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The Old Bull's Head is a typical village pub that has a stylish contemporary feel, a light open dining room with a striking centrepiece in the form of a wall to ceiling glass wine cellar. Its stylish interiors, spacious restaurant and large bar are much prized by the locals in the leafy village of Woodhouse Eaves and those who come from further afield to savour its appeal.

The bar, with its dominant fireplace makes a good spot in which to unwind or catch up with friends. It is a popular meeting place for locals who love the restaurant's attention to detail, the friendly service and warm welcome. The bar menu offers light bites throughout the day.

The Old Bull's Head stocks a wide range of beers, both well trusted draught ales and 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.

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, with seating for fifty on the front garden and patio and a further sixty on decking at the rear, 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 Old Bull's Head provides ample evidence that this is true, having once again taken its place as the fulcrum of village life. 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 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, watercress and spring onions with plum sauce, and for the seafood fiends some prawn, avocado, pecans, mango, bacon with orange and pomegranate vinaigrette is received with enthusiasm.

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, and tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event you could try the roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes.

The calves liver with tray baked potatoes, red onion, bacon and sage panagrattato is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating, as is the spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and chips. 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. 

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.

This cottage style restaurant has only been open since 2005 and has scooped many local awards, headed by Paul Leary the restaurant has received 5 stars in the Food and Drink magazine, 2 AA Rosettes, as well as Best Neighbourhood Restaurant in 2007 (Leicestershire and Rutland).

It boasts a 120 bin Wine list which is increasing every quarter, with wines from £16 to £600. They offer set menus, which change daily, using local produce, and an extensive a la carte, which is altered every eight weeks. There are cookery demonstrations, gourmet nights and guest speakers from the wine trade every two months.

The restaurant itself is relaxing, informal and friendly but most efficiently run. Paul's approach to food is classical with modern twists, such as scallops with rare breed pork belly, pineapple puree and coconut foam to rhubarb brûlée with stem ginger anglaise and blood orange sorbet. The cheese selection boasts some of the finest cheeses locally as well as award winning French ones.

They also have a function room with private dining facilities from 10 to 48 people available all week.

Hammer and Pincers in Loughborough claim to be more than just a restaurant and it takes a visit to understand what they mean. The entire gastronomic experience is delightful with friendly service and a relaxing and laidback atmosphere with a capable and professional front of house team taking charge as soon as you enter. Trained at the Savoy Hotel in London, the owners Danny and Sandra have gained vast experience having worked in Switzerland and France. 

A typical meal could begin with a twice baked smoked haddock soufflé, followed by steak. Hammer and Pincers take their steak very seriously, they serve four different joints, all cut to order, to the size specified by the diner. The kitchen team use 28-day, dry aged Hereford beef, raised locally at Blackberry farm. If you still have room for dessert, try the ice-cream selection, which includes interesting flavours like peanut butter and chocolate, lemon meringue pie, rhubarb crumble and custard to name but a few.

Should you be wishing for an alternative to the combustible delights of the Mexican cuisine, available elsewhere in this town, and wanting good food in a place which is not exactly overcrowded with haute cuisine you could do a lot worse than head for the Thai House in High Street. On offer is average Thai cuisine, well prepared and with most of the standard dishes listed in the menu, together with a few interesting additions.

The Hunting Lodge must have some of the finest panelling in these parts. I mention this merely because whilst we are here to discuss the cuisine, even the best of its kind is enhanced by some good background. The menu is certainly not short on choices amongst which, for starters are black pudding (Jerry Howarth's gold medal award-winning variety) served with salad and horseradish dip, an item rather sinisterly called loaded skins, the potato variety served with a light salad and choice of fillings from ham and cheese or mushrooms and Stilton, or cod and prawn fishcake with lemon grass, ginger and oriental spices, served with a chilli relish.

Helpings are not exactly minute so it is probably a good idea to pace yourself, particularly in the area of main courses where further variety is well to the fore with a great range of grills, not least of which, throwing to the winds advice just given, is the Hunter's Mighty Grill, a challenging and gargantuan affair, full details of which would take up the rest of this appraisal. Other options are poached sole, boozy bullock pie, and chicken Marilyn Monroe which, whilst it leaves a few options, comes from the front of the bird, and sausage and mash with two different varieties of the noble banger on the customary tattie bed with rich gravy.

In general one has the feeling that the menu is compiled by someone with the good things of life in mind and a close feeling for his clientele. A breezy list of puddings includes What a Waffle, perhaps to keep a certain brand of politician at bay.

Sunday lunch is well and truly celebrated, with plenty of alternatives round the traditional roast, a day when one can take particular advantage of the wine list, a handsome version with nothing much over £20 and plenty by the glass.

The relaxed and informal setting, friendly service and delicious food exude a welcoming warmth that makes dining here an experience to which to look forward. Restaurateur Nik Bhalla's personal touches have made all the difference at the centrally located Rushes Bistro.

The bistro's a la carte and set menus feature an eclectic combination of dishes that speaks of different cultures. There's a choice of spicy beef chilli nachos, duck pate with orange and ginger chutney, Greek lamb kebabs, Caribbean fruit and vegetable curry with steamed rice, moules marinière with French fries, tomato and mozzarella bruschetta and more. If you wish to end on a sweet note, sample some treacle tart with custard or sticky toffee pudding or maybe just a glass of dessert wine. A range of cocktails, red and white wines and other spirits complement the meal admirably.

Customers can stop by for a drink only if they so please. A party menu, for a minimum of eight people, must be ordered in advance.