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hand picked restaurants

If you're someone who likes the Mediterranean and their relaxed and informal ways of life then RJ @ 21 will make you especially happy because they're inspired by the cafes and restaurants of Barcelona and specialise in fresh, seasonal and simply created food.

The stylish little place with its minimalist design, vibrant colours, cosy couches and wooden furniture, all complemented by pictures from the streets of Barcelona, exudes quality and charm. Consider visiting RJ with friends, the family or children and experience Mediterranean flair in Cowley Road.

The seasonally changing menu offers continental and English breakfasts, meals and a range of wine and cocktails. Consider starting with a plate of manchego cheese with sultanas, pine nuts and olive oil before moving on to Kelmscott honey roasted ham, egg and chips, a salad of endive, walnut, gorgonzola and apple, or mains of wild mushroom tagliatelle; grilled swordfish, roasted tomatoes on the vine or rib eye steak frites.

Desserts could include sweet 'coca' with vanilla ice cream or banana flambé.

The original concept for All Bar One was developed by two enterprising ladies, who wanted a bar ideal for women to have a drink and something to eat without the intimidating confines of a traditional pub. Little wonder, that the place has huge glass frontage, open spaces and interiors that are bright and airy. The first outlet opened in Sutton in 1994, became a huge hit, and there has been no looking back since. Today there are close to forty outlets, including one in Cologne, Germany. Irrespective of location, they have identical wooden flooring, menu and service. Antique mirrors, natural colours and reclaimed wooden furniture combine classic and modern styles well.

The menu has tapas from different parts of the world, including the Mediterranean region, Italy and the East. One can also have a variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads. Baked goats' cheese parcels, flat mushroom and halloumi burgers are highlights of the menu, as is the All Bar One beef and coriander burger, a house speciality. With the emphasis being as much on drink as the food, many outlets display a wall of champagne and wines, with beers and spirits thrown in for good measure. The blackboards on the wall often flaunt the impressive selections.

The success formula of All Bar One has been faith in doing simple things well, and that is what they are best known for. A place that is hard to define, for it is not just a bar, restaurant, café or pub, but a special place where people can unwind alone or in company.

Nestling in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside, the Springs Hotel, with which the Springs Golf Course is closely connected, is a fine example of a Victorian Tudor-Style Country house. Built in 1874, it overlooks a spring-fed lake in its own majestic gardens. You could enjoy a meal or spend a relaxing night there following your exertions on the golf course.

The 2 AA Rosette Lakeside Restaurant has an intimate atmosphere inspired by its gentle décor and a lovely view of the lake. The menu takes advantage of fresh, local produce to offers dishes such as ballontine of foie gras and confit of duck, toasted broche and fig jam, and Wye Valley goats' cheese ravioli, followed by fillet of sea bass, saffron fondant potato, salmon boudin and chervil velouté or a whole roasted woodcock.

A traditional sticky toffee pudding with homemade treacle toffee ice cream signals the end of a satisfying meal. There are wines from around the world to accompany your food.

At a time when diners are looking for some culinary pizzazz, thank goodness there are places like The Woodman Inn and Restaurant where guests are encouraged to reflect on the glorious bygone days, and if it's accompanied by some excellent cooking, it can hardly be bettered. Even the setting is wonderful; a welcome addition to the peaceful hamlet of Fernham in the Vale of the White Horse.

The food is typically gastropub fare, often with British and European flavours, so starters arrive in a straightforward manner, baked mini camembert, chicken liver pâté, smoked chicken Caesar salad and deep fried whitebait. Main courses hit some conventional notes with char-grilled 10oz sirloin steak, slow roast lamb shank, and The Woodman steak, mushroom and ale pie, while Thai red chicken curry shows how the cooking occasionally veers towards Asia.

Sometimes you don't have to travel all the way to Fernham for that pint of ale, there's Woodman on Tour, the mobile bar for all outdoor events.

If you're in the mood to try a cuisine that's fresh and different compared to that which most Oxford restaurants provide, visit Bar Meze in London Road. The welcoming restaurant and bar gives customers a peek into the many delights of food from Greece, Spain and Turkey.

From a wide choice of hot and cold starters or mezze, to exotic lamb, chicken, fresh fish and vegetarian delicacies, there is something for everyone. Begin with taramasalata of marinated smoked cod roe; dolma of rice stuffed vine leaves; Albanian lamb liver; baked chicken wings or balik kofte fish cakes with a creamy mango sauce, for a wonderful start.

This could be followed by kebabs, pan fried tiger prawns; charcoal grilled vegetables, or a mouth watering mixture of spinach, cheese, herbs and chicken breast, called izmirey.

Desserts take in the one and only baklava as well as our very own warm chocolate fudge brownie. A decent selection of wine is available both by the glass and bottle.

Upmarket, fashionable and modish, 4500 Miles From Delhi is a restaurant creatively named after the actual distance between Delhi and Oxford. Sleek, elegant teak furniture, wenge flooring and glass walls are the highlights of the décor and an open kitchen plan allows you to sneak a peek at the cooking.

Rich Indian cuisine is put forward in an uncomplicated way and you could start with a fish Amritsari, garlic and ajwain laced cod fillets, deep fried in gram flour batter or a chilli paneer shashlik, cottage cheese coated with yoghurt based marinade and barbequed with onions and peppers. Amongst mains lamb in a spinach curry and chicken cooked in a spicy onion sauce are a few Indian favourites. Vegetarians have the luxury to choose from many alternatives and you can expect to see the likes of aloo gobi, potato and cauliflower cooked in Punjabi style and baingan bharta, a charcoal smoked aubergine delicacy cooked with onions and tomatoes.

Fine selections of wines are on hand to pair up with your meal.

Located in a prime piece of scenic England it comes as no surprise to hear that this inn, first licensed in 1617, is no stranger to film-makers, whose names have become absorbed into the menu, never mind the ethos of the place.

Only thirty minutes from London and with some well-heeled parts of what used to be known as the stockbroker belt inside a 7 mile radius, The Bull and Butcher rises to the occasion with enthusiasm, offering a menu which, whilst described as English certainly has inclinations beyond these shores.

From amongst the bar food starters expect to find smoked mackerel pate served with beetroot chutney and toast, or home smoked chicken and bacon salad tossed with honey mustard dressing.

Bar main courses include 'Midsomer burger' (see above), on a granary bap topped with Stilton, or, somewhat inevitably, 'Chitty Chitty Bangers and Mash' served with red onion marmalade and gravy.

In the restaurant a starter of smoked duck and strawberry comes with berry vinaigrette, or there could be lobster spaghetti with lemon and chilli oil. Mains are of the robust variety, with belly of pork done in a chorizo and cider sauce and served with Dijon and thyme mash as fairly typical, and a rib-eye steak and béarnaise sauce with full trimmings including 'monster chips'. Now what movie did they come from or am I missing something? Casino Royale perhaps?

The overall effect is assisted by well preserved antiquity, supported by open fires and lack of pub clutter.

On 20th October 1580 Queen Elizabeth 1 presented the Crown Inn to the people of the village. Hitherto a favourite hunting lodge of hers one wonders at her motives, but today this charming 650-year-old building offers a welcome to those who travel, and particularly to those who travel to eat.

The restaurant with its warmly decorated interior plays host to a menu that contains many recognisable dishes, such as a tasty confit of duck, or a beautifully timed lamb shank well flavoured with rosemary and garlic.

The delicate lemon sponge pudding is never more traditional than when served in such historic surroundings. In summer there is a pleasant courtyard in which to eat and for informal occasions at any time excellent bar food is on offer. House wine at £11.50.