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Although the name seems to suggest its riverside location near the Royal Regatta enclosure, the interior at Villa Marina with candle lights, a lovely fireplace and closely packed tables has all the trappings of a cosy Italian restaurant.

Then there is the food that is reliably authentic starting with tulips of smoked salmon and prawns with mascarpone tartare, baby calamari with chickpeas in a tomato, herb and chilli sauce, and lamb's lettuce salad with avocado and crispy bacon and balsamic dressing. Next to arrive could be plates of cod steak served in a tomato, olives, capers and oregano sauce and chicken breast in mushroom, Marsala wine and cream. The simplicity of a pasta dish is undeniable with egg pasta tossed in smoked bacon, asparagus and tomato sauce, and linguine with prawns, cherry tomatoes, rocket salad and bortega.

The concise wine list at Villa Marina draws from Italy, France, South Africa and Spain with house wine from Rosso.

Located in Henley-on-Thames, Le Parisien (formerly Brillant) is a French restaurant that appears warm, cosy and thoroughly English, on the outside. But on entering, the subtle yet classy French touches are evident in the décor while the extensive and impressive wine list removes all doubt of the restaurant's deep French roots. Named after the chef and patron Philippe Brillant's roots, the food is a testament to his star-studded career in the culinary arts. Philippe trained at the three Michelin starred Lasserre in Paris and then went on to work under the legendary Joel Robuchon and continued to develop his skills at establishments around the world, including the famous Rothschild Hotel Du Mont d'Arbois in Mégève, and the Michelin starred Chewton Glen in the New Forest.

The French dining experience is never complete without wine, so make sure you've picked your favourite before devouring the coquilles St Jacques with broad beans puree and smoked black forest ham, grilled tournedos with bearnaise sauce and pommes allumettes or the confit de canard and potato dauphinoise. Follow that with the classic caramelised tarte tatin with a caramel ice cream just to ensure that there are no regrets. The luncheon and dinner menus change weekly and all food is made fresh to order, so while some delay is inevitable, it is well worth the wait.

One of those rave review country inns which under spirited and determined leadership has built up a great reputation - and kept it. In 1989 Paul Clerehugh took over the Billet and its name for good food, founded on cooking in the eclectic manner, has resulted in a varied and attractive menu, with many surprises and innovations. Consider the boned leg and saddle of rabbit with a dried tomato stuffing, wrapped in pancetta and baked then served with glazed onions, spinach and tarragon sauce. They even manage to give a lift to that well tried favourite sticky toffee pudding. As one might expect the wine list makes rewarding reading, and prices are not unreasonable.

Only 37 miles from the heart of London, The Frog is a pleasant survival from another age. Loaded down with oak beams and log fires, Frog makes few concessions to the fripperies of the times, but a subtle uplift in the food on offer is certainly one of them.

The fairly fundamental tack of dishes like sausage, bacon and fried baguettes has been embellished by lemon grass and chilli mussels, watercress pancake parcels amply filled with smoked haddock, potato rosti topped with poached egg, smoked salmon and black pudding or roast rack of herb crusted Oxfordshire lamb, rosti potato and mulberry jus, followed by banoffee pie.

The local ales are powerful and carry picturesque names like Sharp's Doom Bar, and at weekends when the place become really full it makes sense to book first.

This award winning inn with rooms continues to delight under the initiatives of Paul Gilchrist and chef Richard Coates. Whilst there is plenty for fans of English cooking to be happy about, a wider approach is taken whenever the chance arises.

Originally a group of 400 year old brick and flint cottages, now blended skilfully together, the completed building represents a splendid meeting of old and new with subdued lighting bringing out the best in ancient timbers and flagstones polished with age.

A lively lunch time menu could include a crispy duck salad with bean shoots, followed by wild boar and Chimay beer sausages with red cabbage rounding off with chocolate and raspberry pudding and white chocolate ice cream. Many dishes have a guiding note towards a particular beer or wine, some of the beers with a pretty eye-watering s.g.

The evening menu expands the choices, offering terrine of foie gras and ham hock with a pear and beer chutney, crab and brandy bisque, roast rump of English lamb, or slow roasted belly of pork served with creamed mash, smoked black pudding, caramelised apples and cider jus.

The range of beers is impressive, including Brakspear on draught, with a good wine list that travels the world, starting with house wine at £12.95.