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The Oat Sheaf located in Fleet, is the sort of place that gives gastropubs a good name. With its welcoming and well presented exterior as an immediate invitation, inside it is a delight of carefully chosen colours that stroke the psyche of its customers and create the relaxation and pleasure that go with good taste and hands on management.

Plenty of wood and leather creates warmth and luxury, and nothing is neglected, be it tasteful menu holders or well balanced lighting. This is a gastropub that is created for the convenience and enjoyment of its guests as a primary objective.

With a menu that is predominantly modern British, a Mediterranean influence can also be detected , and all dishes are seasonally motivated. Choices are impressive and a large range carries the conviction that is not always a part of extensive menus.

The Oat Sheaf is all about sociability and sharing plates are an indispensable aid in boosting this amiable quality; look for the antipasti of stuffed peppers, salamis, rocket, green chillies and warm stone-baked flatbread as you consider the menu, sip a cocktail or two and generally unwind.

Warm Mediterranean trends exert their presence with asparagus, Serrano ham and crispy poached egg, and Goan chicken and bacon skewers with onion and coconut salad is superb. A Stilton and spiced pear tart with rocket, red wine and hazelnut vinaigrette, or duck rillette with rhubarb and ginger chutney and wholemeal toast are early indications of skills at work in the kitchen.

Fancy a stonebaked pizza? No problem, choose from six options that includes smoked salmon, or a gamberetti full of the flavour of the sea. Nor are salads forgotten, there are choices and seared beef with beetroot, orange, fresh horseradish and watercress with shaved parmesan can be taken either as a starter or main course, as can many other pre-dishes.

Let's assume you bypass the linguini, one of four selections from the pasta list, before moving on to a truly generous array of main dishes where lamb rack with chorizo, peas, bacon, spinach and minted potatoes competes with roasted salmon with cauliflower and coriander fritter and pineapple salsa, beer battered haddock and River Exe mussels and clams marinière amongst others. An impressive harvest of side dishes make the most of field and garden.

A galaxy of puddings goes for the jugular with sticky toffee pudding, a spiced apple caramel crumble, or a plum and frangipane tart with lemon mascarpone; farmhouse cheeses abound and there's a Warre?s Optima 10 years old tawny port to go with it, if the spirit moves that way.

The Great British Roast makes an impressive appearance on Sundays, accompanied by log fires in season, Sunday newspapers, Bloody Marys and leather sofas. Just bliss. However the weekend starts early at The Oat Sheaf - Thursday to be precise, when all day they offer crisp, fresh Prosecco and house champagne at unbelievably bargain prices. Not for nothing is it referred to as Sparkling Thursday.

On weekdays a great value prix fixe menu is available lunch and early evening until 7pm, Monday to Friday, with a choice of two or three courses.

The wine list has been selected to inspire and excites even the most experienced topers. Try the Chassagne Montrachet, Premier Cru Burgundy or a rather striking Bodegas VQ Merlot Rose, from Spain.

Should you not be convinced by now that we are impressed with The Oat Sheaf, check on their Website for further information - but there's nothing like firsthand experience? Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

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.

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.

A magnificent country house surrounded by large tracts of Hampshire countryside. Gertrude Jekyll designed the gardens that look over the woodlands and lakes. Everything in the dining room is very traditional, from the superb oak panelling to the smart waiters and the baby grand piano.

Start with a salad of lobster, served with marinated baby vegetables and a sherry dressing. The rack of Hampshire lamb comes with roasted vegetables and a Rosemary jus. For a dessert my money would be on the poached pear served with cinnamon ice cream and glazed poire William Sabayon. The fish of the day served from the carving trolley is both novel and popular. A though-provoking wine list has house wine at £16.50. Menus change seasonally. Lunch is rather cheaper than dinner.

A welcoming little high street bistro offering good value food which is both imaginative and well-served. Such items as crostini of charred asparagus with black olive and aubergine salsa and white chocolate mousse with strawberry and champagne compote set the style and Grapevine is understandably rarely short of customers. Down the road at Number 77, a Grapevine deli has sprung up and the dedication to good, sound food could hardly be more obvious.

Some years ago when I was living in Ayrshire I became an habitué of the 17th/21st Lancers at Kilwinning. Here the British Raj and Indian cuisine lived on in total harmony and I often wondered how I would face up to its loss when I returned to England. Now I know - it would have been The Gurkha Square. Superb flavours, impeccable service and ambience in this little Nepal as the Himalayan influence takes over. It is not every ethnic restaurant in England that can give the assurance and confidence that they do here. And that's before they even fix bayonets. House wine at £10.

Tucked away in Hartley Witney, amidst many antique shops, restaurants and pubs, is The Pour House, which offers customers an attractive environment and an imaginative array of food. These are supported by a tempting list of cocktails, many of them their own creations.

They have an international team of young and enthusiastic staff, who are friendly and attentive. Guests can choose to have a meal al fresco, or head to a stylish dining area inside, with contrasting light and dark colours, shining wooden tables and beautiful wine glasses.

Their food speaks for itself and you can expect to find dishes such as braised fillet of beef, cabbage, bacon mash, and seared salmon fillet, crisp potatoes, tomato with soy dressing. Close your meal in style with a delightful hot winter berries fondue or caramelised lemon tart with clotted cream.

A typical handsome Hampshire pub which certainly sells beer, and good beer too but is heavily dedicated towards the provision of what is sometimes referred to as pub grub. All too often there is a derogatory flavour to this handle, but it certainly does not apply here.

Handsomely large helpings of good, well-prepared and mainly familiar food appear by means of brusque but friendly service and the place has real buzz. Such old favourites as steak and ale pie, bread and butter pudding, and genuine custard, like it or not, are frequently called for. The beers are well-kept and entertaining, with the wine list doing the same for those who do not wish to carry bucolic decadence too far.

Blubeckers has an impressive chain of more than twenty restaurants spread across the South East and although the unifying factor in each is the superb food and drink they offer, each restaurant is distinct and stands out on its own, rather than a mindless factory assembly product. Consider for example the gorgeous buildings that they choose, every single one of them attractive, full of character and charm, creating a relaxing and casual atmosphere for drinkers and diners.

Tempting options for lunch include sandwiches served on thick white or malted brown bloomer, whereas light bites such as macaroni and cheese or handmade scotch egg are equally popular. The main menu brings you starters such as pork and apricot terrine followed by grilled lamb steak in mint and redcurrant sauce, served with rosemary roasted new potatoes. End with a plum tarte tatin and enjoy the wide range of wines, champagnes, beers and ales from their excellent bar.