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Thornbury Castle is renowned for its many traditional English favourites such as the famous treacle tart and butterscotch pudding as well as the exceptional Sunday roasts. The cheeseboard is exclusively British too, but you'll also find plenty of modern, internationally-inspired dishes on the menu.

All dishes on their lunch and fixed price dinner menu use only the finest and freshest ingredients, sourced from local markets and suppliers wherever possible. They grow their own herbs on the premises and a quantity of vegetables such as courgette flowers and cherry tomatoes. Wine from their own vineyard - they grow the 'Muller Thurgau' grape - is available with your meal. Their well-stocked cellars also offer an excellent selection of vintage wines as well as discerningly chosen New World varieties.

A evening meal might consist of a choice of pan-fried cod with pea purée, crisp potato, confit tomato and gribiche sauce; Chicken and mushroom tortellini with foie gras, asparagus, braised onion and roast chicken sauce or terrine of duck confit, ginger, spring onions and five spice with marinated cucumber and plum sauce to begin with.

Then a choice of roast sea bass, celeriac fondant, cepes, braised leeks and asparagus with red wine essence; loin of Iamb shepherd's pie, white bean puree, garlic fritter, tomato and rosemary sauce or roast squab pigeon, sweet potato, braised lentils, spinach and pumpkin. And to sign off with banana financier, caramelised banana galette, banana sorbet and toffee sauce; rhubarb cream, hazelnut biscuit, mascarpone sorbet and a red wine syrup or Pistachio mousse, hot chocolate, waffles and pistachio ice-cream.

Service is attentive but not oppressively so - you'll find their elegantly attired staff know exactly when they're needed - and just as importantly - when they're not!

There are three dining rooms offering extremely flexible space, enabling them to cater for an intimate dinner for two as well as a private party for as many as fifty. The majestic and secluded Baron's Sitting Room is excellent for private dinner parties as well as functions in general. The Oriel Dining Room, wood-panelled, intimate and so romantic, is perfect for an intimate tête-à-tête. The hexagonal Tower Dining Room with ancestral portraits and heraldic crests can accommodate up to 30 guests.

A fine old house, formerly the home of a prosperous Cotswold merchant, recently extended but leaving the 17th century façade intact. The atmosphere of calm and quiet order is relaxing in itself and coupled with the fresh English cuisine makes for refreshment of the soul, whether your stay be short or longer.

Start with a buffalo salad, by way of a change, or possibly a gravalax of Scottish salmon, before going on to some panfried prime British sirloin steak, with tasty roast breast of duck as an alternative, though with all those famous Forestdale ducks in the bathrooms a little care might be in order. The tart au citron invariably satisfies with a tia maria parfait as fallback. A good wine list also carries French house wine at £10.60 and New World at £11.50.

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.

A small intimate restaurant offering quality food in sumptuous surroundings; it is perfect for special occasions or for the gourmet diner providing friendly and attentive service in an informal atmosphere. Open for just oysters and a glass of champagne or you can go for the 'full Monty'.

It is a place to dine and relax, no need for ties or jackets, wear what you feel comfortable in. First peruse through their menu whilst nibbling on canapés, then you can indulge in their modern fish menu and finish with coffee and petit fours.

Dishes might include carpaccio of yellow fin tuna with fennel and rocket salad, horseradish cream or whole dressed Cornish crab with petit herb salad, saffron mayonnaise to begin with, followed by inventive choices such as Thai red seafood curry, scallops, mussels, king prawns, coconut and lime basmati rice; whole native lobster with hollandaise sauce, warm new potato salad or pan-fried fillets of sea bass with a seafood and shellfish fricassé.

Finishing with some classic desserts like Belgian chocolate soufflé, white chocolate ice cream; poached red wine pear tart, vanilla anglaise; iced apple parfait, blackberry compote or lemon grass brûlée, five spice macaroons.