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Backed by professional yet friendly staff, this charming pub-restaurant has a warm and inviting bar and a spacious dining room where you'll find plenty of regulars dropping in. A log fire in the handsome exposed brick inglenook, white leather chairs accompanied by sturdy wooden tables, well placed on the quarry-tiled floor, and the oak beamed ceiling with subdued lighting is the kind of interior you can expect at The Red Lion.

The atmosphere is one of joviality and when the sun is out, there are few things better than an al fresco meal; a deck area and the garden overlooking the woods, are set with comfortable chairs and benches, easily seating around forty diners at a go.

The kitchen's approach to cooking is mostly modern British, underpinned by a slight Mediterranean focus, with great emphasis placed on sourcing high quality seasonal ingredients. There's something for everyone and for all occasions and you could probably see traditional favourites such as pizzas, steaks and fish and chips interestingly juxtaposed with chef's daily specials.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, box baked Camembert with rustic bread, Greek mezze of taramasalata with humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbread, or a pizzette with garlic, rocket and Parmesan.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup of the day, sake cured salmon with asparagus, Serrano ham, poached egg and hollandaise or red onion tarte with jersey blue cheese, watercress and roasted vine tomatoes. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer prawns with avocado and Asian greens and poached salmon with, broad beans, asparagus, peas and lemon dressing, both perfect for the seafood fiends.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic Margherita of tomato, mozzarella and basil, another with pepperoni, chorizo and jalapeño. Pastas include the linguini with chorizo, king prawns, crab, chilli and roast butternut squash risotto.

For the big event, there is always a fish of the day on request. The fillet steak with asparagus and blistered cherry tomatoes is worth trying too. Rib-eye steak with rocket, fresh horseradish sauce and crispy onions is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes frites with rosemary salt and aioli. For desserts resort to the classics - banoffee pie, vanilla pod cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding. Also there are some local cheeses on hand to set the buffs alight.

A sensible wine list that matches the cuisine to perfection trawls the world and comes up with some pretty interesting numbers - almost as interesting as the laconic descriptions, mostly one word but very accurate, even if 'regal, intense and youthful' does sound rather like a generous heiress of infinite promise. The Red Lion also stocks a wide range of cask ales alongside a selection of bottled ones.

Check regularly on their Website for menu changes and arrangements for special events and celebrations. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

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Nestling among the cottages of Mill Lane, The White Horse is your classic English country pub emanating the same warmth now as it did in its previous role a coaching inn. The restaurant has some homely, rustic touches accentuated with beams and floor-to-ceiling windows while the pub is a good place to cosy up by the fire place with a pint of beer in tow.

For starters chicken liver parfait with a hint of brandy comes with an onion marmalade and toast while a plate of nachos is accompanied by melted cheese, sour cream, salsa and jalapeño peppers. Pub stalwarts like steak and ale pie, bangers and mash and fish and chips feature alongside creamy risotto with chicken and wild mushroom with Parmesan crackling and steamed mussels in a white wine, shallot and herb sauce.

If you prefer to get closer to nature then head to the attractively laid-out Village Garden and unwind with a glass of wine.

Tucked away in Ayot Green, amidst the pristine countryside near Welwyn, well loaded with beautiful English cottages, is a classy French restaurant rooted in rich history. A refurbished 17th century coaching inn, The Waggoners is now run by veterans in the field of hospitality, Aude and Laurent Brydniak. Warm earthen hues create a welcoming, cosy ambience while contemporary accents in the decor, introduce a sophisticated French appeal. Friendly staff guide customers to their table where they are presented with an impressive menu of innovative dishes.

While the cuisine is authentic French, there are ample overtones of influences from all over the world, making each dish original and inventive. Escargots beurre a l'ail - slowly cooked snails and garlic butter in their own shells for starters, and the cuisse de lapin braise à la moutarde - braised rabbit leg served with noodles, baby onions and pancetta for the main course, do justice to the dining experience. The wines are mostly French, but a fair share of new world wines make for an extensive wine list. The experience is pleasant, enjoyable and recommended.

Auberge du Lac, awarded a Michelin Star in 2009, which they retained in 2010, is a former hunting lodge dating back to 1760. It sits prettily beside Broadwater Lake and overlooks the magnificent parkland of Brocket Hall. Executive Chef Phil Thompson's stints at L'Escargot and The Lanesborough have held him in good stead as he aspires to combine the best traditions of French cooking with his English background.

The chef's pedigree shines through dishes such as roast breast of quail with kohlrabi remoulade, pistachio, truffle and pear 'toastie'; char-grilled rump of veal with Madeira based snails, butternut squash and cep, and chocolate liqueur parfait with white chocolate ice cream, golden raisins and nougatine. The extensive wine list is packed with quality drinking and helpful notes about the different wine producing regions of the Old and New World.

The tasting menu is an experience not to be missed, seven sublime courses but all in sensibly sized portions so that you don?t feel like the Christmas turkey - absolutely stuffed - at the end of it.

Another special feature, and chef Phil?s pride and joy, is the selection of some seventy cheeses, all in the prime condition, including some excellent English ones like the emotively named Stinking Bishop and Montgomery Cheddar.

Auberge du Lac Wine Club invites wine connoisseurs, diners or even casual buyers to avail themselves of bespoke customized wine orders and priority booking for all wine tasting events amongst other benefits.

It is also worth enquiring about the various, and frequent, events that they hold there, and they have a selection of private rooms just awaiting your special occasion to provide a reason to celebrate; while, for gastronomes with time on their hands, their set price lunch is an absolute bargain.

The Wellington started life as a local inn in the 1300s and centuries later it served as a pit stop for exhausted travellers heading up the Great North Road. Things haven't changed much and now the focus on keeping things quite straightforward with fresh food cooked in-house, minus the frills, and a good rapport with Chester Osborn, d'Arenburg's winemaker extraordinaire, ensures that food and wine pairings hit the spot.

Start with crispy duck dumplings with a soy ginger dip and plum compote, and Cajun spiced mini potato skins served with guacamole, sour cream and spicy tomato salsa. The signature fish pie of monkfish, prawns, pollock and smoked haddock cooked in white wine, tomato and tarragon sauce comes topped with a sliced potato and gruyere cheese crust and a serving of fresh green salad. Hearty eaters could plump for the honey and rosemary marinated lamb cutlets or 12 oz rib eye steak, but make sure you study the desserts blackboard before calling it a day.

The name may prompt you to expect some age-worn inn but The Stable Door is a smart restaurant and tapas bar, and a popular choice for those who'd like to pop in for breakfast, a leisurely lunch or an evening drink. Spread over two floors, the bar downstairs awash with the aromas of tapas could help you kick start the evening with some delicious nibbles and a bracing cocktail. Upstairs, the dining area with dark beams offsets the light furniture and warm colour tones.

On the food side, Moroccan spiced roasted lamb and aromatic belly of pork with creamed potatoes could be preceded by crispy fried squid with aioli or salmon and cod fish cakes with saffron mayonnaise. Hot tapas dishes of pan-fried chorizo in red wine, chicken and ham croquettas with aioli and meatballs in almond, garlic and parsley sauce may impress meat eaters. The wine list offers a decent selection by the glass and bottle.