We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but sometimes 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 historic Cambridge, du Vin has taken on a beautiful old building in Trumpington Street and transformed it into a distinctive luxury boutique hotel, engaging its quirky architectural features in a manner that is wholly convincing. Inside the 41 bedrooms and boutique suites, some with private terraces, are fitted out with luxurious Egyptian linen and monsoon showers.

du Vin are renowned for their bistro style restaurants, and this one has more than a touch of La Français, making the right setting for a cuisine that looks to Europe for inspiration with a modern edge, as well as being serviced by the first du Vin open style kitchen.

Down in the labyrinthine cellars, vaulted ceilings look down on a splendid bar with, amongst other commendable attributes, a noble array of single malts and armagnacs. Add to this a specialist wine tasting room and private dining room, and the library overlooking the bijoux terrace where a mildly scholastic style reminds its occupants that they are sitting near the centre of one of the finest universities in the world.

In the snazzy bistro a choice of around ten starters could include devilled chicken livers, half a dozen Colchester oysters, or smoked duck breast with beetroot and pecan salad. Amongst the main courses expect to find that fast fading from the scene but delightful gastronomic extravagance, venison haunch with pickled red cabbage and artichoke puree and gilt head bream with sautéed potatoes and sauce vierge. Only in Cambridge? Well, perhaps in that other place beginning with 'O' where they used to make cars?

In amongst the classics there's braised ox cheeks with marrow bone dumplings and hot and sour cabbage, or crepes filled with mussels, cockles and crab.

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 match with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of sommeliers, 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.

Inspired by the spicy and tangy flavours of Indian street food, Dabbawal on High Bridge offers a variety of freshly cooked authentic Indian dishes in a vibrant contemporary setting. The restaurant takes its name from the ubiquitous dabbawalas or 'lunchbox men' of the teeming city of Mumbai. Located in the bustling heart of Newcastle, Dabbawal is perfect for a meal before a performance at the Theatre Royal Newcastle or a show at the News Theatre. You could also relax here after a shopping expedition at the Eldon Square Shopping Centre close by or after taking in a Newcastle United game at St. James Park.
 
Dabbawal's tapas style menu is ideal for sharing and also includes a range of classic curry dishes to offer an authentic slice of the Indian eating experience. You could begin with street classics of vada pav, a deep fried potato burger in a bun served with homemade condiments; crispy lamb samosas; chicken chilli fry; bhel puri, a dish of puffed rice tossed with onion and pomegranate in a tangy tamarind sauce and sweet potato chaat. There's also choice of lentil and curry leaf soup and the house signature salad with mango, honey, peanuts and spring onions.

The grill offers chicken cubes marinated in yoghurt with mint, coriander and green chilli; minced lamb marinated in mixed spices, red onion and sweet peppers; salmon in a honey, dill and saffron marinade and king prawns with chilli, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The special Dabbawal grilled platter offers chicken tikka, lamb chop, citrus prawn, seekh kebab and salmon tikka while a mixed veggie grilled platter delivers a selection of spiced and grilled seasonal vegetables.

For the main course try one of Dabbawal's signature dishes of duck Nilgiri, seven spice coated duck breast served with stir fried spinach in a red wine flavoured sweet and sour sauce; railway lamb curry and saffron pulao, a classic dish of cubed lamb served with baby potatoes in a curry leaf, coconut, mustard seed and onion sauce. More adventurous diners could opt for vindaloo beef, a tenderloin fillet steak marinated in vindaloo spices served with seasonal vegetables. Other classic dishes include spicy south Indian lamb pepper fry; king prawn in a spicy tomato and ginger masala sauce and Indian cottage cheese and mushroom in a cashewnut sauce. The dum biryani, slow cooked aromatic rice with meat or vegetables served with garlic raita and vegetable curry, is a meal in itself.

The restaurant also offers an extensive range of side dishes and accompaniments including freshly prepared breads such as mozzarella and coriander naan, and keema naan with spicy minced lamb. Side orders include tandoori roti; mushroom pulao rice; zesty Bombay potatoes; stir fried okra and spinach; and Kachamber salad of finely chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. A two-course lunch menu is also available and includes roomali wraps with fillings of spicy chicken, seekh kebab and mixed vegetable.

The carefully compiled drinks list complements the food perfectly and offers a selection of cocktails including the house special Dabbawal Martini, which blends raspberry vodka with fresh lime, raspberry puree and crème de framboise shaken and served straight up, as well as white and red wines, champagne, beer and cider and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

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.

The first Browns opened at Brighton in 1973 with one simple guiding belief, that classic food, well delivered in a stylish environment would be a recipe for success. The only thing that has changed since then is the number of Browns, now running at fourteen, of which six are in London, all prospering with the same theme.

The main menu, available throughout the day, starts with appetisers, designed for sharing, with antipasti of Italian meat, vegetarian or seafood. Try the flatbreads with a range of interesting toppings.

In amongst the thirteen starters expect to come across smoked duck, crisp noodle and cashew nut salad with red peppers, tumeric cauliflower, spring onions and a sherry vinaigrette. The fish and salad choices include fish and chips tempura battered cod with minted mushy peas and tartar sauce and pan-fried butterflied tiger prawns tossed with linguine in a tomato, coriander and chorizo sauce.

The same theme of comfortable food, well-cooked and presented, continues throughout the mains course with roast chicken breast in sour dough bread with baby spinach, tomato and mayonnaise, served with seasoned chips, and steak frites 6oz prime sirloin, served with a lemon, parsley and peppercorn butter.

The chalkboard carries a list of the day's specials, but every day except Sunday is Browns's afternoon tea day, served from 2 to 5.30 pm, and on Sundays it offers a choice of three roasts. It would be harder to find a dessert much more English than lemon tartlet with crème fraîche.

Browns at Glasgow are well able to deal with groups, and have special menus to look after their particular interests. Click on their excellent Website for further details and menu changes.

Recreating the bustling ambience of a classic Parisian bistro this side of the Channel, Elena's L'Etoile in Charlotte Street continues to maintain its identity amidst the flurry of contemporary designer decorated restaurants. Its endearing setting, in the heart of Fitzrovia, is enhanced by elegant art deco lighting and autographed celebrity photographs on the walls. Having seen the passage of more than a century, since opening its doors in 1896, it has evolved to cater to a new generation of diners with its subtly updated French cuisine and a thoughtfully chosen wine list calculated to appeal to all palates.

With dining rooms spread over four floors, this spacious establishment's warm welcoming atmosphere makes it just the place for a family get together or leisurely dinner with a bunch of good friends. Rich red velvet banquette seating and starched white table linen enhances the pleasure of dining here. Named after the venerable Elena Salvoni, 'Queen of Soho' and maître d' at various restaurants for 70 years but now retired, it?s a stand out even in its cosmopolitan locale where rubbing shoulders with media celebrities and theatre stars is par for the course.

The à la carte menu embraces seasonal dishes and updated classics with one or two old favourites still on the list. The choice of starters include chicken liver parfait, rillette of confit duck, baked darne of mackerel, poached cod cheeks or double baked mushroom soufflé all of which makes for a good beginning to the meal. Then you can move on to main course of salmon and leek fishcake with watercress and chive cream, pan roast breast of Gressingham duck with fondant potato and parsnip purée, trio of slow cooked pork with Parmentière potatoes  or rib eye steak with hand cut chips and wild mushroom jus.
 
The dessert selection features tempting puddings of warm carrot cake served with orange sabayon, vanilla crème brûlée, lemon tart with Chantilly cream,  pave of dark Valrhona chocolate with cinnamon ice cream and white chocolate and passion fruit crema cotta, any of which brings the meal to a fitting end.

Alternatively a fixed price three-course meal, chosen from the aptly named mini à la carte menu offers such classic dishes as chicken chasseur with roast potatoes or beef Wellington, while the restaurant's signature lemon tart with clotted cream or a selection of fine French cheeses makes for a perfect ending. A pre theatre menu is also available.

Elena's L'Etoile offers many examples of New and Old World vintage on its carefully compiled wine list with a large selection served by the glass. House wines include Cuvee Duboeuf Blanc, Sauvignon de Gras, Saumur Rouge la Cabriole and Chateau de Parenchere Bordeaux.

Four beautifully appointed classical French style salons located in the Regency townhouse can accommodate small private parties of up to 30 people for breakfast, lunch or dinner while the whole restaurant can be booked for larger events for up to 140 guests with party menus starting at £30.25. Click on their Website for further information.

Burton on Trent has a classy looking brasserie that it should be proud of, a place where you can visit with friends or family and have some well prepared modern British food, all in a most relaxed setting. It's quite easy to tick off all your objectives for dining out at 99 Station Street, as they concentrate on using only fresh, local and seasonal produce, their cooking is simply superb.

A warm welcome from the friendly front of house team sets the ball rolling and you could soon be seated in the comfortable restaurant, perusing the concise menu that is not overburdened with items, so choosing your meal becomes a pleasurable and simple activity. Lunch time rumblings can easily be assuaged by starters of homemade pâté with dill pickled cucumber, followed by fillet of salmon with soft herb crust and wild garlic oil and orange, lemon and lime cheesecake.

Evenings warrant a more elaborate service and starters such as thin slices of home oak maple smoked venison saddle with sweet and sharp hedgerow fruits and port caviar, or warm Cornish crab in Chapel Down Flint cream sauce on a toasted spring onion, cream cheese and chive pancake drizzled with herbed Staffordshire rapeseed oil are right on the mark. This could be followed by main courses along the lines of baked loin of halibut topped by a soft herb crust with poached mussels in a white wine and roasted garlic velouté finished with double cream, or roast rack of Stockley park lamb on a spring onion and Staffordshire cheese potato cake with a sharp mint puree and red wine sauce.

Those not on a calorie counting spree will enjoy a glance at their dessert menu listing delicious confections ranging from a rather unique bread and butter pudding, layered with single malt soaked raisins on creamy custard, to warm apple crumble tart with homemade cinnamon ice-cream. Chocoholics will love the blissful combination of coconut Cambridge cream topped with a chocolate crust and served with short bread biscuit whilst those who prefer savoury endings can opt for the cheese board.

99 Station Street has a few local wines, some classics as well as some New World creations including cava and champagne, which are eminently suitable for different courses of the meal. They also have private dining options and cater for special occasions with specifically prepared menus and they positively welcome add-ons such as hand made place settings and cakes to infuse that distinctive touch to your party.

They have garnered some prestigious accolades already, and judging by their popularity some more are surely bound their way. For information about menus, wine list and upcoming events, do check their Website.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days -du Vin recycles attractive but sometimes 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.

Think quintessential British style, elegant and unpretentious. Combine this with a great spirit, wit, and an unquestionable devotion to wine, and you have captured the essence of Hotel du Vin.

In Newcastle-on-Tyne du Vin has looked to the Merchant Navy for its location. Shipping Lines rarely used to stint on HQ's and The Tyne Tees Shipping Company long ago had built an impressive Head Office on the heart of Newcastle's historic quayside. Hotel du Vin have maximised this into one of the most luxurious and outstanding hotels in Newcastle.

The hotel has 42 stylish bedrooms and stunning suites. Every room has handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths, monsoon showers, plasma TVs, DVDs, air conditioning and high speed wireless internet access. Life's little pleasures are by no mean neglected so there's a cigar shack and a Laroche tasting room where you can take a bibulous journey round the world's finest vineyards with minimal effort, even if you miss out on the airmiles.

In the 2 AA Rosette bistro a choice of nine starters might include braised risotto primavera, smoked salmon, tuna carpaccio with horseradish, and chicken liver parfait and toasted brioche. Main courses pursue much the same line, with wild sea trout with braised peas, and lettuce, new season lamb with garlic, aubergine and samphire, and the shin of beef cooked with carrots, oyster mushrooms, tarragon,

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 who look after the bar and the cigars, there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

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

If familiarity is the sine qua non of a popular neighbourhood pub, The Red Lion admirably combines it with innovation to deliver a premium dining experience in the heart of Oxford. Boasting a high quality modern British cuisine menu with a Mediterranean touch, it is ideal for a quick meal for customers attending a show at the Burton Taylor Studio Theatre or the Oxford Playhouse, both of which are just a stone's throw away. If the weather?s fine, al fresco dining is an also an option in the pub's spacious courtyard.

A relaxed ambience is made even more inviting with a crackling log fire in winter, while large windows let the light flood in and numerous sofas and chairs actively encourage customers to unwind at leisure. Add to all this, a warm welcome and superb service, special offers each day of the week and plenty of options on the à la carte, it soon becomes obvious what gives The Red Lion the edge over more run of the mill gastro pubs.

Guests can relish a range of British classics as well as pizzas and pastas, not to mention daily specials, all made with the freshest seasonal ingredients including locally sourced fish and meat. Sharing plates of mezze with rustic breads; Romana white onion soup with cheese croute and tiger prawn, chorizo and crab linguine offer a wonderful slice of the Mediterranean. While crispy duck salad with mooli, carrots, hoisin and plum sauce or fruit de mer pizza with tuna, prawns, anchovies and pineapple salsa incorporate influences from farther afield.

There's no escaping the well-loved aromas of classic British specialities at The Red Lion. Be it freshly battered fish and chips with minted mushy peas or calves liver with champ potatoes, crispy shallots and red wine jus, these time tested favourites satisfy the appetite. Steak and Wine Supper Wednesdays with the best steaks and a whopping 50% off on a bottle of red wine is indeed an offer too tempting to resist. Fish and seafood lovers get their own deal on Fridays with chef's fresh fish and shellfish specials and white wine at half the price.
 
The Sunday selection pleases with its succulent roasts with all the trimmings. Fine food and drink come together with the Supper Club menu for two which offers a bottle of the celebrated Rothschild wine with a two-course menu. A prix fixe menu is also available for a quick lunch or early dinner.

Tempting desserts of apple and blackcurrant crumble with vanilla custard, a choux bun with fresh cream, espresso and chocolate sauce or white chocolate crème brûlée brings the meal to a fitting end. A cheese plate with Colliers Cheddar, camembert and gorgonzola could be equally satisfying.

The stylish bar is the perfect place to drop by for a quick drink or linger on for a meal from the bar menu. An extensive selection of delicious aperitifs and digestifs as well as cask ales, chilled draught beers and an expertly chosen wine list offer a multitude of reasons to stay a while longer.

You might also want to consider visiting nearby sister pub The Trout Inn.

More information can be found on their Website.

Sofra, the small chain of inexpensive café restaurants, offers diners the opportunity to sample home style Turkish cooking, with an eclectic blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Oriental styles. Sofra has been successful in changing the view of many, who regard Turkish restaurants as nothing more than kebab shops.

Owner Huseyin Ozer who came to the UK from humble beginnings in Turkey, worked in kebab shops before opening his own restaurant. Several ministers and the then Turkish Ambassador would dine at this Mayfair restaurant, fortified with bullet-proof windows to receive these special guests. Ozer deserves credit for introducing Londoners to the delights of genuine Turkish cuisine.

The restaurant's mezze platter is known to give diners a small peek into many delicacies. Hot starters like humus kavurma, spiked with succulent, morsels of lamb and pine kernels, icli kofte, a great classic of the Middle East, deep-fried oval shells of pounded lamb, bulgur and flavourings filled with spiced mince and herbs or the börek platter, a selection of spinach, feta cheese and leek filo pastry parcels help set the stage. Cold starters include imam bayildi made of stewed aubergine, tomato and peppers and salmon sashimi.

For the mains, try the Sofra style lamb tagine, on the bone lamb, oven cooked with vegetable, almond and dry fruit, served with bulgur and lentil. If you're in the mood for seafood or fish, try the marinated Malaysian prawns served with silk route made with stir fried vegetables, rice and yoghurt. The chef's special salmon stew with onions and peppers, with Maris Piper potato puree is worthwhile too. The charcoal grill, dishes out delicious marinated chicken or lamb delights like the kulbasti or the house special of grilled mince on a bed of bread, fresh tomato sauce and yoghurt.

Red and white wines served by the glass include options from Turkey, among other wine making countries. The friendly waiters at Sofra help choose wines that go best with the food ordered. The cubes of milk pudding in rose syrup with berries and nuts are a combination of flavours and one must not leave Sofra without sampling this. Kazandibi, the caramel milk pudding with cinnamon powder and rose ice cream is another delightful choice. The knowledgeable and obliging staff make the experience at Sofra both special and memorable.

More information can be found on their Website.

The Red Lion, in the picturesque Sussex village of Handcross, is the perfect blend of idyllic country retreat and contemporary gastro pub, and is ideal for a quick lunchtime bite, an intimate dinner or a leisurely Sunday lunch. Close to the well-heeled commuter towns of Haywards Heath and Horsham, between London and Brighton, it is no surprise to learn that the pub was once a coaching inn and has played host to Admiral Horatio Nelson himself.
 
Beautifully refurbished, the pub's striking interior continues the mélange of rustic and modern as original timber beams and wooden floors rub shoulders with banquette seating, faux animal skin barstools and framed modern art prints.

This unwavering attention to detail is also discernible in the Red Lion's modern British menu which offers a range of traditional pub favourites, freshly made pizzas and pasta dishes as well as daily specials which showcase the culinary passion of the kitchen team. This pursuit of excellence is a seam that runs through everything they do from the menu of seasonal dishes, made with market fresh locally sourced produce, to the drinks menu which boasts 'the best Gin and Tonic in the World' and tempting aperitivos such as a Flirtini or Frisky Bison.

Suitably enlivened diners can then head through to the light and airy restaurant area to enjoy starters that could include a mouth-watering button mushroom bourguignon with stirata Romana rustic bread or a homemade pork rilette with pear, balsamic and date chutney and toast also whets the appetite. Alternatively indulge in sharing plates such as a classic Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, taramasalata and flatbreads.

The Red Lion confounds expectations once more with a pizza range that sees tried and true classic stone-baked margheritas or Sicilianas sharing the page with more exotic toppings such as luganega sausage with spinach, goat's cheese and pine nuts; or luxurious smoked salmon and prawn with courgette, lemon crème fraiche, horseradish and rocket.

Comforting pub favourites include fillet steak garni, freshly battered fish and chips or classic burgers with a host of extras including chorizo, bacon or flat mushroom. But this is not standard pub grub and guests can also choose to go Mediterranean with gastronomic delights such as tiger prawn linguini with crab and chorizo or slow roasted pork lasagne. The international flavours don't end there either with globe-trotting dishes of chicken and chorizo in a piri piri sauce or crispy duck in a hoisin and plum sauce.

Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with marmalade and orange blossom mascarpone; bourbon and raisin pudding with vanilla ice cream, banana cheesecake with toffee sauce and chocolate ice cream and warm brownie with vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce. Alternatively there is a selection of local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Red Lion delights going over and above the standards you'd expect to find in your common or garden gastropub, yes you'll find locally sourced produce on the menu and dishes prepared with passion and attention to detail. But go beyond the admittedly excellent a la carte menu and the pub really shows its mettle.

Enjoy a whopping 50% off a bottle of red wine when you order a 21-day old steak as part of the weekly Steak and Wine Supper night every Wednesday. Sparkling Thursdays bring a discount on bubbly (and a complementary glass of Pimms Royale) and the Rothschild Supper Club offers two diners two courses and a bottle of prestigious Rothschild champagne for just £40.

More information can be found on their Website.