more filling diners could opt for a tortilla burger, made from 100 per cent fully traceable prime Scottish beef wrapped in a flour tortilla with mayonnaise and served with changa chips.
 
The char grill section's succulent offerings include barbecue baby back ribs served with change chips and jalapeno coleslaw; sirloin mojo rojo, a centre cut sirloin steak marinated in chilli, garlic and coriander and served with beer battered onion rings and change chips, Santa Fe chicken with rice, black beans and guacamole or flame grilled piri piri chicken.

Sumptuous Mexican specialities naturally include chimichanga, a flour tortilla fried golden brown with Jack cheese and served with your choice of filling ? either chunky beef chilli con carne, BBQ pulled pork or bean chilli - sautéed onions and peppers and garnished with sour cream, chives, guacamole and tortilla croutons, as well as a variety of burritos, enchiladas and tostadas. There are also chipotle meatballs, Mexican paella, chilli de la casa and south-western crab cakes. The grande quesadilla is a baked flour tortilla sandwich with your choice of filling and drizzled with sour cream and served with Mexican rice and chipotle chilli sauce.

The lunch menu offers a choice of two or three courses while a children's menu caters to the tastes of the little ones.

Round off the satisfying meal with scrumptious dessert of giant Mexican profiterole, chocolate fudge brownie or honeycomb smash cheesecake. Alternatively, end with a speciality coffee or liqueur. Chimichanga offers a variety of wines, beers, cocktails, margheritas, sangria and soft drinks to quench the thirst.

More information can be found on their Website.