The Chancery Court Hotel, London is a place that embodies luxury and opulence in a historic and landmark building in Holborn, near to Covent Garden. Pearl is their glamorous destination restaurant and bar, designed by the very same people who crafted the look of Nobu, the Metropolitan and Le Cercle. Carrying the heritage of its past into new glamour, the name Pearl is inspired by its original site as the former banking hall of the Pearl Assurance Building.

The Head Chef is the critically acclaimed Jun Tanaka who has previously worked for Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Philip Howard at The Square. Followers of this exciting young chef believe he has finally got the restaurant he deserves, and working alongside him is an expert Sommelier to match the quality of the wines to that of the food.

The bar holds an exquisite selection of wines preserved by the Cruvinet System. This allows an offering of 15 of the world's best wines by the glass, so that everyone has the opportunity to sample some of the most exclusive wines money can buy. Drinks are placed on handmade tables with Mother of Pearl inlay which can be savoured from the comfort of bespoke leather seats while those looking for some simple enjoyment without the hustle of the bar can find some privacy in the elegant walnut booths. Hand strung pearls and quietly lit chandeliers complete the leitmotif while the leather upholstery seems to glow from within.

There is a lot of classic French in the menu along with some fresh, light and seasonal touches which are inspiring as Jun produces dishes with distinct and natural flavours that are intrinsic to the basic ingredients. Amongst the starters, you could try caramelised scallops with parsley puree and frogs legs with wild garlic crust; a seared foie gras with pickled rhubarb and crisp ginger bread, or loin of rabbit with smoked bacon, apricot chutney, almond paste and dandelion salad.

This delicious fare can be followed by poached monkfish with seaweed, oyster tortellini, pickled cucumber, squid and seashore vegetables; baby courgettes stuffed with Swiss chard, pine nut and parmesan courgette pesto and tempura of flowers, or challans duck breast with pastilla, green almonds, couscous, kumquats confit and caramelised chicory.

Some of the delectable desserts on offer there include caramelised apples with salted caramel mousse, thyme ice cream and honey jelly, or artisan cheeses.

The London Magazine claims that 'This is the place you'd go to with someone you wanted to impress.' For more information - including the menus, wine list and a form to use for making online reservations - visit their Website.

Berkhamsted is a gorgeous town and was well in need of a gorgeous pub. Alan Turtill had rescued and restored the Old Mill, keeping what remains of its original Georgian and Victorian features, but making the whole place light and airy. The unloved yard at the back has been turned into a special space - the mill race crashes over the weir into a deep pool - and the garden borders the Grand Union Canal, perfect for watching the boats slide by on lazy summer evenings. The Old Mill remains a real pub, where you're just as welcome to enjoy a decent pint of bitter at the bar as a three course meal or bar snack.

It would be possible to enlarge upon all this indefinitely, but our purpose here is to tell you about The Old Mill and how they put into practice their strongly held principles. There is something very heartening to see sad old inns, particularly those whose character has refused to bow to neglect, being restored to useful life and becoming part of life's pattern in their particular community.

Senior Sous Chef Stefan Brodin and his team have designed a menu featuring traditional pub favourites as well as something a little different. They are in the kitchen everyday preparing all the dishes fresh on the premises. On their menu, you will find the very best quality fresh ingredients - fantastic sausages; free range chicken; moules marinière and mini loaf; 28 day dry-aged Aberdeenshire 24oz cote boeuf - sourced from producers who take pride in their products and an ethical stance in their production.

The Old Mill menu always makes the most of seasonal ingredients - this ensures they avoid air-freighting and keeps us in touch with the cycle of the year - while combining the best of great British cooking and influences from around the world that are now part of our culture.

The deli board lists cheese, charcuterie, veggie, favourites, fruit and vegetables, and fish or the customer can have the option of making their own board from the five options. The deli can be enjoyed as starters, nibbles or tapas. If the conversation level is proving demanding let the restaurant do the work for you by selecting a selection from one of the five.

The Old Mill is open from 10am for breakfast. Start the day with a hearty full English or bacon or sausage sandwich and a glass of champagne with friends. The express menu also operates from noon to 6 pm, offering Mediterranean vegetable with goats' cheese tart, cherry tomato and herb salad, chips and burgers as well. Noon to 3pm, and 6.00pm to 10pm their a la carte menu is on offer with an ample selection of dishes which pulls in the locals who have quickly come to regard The Old Mill as a second home.

Afternoon tea is served everyday from 12pm - 6pm while, sandwiches with smoked salmon or Mediterranean vegetables are served with chips or soup of the day, Monday to Saturday.

A relatively short but punchy wine list mingles well with the menu, so few will quibble with this much needed addition to the local scene.

A swift click on their Website will keep you in the picture over menu changes, special offers and events. You could also consider visiting The Thatch at Thame, sister pub and only 30 mins from The Old Mill.

If there's one thing you can get the British hooked on, it's seafood, pun predictable. So up in Scotland, which can usually be relied upon to show us the way in quite a lot of things, they are surprisingly a bit behind the times on the fishy thing, which is extraordinary when you think they have so much of the stuff around them. Not only lots of it, but real quality as well. But both the Glasgow and Edinburgh Mussel Inns are doing their best to make sure that Scotland catches up and tells the world that Scottish seafood is streets ahead of the rest.

In Hope Street to be precise, that well-used thoroughfare that offers a pleasant link between Bath Lane and St Vincent Street, is friendly and well-used, and passes close enough to Blythswood Square to make life interesting. The Glasgow Mussel Inn has won many awards, one of them being the EatScotland Award, for extraordinary seafood.

Creamy seafood chowder and the soup of the day both come with fresh crusty bread, or there's crab salad, which comes with claw meat and crayfish tails in a lime mayonnaise with cherry tomatoes on a toasted foccacia and drizzled with basil oil. The grilled platters give an option between starters or light meals, and oysters are either chilled natural, or grilled with gruyere cheese and bacon. Goat's cheese makes an excellent foil for seafood flavours, none more so than when grilled and served on toasted baguette slices topped with bell pepper and caper relish, as here.

Plump, juicy King scallops are a weakness for many, and at Mussel you can have them char grilled, on a skewer, or seared. Their small cousins, mussels, come in kilo pots, again with choices, this time natural, shallot, roasted pepper, leek, Moroccan, blue cheese, or corona, of which the Moroccan, with chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin sounds highly toothsome. But you would have been diverted well before then by thoughts of the hot seafood platter with its mix of fish and assorted shellfish poached in their own seafood sauce topped with grilled sea bass fillet and chive cream fraîche.

Round off with a chocolate crème brûlée, and then shuffle off into a dark corner to rest until it's time to come back.

The wine list is predictably mostly white, though with some concession to heathens who occasionally like to have some wiry red with their shellfish. Happily this little foible is recognised by a short section on red and roses, crouching on the list rather like a well hung fillet steak on a vegetarian menu. Their Cuvee Bouchard lives up to its claim of being excellent taste and value.

The Scottish passion for deep-fried Mars Bars is well catalogued, but not available at the Mussels, where lime cheesecake served with mango and passion fruit sauce may challenge the odds just as much, but do it with more grace.

Both Mussels are doing a first class job for their public and the cause of seafood in general. Any differences or preferences are purely personal and slight and do not affect the excellence of either.

For far more information - including their full menu - try a visit to their fun-packed Website, from which I was delighted to have authoritative evidence for what my instincts have been telling me ever since my first mussel, that seafood is seriously good for you.

Bella Italia is a restaurant that pulsates with Italian style and fashion, where the day starts with breakfast, not least the Inglese, the familiar bacon, sausage, mushroom, tomato and fried or scrambled eggs and sauté potatoes with ciabatta toast so beloved of hearty eaters seeking a good start to the day, particularly when they don't have to prepare it. A vegetarian option is available, along with the bambini of sausages, tomato and scrambled egg, or a strapazzata, scrambled eggs on ciabatta toast. A cappuccino or hot chocolate offers a more gentle awakening and croissant or pastries are welcome at almost any time.

It is always worth remembering that eating Italian is a great opportunity to work away through something rather more liberating than the conventional 3 course English meal. Little and often seems to be the motto but move on to the antipasti and it's immediately obvious this is no easy task, confronted with well over a dozen dishes, not one of which you really have the heart to turn down. The selezione classica assembles a few of the favourite starters; oven baked lemon and rosemary chicken wings, spiced meatballs, calamari, mini garlic butter-filled calzoni and lightly battered courgettes served with flamed pepper and lemon herb dips.

A speck e rucola pizza, added to a traditional margherita brings together two traditions with Italian speck ham providing the second, but it is within the pasta and risotto dishes that you can adapt almost any main ingredient, as well enjoy some of Italy's most traditional treats. Who can deny a well formed spaghetti Bolognese or penne Marco Polo? And not for nothing is a nicely prepared spaghetti carbonara the preferred dish of many.

From a selection of five choices amongst the secondi many will head unerringly for controfiletto ai ferri, a 7oz sirloin steak char-grilled to preference and served with garlic butter, roast field mushrooms, fries and rocket, or the fritto misto, lightly battered prawns, cod fillet, calamari and courgette with fries and a herb lemon and caper dip.

Could anything be more appropriate than The Godfather, for 1 or 2 naturally, with nutty chocolate fudge brownies, vanilla and toffee ice cream with chocolate sauce, fresh cream and wafer curls, and rest assured the coffee will do justice to the meal.

With a wine list that makes few concessions to other countries - and why should it - good Italian food can receive an equally national baptism by wine. For further enlightenment, news about their on-line shop and special deals, a click on their lively Website will reveal all.

Conveniently located between Gloucester Road and South Kensington tube stations, this is a classic Geronimo pub, combining traditional British food with all the quality and style you'd expect in Kensington. The Duke of Clarence is situated in the oldest licensed building and is steeped in history. Just as the building has withstood the test of the time, so too has the spirit of an old inscription that was once found here - "Ars Langa Vita Brevis, Nunc Est Bibendum", or "Art is eternal, life is short, now let's drink."

The venue is growing in popularity for its brunch, burgers and bonhomie among the Kensington locals, who come here to indulge in a spot of lunch, watch the sport on Sky TV or simply observe  the world pass by through the large open windows.

The revered selection of fine wines, real ales and expansive range of beer pay due homage to the food.

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

It is not often one can say a pub is unique, but you can really think and cross your heart and say just that about The Hollow Bottom, not so much about the food and drink, though that is exemplary, but because of its close relationship with The Cheltenham Races. In the words of owners Hugh Kelly and business partner Charlie Pettigrew, 'our clientele would canter right up to the bar if we let them'.

Much as thoughts of a line of thoroughbreds all quaffing pints of Hollow Bottom Best Bitter at the bar might appeal, our concern here has to be with the two-legged customers for whom Hollow Bottom is often second home. Chef Charlie's pedigree in the culinary world, Young Scottish Chef of the Year, Marine Highland Troon, Claridges, Gleneagles, and the Savoy, is every bit on a par with the likes of Bindaree, who stopped by to celebrate his triumph at 20 to1 in the Grand National 2002. Ably supported by Karen, the pair of them are never far from considering what can be done to improve even further the egalitarian menus at Hollow Bottom.

The big event of the week - apart from racing successes at incredible odds - is the Sunday Carvery when the pub is filled to breaking point with jolly people enjoying this great traditional English repast with its associations of durability and elasticity, particularly in so far as the digestion and waistline are concerned.

At other times a wider cuisine prevails with a sumptuous prawn cocktail starter, chef's homemade pâté with Cumberland sauce and hot toast; Gloucestershire sausages; deep-fried whole tail scampi; freshly carved cold ham; grilled succulent gammon steak are but a few samples of what you may find.

Their cheesecake of the day served with fresh double cream is worth a visit in its own right and there are always specials available, drawn from an all-embracing list that is regularly changed by Charlie and Karen. It would be fair to say that what is on display at the bar equals in importance what emerges from the kitchens.

At draught level expect to find The Hollow Bottom Best Bitter alongside Gloucestershire Ales from Battledown Brewery in Cheltenham, Donnington Ales in Stow on the Wold as well as Guest ales from Goffs and North Cotswold Brewery. The ones to watch are the ciders, amongst which are Westons Strong Organic and Thatchers Cheddar Valley Cloudy, both of which have mercifully continued to escape any attentions from health and safety, the new growth industry. An excellent wine list rises to every occasion.

A click will take you to their humorous and diverse Website, with details of accommodation and new menu items.

Within the bustling Mailbox Shopping Centre, in the heart of the city, Zizzi The Mailbox, Birmingham provides delicious Italian food to tired shoppers. Spread over two levels, the restaurant boasts a mailbox themed interior featuring vintage mail sorting boxes on the walls and a deep red pizza oven.

With plenty of on-site parking available, and just a short walk from Birmingham New Street Station, Zizzi is also close to the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre and the Electric Cinema.

The bustling open kitchen at Zizzi turns out freshly prepared, tasty fare. The extensive à la carte offers distinct sections of antipasti, salads, pizza and calzone, pasta, risottos and mains of seasonally changing meat and fish dishes with a variety of tempting desserts to finish.

Zizzi's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. There's also choice of arancini, crispy risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and peas and served with a tomato chilli sauce as well as gnocchi gorgonzola, potato dumplings in a creamy gorgonzola and spinach sauce seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper, setting the tone for a hearty meal.

For a delicious pasta or risotto choose between penne vodka, king prawns, chilli, peas and Grana Padano in a creamy tomato and vodka sauce; ravioli di capra, goat's cheese and spinach ravioli served with tomato sauce and topped with pesto and pine nuts; zucca e pancetta, pumpkin, pancetta, spinach, sage and Grana Padano topped with mascarpone and rigatoni con pollo e funghi, chicken in a tomato, onion, rosemary and mushroom sauce. Gluten-free pasta is also available on request.

If you prefer a pizza, then you could try Zizzi's speciality pizza rustica, which couples extra thin and crispy bases with a range of toppings such as bufala, buffalo mozzarella with sunblush tomatoes, basil, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or mare e monti, one half topped with tiger prawn, courgette and mozzarella and the other with spicy sausage, tomato sauce and chilli, all finished off with a rocket and crème fraîche. The carne piccante calzone has marinated chicken, meatballs, Bolognese sauce, mushrooms, chillies, tomato and mozzarella while the clarissa version, has aubergine, and red pepper caponata, olives, goats' cheese, rocket, pine nuts, tomato and mozzarella. Zizzi's calzon'pizzas, half calzone and half pizza, add an interesting twist to the meal.
 
Sumptuous mains include agnello con peperonata, roasted lamb shank served with basil, roasted vegetables and a little pot of potatoes with tomato, red onion and Grana Padano; duck arrosto, slow roasted whole duck leg in a balsamic, olive and pancetta reduction served with Tuscan potatoes and green beans; and sea bass al vino, sea bass pan fried with wine, garlic and baby plum tomatoes and served with herby potatoes.

The scrumptious dessert list offers torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base topped with rich chocolate torte and served with vanilla mascarpone; homemade tiramisu' creamy vanilla pannacotta with fruit compote and torta Zizzi, an almond-based plum and fig tart topped with pistachios and icing sugar and served with gelato.

The wine list is dominated by a range of Italian wines from regions such as Veneto, Lazio, Sicily, Tuscany and Lombardy. Also on offer is an assortment of beers, and spirits as well as a range of soft and hot drinks.

More information can be found on their Website.

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 Cathedral city of Truro has much to commend it - tucked away on the south western peninsula of England it has always maintained a sturdy independence that in some ways has tended to look as much to the continent as to London. Perhaps this demonstrates itself best in the survival of fine architecture and buildings, in one of which in Lemon Street, the AA Rosette Bustophers holds court within a contemporary interior.

Their aim would appear to be to gather in not only a loyal local clientele, but also to recognise the large numbers of visitors who flock to the area every summer and increasingly now at other times as well. The atmosphere is relaxed but well able to rise to the more formal in matters of private dining or special occasions.

They open daily at 11am when the first regulars arrive with the Telegraph tucked under their arm to enjoy their wake-up call of cappuccino, before contemplating lunch perhaps. Soon tables all around are taken up by people enjoying a bowl of steamed River Fowey mussels in garlic and white wine cream with fries, or Bustophers chowder served with Baker Tom?s bread.

A pudding of dark chocolate and Amaretto cheesecake with cherry compote, or the local cheeseboard with biscuits and homemade chutney, and it's back to work for some, whilst others settle down to the crossword.

In the evenings a subtle change occurs, still the same lively place, but a touch of 'don't know what' creeps gently in and the evening stretches limitless before those who come to enjoy good company and, shall we say, a Guinea fowl, pork and leek terrine with pear and cider chutney, or pan seared wood pigeon breast with crispy black pudding salad. The Celtic farm chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese and chive in company with caramelised onion and walnut risotto competes with wild mushroom and goats? cheese fricassee on toasted polenta, or Higher Tresawle farm beef lasagne with wild mushrooms, rosemary and garlic ciabatta.

A three course prix fixe menu is available with four main courses, including fish of the day with fettuccini, classic lasagne with steak frites, wonderful value. The private dining facilities, of a high order, could hardly be better placed in Truro.

The wine list is not for the faint hearted, and some thirty are available by the glass. Clearly there is a good team at work in the cellars, not least Walter Hicks of St Austell, H & H Bancroft Wines of London and Berry Bros and Rudd.

Bustophers is essentially a jolly place with high standards achieved and a restless energy that produces great results, giving a new meaning to that feeling of having a second home to hand. It is one operation, not a series of little empires, and it is not difficult to see where the drive comes from.

For more details, including details of field trips to suppliers, and menu changes, click on their Website.