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It is a wonderful surprise to find a pub that has firmly grasped the gastro nettle in and around the Midlands, with pretty sensational results that include demonstrably freshly cooked food and a high zing factor. The Lyttelton Arms has all the inherent charm of a traditional country pub that has come face to face with its history, adapted, and lost none of its appeal in the process. In close relation to the Clent Hills it takes its name from the Lyttelton family whose home at Hagley Hall is close by.

The pub is truly a place for all seasons, and the menu reflects this as it embraces not only the seasons but also the atmosphere within, ranging from cool chic in summer to the cosy warmth of a winter's day with the hatches well battened down.

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.

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.

There is a good balance between Old and New World wines, and champagne is always on call. There is also a fine selection of beers in stock, ranging from standard lagers to European speciality beers such as Leffe and Erdinger as well as the noted Timothy Taylor Landlord.

There is a smoking area in the bar though it is a totally non-smoking restaurant, and they benefit from outside seating on a large external patio for up to 150 guests; it is also worth noting that they have a function room that can seat sixty, and also a bar area that can be hired separately that can accommodate a further eighty.

But like any other place where people come to enjoy themselves it's the people who look after then that count. Their attention to detail, their warmth and hospitality are the qualities that count and turn a good pub into a brilliant one. Make a point of meeting them at The Lyttelton Arms; before that, to get details on their menu and much more, why not have a look at their Website? Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Considering the relative proximity of Blakelands to Wolverhampton, the local motorways and its Business Airport it is amazing how many people don't know about it. This is both its strength and weakness - we all love sussing out secrets, but even the best secrets need business to sustain them. A visit to this haven of elegance and tranquillity will convince you that this is indeed a real treasure.

The impressive Queen Anne house with its distinctive architectural features makes its impressive mark on the surroundings, but it is in the surrounding buildings where the main changes have been made resulting in such facilities as The Maltings, a 120 seater theatre style room which has its own private bar and adjoining buffet room. Family owned since 1981, management is in the capable hands of Paul and Heather Morgan and guests are given a warm welcome by Heather on arrival.

Blakelands is a real favourite with couples looking for somewhere special for their wedding. Not only can civil wedding ceremonies be held in the house, where fine furnishings, family heirlooms and antique furniture do credit to the handsome rooms, there are also three suites, one of which is The Corbett Suite, a sumptuous set of rooms which serves as the Bridal Suite.

Elsewhere in the complex are a further twelve en suite rooms, five of them in Blakelands Lodge all with their own character and décor, all beautifully fitted out, and with locally inspired names that reflect the strong ties of Blakelands with the neighbourhood.

The menu is all embracing with a strong flavour of superior brasserie if a name had to be put, with a main menu and seasonal a la carte. Local sourcing is practised but not at the expense of quality, and the chicken liver and cognac parfait may well receive a warm approval. Starters of goats' cheese purse, with locally sourced cheese, mini toad in the hole and a classic Waldorf salad are all there on the menu.

Enville Ale pie with Pattingham sourced steak and Enville Ale is supremely tasty and very filling. Those who enjoy their steaks will be well served, with a locally sourced sirloin or fillet on offer, both steaks are offered in four styles. Pork fillet tenderloin with a herb crust, or Lodge chicken, mushrooms, Madeira and cream sauce would all have been equally tempting. Talking of puddings, there is classic crème brûlée with honey almond thins on the carte.

A wonderful cheese platter; warm chocolate brownie with white chocolate ice cream, or sticky toffee pudding, all of which may have you coming at the gallop, are hard to bypass, but then there's also an excellent liqueur coffee.

As with so many restaurants these days, Sunday lunch is an event of celebration and relaxation with friends. Blakelands deserves much closer attention than it gets, and whilst ideal, and highly popular for weddings, conferences and private parties, they look forward to welcoming you to enjoy the same daily excellent experience such as ours.

Their well-compiled Website is packed with information, and in particular keeps abreast of any changes, especially the menus and seasonal changes.

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.

The Beefeater Grill range of restaurants, owned by the well established firm of Whitbread has transformed over time into what is now predominantly a cooking platform for chargrill. The restaurants are warm, modern and stylish, with low lighting and contemporary artwork. A comfortable, cosy, mainly booth layout offers guests their own space with no feeling of being hurried at any point. Staff are friendly and helpful if need be - what a difference that can make to a good evening out.

Be it the wide open spaces of Argentina, the intimate setting of a French restaurant, or a busy grill in London's West End, there's no denying the popularity of chargrill. As the production of quality beef, chicken, fish and lamb has grown, prices have come down by comparison, and the simple and traditional art of minimally cooking dishes by chargrill, sealing in the flavours and tastes by intense heat has caught the public imagination.

All the steaks at Beefeater Grill are matured for a minimum of 28 days before being seasoned. Whether it be juicy rib eye, the classic sirloin, that emblem of the Sunday lunch, a tender fillet, or a delicious 7oz rump, all grilled to your own specification, you're never far away from perfection. Even beefburgers have shaken off their dubious image and the highly popular Beefeater burgers are made from 100% beef.

The popular sirloin with giant prawns offers a treat to those for whom an alliance between sea and pasture is a natural attraction, whilst a 16oz steak platter links rump, fillet, sirloin and rib eye into one mouth-watering dish served with chips, battered onion rings, grilled tomato, a flat mushroom and peppercorn and brandy sauce.

Many of us love rib meat, and the rack of ribs at a Beefeater Grill has a meaty rack smoky flavour; maple ribs of pork with a choice of three sauces, mojito, smoked caramel and apple glaze, or Bourbon and black BBQ. And if all else fails and you are totally baffled by the wealth of choices, ask to have a word with the Steakmaster who will help find what is right for you, together with the best cooking method. These guys leave nothing to chance.

On a menu that is a delight to read, let alone choose a meal from, expect to find smaller dishes such as traditional prawn cocktail, whitebait, chicken liver pâté and baked Camembert, or juicy lamb koftas served with yoghurt and mint dip. There's something about a good steak meal that always leaves a gap for a little temptation to sweeten up the scene and from amongst twelve options look for Belgian chocolate cheesecake, treacle sponge pudding or a caramel apple crumble pie.

Throughout the day a wide range of more general dishes are yours for the ordering, sandwiches, jackets, classic favourites like fish and chips, pasta, salads, and sharing dishes of nachos, potato shells and a Beefeater Grill combo. Next door to many of the restaurants are Premier Inns, so staying the night whatever the circumstances need not be a problem.

And what about wine? Endorsed by Matthew Jukes, wine writer in the Daily Mail and bon viveur in his own right, a wine list that marches with the menu completes an impressive and compelling invitation to enjoy whatever takes your fancy at the nearest Beefeater Grill.

Click on their Website for menu updates and special offers.

It's easy to start feeling at home in The Retreat Italian - an authentic Italian bar and bistro which is conveniently located on the Hagley Road in Oldswinford. Warm welcomes evolve to familiar friendly chats as first time guests often become regulars. The experience is relaxed and calming, making The Retreat Italian actually feel like one. Having gained an excellent reputation among visitors and locals alike, the bar and bistro recently underwent massive refurbishment under the new ownership and keen management of Nicholas Pike.

Serving a variety of authentic Italian dishes, the emphasis is clearly on simple, flavoursome preparations - a welcome change from the expensive and overrated 'adventurous food' that seems to be the order of the day. Head Chef Andrew Calam uses locally sourced produce to create delicious dishes and specials that change on a weekly basis. Traditional ales, Italian liqueurs, aperitivos and an extensive wine list are also available at the vibrant bar inside. Fresh sardine served on spring onion, grilled halibut, porcini risotto, giant king prawns and meat antipasti are top of the charts, but go ahead and make your own choice. It's hard to go wrong with The Retreat Italian.

Here in all its uncompromising directness is the French influence at work in Stourbridge, not hitherto known for its culinary brilliance. Let's not beat about the crevettes, straight into the escargots, that's us. The Bourgogne pattern to be precise, each one taken out of its shell and placed in a cup mushroom, anointed with herb and garlic butter, breadcrumbed and grilled until they are hot and the butter has melted. Follow with the boeuf a la bourguignonne, prime beef diced and gently braised, then marinated for 24 hours in red wine, garlic and herbs. Cooked slowly in its marinade with smoked bacon and shallots, then served with puff pastry garnish and a selection of fresh vegetables. And to finish, M'seur, could only be something from our selection of French cheeses. The inhabitants of Stourbridge may or may not be fighting back but my guess is they don't stand a chance, particularly with a set-price 3 course lunch at £8.95.

The Wychbury Inn is a stylish pub named after a hill located close to it. The lively little place opened its doors to the people of Hagley in early 2008, and soon became a popular place for tasty modern British food and good drink. So if you're looking for some place to spend relaxed, easy time in Hagley, stop by the Wychbury.

The menu features a range of mouth-watering home-cooked dishes that are created from fresh local produce wherever possible. Trust a plate of chicken teriyaki skewers; beef tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad, or fillet chilli strips to set the stage for mains of a Wychbury Inn mixed grill of rump steak, pork loin chop, sausage, bacon and black pudding. A dessert of dark chocolate tart with choc chip ice cream is guaranteed to stimulate any palate.

If something more budget-friendly is required then choose the set menu, and Wychbury Inn also offers a traditional Sunday lunch carte with a choice of one, two or three courses.

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.