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We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but occasionally 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 Winchester, Hotel du Vin is a unique luxury boutique hotel set in the heart of this historic capital of ancient Wessex. Housed in the distinctive architecture of one of Winchester's most notable Georgian buildings dating back to 1715, it is also the smallest and original du Vin, first opened in 1994, with 24 exquisite bedrooms and suites. Every room has handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths, power showers and high speed wireless internet access.

The 2 AA Rosette bistro is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and offers a menu rooted in classic European cuisine with a contemporary edge. Their Head Chef introduces notes of originality by adding his own selections daily, all supporting the overall philosophy of using the finest and freshest local produce, cooked simply and priced sensibly.

From a choice of six starters expect to find devil lamb kidneys on brioche, roasted quail with mushroom duxelle and cep sauce, crayfish and dill crouton with basil dressing or fillet of mackerel with slow roast cherry tomatoes and aged balsamic. The simple classics menu embraces both starters and main courses; for the former look also for Uig Lodge smoked salmon, or the ever faithful moules marinières. Amongst the main courses cast an eye for the classic fish pie, a real juicy beauty, moist but packed with goodness and topped off with crisp cheese.

Other main courses delight customers with a whole plaice and beurre noisette, roast loin of cod with bok choi and prawn bisque, or braised ham hock with pea puree and cider velouté.

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 of three sommeliers, headed here by Yohann Jousselin, 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.

Prezzo has been delighting diners for over eight years, and this Italian restaurant chain has since been able to expand throughout large parts of England and Scotland with some 141 outlets.

Interestingly, the company seeks to restore either impressive buildings or ones of local interest. The conversion of the Newbury library and other listed buildings, such as those in Salisbury, Romsey and Mayfair, are all welcome examples of 'new use'. Their trendy and sophisticated décor usually consists of tiled or wooden floors with delicate lights and colourful paintings, along with wooden furniture and sparkling cutlery, creating a setting that is suitable for a relaxed lunch, a family meal or an evening out with friends.

The restaurants are of particular appeal to those who like genuine Italian cuisine, and they use only the best seasonal products, many of which are imported directly from Italy. The menu includes pizza, pasta, risotto, grilled meats, fresh salads and frequently changing specials.

The freshly baked breads, like the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, are perfect for sharing and give you adequate breathing space to order starters to follow. Crab cakes served with garlic mayonnaise or grilled goat's cheese with plum tomatoes and caramelised onions on foccacia bread with a balsamic glaze set the tone for a hearty meal. Best fun is to order an antipasto platter to share made up from seven well loved Italian nibbles.

Find pastas such as the unusual penne con salmone, with oak-roasted salmon, broccoli and fresh chillies in a red pesto and cream sauce, or firm favourites like spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, and fusilli al pesto, asparagus spears with field mushrooms and roasted peppers in a basil pesto sauce.

Amongst the special pastas, the pollo mariano, seasoned chicken, pepperoni sausage, roasted peppers and fusilli in tomato sauce, is interesting and different. Italian menus would be incomplete without risotto, like tiger prawns with petits pois in a creamy saffron sauce.

Classic pizzas embrace, among a wide selection, the popular napoletana, topped with yellowfin tuna, tomato, white anchovies, capers, red onion, mozzarella and marinated olives, and the much loved quattro stagioni - pepperoni sausage, prosciutto ham, artichoke, field mushrooms, capers, marinated olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Specials could include the pollo Siciliana, char-grilled chicken breast, prosciutto ham and plum tomato slices, baked with their blend of cheese, only one example from the many tempting offerings that come out from the Prezzo kitchens.

You can accompany the food with a variety of tipples, though for many, Italian food requires Italian wines to be enjoyed to the full, ranging from house wine through Morellino di Scansano and Prosecco to liqueurs and beer, and there is espresso or fresh ground coffee to wind up an enjoyable meal, in company with a glass of grappa or sambuca.

This is Italian food at its attractive best, convincing and bringing together the traditional with the modern twist or two against a background of excellent value.

Prezzo is a lively group and opportunities to improve and update are never left on the table for long. Keep up to date with a quick click on their Website.

It is not an easy task to maintain impeccable standards and uniformity of taste across a chain of over eight hundred outlets, yet that is just the distinction that The Gondola Group has achieved. Their restaurants, with the brand names of Zizzi, ASK and Pizza Express, serve authentic Italian food at reasonable prices, in a warm and friendly ambience. The chain continues to grow, with the group opening around twenty-five new outlets each year.

Another talent that the group has is converting listed buildings and in which to house their restaurants. This has helped the group maintain standards, but allows each location to keep its innate charm. Done up in light colours, with wooden floors and gleaming cutlery, Zizzi boasts of a bustling open kitchen which churns out freshly prepared, tasty fare.

Like all good Italian restaurants, the extensive carte offers four distinct sections of antipasti, salads, mains, including pasta, pizza and risottos, a meat and fish menu which changes seasonally and a vast and exciting dessert menu. The restaurant's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. Garlic mozzarella pizza bread and caramelised balsamic onions too, set the tone for a hearty meal.

The calzones or folded pizzas are a treat and come with salads. The carne piccante calzone has marinated chicken, meatballs, Bolognese sauce, mushrooms, chillies, tomato and mozzarella while the clarissa version, has aubergine, and red pepper caponata, olives, goats' cheese, rocket, pine nuts, tomato and mozzarella. The pasta and risotto sections arouse plenty of interest, with the farfalle alla Genovese combined with marinated roasted artichoke hearts, Santos tomatoes, and pine nuts in a delicious creamy pesto sauce or the light risotto with tiger prawns, oak-roasted salmon, calamari, courgettes and baby spinach in a rich creamy base with lemon and chilli.

The pizzas are not far behind either, with funghi topped with field mushrooms, fresh tarragon, mozzarella and tomato while the popular Sophia has marinated chicken, pepperoni, over-roasted sausage, tomato, mozzarella, finished with green chilli and fresh rosemary.

The extensive wine list offers a range of red, white, sparkling and rose wines in addition to beer and spirits while the dessert menu is attractive too, with a range of tempting fare from the homemade tiramisu to the torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base served with vanilla mascarpone. A really hot and tasty cup of coffee, tea or chocolate rounds the meal off well.

The fact that the restaurant hires their employees very selectively is evident in the friendly, cheerful and capable manner with which the staff treat diners, lending each outlet the personalised feel of a family run restaurant.

More information can be found on their Website.

Apart from the food, The Chesil Rectory's other claim to fame is to be the oldest house in Winchester - an assertion that is not hard to believe looking at the constructional features - beamed dining areas and candlelit tables that provide a beautiful setting.

The kitchen's enthusiasm for serving honest, robust British classics is evident in starters of confit of local Greenfields pork and black pudding terrine and Uig Lodge smoked salmon with herb crème fraîche and deep fried scallops. Main courses too follow suit with pan roasted rib of beef, smoked haddock and fillet of sea bass. Desserts of dark chocolate pot with milk sorbet and hazelnut crisp, and lime curd tart with coconut cream certainly strike a chord with diners.

The wine list at The Chesil Rectory is top of its range, and is matched by the prices. How about choosing a Pinot Grigio Riesling from Brazil over the customary Italian varietals?

Built in 1964 on a sensitive site in relation to the Cathedral, the Wessex has moulded itself well into the role of cathedral-city-centre hotel, particularly with its restaurant which aims to provide sensible, comfortable food at reasonable prices and with very few delusions of grandeur. Thus a meal of smoked salmon, chicken breast filled with wild mushrooms and a lemon tartlet with caramel sauce would be well prepared and elegantly presented without making any claims towards haut cuisine. A sensible and straightforward wine list helps complete a value for money experience that enjoys a ready clientele.

One of the greatest pleasures in life for celebrity chef Raymond Blanc is sharing a good meal with family and friends. He achieves this through Brasserie Blanc, where his team take great joy in serving authentic French cuisine in a modern, brasserie atmosphere. All their dishes use the finest ingredients, sustainable freedom foods, free range and natural or wild produce.

With eight outlets, the brasserie retains the individuality of each of the locations, while maintaining a uniform standard of food and service. The menu has several signature dishes like Maman Blanc's miscellany of salads, Loch Fyne mussels and Burgundy snails in garlic herb butter.

Some interesting mains are Cumberland sausages with bubble and squeak, Aberdeenshire rump steak and chips, Dutch calf's liver served with bacon, sage and smooth mash, and of course, Raymond's smoked haddock, leek and gruyère fish cake. There is a healthy selection of children's options also.

The wine list is French in concept, but includes New World wines, and offers over forty-five varieties, ensuring there is something for everyone. In addition to a range of French cheeses, selected by the Premier Cheese Company, you could settle for their favourite dessert, baked Alaska with flaming Grand Marnier, to end the meal on a sweet note.