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The Beefeater Grill range of restaurants, owned by the well established firm of Whitbread has transformed over time into what is now predominantly a cooking platform for chargrill. The restaurants are warm, modern and stylish, with low lighting and contemporary artwork. A comfortable, cosy, mainly booth layout offers guests their own space with no feeling of being hurried at any point. Staff are friendly and helpful if need be - what a difference that can make to a good evening out.

Be it the wide open spaces of Argentina, the intimate setting of a French restaurant, or a busy grill in London's West End, there's no denying the popularity of chargrill. As the production of quality beef, chicken, fish and lamb has grown, prices have come down by comparison, and the simple and traditional art of minimally cooking dishes by chargrill, sealing in the flavours and tastes by intense heat has caught the public imagination.

All the steaks at Beefeater Grill are matured for a minimum of 28 days before being seasoned. Whether it be juicy rib eye, the classic sirloin, that emblem of the Sunday lunch, a tender fillet, or a delicious 7oz rump, all grilled to your own specification, you're never far away from perfection. Even beefburgers have shaken off their dubious image and the highly popular Beefeater burgers are made from 100% beef.

The popular sirloin with giant prawns offers a treat to those for whom an alliance between sea and pasture is a natural attraction, whilst a 16oz steak platter links rump, fillet, sirloin and rib eye into one mouth-watering dish served with chips, battered onion rings, grilled tomato, a flat mushroom and peppercorn and brandy sauce.

Many of us love rib meat, and the rack of ribs at a Beefeater Grill has a meaty rack smoky flavour; maple ribs of pork with a choice of three sauces, mojito, smoked caramel and apple glaze, or Bourbon and black BBQ. And if all else fails and you are totally baffled by the wealth of choices, ask to have a word with the Steakmaster who will help find what is right for you, together with the best cooking method. These guys leave nothing to chance.

On a menu that is a delight to read, let alone choose a meal from, expect to find smaller dishes such as traditional prawn cocktail, whitebait, chicken liver pâté and baked Camembert, or juicy lamb koftas served with yoghurt and mint dip. There's something about a good steak meal that always leaves a gap for a little temptation to sweeten up the scene and from amongst twelve options look for Belgian chocolate cheesecake, treacle sponge pudding or a caramel apple crumble pie.

Throughout the day a wide range of more general dishes are yours for the ordering, sandwiches, jackets, classic favourites like fish and chips, pasta, salads, and sharing dishes of nachos, potato shells and a Beefeater Grill combo. Next door to many of the restaurants are Premier Inns, so staying the night whatever the circumstances need not be a problem.

And what about wine? Endorsed by Matthew Jukes, wine writer in the Daily Mail and bon viveur in his own right, a wine list that marches with the menu completes an impressive and compelling invitation to enjoy whatever takes your fancy at the nearest Beefeater Grill.

Click on their Website for menu updates and special offers.

An oasis of exotic flavours, Ayoush on the High Street offers diners authentic Middle Eastern, Moroccan, and North African cuisine in welcoming surroundings. Close to the River Thames and just a stone's throw from the renowned Eton College, guests can spend a relaxing evening in cosy cushioned interiors around a fire, on a canopied terrace perfect for al fresco dining or at the vibrant bar. Live belly dancing over the weekend adds to Ayoush's allure.

Offers a selection of the best flavours and ingredients from Egypt, Morocco and the Middle East, customers can choose their favourites from a range of flavourful couscous, sizzling tagines, shared mezze plates, fresh salads and delicious mains of fish, seafood, grilled meats and vegetarian options.

Cold starters include baba ganough, a classic dish of roughly chopped grilled aubergine mixed with tahina, garlic, fresh lemon juice and olive oil; or foul akhdar, green broad beans in tomato sauce with garlic, cumin, coriander and olive oil. Hot starters include samboussek, golden fried homemade pastry parcels with a range of fillings including feta cheese and parsley, minced lamb and herbs or fresh spinach and cheese. Alternatively you could opt for daoud pasha, meatballs mixed with chopped onion, parsley, garlic, coriander and cooked in tomato sauce. The special mezze selection allows guests to sample a range of dishes showcasing unique flavours from across the region.

The main course choices include Chef's specials of chicken spinach roulade served with rice; oriental roast leg of lamb served with mixed salad and rice; or the vegetarian platter with a selection of grilled vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs, topped with mozzarella cheese and served with rice.

Other authentic specialities include lamb couscous with traditional Moroccan mixed herbs, raisins and steamed vegetables and chicken tagine, a classic chicken stew with the light touch of Moroccan spices, preserved lemons and green olives. A sumptuous Couscous Royal has couscous topped with tender lamb, chicken, mergueze, steamed vegetables, raisins and chickpeas.
 
The grill offers succulent fare of grilled marinated lamb cubes on skewers with onion, red and green peppers; grilled chicken marinated in a herb garlic sauce and classic lamb kofta with onions and green peppers marinated in a herb garlic sauce.

Seafood lovers will relish dishes such as grilled Mediterranean king prawns marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and herbs; and grilled whole sea bass topped with a flavourful tomato sauce mixed with leek, dill, fresh coriander, garlic and chilli. A variety of set menus gives diners other options.

The dessert selection is equally tempting with choices of mehalabia, a traditional Egyptian dish made from cornflower, milk, eggs, fresh strawberry and topped with whipped cream; or the Tunisian favourite of masfouf, which combines steamed fine couscous with sugar, pomegranate and topped with nuts and cinnamon.

The drinks list offers a wide range of cocktails and shooters, white and red wines, beers and spirits to perfectly complement your meal.

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

Spurred on by the success of LSQ2 at GreenPark, Reading, Sally and Tony Cole took a considered look at a site in the town centre and were fortunate to secure another riverside location at the Oracle in the very heart of this vibrant university town.

The very epitome of a modern restaurant, the glass walls bathe the interior in natural light that combines with the contemporary cathedral-like height of the space to create a perfect backdrop against which to showcase the theatre of modern exhibition cooking. This is a space in which to impress, to entertain clients, or merely chill out with friends, colleagues, relations even.

On the corner of the riverside and London Street, Oracle is handy for parking at Holybrook and Riverside. Both are safe, secure and easily accessible. Riverside is open 24/7. If travelling by rail Reading station is only a mile away.

Start your meal in style with baked Waterloo cheese, onion marmalade with chilli relish, or there's olives marinated with olive oil, garlic, chilli and fresh herbs, and home baked bread with olive oil, balsamic and spezie.

Traditional Thai fishcakes of salmon and pangasius fillet with sweet chilli sauce, wild local rabbit and Meon Valley pork faggot with braised leeks and spicy butternut broth, or potted duo of fresh and smoked salmon with crème fraiche, pernod, lemon juice and chives are but three from a good range of entrée dishes.

Main courses pursue a happy path of inventiveness tinged with tradition and the red curry of seafood, an aromatic cream curry with scallops, salmon, pollock and prawns, venison Wellington accompanied by haggis, horseradish cream, swede fondant and red wine sauce, or pan fried North Sea cod with star anise braised oxtail and oyster mushrooms reinforce this trend. For an indulgent concession to modern food take a closer look at the Wagyu beef burger on brioche with local cooked salmon, free range fried egg, bacon, cheese, chilli miso and triple cooked chips.

The char-grill continues the theme of modern and imaginative dishes with a difference, and the weeping tiger kangaroo fillet steak is marinated in lime, chilli and coriander and served with jasmine rice. A roasted Cornish monkfish comes to table wrapped in prosciutto with Yorkshire pudding, cider, chorizo and caper cream sauce. The butternut squash and chickpea gnocchi stages an appearance, with a supporting cast of chestnut brown mushrooms and wild garlic.

The range of sweet temptations that lies in wait to trap the weak and unwary scores points with a treacle tart with crème anglaise, icky sticky toffee pudding with toffee pecan sauce and Chantilly cream and a local cheese board that seems to have made a point of selecting the most outstanding of its kind, all stating the case for a menu that has not just had some puddings added on.

LSQ2's express lunch operates daily from 12 to 6 pm, offering exceptional value from a two course menu with such hot dishes as traditional Thai fishcakes with sweet chilli sauce and home made Pollock fish fingers with triple cooked chips and mushy peas.

On Sundays (11-5) LSQ2 serves brunch, the ideal occasion to totally chill with or without friends, probably the newspapers, enjoying anything from coffee and croissants to an impressive full English, and much, much more as lunch comes and goes.

Looking for private dining for an intimate party of up to 8? Call 0118 9511 311 and do it in style at Oracle Riverside.

A smart wine list presses the right buttons. From a 2006 Chianti Reserva Villa Di Campobello to a South African 2007 Merlot with a nose like a port light, the list follows in the footsteps of the LSQ2 interpretation of exciting food in great surroundings and company.

Their excellent Website will keep you up to date on changes and events.

Here's an enterprising idea. Sally and Tony Cole decided it made no sense at all for the ten companies on a business park in Reading to each have its own café, and acquired the only empty unit, fortuitously in a waterfront setting surrounded by a 180 acre green and pleasant landscape, before converting it into a 65 seat restaurant/brasserie.

With minimalist style décor, two chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants and a lot of chutzpah they were off. Having won the Reading Restaurant of the Year Award 2007-2008, shortlisted 5 years for National Restaurant of the Year and holder of the Top Table Golden Award, voted for by diners, and being recommended two years running by Michelin, you should not be disappointed.

Whilst there is significant customer support from the Business Park, the influx in the evenings brings a lively blend of light and shade, given trouble-free parking and easy access off the M4. With dishes like traditional Thai fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce, potted duo of fresh and smoked salmon with crème fraiche, pernod, lemon juice and chives, ox cheek spring roll with cauliflower puree and chilli jam, the evening is off to a good start.

Main courses pursue a happy path of inventiveness tinged with tradition and the red curry of seafood, an aromatic cream curry with scallops, salmon, pollock and prawns, venison Wellington accompanied by haggis, horseradish cream and red wine sauce, or a crispy potato scallop with curried puy lentils, tomato and spinach and riata are all dishes that please many. For an indulgent concession to modern food do take a tilt at the Wagyu beef burger.

The roasted monkfish comes to table wrapped in prosciutto with Yorkshire pudding, cider, chorizo and caper sauce. Isle of Wight lamb two ways, the roasted rump of lamb and wontons of braised shoulder of lamb stages an appearance with lemongrass and ginger. If you are a touch bored with traditionally prepared chicken try the corn fed free range Dorset chicken breast with massaman curried mousse filling, parsnip chips and creamed spinach.

A range of sweet temptations lies in wait to trap the weak and enthusiastic, with a classic lemon tart, sticky toffee pudding with pecan toffee sauce and Chantilly cream and a local cheese board that seems to have made a point of selecting the most outstanding of its kind, all stating the case for a menu that has not just had some puddings added on.

LSQ2's express lunch menu operates daily from 12 to 6 pm, offering exceptional value from a two option menu with dishes such as chicken liver parfait with toasted bread, and Hampshire pork sausages with mash and onion gravy. Hawkers Corner lists five attractive Asian dishes, of which nasi-goreng Indonesian style fried rice with mixed satay, fried egg and prawn crackers could be one.

A short, smart wine list presses the right buttons. From an Italian Chianti Reserva Villa Di Campobello 2006 to an Australian Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. Rich and opulent but brooding in its youth, the list follows in the footsteps of the LSQ2 interpretation of exciting food in great surroundings and company.

With the Madejski Stadium only a couple of good long kicks away and easy access, LSQ2 could easily become habitual. LSQ2 could easily become habitual. In any case you'll want to know more and one click will take you to their Website.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre. Malmaison Reading follows the well-established Malmaison trend in establishing their hotels in buildings of interesting styles and location, and the erstwhile Great Western Rail Hotel has been transformed into a stunning boutique hotel offering a luxurious refuge. Inside, there's a dark, stylish interior, innovative design, unusual artwork and lots of hints to remind you of the building's history. 

The bedrooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing. There are five stylish rail themed suites, while artwork inspired by the Great Western Railway can be seen on the walls. At the brasserie, the mood definitely veers towards comfort and elegance where the exposed walls and ceilings lend a rustic appeal and the beautiful glass wine cellar adds immensely to the style quotient.

Amidst elegant surroundings, with spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially brasserie menu is offered, where lovers of seafood will be delighted to note that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful moules marinières.

Head Chef Andrew Holmes and his team bring to the table typical brasserie dishes such as treacle cured salmon and soft boiled quail egg served with toasted rye bread that have always been popular choices, and can be taken here as a starter or a main course. Monkfish with chorizo and butter beans rarely fails to please, and the same holds true for the pot roast chicken and sage dumplings.

An inspired choice amongst the main courses is the baked hazelnut and parmesan crusted cod with cockles and mussels while the beef bourguignon is another enticing option. Which leads us neatly to the - wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak on the plate has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the dry-aged bone rump and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes, but steak and chips on its own takes some beating. Vegetarians are well looked after - the pumpkin and gorgonzola filled gnocchi sounded appealing.

Heading the desserts is the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find a chocolate pithivier with clotted cream. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy while the renowned cheese trolley has a selection of British and French farmhouse cheeses served with an assortment of breads, biscuits and chutney.

A wine list that draws from all the major wine-growing areas is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Reading. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

Offering delicious Parisian-style bistro cooking with a modern twist in an informal and welcoming atmosphere, Côte Brasserie at The Riverside in the bustling Oracle Shopping Centre, is the ideal venue for a quick lunch or leisurely evening meal. Guests can enjoy simple freshly prepared French food at a reasonable price with seating available both inside and at riverside alfresco tables.
 
Open all days of the week from 8 am for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the à la carte menu offers classics such as steak frites, moules marinières, steak tartare, pan roasted duck breast and rump of lamb. Other options include starters of coarsely shredded duck and pork pâté with toasted sourdough bread, seared yellow fin tuna, king prawns in a white wine, garlic and tomato sauce with toasted garlic and parsley croutons and sliced smoked Scottish salmon with dill, shallots, baby capers and crème fraîche dressing. You could also try pissaladière, traditional warm flatbread from Nice with caramelised onions and served with anchovies, olives and parsley or Reblochon cheese and thyme.

Main course choices include a number of delicious seafood options such as fish Parmentier of cod, haddock, prawn and salmon in a creamy white wine and leek sauce, topped with mash potato and gruyère cheese, or a luxurious seafood linguine with tiger prawns, mussels, clams and squid sautéed in garlic, chilli, shallots, white wine and cherry tomatoes. Classic meat dishes include steak haché, chopped spiced rump steak, char grilled and served with frites and a cornichon and tomato relish or pan roasted duck breast with potato gratin and a griottine cherry sauce.

Lighter dishes such as tuna Niçoise and tart Provençale, a warm puff pastry with ratatouille, goat's cheese, black olives, capers and basil could be equally satisfying. The grill offers authentic poulet Breton, with corn fed chicken sourced from rural Brittany, accompanied by frites and a choice of garlic butter, Provençale or wild mushroom sauce. Steaks from Church Farm in the Peak District are 'aged on the bone' and served char grilled with frites along with a choice of Roquefort or garlic butter, peppercorn or béarnaise sauce are also popular at Côte Brasserie.

Desserts of crème caramel, warm chocolate fondant, fine layered apple tart with vanilla ice cream, iced summer berries with warm white chocolate sauce and dark chocolate mousse indulge the sweet tooth. Alternatively, you could opt for Roquefort and Reblochon cheeses served with bread and grapes.

A full English breakfast as well as choice of crêpes with eggs and bacon, eggs Benedict, croque monsieur and madame or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs sets you up for the day ahead. The restaurant also offers daily and weekend specials that change to incorporate seasonal produce while two and three-course lunch and early evening set menus are available too. An excellent wine list features crisp whites such as Lagarde Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc La Place and a soft, fruity Chablis 1er Cru Montmain as well as a range of reds from a light Château La Croix De Queynac, or Côtes Du Rhone Rouge to a complex vintage Château La Tourette. It is also filled with examples of champagne, sparkling and rose wines. More information is available on their Website.

The Belvedere Arms in Sunninghill is a pub where you can meander the day away enjoying fine food and chilled wines and beers, forgetting about the worries of work! Located on the edge of Windsor Great Park, near to Blacknest Gate, it is just a short drive from Wentworth Golf Club and Guards Polo Club. The venue has been tastefully restored, incorporating many of the historic values of the pub and the surrounding area together with modern aspects featuring stone-fired ovens to log burning fires, deep leather seating and spacious teak furnishings.

The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and informal, while the overall impression is of a comfortable, light and open pub. It is their attention to detail and high level of service that ensures your whole dining experience will be one to remember. It really comes into its own when there is fine weather, and the garden is the perfect place to enjoy alfresco drinking and dining alongside the stream in the shade of the willow.

The menu is simple but up-to-the-minute, with lots of comfort appeal, and homely items such as pizza, steaks and pasta as well as contemporary, global touches to keep things lively; all delivered by friendly and cheerful staff. Their wine list contains well-known favourites, alongside little numbers from around the world.

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. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - 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 receive a rapturous welcome.

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 roasted vegetables, goats' cheese, tomatoes and rocket or the delicious Siciliana with Serrano ham, roast artichoke, olives and mozzarella.

The grill and rotisserie dishes for hearty eaters are well worth trying and choices include spit chicken with cacciatora sauce and frites, and rib-eye steak with rocket, fresh horseradish sauce and crispy onions. For the big event there is calves' liver with sweet potato, beetroot gratin and watercress. Persian spiced lamb chops with tzatziki, tomato and red onion salad is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. Scottish salmon with Asian greens, chilli salsa and tempura sweet potato fritters as well veal paillard add further dimensions to a wide choice range.

Well presented 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.

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

The Ferry opened on Sutton Road in 2005 after a refurbishment and is today a warm, cosy pub with deep leather seating and teak furnishings. Its subtle lighting and spacious layout give it a comfortable and unpretentious ambiance. Expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their tastes may be. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English public house.

Modern day pubs usually share a number of characteristics and an important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have a garden, in this case a riverside one adjacent to the bridge at Cookham, and by no means least a roomy and well-stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Ferry provides ample evidence that this is true. But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates; garlic pizzette with caramelised onion and rocket, a box baked camembert with stiratta romagna and homemade tomato jam, Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, feta, fregola, tzatziki, spinach and ricotta pâté with warm flatbreads. Amongst the starters is freshly made soup, gambas with garlic, rocket, aioli and rustic bread, and, spiced crab, avocado, prawns, ginger and pink grapefruit. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck, mouli, carrots, spring onions, water cress, hoisin and plum sauce, and for the seafood fiends some prawn, avocado, pecans, bacon with orange, mango and pomegranate vinaigrette 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 pomodoro, mozzarella, oregano and basil; piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños or rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes.

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 chips. The freshly battered haddock with minted mushy peas, chips and tartare sauce is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks, and roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, pancetta, asparagus, button onions and baby potatoes. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Ferry stocks a wide range of beers, both well-loved draught ales and bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available.

Their excellent Website will keep you up to date on any changes. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

The Red Lion at Stoke Green has been a public drinking house for over four hundred years and was formerly part of the estate belonging to the Howard-Vyse family of Stoke Place. For centuries, it has been integral to the culture of Stoke Green. It is one of those pubs that have surfaced on the mainstream of casual eating in the UK during the last decade and are taking an increasing share of the market.

Contemporary pubs like these usually share a number of characteristics; an important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be, good, too, to have a garden, an optional al fresco eating out space. And last, but by no means least, a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay, after all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and by implication the good management that goes with them, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Red Lion at Stoke Green provides ample evidence that this is true.

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, char-grilled stuffed peppers and minted 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.

The Red Lion stocks a wide range of beers, both well-loved draught ales and bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub.

For up to date information please refer to their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Windsor Grill, only a stone's throw from Windsor's Long Walk, is a continuation of the Antony Worrall Thompson crusade for simple, honest food, largely British, to be served in his restaurants, using only the finest ingredients. The Grill is a welcome addition to the pleasures of this historical royal fortress town.

One of the principal attractions of the Grill is the expert attention paid to the selection of the meat courses, combined with a certain leaning towards some of the more traditional dishes as befits a decent brasserie type menu. Devilled lamb's kidneys, or bang bang chicken with peanut sauce, Mr Machin's Scottish smoked salmon and avocado prawns all carry connotations of red damask and shiny brass rails. But for many the steak tartare never fails, served as a starter or main course compete with capers, shallots, gherkins with grilled bread, and chips with the mains.

There is a culinary symmetry at work here and it is little surprise to find seared scallops, salmon and smoked haddock fishcake with buttered spinach and Hollandaise, or chilli salt squid with guacamole, sour cream, and chilli jam sitting comfortably within range of sumptuous steaks.

Few burgers have a better pedigree than those offered by AWT, and the eponymous version weighing in at 8oz is good value, made with 35 day hung Scottish beef and served on an onion bun with salad horseradish and tomato sauce, mayonnaise and skinny or chunky chips.

Six different cuts of steak start with a 10oz rib-eye, and move through a 24oz rib-chop on the bone, described as "a mega piece of meat", a modest 6oz fillet that is very tender and fat free, finishing with a 16oz Chateaubriand for two. Five different sauces give pretty total taste coverage.

That traditional piece of indulgence in the form of a classic mixed grill brings to your plate steak, lamb cutlet, pork sausage, calf's liver, dry cured bacon, lamb's kidney, black pudding, tomato and mushroom, though pork enthusiasts are likely to be sidetracked with a plate of porchetta, black pudding, sausage, belly, bacon, sage and onion stuffing and a good helping of apple chilli jelly.

A menu of daily specials explores Parma ham, grilled figs and melon salad, slow cooked duck leg served with soy and sesame Asian salad, a 9oz fillet steak, fillet of brill with a medley of greens, creamy garlic and white wine prawns, and a vegetarian dish.

One always has the feeling that desserts at a robust restaurant such as this are a bit of an afterthought, but a vanilla pannacotta, berry coulis and tuille biscuit, fresh English strawberries with pouring cream in season, or some very agreeable Wigmore soft cheese are certainly not to be ignored. Their lunch and late supper menu meet a real need in the town and at less than £15 for three courses who's to grumble?

A well selected wine list yields some intensely interesting prospects and those who like their cocktails will certainly not be disappointed. AWT these days wears the contented smile of a man who has escaped the rat race and settled down with a nice number of restaurants in each of which he can take a close interest. For further information a quick click on their Website does the trick.