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Yet another example of how Indian restaurants are smartening up their act, this seventy two seater place - with its own parking area - has a smartly presented menu, and usefully uses a chilli symbol to indicate whether dishes are rated mild, medium or hot.

Elaichi is the Bengali name for cardamom seeds, an essential ingredient of authentic Bangladeshi cuisine. the menu ranges from the normally expected choices, like onion bhajee or lamb tikka to start, but then also offers the more unusual such as mussels Bengali style, with garlic, methi leaves, cream, butter and white wine or chicken momo with spring onion, coriander, chilli, turmeric and green pepper.

Mains are comprehensive, running from an excellent selection of vegetarian dishes through to a great variety of seafood, prawn palak, for instance, with spinach, mild ground spices with a touch of fresh ginger and garlic. Even the wine list is a little more enterprising than normal, wandering as far afield as New Zealand and Chile, with house wine at £9.95, but a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is only £1 a bottle more.

Housed in a 17th century building situated opposite the church and village green in the heart of Ivinghoe, much of The Kings Head's historical past remains intact in its oak beams, log fires and antique furniture. The walled garden is a tranquil oasis to enjoy an aperitif or settle down with an after dinner coffee.

Sautéed Scottish scallops, braised gem lettuce and crispy pork belly and Granny Smith vinaigrette jostle with caramelised endive with smoked salmon, goat's cheese and pickled beetroot on the starters section. Main courses of fillet of Atlantic cod, mushroom ravioli, roasted shallot, steamed courgette, courgette puree with cep sauce and roasted Aylesbury duckling and apple sauce with calvados, sage and onion stuffing, and the new Prestige tasting menu underline the instinctive British philosophy of the kitchen. To end an indulgent dessert and a pot of coffee with homemade petit fours may be hard to resist.

The banqueting suite with its own facilities and a separate bar could just be the right place to host wedding breakfasts or dinner parties.

The impressive and beautiful chateaux style Waddesdon Manor draws its fair share of visitors who are keen on seeing the gardens up close or learning more about the various collections housed there by the Rothschild family. The Manor Restaurant is located in what used to be the Old Kitchen and Servant's Hall where traditional and seasonal British and European dishes are on offer. Breakfast, snacks, lunch and afternoon tea is served in this fully licensed restaurant while dinner is available on only one Saturday evening in a month.

For quick morning sustenance, you could opt for the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast or even indulge in a full English breakfast. Lunch time options include cep mushroom and potato soup, smoked haddock and spring onion fishcake and traditional free range turkey roast. Homemade cakes, biscuits and sandwiches are available during afternoon tea and the award winning wine list has some of the finest Rothschild wines.

The delightful village of Chalfont St Giles is high on the charm factor with its 18th century cottages and a duck pond, and The White Hart Inn certainly benefits from a location such as this to maintain its charm. There are a few things better than sitting by an open fire in the bar area on a blustery winter day with a group of friends and a glass of Prosecco in hand.

The cooking is part gastropub, part modern British, so there could be beer battered deep fried cod and trio of Italian sausages alongside breast of pheasant and lamb shank cooked in red wine, rosemary and garlic, served with root vegetables. This could be preceded by starters of fresh scallops with fennel and terrine of chicken and rabbit flavoured with soft wild herbs, asparagus and plum chutney.

The White Hart Inn's event diary features wine tasting and Italian evenings amongst others.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.

Nature in all its splendour has an awe-inspiring effect on mere mortals, and at the Fox Country Inn in Wycombe, this feeling is magnified by the surrounding beauty. Comfortably furnished, this is a splendid location for business meetings, but if the thought of spending precious time cooped up inside a conference room horrifies you, there's no better place to explore the countryside.

All that walking and hiking is bound to build an appetite and the restaurant at Fox Country Inn is a great place to assuage your hunger pangs. Expect starters like tomato and pine nut risotto, followed by veal and kidney medallions with mushrooms à la crème, spinach and Madeira sauce. It might be advisable to forgo the habit of counting calories as you indulge in the trio of chocolate mousse with wild cherries for dessert. Step inside the bar to enjoy their local and international wines or beers as you relax and unwind.

Here's an Indian restaurant that has encompassed all the culinary regions of India in its menu, and with fantastic results too. Spice Merchant is spread across the South East with four restaurants, each with a distinctive style and décor, although the quality of the food is the same as ever, top notch. The element of chic along with the friendly staff and the unusual items on the menu, make this a popular dining spot amongst locals and visitors.

The typical tikkas and curries make their presence felt, but it is the innovative and deeply regional dishes that really grab your attention. Maybe you could start with the nalli barra, lamb osso bucco in masala with a tinge of pineapple, and then move on to main course of rajwada gosht, a royal preparation of lamb cooked with whole spices. Other specialities include spiced lobster with saffron and the wine list is commendable, featuring a number of compatible choices.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.