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With its riverside setting, The Saxon Mill gives you an opportunity to relax with tasty food and wines in pleasant surroundings, taking in unrivalled views over Guy's Cliffe - there cannot be a more spectacular situation for a pub anywhere in Britain. The atmosphere at the Saxon Mill is relaxed, friendly and informal, while the overall impression is of a pub, which is comfortable, light and open.

Their attention to detail and quality of service ensures your whole dining experience will be one to remember. A great deal of thought and effort has gone into the design creating a stylish interior, with open kitchens, stone fired ovens and log burning fires, offset by beautifully landscaped decking for al fresco dining.

The menu is simple but up-to-the-minute, with lots of comfort appeal, with homely dishes like pizza, steaks and pasta as well as contemporary, global touches to keep things lively; all delivered by friendly and cheerful staff. Their wine list contains well-known favourites, alongside little numbers from around the world.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, garlic pizzette with sun-blushed tomatoes, rocket and parmesan, a box baked Camembert with red onion jam and bread, and Greek mezze with taramasalata, red pepper hummus, tzatziki, feta and flatbreads.

Amongst the starters is freshly made soup, devilled mushrooms with chilli and mint on rustic toast, and Japanese fish cakes, pickled ginger, yuzu and spring onion dipping sauce with radish slaw. Look, too, for scallops of the day.

The salads - sorry that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck, mouli, carrots and spring onion with plum sauce, and for the seafood fiends some pastrami cured smoked salmon, Caesar, cos, parmesan, anchovies and croutons 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 tomato, mozzarella, oregano and basil, Siciliana with Serrano ham, roast artichoke, olives and mozzarella or rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese, cherry tomatoes and rocket.

Pastas include bucatini carbonara with smoked haddock, pancetta and cream, or tagliatelle bolognaise, slow cooked beef, bacon and Chianti.

Scottish salmon with noodles, Asian greens, coriander, pineapple and chilli salsa is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating and the spit honey gammon ham with creamed potato, parsley and truffle sauce is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks, and lemon sole with prawn and watercress butter and baby potatoes. Other choices encompass Peroni beer battered haddock and lamb rack with spiced dukkah crust, char-grilled stuffed peppers and minted potatoes.

A wide range of supporting dishes include creamed potatoes, Belgian frites and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple and frangipane gallette and Cognac ice cream, and there is also a selection of local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

For anybody looking for privacy, they also have the 'Warwick Suite' where you can book dinners for up to 60, have a meeting, or consider holding your wedding breakfast, perhaps getting married there since they are licensed for civil ceremonies?

Either call the General Manager to discuss your personal requirements or perhaps arrange a visit. More information, including full menus, is available on their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Catalan's recreates a wonderful Mediterranean atmosphere for casual dining in Warwick. The tapas there spur you on to let your guard down when you are among friends and give ample reason to stay on for dinner. Live music on select evenings enhances the experience transporting you to a carefree world.

Your evening could begin with a delightful calamari farcit with baby squid filled with a mix of rice, chorizo, capers and sun-dried tomato. For mains try the oven roasted Gressingham duck breast served with braised red cabbage with raisins accompanied with poached pear and a port and pear jus. Seafood is represented by pan-fried sea bass fillet served with roast fennel and tomato accompanied by gratinated mussels. The dessert menu includes a cheesecake selection that changes daily and expect to find a selection of Spanish and continental cheese with apple and fig chutney.

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

Tucked into the corner of Warwick's Market Square, The Rose and Crown hums with life all day long. This pub has become a favourite with the townspeople, and the private dining room catering up to 20 guests can be used variously as a watering-hole, the place for a spot of lunch or a celebration dinner.

It would be possible to enlarge upon all this indefinitely, but our purpose here is to tell you about The Rose and Crown and how they put into practice their strongly held principles. First the property, a handsome building in the middle of a busy county town which draws heavily on visitors to Warwick Castle nearby, and many other attractions on the south Midlands.

They have 5 en-suite B & B rooms, 2 of which can be family rooms, the other 3 doubles, all suitable for those wanting comfortable, straightforward accommodation in Middle England. Inside, bold but graceful features such as large open fireplaces and furnishings to match make for a series of spacious and attractive rooms.

At the heart of a true gastropub is, of course, the menu. Head chef Simon Malin was interested in the kitchen right from school. He has worked in Hyatt New Hotel, Birmingham and other Hyatt locations in New Zealand and Germany. He rose through the ranks at Halcyon Hotel in Holland Park, London. His award winning food has earned him many regular visitors.

Malin and his team have designed a menu combining traditional pub favourites as well as something a little different. They are in the kitchen every day preparing all the dishes fresh on the premises. On the menu, you will find the very best quality fresh ingredients - fantastic sausages; free-range chicken; pan-fried fillets and seafood; 28 day dry-aged Aberdeenshire rump steak - sourced from producers who take pride in their products and an ethical stance in their production.

The Rose and Crown opens daily at 8am for full English or continental breakfast.The deli board comes in five different guises ? veggie, charcuterie, cheese, fish and favourites like cold poached salmon, pitta, mini cocktail sausages and Westcombe cheddar. It's good for sharing or if you're just peckish yourself.

Food is served from lunch through to dinner with the express menu and fat juicy sandwiches running from noon to 6pm which offers plenty of hot, main meals so you can be sure that whenever you pop, you won't leave hungry! The a la carte menu served at lunch and dinner carries a number of either/or options including a well packed Caesar salad where 25p from every one sold goes to promoting healthy eating in local schools.

When the menu emerges can the wine list be far behind - in this case, no, thankfully since tucker like this deserves a sympathetic and timely response from the cellar which, whilst drawing quite heavily on France by no means neglects the exciting new outlets for quality wine. Black Sheep and Warwickshire Purity Gold are amongst the well kept and endlessly popular ales.

Click on their Website for latest news, reservations, private room hire and nice comments from happy diners. Like the look of The Rose and Crown? See their two sister pubs, The One Elm - Stratford Upon Avon and The Almanack in Kenilworth.

 

This restaurant, situated in the heart of the historic town of Warwick, is one which breaks all the normal rules, by presenting Thai food in a most unusual way, all within an Art Gallery setting. Having opened in the spring of 2004, it has gained an excellent reputation for Thai cuisine, in the view of some matched only by places mainly in London.

The Art Kitchen specialises in contemporary Thai food, with a large part of the menu offering tapas style portions. This allows diners to sample a variety of tastes and eat as little or as much as they like.

Ingredients are invariably of the highest quality and the freshest available. The beef is Aberdeen Angus and the fish arrives daily from the Birmingham fish market. Eggs come from a Stoneleigh small-holding specialising in rare French hens that have the run of the fields.

The menu is an accommodating one and arranges the dishes into a bite, or 'bytes', according to stature and status. Amongst the one byte brigade are the duck spring roll, a trio of chicken, prawn and crab cake, and sweet peppers stuffed with minced chicken and deep fried.

Two bytes include chicory leaves filled with chopped chicken, prawn or duck and dressed with lime juice, chillis and shallots or strips of tender beef fillet served with coriander, fresh mint, onion and lime juice. Bigger bytes is where you will find the 'main courses', amongst which is the restaurant's signature dish - fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef roasted pink with oyster sauce. There's a wide range of options amongst the vegetables, rice and noodles while vegetarians have it good with delicious dishes such as stir fried broccoli in oyster sauce or vegetarian Thai curries. For dessert expect to find a pandan and coconut pancake served with vanilla ice cream or a lemongrass infused crème brulée.

A monthly specials menu brings forward new and exciting dishes that are constantly being invented by the kitchen. During the game season, you might be able to find Venison sourced from the Balmoral Estate which is wok fried in black pepper sauce. Furthermore, there's a 1-2-3 lunchtime menu, which offers great value for money and quick service with options for one, two or three courses.

Nowadays customers attach increased importance to the provision of reliable table water. The Art Kitchen has met this need by installing a sophisticated filtration tank system which offers virtually unlimited supplies of fresh purified water, a move that has proved popular with an ever more health-concerned public. A global wine list offers numerous choices including the renowned Taittinger Brut Reserve, an excellent champagne should you be in a celebratory mood.

A Continental Tapas Bar ambience has been created in the bar area to provide an informal space to have a drink with some roast cashews. The Art Kitchen benefits from a full on-licence and an extension supper licence. Alcoholic beverages are sold on weekdays from 11.00am until 12.00 midnight.

A community of local artists create contemporary artwork that is displayed around the restaurant and offered for sale. The Art Kitchen also offers the possibility of bespoke artwork and photograph canvases.

The relationship between good eating and visual art is historic, one which goes back through the rich canvasses that adorn the walls of many a stately home dining room to the caves of our ancestors who just used the walls, canvas not being available. Dining at the Art Kitchen carries this process forwards and undoubtedly offers an interesting and different experience, combining as it does the pleasures of both excellent Thai food and accessible art.

More information is available on their attractively presented Website.

Prezzo has been delighting diners for over eight years, and this Italian restaurant chain has since been able to expand throughout large parts of England and Scotland with some 141 outlets.

Interestingly, the company seeks to restore either impressive buildings or ones of local interest. The conversion of the Newbury library and other listed buildings, such as those in Salisbury, Romsey and Mayfair, are all welcome examples of 'new use'. Their trendy and sophisticated décor usually consists of tiled or wooden floors with delicate lights and colourful paintings, along with wooden furniture and sparkling cutlery, creating a setting that is suitable for a relaxed lunch, a family meal or an evening out with friends.

The restaurants are of particular appeal to those who like genuine Italian cuisine, and they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goat's cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on foccacia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal. Best fun is to order an antipasto platter to share made up from seven well loved Italian nibbles.

Find pastas such as the unusual penne con salmone, with oak-roasted salmon, broccoli and fresh chillies in a red pesto and cream sauce, or firm favourites like spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, and fusilli al pesto, asparagus spears with field mushrooms and roasted peppers in a basil pesto sauce.

Amongst the special pastas, the pollo mariano, seasoned chicken, pepperoni sausage, roasted peppers and fusilli in tomato sauce, is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like tiger prawns with petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular napoletana, topped with yellowfin tuna, tomato, white anchovies, capers, red onion, mozzarella and marinated olives, and the much loved quattro stagioni - pepperoni sausage, prosciutto ham, artichoke, field mushrooms, capers, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with their blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can accompany the food with a variety of tipples, though for many, Italian food requires Italian wines to be enjoyed to the full, ranging from house wine through Morellino di Scansano and Prosecco to liqueurs and beer, and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal, in company with a glass of grappa or sambuca.

This is Italian food at its attractive best, convincing and bringing together the traditional with the modern twist or two against a background of excellent value.

Prezzo is a lively group and opportunities to improve and update are never left on the table for long. Keep up to date with a quick click on their Website.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.

The object of enthusiastic comment by an ever increasing army of fans this Warwick restaurant obviously hits the button when it comes to Asian cooking. On arrival you are confronted by a completely genuine 17th century front, but do not be deterred. Inside the décor is modern, not as a slap in the face to this venerable old Tudor building, but drawing instead upon its comfortable contours to create lively and welcoming surroundings in which to enjoy Oriental food of a very high order at prices that can only be described as very reasonable indeed.

If the cuisine has a preference it has to be towards Chinese, though this still leaves plenty of space for other cuisines, not least Thai, still making strides forward in the keenly competitive field of alternative cooking styles that has made Britain such an exciting place in which to eat out.

The progression of a thoroughly enjoyable evening at The Oyster Lounge customarily starts with drinks at the bar where some pretty moving cocktails provide an experience not to be missed, guaranteed to bring the quietest member of your party to life. There is an unhurried pace as befits a restaurant of such oriental leanings, but the occasional suggestion in the air of what lies ahead is unlikely to leave you loitering too long.

The starter course is the moment when, if you did not already know, you understand why the Oyster Lounge is so named. Massive fresh Loch Fyne rock oysters are served either raw with wasabi, soya sauce and ginger on a bed of crushed ice, or steamed with ginger, spring onions and soya sauce, or fried even with a Chinese five-spice coating. Nibbles of Thai prawn crackers or tempura courgettes refresh the palate for what lays ahead, including the renowned tom yum soup, always a favourite, and won ton soup a simply delicious Chinese alternative.

An impressive array of dim sum includes Shanghai hand-tied, minced prawn, pork and spring onion with won ton pastry tied into a knot, an Oriental take on the traditional prawn cocktail, Chinese barbequed ribs with lemon, or Japanese seafood crispy rolls, rice paper rolls filled with seafood and vegetables covered in Japanese breadcrumbs. As ever authentic aromatic crispy duck tends to steal the show, and at The Oyster is a real house speciality.

Should your salivary juices be at a low ebb for whatever reason, I defy them to sulk a moment longer after a view of the main course selections. Singapore vegetable fried rice is one of those dishes that makes hardened carnivores consider life beyond flesh, but then the eye catches sight of suckling pig belly ribs, a half rack of the little beauty, or Thai red curry tiger prawns, an uncompromisingly hot dish that sorts the men from the boys.

Talking of which, you have not been to culinary heaven until you sample their giant tigers, pan fried with a delicately spiced scallop sauce, sometimes known as XO. Tender pieces of leg of lamb are cooked in Thai Masaman curry with lemongrass, coconut milk and chilli.

Service is just as it should be and the wine list is an intelligent pass at blending food from a range of continents with an international list that takes heed of the special influences at work.

The Oyster Lounge Restaurant is the sort of place that lovers of these wonderful cuisines hope to go to when the grim reaper comes calling - in the meantime, don't wait for him, just head off to Warwick with all speed, and present our compliments to Shaila Man.

One of Warwickshire's most renowned country pubs, The Durham Ox, situated in the tranquil village of Shewley, has benefitted in recent years from a complete refurbishment. From the landscaped front entrance to the bar and restaurant inside, visitors will take pleasure in all that the Durham Ox has to offer. The traditional country pub is firmly back on the map welcoming guests with friendly staff, real ales and a crackling open fire.