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The 14th century Charingworth Manor Hotel can be found between Chipping Campden and Banbury, delighting the people who visit it with its beautiful setting and excellent facilities. The manor house is built of Cotswold stone and sports quite a few original features such as exposed beams with medieval decoration, flagstone floors, and open fireplaces.

Let's now explore the hotel's dining facilities, where the AA rosette John Greville Restaurant offers dishes created from the very best Cotswold produce. The à la carte changes to reflect what's freshest in the market, and you could expect a great choice of meat, fish, and vegetables there. The time-honoured tradition of Sunday lunch is one to look forward to, so get set to spend lazy afternoons with the family or friends.

In good weather, meals can be taken al fresco on the terrace.

Charingworth has retained its unspoiled antiquity whilst adding its own spa, indoor heated swimming pool, and a well-equipped gymnasium.

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.

Even somewhere so august as Cirencester needs its Chinese and Tanyans fills the slot with the customary style that one associates with the eclectic mixture of county and college peculiar to the town. A clever shop conversion, Tanyans offers most of the traditional Chinese dishes and strays little from that path. Expect well-prepared and authentic delights such as those enshrined in their gourmet dinner, which starts with a chef's hors d'ouevre, through prawns wrapped in lettuce to the ever popular crispy aromatic duck. Prawns with green pepper in black bean sauce, chicken with cashew nuts in yellow bean sauce, dry shredded beef and sweet and sour pork follow in steady succession, all served with fried rice, the student's universal favourite (must be something lacking in college diets).

House wine starts at £9.50 and there is, for a Chinese restaurant which to be fair do not always excel on our forms of homage to Bacchus, an erudite and interesting list, almost entirely from France, with which to toy.

Dating back to 1650 the Redesdale Arms is a popular venue among guests seeking traditional delights fused with the quality of contemporary comfort. The hotel is also renowned for its culinary offerings, mixing a blend of exciting classic and modern international cuisine. Set in the heart of the North Cotswolds and footpaths it serves as a base for people who visit the region to enjoy the long walks.

Start with crispy Norfolk duck leg with barbeque dressing and toasted sesame seeds and smoked chicken and bacon salad with blueberry and pineapple. Move on to braised shank of minted Cornish lamb with pesto mash and rosemary gravy and Gloucestershire pork fillet on fondant potato with cider and prune jus. For dessert order chocolate roulade with Chantilly cream and red berry coulis and champagne and spring berry trifle.

Local ales and an interesting list of new world wines all add to the dining experience.

After years of close association with The Belmont Restaurant, the good people of Cheltenham have had to reassess their culinary habits, at least in that particular neck of the woods, to make way for the Italian job, in the form of the Brothers Fratelli. Sadly this is at the expense of Mr Fratelli Snr. whose two lovely boys have decided to do their own thing at their unmistakably Neapolitan premises in Winchcombe Street, whilst Pere Fratelli continues to do his in Bristol.

The principal difference is between the traditional pizza and pasta, part of the bulk trade, and the Brother's inclination towards the fine cuisine of Italy. So in their modestly sized restaurant of 35 covers they offer starters of bruschetta of balsamic artichoke, pesto and parmesan, or perhaps green lipped mussels with herb focaccia crust and tomatoes tapenade salad. What really caught my eye, however, was the cappuccino of langoustine veloute with chervil tagliatelle.

Main courses do more than tip their hat to the seafood enthusiasts and we have roast salmon with pesto and herb asparagus veloute competing with, amongst other dishes, a whole lemon sole baked with pine nuts and parsley. But pan fried duck breast with roasted almonds, figs and Ameretto glaze does the trick for many, a wonderful compilation of flavours indeed.

Down amongst the pudding department lurk the more traditional desserts for which the Italians are so famous, but again the clear winner was the cherry soup with caramel balsamic ice cream. All of this comes at incredibly good value for money and accompanied by an unarguably Italian wine list of real character, from a menu that changes weekly.

Fratelli deserves to succeed.

The Kings Arm, a rather resplendent Gloucestershire pub with rooms, is one of those wonderful survivals, some 500 years old, mullioned windows, welcoming interior, particularly now that it has been given a good shake-up and decorated in a way which encourages thoughts of long lunches, lazy afternoons and general indulgence.

The result is that people now flock to their doors to enjoy dishes that certainly qualify under the modern European banner but are sufficiently recognisable as to entice and please as any other comfort food. A squid, lime and coriander salad competed well with the crab salad and celeriac remoulade though some might wish they had settled for the duck confit with baked figs. Portions are generous, prices are well adjusted to the part of the world, which takes us to the main courses where, for generous, read enormous. Seriously, beware because the puddings are worthwhile and it would be a shame to have become hors de combat by the time you reached that point.

For those who like their lamb shank, this is undoubtedly the place to be. It's all the things that a successful lamb shank should be, even if you are tempted by the Gloucester Old Spot pork or the grilled wild seatrout. Those of you who have braved the delights of a certain theme park in the Midlands will be familiar, if not actually intimate with the gut-wrenching Nemesis - well, at Stow-on-the-Wold they do it in chocolate form. Which has the greater effect is anybody's guess, but if in doubt play safe and settle for the grilled figs with Greek yoghurt.

Service is commendable, and a sensible wine list completes the pleasure.