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A watering hole, well known amongst ramblers who often set out to explore the countryside of West Midlands, The Cock Inn at Wishaw, has an interior all set for a fine dining experience. Such features as an open kitchen, stone fired ovens and log burning fires all combine to make this a friendly local that draws people in from a wide area. The landscaped decking outside provides a good spot for dining al fresco, or just enjoying a few pints as the velvet night soothes the mood.

The proximity of the internationally renowned Belfry Golf Course means that the odd celebrity may be spotted, and walkers enjoying the magnificent countryside between the pub and the golf course find welcome refreshment at the pub.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, box baked Camembert with red onion jam and rustic bread and Greek mezze of taramasalata with red pepper hummus, tzatziki, feta and flatbreads.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup, smoked mackerel pâté, seared pigeon breast, or a red onion tart. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer Persian chicken kebabs, fattoush salad, yoghurt and mint dressing, and for the seafood fiends some smoked trout, prawn, pancetta, horseradish dressing, watercress, spinach and baby potatoes.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic Margherita of tomato, mozzarella, oregano and basil, another with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños. Pastas include rigatoni, pork, veal and oregano meatballs with arrabiata sauce, and smoked haddock risotto.

For the big event, there is always a fish of the day on request. The spit chicken with roast garlic, lemon, thyme, aioli and frites is worth trying too. The classic burger, which has risen from the confines of fast food chains, carves a niche for itself on the menu and comes with onion, gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese and bacon. For hearty eaters there is a five spice duck confit, or lamb rack with a spiced dukkah crust.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes 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.

A sensible wine list that matches the cuisine to perfection trawls the world and comes up with some pretty interesting numbers - almost as interesting as the laconic descriptions, mostly one word but very accurate, even if 'luxurious and rich' does sound rather like a generous heiress of infinite promise. One of the most expensive bottles - and even then it's only £39.95 - earns the appellation 'silky, smooth and intense'.

Check regularly on their Website for menu changes and arrangements for special occasions like Christmas and Valentine's Day. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but occasionally un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

In Birmingham du Vin has taken on the former Birmingham Eye Hospital, a handsome building in the best style of Victorian public buildings, strategically placed in the newly revitalised Jewellery Quarter, but close enough to the city centre to make a liver-livening stroll in the morning a real pleasure.

Equipped with a spa and gym, the hotel has 66 bedrooms and boutique sites round a central courtyard that is blessed with many of the building's striking original features, including the grand sweeping staircase and granite pillars. Every room has handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths, power showers and high speed wireless internet access.

In the classy bistro a choice of six starters could include lamb's kidneys and wild mushrooms on toast with mustard crème, Serrano ham and celeriac remoulade, or Uig Lodge smoked salmon and traditional garnish. Tournedos Rossini remains one of the great dishes of all time, served with garlic roast potatoes and red wine jus. Poached smoked haddock is served with bacon and pea risotto, crispy leeks and chive veloute.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of four sommeliers, headed here by François Bourde, there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

The Plough and Harrow served as an old coaching inn in the past and has been restored to become a spacious country pub and eating house, with large open areas and numerous alcoves. It retains its old world charm with stone floors, exposed beams, leaded windows and roaring log fires. With two large patios in the front and rear, it allows al fresco dining almost throughout the year. The restaurant seats a hundred and can cover an additional eighty.

The dining area is decorated with copper, suede, raw wood and leather, creating a pleasant environment made even more attractive by interesting artefacts. The wine 'prison' with captivating barrels and bottles ready for release, is another area that deserves special attention.

The menu offers an eclectic array of pizzas, pastas, salads and steaks. There are also light bites which combine to become a meal. To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, antipasti of Italian meats, dolcelatte, marinated vegetables and warm stone-baked flatbreads, or Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with flatbreads.

Amongst the appetisers look for freshly made soup; lamb koftas with mint yoghurt, kohlrabi, cumin and carrot salad, or gambas with rocket, garlic aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops in the specials section.

The salads offer chargrilled chicken with courgette, fennel, apple, asparagus, hazelnut and balsamic dressing, and the seafood fiends find pleasure in some prawn and avocado with pecans, mango, bacon, orange and pomegranate vinaigrette.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic margherita of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pomodoro and basil, the rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes, or the piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños.

Pastas include linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine; strozzapreti of tomato, goats cheese, spinach, pine nuts and raisins, or tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event there is always roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes.

The battered haddock with frites, tartare sauce and minted mushy peas is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. Spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and frites is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there are rib eye and fillet steaks or blackened cod fillet with egg noodles, pak choi, mango and chilli salsa.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Eden Bar and Restaurant, conveniently placed just off the Coventry ringway in an 18th century cottage, offers smartly produced stylish and contemporary Modern British dishes within an interior setting to match. Outside, against the red brick background of the cottage, a garden with heating and water feature and a courtyard, partly covered by a heated marquee, provides the ideal setting for alfresco dining.

Those looking for a friendly and relaxed atmosphere will take to Eden very easily. Music is totally background and non-competitive, allowing guests to enjoy their evening and feel at home, but without the washing up. Meals are served on two floors in spaces that lack clutter and distraction. Corporate functions, staff parties, weddings and birthdays all find that Eden can provide a convenient and welcoming place in which to do their thing.

We live in an age when the pattern of meal courses are changing, with tapas only one of the pressures being brought to bear. The menu at Eden is at ease with this trend and it is quite possible to create a meal that thinks outside the box, should you so wish. Stove and grill demonstrates around a dozen choices, some of which have a distinct brasserie-ish flavour to them. The English matured ribeye steak served with rustic fries and a rocket leaf salad may not shout its credentials from the menu rooftop, but certainly does on the plate. White fish wrapped in bacon is accompanied by sweet new potatoes and pesto salad, and pesto surfaces again with an accomplished pesto, pine nut and parmesan linguine.

Amongst smaller dishes, two of which could well combine to make a pleasant meal, expect to find fresh deep fried whitebait in Peroni beer batter served with paprika mayonnaise, or Eden's cheese on toast: garlic flatbread with mushrooms, blue cheese and smoked bacon. Thai mussels are, refreshingly, steamed with onions, garlic and coriander, thereby retaining their flavour and consistency more truthfully. Tapas are served on Friday and Saturday evenings until 10pm

A warm chicken Milanese salad served on baby potatoes, with tomatoes, peppers and rocket salad stands well as a dish on its own, and for those who find desserts a little too much, can well make a substitute. But for those who don't, treats await in the form of, for instance homemade cherry Bakewell tart with clotted cream and raspberry coulis, or Belgian waffles served with toffee sauce and caramelised bananas. An English cheese board ably fulfils the needs of those for whom no meal is complete with the entry of cheese at some point.

The wine list at Eden is still at the point of gestation and a recent tasting evening was a useful pointer towards what will undoubtedly be a list from across the world, embracing the fine, well-priced wines such as those emerging from South America and South Africa.

Eden Bar and Restaurant has captured the hearts of locals and visitors and is fast building a diner base of enthusiastic and perceptive followers. For further information reference to their Website will keep you up to date with developments.

It is a welcome 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, all sited in an imposing Tudor building of great character and true heritage. It also benefits from outside seating both in the front and the rear with delightfully tended gardens, seating up to a hundred and twenty, and dining 'al fresco' for sixty-four people.

Amongst the attractions are a 100-cover area for dining, an inviting drinking area, with staff who are friendly and professional. Equally people are drawn to the Barnt Green Inn by the interior which is stylish, very much open plan, and a return to such homely features as open log fires, stone-fired ovens, open kitchens and for that al fresco evening, some well landscaped decking.

The Inn 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, antipasti of cured meats, dolcelatte, roasted vegetables, parmesan, rocket, stuffed peppers, green chillies and baked flat bread, or Greek mezze of taramasalata with red pepper humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbreads.

Amongst the starters, expect to find freshly made soup, sake cured salmon with wasabi crème fraîche and pickled ginger, or fennel with chilli crusted squid, pineapple and coriander salsa. The salads offer pang pang chicken, Asian greens, satay, cashew nuts and cucumber, and for the seafood enthusiasts some prawn, avocado, spinach, watercress, crispy bacon and garlic dressing tends to please.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; look for a classic margherita of tomato, mozzarella, oregano and basil, the rustica with roasted vegetables, goats' cheese, tomatoes and rocket, or a Siciliana with Serrano ham, roast artichoke, olives and mozzarella. Pastas include bucatini carbonara with smoked haddock, pancetta and cream or tagliatelle bolognaise with slow cooked beef, bacon and Chianti.

For the big event there are choices such as calves' liver with sweet potato, beetroot gratin and watercress or sea bass fillets with stuffed Romano peppers, caponata, pesto and baby new potatoes. The Persian spiced lamb chops with tzatziki, tomato and red onion salad is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. For hearty eaters there are good fillet and rib-eye steaks, and lemon sole with prawn and scallop butter, watercress and baby potatoes.

A wide range of supporting dishes include tomato, rocket and mozzarella, 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.

A well-travelled wine list and service that is cheerful and efficient completes the recipe for success. Check their Website for further information on this attractive eating out haven. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

A gestation of 30 years is a pretty lengthy time for anything to procreate, but it is the time taken for The Chameleon Restaurant and Bar in Victoria Square to go from dream to reality, now offering a European menu in the centre of Birmingham, Britain's second city.

Part of the vision was that people should be able to eat, drink and dance, all in one place, all at the same time if so wished. They do so beneath contemporary colour-changing chandeliers in a classic dining area with the chameleon theme, as seamlessly the venue itself involves the café, bar, restaurant and club, each with its own level of attention.

Gastronomic needs are seldom quite so easily contained so the menu is designed to pander to the needs of an ever changing clientele, from a well-crafted range of bar nibbles that might include mini Thai crab cakes, the bracing chorizo pie, on to elegant 3-course meals in The Green Room Restaurant at the hands of the head chef Matt Wagstaff and his brigade.

But as ever, it's the weekend when the action reaches a peak, with live music evenings on Friday, followed on Saturday nights by the resident DJs as the giant custom-made glitterball, spectacular lights shows, dancers, percussionists and stilt-walkers strut their stuff to the insistent beat.

The à la carte menu is a creation for all occasions; be they celebration, extended lunch, pre theatre supper or the very special dinner for two, you will not be short of choices to make. The Chameleon Platter make a wonderful ice breaker - if one is needed - or centrepoint for the introductions before moving to an Asian squash salad with crispy Szechuan beef, pak choi and toasted sesame, or Thai crab cakes with lime sweet chilli and bean sprout salad.

The celebrated oyster bars of old are thin on the ground now but the next best thing is a display of crustacea such as that at The Chameleon, with double A grade rock oysters, Coquille Saint Jacques - baked half shell scallops - and Lobster tortelloni with wilted sorrel and Pernod veloute.

Wagyu Kobe beef features amongst the grill choices, or there's the market fish of the day. The half grilled chicken in Jamaican jerk vies with Moroccan spiced chicken tagine and a Wagyu Kobe beef burger. Just imagine - a burger made with some of the best beef in the world. How far we've come. Witness an Asian spice halibut baked in a banana leaf and served with green curry rice, and an exciting blend of flavours that amazingly complement each other combines open ravioli of wild mushroom and tarragon with mascarpone and white truffle oil. The pace is maintained by caramelised pineapple tart tatin with grey goose vodka granita.

There is no doubt whatsoever that even though it only opened in mid 2010 The Chameleon is setting a pace that will compete and encourage, making Birmingham an even better place and maintain that title I used at the start - Britain's Second City.

For further details do check on The Chameleon Website as this great centre for entertainment gets into its stride.

True to its name, The Green House on Lichfield Road offers guests airy, spacious and well-lit interiors with an outside seating area for al fresco dining in the summer. In the heart of the affluent suburb of Sutton Coldfield, the Green House is a short drive from Birmingham city centre, and with easy access to the M6 is just a 20 minute drive from Tamworth and Lichfield.

With an appetizing mix of refreshing Mediterranean dishes and British classics on the menu, the Green House is a country pub with a difference. It has been transformed into a premium dining space with a chic setting; banquettes you can sink into, comfortable bar stools and faux fur covered benches as well as a chandelier or two to add an elegant touch. Friendly efficient service and distinctive touches elevate the experience to another level altogether.
 
The seasonally changing à la carte uses the finest market fresh ingredients and delivers a range of sharing platters and starters such as winter bruschetta of asparagus, gorgonzola, prosciutto, balsamic on stirata Romana bread and red onion and gorgonzola tart with roasted apple and mustard seed dressing to whet the appetite.
 
Diners also have the choice of a lighter option with salad of grilled goat's cheese crostini, roasted sweet potatoes, borlotti beans and blush tomato dressing or a classic seared tuna Niçoise served with green beans, olives and baby potatoes. A stone baked pizza with toppings of crispy duck, spring onions, watercress, hoisin and plum sauce is more international in flavour.
 
While the excellent à la carte can deliver the goods anytime a two-course prix fixe menu is available for a quick lunch with compromising the quality. Look out for Steak and Wine Supper Wednesdays with superb steaks and a whopping 50% discount on a bottle of red wine or the equally tempting Fabulous Fish Fridays which offer a range of superb fish and shellfish specials and a bottle of white wine for half the price.
 
The Rothschild Supper Club menu is perfect for that special occasion with a gourmet two-course menu and a bottle of the prestigious Rothschild champagne, personally selected by a team of wine experts. Starters of pan fried English kidneys on stirata Romana with wholegrain mustard sauce could be followed by a delicious dish of slow roast pork lasagna with roast peppers and roast garlic.
 
To finish on a sweet note, consider orange and almond cake with marmalade and orange blossom mascarpone; bourbon and raisin pudding with vanilla ice cream; banana cheesecake with toffee sauce and chocolate ice cream or limoncello posset with langues de chat biscuits.
 
The drinks list includes classic cocktails such as Cosmopolitan and Pina Colada and other palate pleasers such as Martini Blush with strawberries and apples; and Flirtini with vodka and champagne. Guests can also choose from a range of unique cask ales and bottled beers, non-alcoholic drinks and a carefully selected wine list available by the glass and bottle.

Have you been to The Cock Inn on Bull's Lane? It's a sister pub to The Green House. You could also consider The Crown in Wolverhampton, if you're close by.

More information can be found on their Website.

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.

Behind the traditional façade of The Crown lies a surprisingly modern interior with people coming in to enjoy the pub's peaceful atmosphere and tasty cooking. The dining area is smartly attired with comfy sofas, artistic lampshades and spot lighting, and there's al fresco seating for those who'd like a breath of fresh air.

The Crown has a real buzz on any day of the week, providing tourists and locals with a friendly welcome and satisfying food. Relaxed in appeal and modern in style, you'll find a convivial place for any occasion, from a celebratory dinner and breakfast with clients, to lunch with the family or friends.

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, or 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 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 with slow cooked beef, bacon and Chianti. For the big event there is Venetian calves? liver with onions, wilted spinach, parsley mash and balsamic jus. The classic burger, which has risen from the confines of fast food chains, carves a niche for itself on the menu and comes with gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese, relish and frites. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks, and lemon sole with prawn and watercress butter and baby 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.

Their wine list contains well-known favourites, alongside little numbers from around the world.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website. Do note that the e-mail address is for enquiries only, not for making bookings.

There could be few better locations for Côte Brasserie in Birmingham than on the canal side in The Mailbox, at the centre of Birmingham's city renaissance where commerce and culture blend with grace and the addition of a frisson of French cuisine sits well. Open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Côte brings an informal and friendly ambience to matters of eating and drinking, and it came as no surprise when it won the Good Food Guide award for 'Best Value Restaurant in the UK for 2009'.

Since then trends towards simple bistro cooking have gathered pace and Côte has become even more relevant to the times. When you work in a modern city life never seems to stop and the matter of breakfast assumes an identity more in keeping with its original intention. So the menu here explores a good range of the more exciting aspects of breakfast, starting with a touching alliance of the full English breakfast that we know so well, or the French crêpe complète where a warm crêpe enfolds two free range eggs, bacon and shaved Gruyère cheese. And the free WiFi is there if there's some urgent cage-rattling to be done before you hit the office.

With the day well started thoughts can turn to matters of lunch, dinner even, or a little light supper before an evening's entertainment at the theatre or something rather more rigorous at one of Birmingham's many clubs. There may just be a decision in principle, leaving the selection from Côte's generous menu until the event when, over a glass of Kir Royale one can indulge in some reblochon cheese and thyme, or anchovies and olives with parsley.

But before this some midday sustenance may be in order and their plats rapides offer minimal dallying linked with maximum recharging of the batteries. Steak frites, poulet grillé or moules frites all make for robust enjoyment at great value. If the weather's behaving well, a seat outside on the terrace against the background of a living wall has strong appeal.

Perhaps there is more time for lunch thanks to that early start, or a client to impress in which case a choice from amongst a dozen or so starters could yield Scottish smoked salmon with dill and shallots, a tasty prawn gratinée, or a plate of one of those wonderful soups the French produce so well. Light main courses offer a risotto vert that embraces grilled asparagus, broad beans, spring onions, courgette, green beans, baby spinach, pesto and rocket, or a classic tuna Niçoise served medium rare.

Moving on through a dazzling array of dishes that both tempt and restore guests will encounter steak haché, with a fried egg of course, roast duck breast or a seafood linguine, at which point it will have dawned that Côte are strong on the fruits of the sea. However, no self respecting Gallic inspired menu would be without its poulet Breton, a corn fed chicken from rural Brittany where that particular dish is akin to the holy grail.

And so to the steaks, wonderfully plump and juicy ones from Church Farm in the Peak District, that have been aged on the bone and are served chargrilled with frites and a choice of superb sauces that includes Normandy butter with Roquefort cheese.

A confident completely French wine list carries bins to remember, where the house wines are worthy and the ongoing list steadily more exciting as you progress. The Chateau Talbot St Julien is a fitting prize for those who might have a hard or successful day - or both.

Côte offers an excellent weekday lunch deal of two or three courses at prices that are hard to believe for a restaurant of this quality.

Côte Brasserie is one of those places where after a while you begin to wonder why you ever ate anywhere else. Even the notoriously difficult Michael Winner gave Côte a glowing review in The Sunday Times. For further information click on their no-nonsense Website which will keep you up to speed.