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Alkham Valley is without doubt a vacationer's paradise - with green rolling hills and narrow country lanes - here's old world England at its best and being featured on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty list is a fitting tribute. This picturesque location sets the scene for The Marquis at Alkham and what was once a village pub now enjoys the tangible benefits of a major refurbishment, transforming it into a contemporary restaurant and hotel with soft furnishings and an assorted collection of art.

The five individually designed, ensuite bedrooms adorned with beautiful fabrics and stylish furniture is decidedly trendy, in marked contrast to the rural setting. There are flat screen TVs, designer bathroom fixtures, pocket sprung mattresses dressed in luxury cotton and more for that stress-free getaway. Two large room suites have a sofa which morphs into a double bed, if required, and all rooms have splendid views across the valley as a delightful distraction.

The Marquis has now added two awards to its kitty and that includes five stars and two Rosettes from the AA.

Head Chef Charles Lakin's love for hearty rural cooking began during his tender years growing up in a farm in North Yorkshire. His former stint as an assistant chef at a Michelin-starred establishment helped him fuse modern style of cookery with old school favourites. Now at The Marquis, his kitchen team leave no stone unturned in an endeavour to create a menu which lays emphasis on local produce.

The weekday evening menu could open with starters of beetroot marinated trout, soused baby beetroot, set cauliflower cream and wood sorrel, and cherry wood smoked breast of Godmersham pheasant with ballotine of leg and foie gras, pear and saffron chutney. Loin of fallow venison with root vegetable pan haggerty, Sussex blue cheese dauphine potato and elderberry jus, and the day's cut of Sladden Farm Dexter beef sourced from the nationally recognised 'Moomin' herd, grazing on the Alkham valley, feature amongst attractive main courses.

Quince soufflé with mulled vintage cider and bay leaf ice cream, and dark chocolate ganache tart with cinder toffee and sea buckthorn sorbet could please sweet lovers. The wine list goes the traditional way alongside bins from the New World and a welcome contribution from nearby Chapel Down.

The Marquis at Alkham will be happy to host your small, intimate wedding celebration and with the 13th century church of St. Anthony of Pamiers right next door, the setting is just perfect. Love outdoor pursuits? There's walking, horse riding, sailing, golfing and much more happening nearby and don't miss a game of cricket at the village's tiny cricket pitch claimed to be one of the smallest in the UK.

Their Website keeps tab on menu changes, events and other useful nuggets of information.

In a location renowned across Kent for its beauty, The Coastguard lives up to its reputation for excellent food and drink served with a pleasing informality. All this is complimented by breathtaking views out to sea, and only a stone's throw from the water's edge, surrounded by the renowned impressive white cliffs.

Within, the décor is all seamanlike and ship-shape with plenty of wood surfaces, decent wooden furniture and the odd touch of brass. Described as being 'between the bottom of the hill and the deep blue sea', with the cries of the seabirds, the bracing whiff of the briny and those compelling marine vistas, there can be few places on the coast of Britain that are more inspiring, and certainly no pub that is so near to France.

Sitting at the Coastguard you can look out over the English Channel, feel the sea wind on your face and listen to the sound of the waves. In the winter head to the cosy restaurant and watch the stormy seas buffeting the cliffs, making for one of the most dramatic landscapes in Britain. In the summer relax on the terrace, enjoy the rays of the sun, and look across the blue Channel.

The kitchen is run by Chef Sam who selects the best of local ingredients according to the tides and the season. The result is simple, delicious food and judging by the reaction from their visitors and locals alike, it's well worth the visit. The menu changes twice daily and many dishes have a story behind them, they might be based on an old Roman recipe, a classic dish revitalised or an original creation by Sam in response to some particularly outstanding local produce

A typical carte might include king scallops, smoked haddock, or individual savoury tarts with local free range eggs. Main courses could yield devilled crab, fresh local cod in Hoegaarden batter, or matured steaks.

A stem ginger pudding is served with cinnamon custard, or there's likely to be a sticky toffee pudding or a spiced fruit flapjack, but for a real treat keep an eye open for the sea salt caramel and chocolate tart with fresh berries.

For cheese buffs, the Coastguard is seventh heaven. Sam has a passion for cheese that shines through on each of her carefully selected cheeseboards, whether it's a cheese that's been locally produced for hundreds of years, or a new brand that's making a dramatic entrance to the market, and with the present renaissance in British cheese they are right on the mark.

With the proximity of the continent just across the water it is perhaps hardly surprising that the excellent array of local beers are well supplemented by worthy contributions from further afield. A wine list garnered from none other than Nigel, the pub landlord, rubs shoulders with a collection of distinguished single malts starting in the Orkneys with celebrated Highland Park.

For further information, including their menu and an ever growing list of Awards, do take a look at their Website.

Part of the Whitbread family, Table Table restaurants aim to bring great value tasty pub food to an ever increasing eating-out public who like well prepared and genuine food served by friendly staff in relaxing surroundings. If that sounds too much like a dream come true be assured that at Table Table they also walk the talk, and are pleased to have the chance to prove it.

Their well located restaurants are spread across a wide range of decors and styles, and all of them share a determination to provide comfort, warmth and relaxation. Their buffet menus for special occasions are remarkable value.

In keeping with modern trends they provide dishes to nibble or share as guests consider the spread of options on a menu that could be described as British with welcome incursions. So as you share long Italian flatbread, and dough balls and dips, or a sharing platter with an imaginative range of finger food starting with garlic and breaded mushrooms, it's time to think about the relative merits of aromatic duck parcels, a prawn cocktail, breaded Camembert or sticky chicken goujons to name but a few.

Many an innocent dish from the past has been hi-jacked in the best possible sense into becoming what is now called a 'pub classic'. Wiltshire cure ham with eggs is served with chunky chips and beef, mushroom and ale pie, or chicken and chips are all familiar with British tables, be they in the dining room or the kitchen. Now they have been added to by chicken fajitas, a sweet red pepper, crème fraiche and fennel tart, a leg of duck slowly cooked and served with a Bramley apple and cider sauce, or chilli con carne with basmati rice, sour cream and guacamole and nachos. So is the humble burger with six enticing toppings.

The point is they, and others, are all here at Table Table, well prepared with quality ingredients, and presented in a way that makes you hungry even if you thought you weren't.

Getting down to the more serious side of the table keep an eye open for the seafood pie, a delightful assembly of things fishy including crayfish, red snapper, prawns and clams. Many of their steaks are 28 days matured, including a 7oz fillet. All steaks are served with watercress, roasted cherry tomatoes, a flat mushroom and chunky chips. A choice from 4 sauces adds the final touch of enjoyment.

Pastas and salads embrace some well known and loved names, but for sheer enjoyment the hot smoked salmon salad takes some beating - flakes of hot smoked salmon mixed with a house salad and soy and ginger sauce. A real winner.

Snacks aplenty cover hot baguettes with the like of grilled pork loin and Bramley apple sauce, sandwiches filled with Cheddar cheese, or prawns and Marie Rose sauce, and jacket potatoes with such temptations as chilli con carne. Add a bowl of chips for only a little extra.

A well travelled wine list offers helpful advice for the uninitiated and there's an impressive choice of draught and bottled beers and lagers. All in all it would appear that Table Table are more than achieving their aims, providing the opportunity for people to eat out enjoyably, with excellent value for money. Long may they continue to do so.

For completely up to date information on menu changes and special offers do make a regular check on their lively Website.

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.

Hubert House is located  discreetly in a beautiful Georgian listed building within strolling distance of Dover's familiar attractions. This family-run business took off in 2003 after the owners endeavoured to develop, improve and expand the little guest house they inherited. 

Those who choose to taste homemade favourites with innovative twists could head to Hubert House Bistro where dishes such as Speldhurst sausages with creamy mash, three onion and thyme gravy, locally caught cod with Provencal ratatouille and black olive tapenade, or blueberry and thyme jelly with lemon and lime cream, are served with élan.

In the evenings, Hubert House offers a great value prix fixe menu using the finest local ingredients and another for Sunday lunch with a choice of brunch bites for those who are keen to drop a jean size. The concise wine list makes up for its lack of size with great options, taste and value.

The Allotment is a cosy little restaurant with a warm, welcoming ambience. The food served is homemade and has gained popularity for its fresh and inventive nature. Lunch and dinner menus change regularly depending on season and availability. Great coffee and teas are served throughout the day with a selection of home-made cakes.. They also have specials boards, displaying the daily selection of lunch and dinner dishes.

Expect to find roasted Dungeness mackerel on a bed of potatoes with grain mustard dressing and courgette roulade with grapefruit ratatouille and marscapone among starters. Mains impress with choices such as roasted skate with mango and fennel salsa and 5 hour marinated loin of pork with crisped crackling. Cakes and puddings include bramley apple tart tartin and fresh custard and lemon posset.

The cellar features a short but powerful wine list with something on offer for everyone.

Blakes of Dover on Castle Street offers comfortable accommodation and freshly prepared modern and traditional British cuisine. They are well known for serving locally caught fish, including Dover Sole naturally, and also prime Scotch steaks, vegetarian dishes and a tempting range of chef's specials.

Customers can choose to take their meal in either the restaurant or the cellar bar that stocks nearly fifty-two malt whiskies, a selection of real ales and wines from around the world. The secluded patio garden is a thoroughly delightful and relaxing place to dine in, especially on balmy summer evenings.