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A very scenic black and white country pub in the equally attractive village of Sonning, offering a good range of well-prepared English and international dishes, including vegetarian, and renowned for the generosity of its helpings. The sort of place where you can drop in, feel instantly at home and enjoy a satisfying meal. Nice selection of wine.

The strategic location sets the scene for this Sardinian specialist, so it's not uncommon to see ladies unwinding over lunch after a day of retail therapy at the Broad Street shopping area, or the pre-theatre crowd descending in the evening for a quick bite before scurrying off to the Hexagon. The others could just sit back and relax in the 'ceramic floor and pink granite table' interior before tackling some Italian gastronomic delights.

Specialities like spaghetti alla bottarga, made of cured grey mullet roe, sea bass baked in a crust of salt, and the house speciality of slow roasted suckling piglet, along with Sardinian wines, offer some of the best from the island that is available. Diners who wish to have bread with their meal can order the thin and crispy pane carasatu with extra virgin olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Pepe Sale hosts regular live music evenings with the local jump, jive and swing band.

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.

The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.

Always an attractive place The Miller has been given an uplift which has not made a single visible sacrifice to its charm, yet has somehow increased its overall appeal. Nor has it been achieved by smoke and mirrors.

All too often one reads about village inns that have upgraded without sacrificing the interests of the locals, who nonetheless are conspicuous by their absence. Not here, and as likely as not you will find yourself sitting next to a local party, either in the bar or the handsome restaurant.

An a la carte menu draws heavily on the surrounding locality, starting with gravadlax of salmon and pickled cucumber, followed by The Miller style grilled sirloin of dry aged beef, with mushrooms, spinach and pont neuf potatoes, roasted Cornish turbot, or poached fillet of halibut with a nage of cockles, mussels and vegetables.

Pudding of raspberry shortbread and clotted cream or a dark chocolate tart pistachio ice cream are two good ways of concluding a well presented and prepared meal, and with a changing menu there's always something new to be enjoyed. This is a thoroughly recommended inn of great character.

Trunkwell specialises in holding functions, and very well it does them, from smaller corporate events through to full blown weddings; these are held outside in the Langans Marquee - linked to the famous Langans Brasserie in London's Mayfair - holding substantial numbers, up to two hundred guests, at a time. Trunkwell was originally built in 1878 for a successful local business family. In 1937 it was bought for 5000 guineas by the Udall family who lived in the house until 1966. It was then run as a restaurant by various people until 1990 when the current owner, Bob Walton, bought the house. Much time and money has since been spent restoring the Victorian house and gardens to their former glory.

The inside dining room is used mainly for private dining, and they are happy to book that out for parties of between ten and firty four for a seated meal. Their inventive British cuisine is the sort of food that you can feel comfortable with, a typical meal could consist of: Mediterranean fish soup; eggs benedict; king prawns in garlic butter; bang bang chicken - smoked breast of chicken coated in peanut sauce or terrine of foie gras, foie gras layered and infused with armagnac and served with jellied sauternes to start.

This could be followed by: grilled tuna steak with watermelon and mango salsa; cannon of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and redcurrant jus or loin of venison with chestnuts figs and juniper scented jus. But leave room for their classic puddings - choose from flambéed crepes Suzette, crème brûlée with raspberries, blackberry and apple crumble, steamed syrup sponge and custard to a duo of Belgian chocolate mousse. Their extensive a la carte menu and well stocked wine list can cater for every occasion.

Trunkwell also specialises in off-site business meetings, multi-activity days, team building, seminars, training sessions and full conferences. All catering requirements are provided from breakfast meetings, lunches, afternoon tea and dinner.

YO! Sushi Reading, House of Fraser is a vital gastronomic experience rather than simply a place to eat sushi. This exciting and visually appealing Japanese delicacy, almost a cuisine in itself and going back to the 4th century BC, is fast rising in popularity for reasons of both taste and health, as well as its companionable setting. The restaurants offer a range of delectable nibbles that are attractively presented and revolve on a gently moving belt in front of customers, allowing them to sample a real wealth of varieties and eat just what they like best as often as they wish.

Contrary to many people's perception of sushi as raw fish, it comes in many forms drawing heavily on rice, fish, vegetables and seafood but the great variety arises chiefly from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these are combined. Often the same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, yet creating widely differing tastes.

Some of the most popular types are sashimi rolls, made from raw or seared slices of salmon and tuna and meant to be eaten within a couple of hours of being put together. Other options include cones of seaweed with rice and fillings and the little boat shaped parcels called gunkans. Miso soups, salads and nigiri sushi made of rice with toppings all add to its strong visual appeal.

Great beers like Asahi Super Dry and Sapporo support the food superbly, as well as hot and cold sake for those who want to sustain the Japanese experience. The menu also has non-alcoholic drinks and a limited list of wines and champagne. For dessert try the dorayaki, mochi or settle for fresh fruit.

The experience of having a meal at YO! Sushi is enriched by the unique array that appears as if by magic before the diner, with its unique colour coded pricing system. But the real pull is the fresh, healthy and tasty food that keeps people returning to their outlets across the UK.

Offering a slice of Nepalese and Thai cuisine, The Khukuri is a small but chic restaurant located in London Street that is an ideal place for cosy intimate dinners but also lends itself well to large parties and gatherings. With an understated décor, traditional music and friendly service, the restaurant assures diners of food that is prepared using natural herbs and spices and locally sourced produce which is affordable and healthy.

For food connoisseurs, Khukuri offers a variety of traditional dishes such as satay chicken, butterfly king prawns, and the chef's special Everest chicken, prepared using seventeen different herbs and spices; or the rato kukura, a char-grilled chicken dish in a creamy Nepalese masala sauce. Other dishes from the Thai menu such as Thai red curry and chicken cashew nuts can also be tried out accompanied by different rice and rotis.

With a fully licensed bar offering a selection of fine wines and other drinks, diners can be assured of having a good meal at prices that are easy on the pocket.

Slug and Lettuce has a chain of almost a hundred bars spread across the country sharing a common love of serving down to earth, undemanding food and drink.

The group prides itself on offering dishes prepared using quality ingredients, and you should be attended on by attentive staff in a safe, welcoming and cheerful environment. The Slugs have something for anyone - breakfast for a lively start to the day, lunch for busy people, family meals or even a relaxing glass of wine to bring a tiring day to an end - all in a variety of modern and stylish settings.

The menu features old time English favourites such as Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages in buttered mash or fish pie made with Dartmouth smokehouse haddock, in a Devon cream and leek sauce, although dishes look to Europe and further afield to Asia for inspiration. A good way to start the enjoyment is by sharing platters of Southern fried chicken breast pieces, crispy potato wedges, garlic ciabatta strips, half a rack of BBQ pork ribs, wasabi vegetables with onion rings or some Greek mezze

Hearty steak pies, Thai curry with sticky jasmine rice or butternut squash with goats' cheese lasagne are amongst the more popular main dishes. Sandwiches or wraps - warm tortilla with chicken and Parmesan or aromatic duck in plum sauce - provide for those who prefer something lighter. They also serve burgers as well as tempting salads like salmon, asparagus or tomato and mozzarella. For children they have good old British standby sausage and mash, or pepper pasta and ketchup among other choices, all of which never fail to delight, particularly as some of them seem to have come out of a certain celebrity chef's Book of Forbidden Dishes.

Desserts appear in the form of raspberry biscotti, hot chocolate pudding or a creamy strawberry cheesesake. The wine list is well compiled and substantial. There are not less than seven French, three from Italy and some from Spain, Chile, Australia as well as New Zealand. Slug and Lettuce can cater for events including birthday parties, fashion shows, hen nights, wedding parties or just an enjoyable night out with a few friends.