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A comfortable Victorian hotel with splendid views across the Tyne. Good use is made of the local produce and the end product is an ample range of choices drawn from a diverse selection of cuisines, including Thai. An AA Rosette, a Les Routiers Gold Plate and another for an Outstanding Wine List, with wines from £9 to £80 a bottle, assembled from 16 countries all serve to make the point.

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 former coaching house in superbly historic surroundings, but there is nothing historic about their attitudes to looking after people in comfortable surroundings, in particular the quality of the meals.

Dinner is served in the dining room that overlooks the courtyard, with less formal meals served in the bar. Everything is prepared in the kitchen, from breads to puddings. The result is a menu of around 5 starters, 7 main courses and 5 desserts every night. A four course meal can be contained within £24.95.

Starters may include sliced smoked trout fillet and chilli crayfish tails, or smoked chicken and olive salad, followed by roast leg of Cheviot lamb with mint jus, or duck breast. Vegetarians fare well with aubergine and smoked Northumbrian cheese with beef tomato tower stack and salad. A good selection of homemade sweets and cheeses is always available.

A fine range of special dishes includes the pan haggerty, sliced onion and potato, topped with a rarebit of local cheese and fresh herbs, cooked in Newcastle Brown Ale, served with a house salad, and the famous Warkworth House game casserole, a real meal for a hungry man.

A Grade II listed Georgian building, The Collingwood Arms Hotel in Cornhill has been lovingly made over in collaboration with award-winning architects and local craftsmen to restore it to its best. Having worked up an appetite after casting for salmon in the River Tweed, which passes only yards away, or exploring the splendid countryside around, guests can enjoy wholesome traditional fare with gusto in the subtle splendour of its Dining Room.

Serving appetising seasonal home style dishes, the kitchen team uses only the best, locally-sourced ingredients for the daily changing menu. A tranquil garden in the rear offer diners the opportunity to eat alfresco during the summer months. The comfortable bar, embellished with warm oak and antique leather, is just the place to sit back and relax and put away a few local beers, a glass of fine wine or a dram of some excellent Scotch whisky. And, if it's too late to return home consider putting up for the night in one of the hotel's rooms named after ships that took part in the Battle of Trafalgar.