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Dine in a magnificent oak panelled medieval dining room, where food from an award-winning chef is served. The menu reflects a true taste of English excellence, with influences from around the globe.

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.

Situated in an old farmhouse in the village of Aldridge, Simon's Restaurant is a family-run affair with a loyal local following and an exhaustive assortment of Chinese dishes. The farmhouse looks distinct with its colours of light grey and sky blue and inside, diners receive a warm comfortable with attentive service and flavoursome food.

Specialising in tasty seafood dishes since 1982, the menu concentrates on authentic Cantonese cuisine with eight set menus and daily specials. Three spacious dining rooms and a convivial bar keep the mood leisurely and informal.

Deep in the Warwickshire countryside, this 17th-century farmhouse in Sutton Coldfield, once the ancestral home of Sir Robert Peel, has been converted into the attractive Marston Farm Hotel. The popular Courtyard restaurant nestles amongst open fires and oak-beamed ceilings, serving a contemporary menu of traditional British favourites, with an excellent selection of accompanying wines. The restaurant is also a popular setting for weddings with its clear span marquee.