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Swinfen Hall Hotel is a beautiful 18th-century manor House, lying two miles south of the cathedral city of Lichfield. Set in 100 acres of rolling countryside with beautiful gardens and private deer park, this independent hotel, the first with four AA red stars in Staffordshire, has been lovingly restored to offer contemporary facilities within a relaxed country house environment.

With two AA rosettes, their restaurant and private dining room enjoy an excellent reputation for fine food and wine; and they are a well known venue for wedding receptions and civil wedding ceremonies. Most importantly, they have a dedicated staff team committed to providing excellent service and a warm and friendly welcome.

Swinfen Hall has now been operating for over twenty years and the standards that apply are a reflection of the experience gained, as well as appreciation shown. There are eighteen bedrooms and suites all of which vary greatly in size, shape and aspect, but each has been individually furnished to offer style and comfort. The Bridal Suite is a tour de force with silk wall hangings and a canopied king size bed. The en suite bathroom has twin basins set in marble, a large Jacuzzi bath and separate shower cubicle.

All bedrooms and suites are individually furnished, all offer 100% goose down duvets, Egyptian cotton sheets, bathrobes, hospitality tray, satellite television, DVD player and free Wi-Fi access.

The kitchens at Swinfen Hall serve only the finest of fresh produce, and whenever possible local sources are used including Staffordshire-grown strawberries, raspberries and asparagus, cheeses and in winter, local game. They now have organic home-reared venison - from their own deer park - on the menu and a number of vegetables and soft fruits are grown in the Victorian walled garden. Their well-established kitchen brigade, led by Head Chef Adam Thomson, works hard to find specialist suppliers who are committed to quality not quantity.

Their menus are both exciting and inventive; dishes on their dinner carte could include such tempting choices as salad of roasted quail with Clonakilty black pudding, haricots vert and pancetta crisp; seared diver-caught scallops with cauliflower purée, caper and raisin jam and tempura of cauliflower, or velouté of home-grown butternut squash.

Mains follow in much the same vein with slow roast belly of organic pork; breast of Gressingham duck with wild mushroom fricassee, orange and raisin jus and celeriac purée, or fillet and blade of Aberdeen Angus beef with shallot purée, buttered green beans and fondant potato. Fillet of halibut is served with braised oxtail, buttered Savoy cabbage, pomme purée and red wine jus.

Their cheese selection contains names that gladden the hearts of those disposed to such indulgence and includes some distinguished English entrants.

The food is complemented by an extensive wine list where they aim to offer quality, diversity and value. They buy directly from vineyards, through specialist merchants and at auction, creating a degree of individuality to their list that greatly exceeds many other similar places. Their wine list is constantly changing as they discover interesting new wines.

The private dining room is the original dining room of the Hall and is available for luncheon and dinner parties for 12 to 20 guests. This beautiful room provides a lovely setting for birthday and anniversary celebrations, retirement parties or any special occasion. There is no room hire charge for tables of 12 or more and menus, wines, flowers, and cake can be arranged to suit.

Easily accessible by good roads and by air, they are centrally located for business meetings and conferences being only 20 minutes from the heart of Birmingham, the NEC and Birmingham International Airport. More information, including accommodation and private dining, is available on their Website.

One of the blossoming breed of former banks, exchanges and other edifices set up to impress the customers but now serving the infinitely more agreeable purpose of providing locations for restaurants. The grace of the surroundings provides an appropriate setting for the imaginative dishes that have their origins mainly in central and eastern Europe and range from the relatively humble to more sophisticated. Set price lunches are in the £5.75-£8.75 range. The wine list is to the point, with offerings from £10.95 and ten wines by the glass.

Please note that the E-Mail contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Should you have mislaid the Sunday lunch habit, but want to re-establish it head for the lovely Thrales in the historic Cathedral town of Lichfield. It's a two or three course job, so leave plenty of time for maximum enjoyment The Michelin listed restaurant welcomes children and can always cook dishes to suit their requirements.

Exciting starters lead into the main course, where there is a wonderful choice from amongst roast beef, pork, lamb, with game in season, and fish when the market's right. The set lunch menu at £6.50 for two courses brings a wide range of customers.

A list of puddings lays you wide open to the most awful temptation and to cap it all there is an impressive cheese board. The cost of this little indulgence is such a bargain that I am not even going to spoil it for you. Just go there. An interesting wine list with house wine at £14.50 provides ample line support.

Chautari must be one of the few places in the West Midlands where you can enjoy genuine Nepalese cuisine, their Head Chef Bijay Gurung previously worked at the Bombay Bicycle Club restaurant for over twelve years where he was responsible for introducing new, delicious and exciting dishes; now he is working that same magic in Lichfield.

A chain of restaurants in the North West which have so far managed to retain the individuality of independence. If they can continue to do that and reap the benefits of joint management they will deserve all the success they can achieve.

At Ego the spirit of the Mediterranean has been invoked in a number of ways, not least by the décor. Ingredients are sourced with care, often directly from the Med and the menu changes seasonally to take advantage of the best that is available.

Such dishes as sardines, fresh of course, and a braise of chorizo and black pudding come across well, helped by staff who not only look as thought they are enjoying their work but also obviously know what they are about. A well thought out wine list with a number available by the glass.