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An 18th century building close to the revitalised docks in Gloucester's Longsmith Street is home to Bearlands, a charming and rustic restaurant and wine bar that offers diners a warm and cosy dining experience its in vaulted exposed brick interior.

Relax on comfortable chairs and enjoy a relaxed candlelit meal or head to the airy conservatory for a glass of wine. Whether you're in the restaurant or the wine bar, Bearlands passion to offer excellent food and drink clearly shines through.

Food is robustly modern British, with dishes such as pan-fried scallops wrapped in Parma ham and served with lemon crème fraîche, loin of Atlantic cod with Italian chorizo, sweet cherry tomato and basil salad, and breast of pot-roasted guinea fowl with deep merlot and root vegetable jus. Head Chef Robert Sinyard's vanilla panacotta with pink champagne poached strawberries competes with his banoffe cheesecake topped with white chocolate shavings on the dessert list.

Set in the estate of Lydbrook House is an old village malt house that was built in the early part of the 19th century. The building was carefully renovated into a Garden Café and Gallery that offers guests a beautiful dining experience on the banks of the River Wye.

The owners of the Garden Café use local produce wherever possible and many of the herbs and vegetables are grown in their own organic garden; the meat, fish, and dairy products are sourced in the South West.

Since the café opens at 11am, you could drop in for a mid-morning coffee or for the all day breakfast and watch the chefs in action in the open plan kitchen or relax in the outside garden. The menu offers freshly baked cakes, pastries, and juices throughout the day, while more substantial lunchtime creations such as pork schnitzel with potatoes and cornichon, and pan-fried duck breast and rocket salad rarely fail to please.

Visitors to the Forest of Dean could stay in the riverside cottage that is surrounded by the three acres of Lydbrook House's grounds.

The majestic white façade of the Alveston House Hotel gives a clear indication of what to expect inside; beautifully designed bedrooms, well-equipped conference facilities, an attractive walled garden and much more. The Carriages is largely a brilliant endeavour; now armed with an AA Rosette, diners could enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the conservatory before heading to the candle-lit restaurant.

The kitchen turns in a fine performance and at the top of the order there is pork, apricot and pistachio terrine with onion marmalade, and pan fried king prawns with chilli, garlic and lime. For main course the choice can range from fillet au poivre, pan-fried beef with a brandy and peppercorn sauce, or seared Gressingham duck supreme. The nostalgic essence of desserts like sticky toffee pudding and Pavlova with fresh passion fruit, thick dairy cream and crushed raspberries is heart-warming.

After a meal retire to the lounge area for coffee, and perhaps a liqueur in front of the open fire to round off the evening at Carriages.

An enchanting 16th century coaching inn is now the four AA star Manor House Hotel. The charming old refuge impresses guests with stonewalls and open fireplaces on one hand, and with individually decorated and well-equipped bedrooms on the other.

The two AA rosette Mulberry Restaurant has been given a bright and funky makeover with vibrant colours and modern artwork. You could dine either inside or in the shade of the 300-year-old mulberry tree in the grounds of the hotel.

The cuisine is proudly traditional English, complemented by one of the area's best selections of wine. A seasonally changing menu could offer you starters of home-smoked salmon with a pea shoot salad and vanilla pannacotta, followed by breast of free-range chicken partnered by mushroom duxelle, butternut squash purée, spring onion, and garlic pomme purée, and a dessert of Valrhona cold chocolate fondant with Earl Grey sorbet and citrus jelly.

After your meal you could head to the Beagle Bar and enjoy a cocktail created from the fruit of the Manor House's mulberry tree.

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.