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The Garden House is located in one of the fine stone houses built for the wealthier citizens of Stamford in Georgian times, south of the river, part of a scene painted by Turner and described by Sir Walter Scott as "one of the finest sights 'twixt London and Edinburgh'.

Now tastefully adapted for wider use the Garden House offers comfortable accommodation, well supported by a dining room that is also open to passers-by as well as hotel guests. The conservatory and the main restaurant both had a makeover in 2008 and further changes included the appointment of a new Head Chef, Gareth Thorpe, formerly of The Old Bridge in Huntingdon, leading to a more modern style to the menu.

The wine list is chosen with great care and the hotel now offers several house whites and reds by the glass, along with a varied and large selection. Menus change once every three months, with food being sourced from local specialists.

Long since proclaimed the finest stone town in England, Stamford's magnificent Georgian and Medieval buildings remind us today of its nobility and history of times gone by. Jim's Yard is tucked away behind buildings fronting on to Ironmonger Street. The dining area has French doors which open on to a pretty walled garden that provides alfresco dining for a lazy lunch or supper.

The daily changing menus offer simple classic dishes, freshly prepared from local and seasonal ingredients. Specialities here include sautéed wild mushrooms on toast with fried duck egg, chicken liver and garlic pate with toasted brioche and homemade chutney, and seared fillet of seabream with mash, curly kale and shellfish sauce. Add a 9oz ribeye steak and chips to the list, a delightful dish with grilled field mushroom and green peppercorn sauce. Apple tart tatin with clotted cream ice cream and truffles from the à la carte also excite admiration.

The Plough has been one of Great Casterton's well known landmarks, and with the recent refurbishment, it has become a popular restaurant as well. While the exterior is like any other gastropub dotting the English landscape, inside, the décor is warm and friendly and the food is simply delicious. Low ceilings, open fires and wooden tables lend a rustic element to the interior although you could also sit outside in the enclosed beer garden if al fresco is more your scene and the weather permits of course.

Fresh, seasonal and locally sourced produce figures in the menu and amongst the starters, you could find terrine of local game served with red onion marmalade. Follow this up with a braised venison steak over celeriac mash, carrot puree and cranberry sauce and end with a delectable Grand Marnier soufflé with a strawberry and orange compote. The bar offers light snacks along with two real ales and a selection of good wines.

How times change! My earliest memories of the building occupied by Fratelli on St Mary's Hill are of an up-market antique dealer's, with the wonderful arched 12th century crypt housing a mixed bag of ageing bits and pieces. Now the crypt is the downstairs dining room and whatever might be said about the customers the food is anything but a mixed bag. A gourmet approach in the kitchen offers Italian food of considerable integrity, with all the great Italian classics and then some, on display.

Such has been the support that branches have opened at Kibworth Harcourt and Castor. Presentation and content are of a high standard. Sicilian house wines head an Italian list that mainly hovers round the £20 mark. It is perhaps a reflection of the times that premises of great antiquity (Castor is an old thatched 'gentleman's pub' of the 'thirties) adapt so easily to a different purpose, where eating is the main preoccupation.

In days of yore you eat at either The George, The Stamford or The Crown in Stamford. Nowadays one is spoilt for choice though the Stamford Hotel is now a shopping venue, The George has never faltered and The Crown, after some difficult years is back in the race.

The new proprietors have made sure the dining room has not been neglected and predominantly English-inspired food holds centre-stage. Starters may include a field mushroom filled with chutney and topped with grilled Rutland cheese, or a plate of freshly carved smoked salmon.

Main courses are well-tried and loved with the local lamb from Tallington safely grazed in a tasty shepherd's pie, in season the pot-roasted partridge, or wild rabbit with a three mustard sauce. Surprisingly there are no contributions from beneath the surface of nearby Rutland Water, but perhaps those will come later.

At the bar Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Adnams, together with a guest hand-pump ale make for traditional refreshment, backed up with a well-travelled wine list.