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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.

No 4 Wood Street is situated in a very special building, two hundred years old and listed, formerly in operation as a maltings. It was converted to a restaurant by the previous owners who, whilst keeping as many original features as possible, concentrated on converting it to a more contemporary use, making sure everything was done in a sympathetic fashion.

It is surrounded by its own car park for eight, a solicitors, doctors and the art college, enabling customers to combine several calls with a calming lunch in between. The result mixes the modern with the traditional and more unusual, which includes a magnificent stained glass window, designed by a Forest Town student, creating an eclectic frisson of appeal.

The restaurant is now owned by chef, Michael Sindall, who has been there from the outset, a local lad who was keen to come home and make a name for himself after training in such excellent London kitchens as those inhabited by the Roux Brothers and Marco Pierre White. Since returning to Mansfield he has won awards for his cooking, and has firmly hoisted Mansfield on to the gastronomic map by being included in the Michelin Guide 2006 to 2011. 

Everything he serves is freshly prepared, whenever possibly using local ingredients, to such an extent that all desserts, bread, sauces, ices, biscuits and pasta are homemade. The menus change everyday, but always remain interesting. At lunchtime a lighter theme prevails, ranging from goats cheese and beetroot terrine; soups to pasta, like linguini with tomato fondue, artichokes, garlic and spinach. The selection changes frequently, and the value at lunchtime is quite remarkable.

The à la carte is the flagship menu, with starters of ham hock and chicken terrine with piccalilli or perhaps a salad of poached duck breast with croutons, parmesan crisp, cherry tomatoes and pine nut dressing. Their steamed beef suet pudding with potato wedges, peas, root vegetables and rosemary sauce is the stuff of which dreams are made, though the confit shoulder with roasted squash, dauphinoise potatoes, mint and green peppercorn sauce is a very close contender.

A tendency to appeal to the very heart of a basically indulgent clientele manifests itself in such desserts as Pavlova, Chantilly cream with red fruit or a glazed vanilla rice pudding with tangy lemon ice cream.

They also have an exceptional wine list with many wines being imported directly. Danny, former owner of No 4, is the enthusiast in that field and has diligently sought out some special offerings, visiting the small cellars in France where many of them have their origin, or using wine merchants that specialise in the unusual.

No 4 has taken much loving care to bring it thus far, but the owners must surely feel it has been worth while. They are extremely flexible and will happily cater for every occasion, from a special meal for two, through to a large family party or celebration.

Further details are available on their Website, including the special events held there. Be amongst the first to know.

Iberico brings together three auspicious events. One is the rapidly increasing popularity of the Spanish tapas in Britain. The second is the prosperity of Nottingham which, though like most other places has taken a knock recently, still manages to cope. The third is a location that is breathtakingly beautiful, in the heart of Nottingham's Lace Market, namely the historic Galleries of Justice, a grade II Listed building that has many a story to tell.

To be more precise it's in the vaults of this lovely building, a fact that makes it even more enchanting, offering a great relaxed dining atmosphere with a cosmopolitan interior. You could even be in Spain. There's Spanish cool combined with Moorish flamboyance, and the leather seating welcomes the human frame with a soft caress and firm support.

At the time of writing they are rejoicing in their success at the 2009 Nottingham Restaurant Awards, where they walked away with 'Best Set Lunch' and 2nd 'Best Overall Restaurant'. The competition is stiff in this city of many restaurants with more than 300 places to eat and drink in the city centre alone, so these are Awards that need to be taken seriously.

Because of its city centre setting Iberico is in poll position to satisfy lunch time hunger pangs. They do this in a highly impressive manner and for £11.95 stressed out business people - anybody - can enjoy a selection of tapas and a dessert. Best Set Lunch - do you wonder?

A browse through their menu is sufficient to stoke the most recalcitrant appetite into life. Happily this is something I have never been afflicted with but if I had the slow cooked lamb, Serrano ham, chorizo sausage or wild boar salami would give me a jolt of galvanic proportions. Add to this Jamon Iberico, the 'king of hams', hotly pursued by the Soka ham, cured pork shoulder, reared deep in the not so distant Sherwood Forest and cured, smoked and air dried by another award winner, Johnny Pusztai.

On the maritime side we have smoked eel, black cod with spicy miso, not to mention lime, salt and pepper squid. Spain knows a thing or two about cheese as well and there is a choice of five amongst the tapas, including tetilla, one of the four Galician cheeses, and manchego, always a favourite. From outside Spain, but only just, is gorgonzola.

We tend to think savoury when tapas are on the table, but they lend themselves equally to desserts such as jasmine ice cream, raisin and walnut bread, churros and hot chocolate, and the Iberico dessert board will prove. Specialists will approve of the green tea and chocolate tomago.

A well chosen and fascinating wine list naturally explores Spain pretty thoroughly and when in Spain (or Rome) do as the people there do. So exciting sherries, ports, dessert wines and other wines from both New and Old backgrounds make for enjoyable reading and subsequent closer attendance.

Check out their Website for changes and other information updates.

The Grey Lady provides quality eating out for those looking for something well above the average, in a setting that draws extravagantly on this delightful and scenic part of Leicestershire. Since 1988 the people of Leicestershire have come to realise this and the restaurant's reputation is now well established.

The restaurant, which was completely refurbished, is located opposite the gates of Bradgate Park, once home to Lady Jane Grey, England's shortest serving Monarch. Much of the house is thatched, mature trees abound in the four acres surrounding it, and it would be hard to find a more idyllic setting. Guests can enjoy a drink overlooking the stunning gardens or step in to the dining area for a relaxed meal.

The menus are very much market-based and Martin Gibson, the Proprietor, is no stranger to the local sources and suppliers, all of whom have a pretty accurate idea of the standards he sets. The a la carte menu could include smoked haddock kedgeree with curried risotto rice, poached haddock, pea soufflés, soft boiled quail?s eggs and milk foam, or pea soup with feta and broad bean crostini.

Main courses of seared fillet of pan-fried sea bream, and terrine of Spanish frittata serve to demonstrate the freshness of the produce which, combined with Head Chef Phillip Gibson's skills at the stoves, illustrates only too clearly the quality built up over the years. Look out for some well-tried dishes such as ploughman's and Gressingham duck breast with potato gratin, glazed beetroot, breaded duck leg, raspberry and balsamic sauce.

There is always a good choice of homemade puddings and the cheese plate, which arrives with homemade chutney. Somehow most of the meals at Grey Lady seem to end up with delicious freshly brewed coffee and Belgian Chocolates. Service is cheerful and homely.

Nibbles and finger food include smoked pork and apple flatbread, homemade fish fingers sandwiches, and warm nachos with guacamole, tomato and chilli salsa, and sour cream. Pan-fried king scallops with confit chicken leg, sweet corn fritter, puree, salsa and aerated broth leave adequate room for self-expression.

The wine list is thoughtfully compiled and includes a number of soft press wines, described as 'ideal drinking wines for fitting into modern life, wines with classic flair, happy to suit a lunch time meal'. The New World is well represented and prices do not venture much above £20, with some real value mark-ups not hard to find.

It is restaurants such as this that constitute a core of continuity and inexpensive service which in an urban location might be termed a neighbourhood restaurant. In the country they serve the same purpose, but in a more relaxed fashion. The Gibsons are not only making a living but also performing a public service, and it is places like this that help create a sense of community.

For all their current menus and information about Grey Lady, do visit their Website.

Winteringham Fields is a 16th century manor house set in a quiet rural village in North Lincolnshire. It was one of only five restaurants in Britain in 2006 to meet the Good Food Guide criteria of being 'highly individual and displaying impressive artistry'. It is in good company: the others were Gordon Ramsay in London, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Great Milton, Oxford, and The Fat Duck in Bray, Berks. It is also one of the most individual and secret places you could wish to stumble across, with an ambience and cuisine to rival Europe's finest. It has won many accolades including Best Chef and Restaurateur's Restaurant of the Year.

It is owned by Colin and Bex McGurran. Colin is a trained chef, having studied catering at Bournemouth College and worked at the Two Michelin Starred Domaines Haute de Loire restaurant in France.

"The food will evolve under our chef's expert guidance and we will continue to use the finest local produce from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, including vegetables from our own gardens. We will also upgrade the bedrooms, to make a night at Winteringham Fields a truly unforgettable experience," explained Mr McGurran.

The wine list has been given a complete overhaul by award-winning North Yorkshire wine merchants Bon Coeur Fine Wines. Simon Kershaw of Bon Coeur commented: "We have created a bespoke, personal and competitively-priced list which will complement the restaurant's excellent food."

A typical menu could include dishes such as confit pork cheeks with chicory chutney, quail's egg and Soubise sauce, or East Coast John Dory with lettuce velouté, Iberico ham and cress salad to start.

Followed by mains like: paper-fried bream with puy lentils, langoustine crepés and artichoke barigoule; rolled saddle of Lincolnshire lamb with sauce paloise, confit vegetables, lamb hotpot, garlic purée and lamb jus for two; Label Anglais chicken cannelloni with ragoût of asparagus and liver, feves and crispy chicken wings, or fillet of Scottish beef with caramelised butternut squash, smoked pommes puree and cigar of ox cheeks.

The desserts are justifiably renowned, what an impossible task to choose between: blackberry frangipane with pineapple and basil sorbet; classical vanilla crème brûlée with red fruit and brandy snaps; dark chocolate coolant with parsnip ice cream, or praline and chocolate feuilletine with vanilla ice cream.

However, the restaurant is very always adaptable, and if you have had a favourite dish when you have eaten there before, then give the chef a little warning and he will make it for you specially. This demonstrates a real understanding of hospitality.

Details about Winteringham Fields's private dining room, bedrooms, menu and wine list can be viewed on their Website.

Offering wonderful views over the River Soar and the historic Castle Garden opposite, Colourworks is a delightful place to eat and drink at Westbridge Close, in Leicester. Only a minute's walk from Braunstone Gate, and close to the bustling Highcross, St. Martin's Square and Haymarket Shopping Centres, the restaurant is the perfect place to put your feet up after a busy day of shopping. Colourworks is also conveniently close to landmarks and attractions such as the Jewry Wall Museum, the Cinema De Lux and the King Power Stadium, home to Leicester City Football Club.

The restaurant boasts sleek and contemporary decor with cosy seating and dim lighting to create the ideal setting for a formal business lunch, a relaxed family meal or a celebration with friends.

The menu is equally impressive and offers a choice of five starters such as Cajun spiced coriander king prawns bruschetta with pineapple and pepper salsa, and crisp belly of pork with apricot chutney. The main course selection includes roast honey glazed Gressingham duck breast served with potato rosemary mash and kumquat sauce; pan fried salmon with spinach and creamy champagne prawn sauce, and medallions of venison with rosemary mash and red wine served on weekends.

Pizza and pasta lovers are well catered for with choices such as spaghetti carbonara, lasagne al forno, penne with aubergine, mushroom and peppers and margherita. Colourworks also offer a lunch and Sunday carvery menu.

To round off a satisfying meal diners with a sweet tooth could choose between a warm chocolate and raspberry fondant with vanilla ice cream or freshly baked lime cheese cake with a kiwi coulis.

The concise drinks menu offers an impressive selection of wines available by the glass or bottle, alongside champagnes and cocktails.

For special occasions there is a heated terrace marquee available for hire with customised party menus, or you could host a drinks party at the Snug and Music Room.

More information can be found on their Website.

Housed in a striking Grade II Listed, formerly a grammar school, 1573 Bar and Grill is ideally situated to provide a welcome haven for busy shoppers after a trip to the Highcross Shopping Centre nearby. Just a short walk from popular landmarks like St. Martin's Square and the Jewry Wall Museum, 1573 Bar and Grill is also just a stone's throw from Cinema De Lux and is the perfect place to unwind with friends after a movie.

Spread over two floors, the decor is charmingly rustic and the cosily-lit dining area features oak beams, exposed stonework and well-spaced tables for an intimate dining experience. The delightful terrace area at the front is great for a relaxed al fresco meal during summer.

The daily menu at 1573 is traditional with lots of appealing homely dishes and a selection of steaks, seafood, sandwiches and salads prepared using the finest fresh, seasonal ingredients. Enduring classics such scampi and chips, full rack of baby pork spare ribs and the 1573 classic mixed grill of 4oz fillet steak, Lincolnshire sausages, lamb chop and a half chicken breast served with fried onions are available all day.

Starters of Cajun king prawns with peppers, coriander and tomato sauce served with lemon dressed cucumber, and fresh Scottish mussels mariniere could be followed by an exquisite 21-28 day aged steak selection sourced from Scottish and Irish farms. Seafood and vegetarian options such as baked Scottish salmon with a basil crust, served with roasted peppers and sweet chilli crème fraîche, and aubergine stuffed with Cajun spiced chickpeas, peppers with halloumi are equally satisfying.

Those with a sweet tooth can indulge in a warm chocolate fudge cake served with rum and raisin ice cream, or key lime cheesecake with fruits of the forest coulis. 1573 Bar and Grill also offers a children's menu and a selection of burgers and baguettes at lunchtime.

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

Chimichanga Lincoln on Brayford Wharf serves a delicious Mexican cuisine menu in stunning, contemporary surroundings overlooking Brayford Pool. Ideally located close to the centre of the historic city, and a short walk from popular landmarks including Lincoln Cathedral, the historic Bailgate Quarter and the Theatre Royal, the restaurant is perfect for weary tourists to enjoy a welcome break.

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.

Set amidst the deep rural beauty of Rutland, this much fêted village pub continues to offer some of the best food and drink for miles around, with an excellent wine list, an array of draught and bottled beers and a timelessness that refreshes; now with the addition of six beautiful en-suite rooms located in the converted house across the road. Taken over by the present owners in 1999, there is now a regular flow of locals and longer distance customers who find the genuine article in this friendly place.

Created out of three cottages in 1890, The Olive Branch was at the heart of the community until its closure in 1997 and then re-opened in 1999 following a renovation, just in time for Christmas, and guests have often feel that here is a place that has it right. To prove the point there is a list of awards that would make the BAFTAs look like a car boot sale, nicely topped off with a Michelin Star in 2002, which it has held onto ever since; and to cap them all, Michelin made them their Pub of the Year 2008. With the credits well and truly rolled let's take a look at the day to day reality.

Apart from a dinner menu there are four others, the lunch, blackboard, evening set and Saturday afternoon for even less. All have their own time and setting. From the dinner menu expect to find starters, or small dishes some of which can be taken as large, that include Jerusalem artichoke risotto with artichoke crisps, and conchiglie pasta with wild mushrooms and truffle oil.

In a pub as close to Lincolnshire as this it would be strange not to find some of the famous sausages, and sure enough here are the Grasmere Farm variety served with mustard mash and onion gravy. Free range pork from Scalford Meadow, geese from Lings View Farm, and some of the best English asparagus from Abbey Park Farms all make regular and welcome dishes in season.

Puddings tend to be a riot of wickedness, with sticky toffee pudding, and quince and mascarpone tart with quince ripple ice cream. Cheese buffs will need restraining, with Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester and Gevrik goats? cheese to name but three. That's before they even get to see the wine list and all its appendages, a veritable treasure vat of indulgence, helpfully offering guidance.

The traditional blackboard menu is called upon at lunchtime, with a two course lunch at £16.95, say, pan-fried red mullet with bouillabaisse, followed by game casserole with tarragon dumplings and mashed carrot, or blackcurrant treacle tart. You might do worse than line up a bottle of Trappistes Rochefort No 6 from the Abbeye de St Remy in Belgium to go with it - at 7.5%, the Monks are to be congratulated.

Truly this is a pub to remember. Find out more, if you are not already on your way, by referring to their attractive and welcoming Website, which contains menus and a full wine and ale list.

With a Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded every year since 2003 and a 'most liked' listing in the Michelin Pub Guide 2011, the Red Lion Inn continues to thrive attracting a wide audience of both locals and folk from the neighbouring towns and cities into the beautiful Vale of Belvoir. Part of the Rutland Inn Company, The Red Lion Inn is sister pub to the Michelin-starred Olive Branch in Rutland, and the décor recreates the warm and welcoming atmosphere expected at a traditional British inn. It may or may not be true that the death warrant for King Charles I was signed at the inn, but the place certainly has the smack of history about it.

On the culinary front look for well-tried dishes such as potted prawns and lamb faggots Grasmere farm black pudding and braised red cabbage, and Red Lion chocolate tart with pistachio ice cream. The emphasis is on local produce: sausages from the village butcher, game from the Belvoir Castle, dairy, beef, lamb and pork from local farms and all served with a warm Rearsby loaf at the table.

For cheese buffs there are local cheeses with Natural Goat Log from Skylark Hill, Red Leicester from Thomas Hoe, and Stilton cheese from the Cropwell Bishop dairy. The menu also offers pub foods with deep-fried whitebait, black pepper and lemon mayonnaise, a Red Lion pub platter, fish and chips with homemade mushy peas, and to show even more local loyalty, a Dickinson and Morris pork pie with Cropwell Bishop Stilton Ploughman's, ham hock terrine, piccalilli and sourdough bread . At lunchtime a two or three course meal might yield wild mushroom and tarragon soup, pan fried sea bream, parmentier potatoes and spinach finishing with chocolate brownie and white chocolate sauce.

A typical dinner menu could start with a warm salad of pigeon breast with puy lentil and rocket or beetroot cured salmon gravadlax in horseradish cream. Main courses span a wide range of attractive dishes including slow cooked beef brisket, rösti potato along with farmhouse cabbage, Red Lion Longhorn 8oz rib eye steak with homemade chips, onion rings, garlic mushrooms, grilled tomato and béarnaise sauce, or pan-fried salmon with horseradish rösti and French peas. In season watch out for a choice of game such as roast partridge from Belvoir Castle with farmhouse cabbage, pear and bread sauce.

For desserts, rhubarb jelly with ginger ice cream come to partner a custard doughnut assuming you have not already yielded to the Rearsby treacle tart with blackberry compote. A veritable Aladdin's cave of interesting and very well priced wines are more than likely to tickle the noses of even the most hardened wine buffs, and their listing under their natures rather than the more traditional headings makes for quick identification.

They take reservations for the dining room but also have a lounge area with a dining table in it which they save for 'chance customers'. The bar not only offers well kept local ales but also a superb selection of speciality bottled beers and ciders, and their own country cocktail created using ingredients found in the surrounding areas, all more than equal to the challenges imposed by an imaginative menu.

With friendly, knowledgeable and informative staff and a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, it is no wonder that it was an almost instant success and continues to be so.

More information is available on their Website, including menus and details of their wines and ales.