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There is something compellingly beautiful about the Northumberland countryside with its sense of space, its great open skies, and the crisp tang of mountain air. To be able to indulge in all this, whether or not you play golf, and then return to the well deployed comfort of a stately hotel, is a pleasure of great value. Such surroundings encourage a hearty appetite, and like any truly great hotel the dining room of the De Vere Slaley Hall is at the heart of the experience. Northumbrian dishes take front stage, and a menu that moves with the seasons concentrates on local ingredients. In addition to the main dining room there is a wide selection of rooms for enjoying private dining, as well as the Golf Clubhouse Bar and Grill.

Starters may include a warm salad of new potatoes with crispy bacon tossed in honey dressing with smoked venison and tomatoes, fresh ravioli of lobster with seared scallops and asparagus, tomato and coriander fondue, or beignets made with goats' cheese and sweet potato, tomato and roquette salad, pickled baby vegetables and crème fraiche. The lamb, much of which has grazed upon the sweet pastures of the surrounding hills, is served as cannon of lamb with Dijon brioche crust ratatouille of Mediterranean vegetables, dauphinoise potato, honey roast parsnips and carrots with rosemary.

Alternatively, whole rack of lamb is served with roast potatoes and a panache of seasonable vegetables in a light jus. Chicken that has enjoyed a diet of maize comes to table stuffed with mozzarella with a sweet tomato spring roll, scallion mash, red pimento and cumin sauce tian of roasted vegetables. After a decent interval there is time to toy with the delights of desserts that might include a warm brioche bread and butter pudding with orange marmalade and vanilla ice cream, or dark chocolate bavarois with fresh honeycomb.

Many a restaurant that has claimed to offer customers a genuine French dining experience has ended up becoming a pale imitation of the real thing. If you still haven't been to one or sampled dishes that have come out of that wonderful land, head straight to pretty little Bouchon that can be found opposite the Hexham swimming pool in Gilesgate, and presents customers with a chance to enjoy delicious food in the cosy interiors of a Grade II listed building.

The kitchen has the self confidence and skill to create simple and flavoursome dishes such as French onion soup, assiette of charcuterie or grilled king prawns for starters. Main courses could comprise daube of venison with celeriac purée, red cabbage and buckwheat galette, and crispy duck confit with lyonnaise potatoes and Savoy cabbage.

Griottine clafoutis with pistachio ice cream and green chartreuse jostles with apple tarte tatin and vanilla ice cream in the desserts section.

Dating from 1350, the Castle lays claim to being one of the few medieval fortified Castle Hotels in England. It is full of historic features and associations which spread well beyond the Castle into the surrounding area, and provides its guests with a sense of the past enjoyed amidst the comforts of the present.

The Josephine Restaurant is particularly evocative of former glories with its rich colours and exposed stone archways, providing a sumptuous setting for the serving of Andrew Smith's fine cooking. Baronial the surroundings may be but there is nothing other than fine skill deployed within a table d'hôte menu derived from locally and regionally sourced ingredients.

Amongst the appetisers a tian of haggis served with turnips and potatoes and edged with a whisky jus reminds us of the nearness of Scotland, whilst a seared Queen scallop and black pudding on a turret of spinach scented mash and coated with a lemon butter sauce invokes the spirit of the north of England. The fillet of salmon is set in a mussel and seafood broth, and scented with saffron

An intermediate course of a heart warming bowl of soup somehow always seems a good idea in a castle, however well heated it may be, before turning attention to main courses of, say, breast of duck from nearby Keilder Water, a game cobbler full of the local game and served with home made dumplings. Venison is readily available in Northumberland and the fillet, baked until pink and set over honey scented parsnips, is topped by a quail's egg. Rack of lamb carved over a mushroom risotto and laced with red wine jus can also be found amongst the main courses.

Amongst the desserts watch out for the St Clements cheesecake, served with a honey ginger and orange syrup, or the dark chocolate and rum mousse on a pod of crème anglaise, finished with fresh berries.

A wine list to match such gastronomic opulence starts with good house wines through an international range culminating for many in a Chateau Lafitte '71.

A pleasant Georgian coaching inn with brasserie and lofty first-floor dining room. The fare is imaginative and generally succeeds. Tuesday nights specialise in fish. Try the Dover sole terrine with pear and ginger marmalade or perhaps the baked sea bream with orange butter sauce.

From the fairly brief carte menu it is possible to have some dishes as first or main courses. Particularly good are pink calf's liver and provencale fish soup.

A kind wine list of about thirty plus are generally below the £20 mark and four house wines are below £10.