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The Thatch has an interesting history to add to its ancient origins way back in the 16th century. Many will recall the BBC2 show, The Restaurant, which culminated in the renovation of The Thatch as the prize won by Jeremy and Jane Hooper, who moved in November 2008. Following their decision to move back to Cornwall partly for family reasons but also to open a restaurant there, a team from the award-winning Peach Pub Company moved in.

Partner Frazer Sutherland has worked everywhere from the dizzy heights of the OXO Tower, London and The Summit in Sydney and is now, with his team, working his magic in Thame. In charge amongst the stoves is Paul Whitby, a real professional. The menu designed specially by Paul and his team features the traditional favourites as well as something a little different.

The Thatch opens at 10am daily, serving coffee and cake, with hot food available from noon onwards. The all-day menu served from noon to 6.00pm includes an express menu for those on the move, with a good range of sandwiches as well as hot meals.

Their renowned deli board is also available with cheese, charcuterie, antipasti, fish and favourites offering a rich harvest of tasty bites at £2.25 a go. Or take the easy route and ask the staff to make up your own board at great value for £11 served with choice of rustic or pitta bread. This is the perfect start in trying some of the fantastic ingredients and a splendid way to chill out after a hard day before getting down to the meal.

On their menu, you will find the very best quality fresh ingredients - fantastic sausages; free-range chicken and eggs; simple, pan-fried cod fillet and seafood; rib eye steaks - sourced from producers who take pride in their products and an ethical stance in their production. The Thatch's menu always makes the most of seasonal ingredients, this ensures they avoid air-freighting and keeps us in touch with the cycle of the year, while combining the best of great British cooking and influences from around the world that are now part of our culture.

The à la carte menu is served from noon ? 2.45pm and evenings. The starters could consist of soup of the day with crusty bread, or beef carpaccio with rocket, parmesan, lemon and truffle oil. This could be followed by rump of lamb with Welsh potato cake, tender stem broccoli and minted salsa verde, or loin of pork, French beans, mushrooms and horseradish fettuccini. The meal can be rounded off with a summer pudding or chocolate tart and salted caramel peanuts.

Pubs are so much concerned with food these days that it is sometimes easy to forget their traditional function in life, to provide a comfortable place in which to drink. A short but very serviceable wine list packs in quality and variety, described in the 2008 Michelin Guide as 'small but well-chosen with a decent selection by the glass'. Well-kept real ales and continental lagers keep the long thirsts contented, and premium spirits hit the spot when needed.

To help you keep an eye on developments at this highly attractive country pub/restaurant a quick click on the Website will reveal all. You might also want to consider a visit to The Thatch's sister pubs - The Old Mill in Berkhamsted and The Fishes at North Hinksey near Oxford.

The gastronomic scene in Oxford has improved out of all recognition in the last two decades and no longer is quality food the perquisite of some senior common rooms and two or three hotels. Fusion food is 'go' at the Camera Fusion Bar and Restaurant, now part of the city's vibrant centre.

Dishes from Japan, China and Thailand provide the bulk of the menu. Sushi is just one of the reasons why Camera is attracting a clientèle of regulars who also appreciate the freshness of such delicacies as Ebi Fry, Aromatic duck and items from the Teriyaki Grill.

The décor is certainly in accord with the menu and abounds in leather, fine wood, and lighting that might appear initially to be challenging, but soothes with time.

Dishes include steamed dumplings filled with prawn and pork served with sweet soya source, Thai green curry with chicken and bamboo shoots, courgettes, peas and peppers in a traditional green curry sauce, and Camera spaghetti, squid ink pasta stir fried with king prawns and scallops, chilli and basil.

On Fridays and Saturdays, and to order, a selection of salmon, tuna and cooked shrimp sushi with nigiri and maki rolls make a welcome appearance. The Teriyaki Grill marinated grilled salmon, beef sirloin or chicken is accompanied by a matching sauce.

After half a lifetime of seeking to avoid what the English do to vegetables it's refreshing to be able to order with enthusiasm from amongst jasmine rice, fine egg noodles with wok fried vegetables, egg fried rice and green salad, or the more mystical Morning Glory wok stir fried vegetables.

Sea bass pan fried with ginger and spring onion presents a pleasing blend of flavours and from off the water comes the ever popular shredded crispy duck wrapped with rice pancake, cucumber spring onion and Hoi Sin sauce.

So what to drink? If there's one word that appears in the wine list more than most it's 'complex', which sums up the difficulties of finding something in a bottle that will enhance rather than detract from the delicate flavours introduced by the food. Listen to this South Australian rose's citation ? 'modern and fruit forward rose with vibrant aromas of raspberries and strawberries as well as a hint of spice'. That sounds to me like something that might make the most of an enjoyable liaison with the Ebi Fry, king prawns fried in panko bread crumbs and served with spicy mayonnaise.

In retrospect it is easy to see that Oxford has been waiting for Camera quite a while, and is losing no time in making ample use of its charms. Mark their progress and gain more information from their elegant Website.

Located in the heart of the historic market town of Wallingford, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills near the Thames, the carefully restored Old Post Office on St. Martin's Street welcomes guests into a relaxed airy setting which incorporates a traditional bar and delightful courtyard garden. Serving modern Mediterranean cuisine, it is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The varied menu delivers dishes that reflect the seasons and suit all tastes. The charcoal-fuelled Josper Oven is the central feature in the open kitchen which spans the length of the restaurant. It ensures that flavours and aromas of dishes like the 18 oz cote de boeuf, whole grilled Welsh sea bass and pork paillard remain intact.

Guests can begin their meal with individual starters of plum cured salmon with fennel and orange salad and green olive dressing, beef meatballs in arrabiata sauce with crusty bread or sautéed chicken livers with raisins, pine nuts and rocket leaves. Sharer plates of brushcette and fish are perfect if you are with family and friends.

Follow with succulent rump steak, fillet steak or Boston steak served with fries, béarnaise sauce and rocket leaves. There's also choice of chicken breast with dauphinoise potatoes and girolles sauce or supreme of salmon with fennel purée and new potatoes. A pasta selection including tagliatelle with crab, fennel, cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic and chilli adds to the variety.

The menu also pays heed to light dishes such as beetroot and goat's cheese tart served with rocket leaves, pine nuts and balsamic glaze as well as foccacia sandwiches with fillings of steak and onion, chicken and mayonnaise and salmon and cream cheese.

To finish, consider chocolate cake with warm chocolate sauce, Brownie peanut butter sundae with chocolate ice cream or warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

The bar offers an exciting array of cocktails, wines, real ales, bottled and draught beers and soft drinks.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Described, quite justifiably, as a 'proper pub, The James Figg graces the heart of the English market town of Thame offering well kept beer, honest pub food and a warm welcome. As a mission statement that's pretty undefeatable, and it works. Named after James Figg, England's first undisputed champion boxer, who is believed to have lived in the building during the 18th century, the opening of his eponymous pub has been hailed as a great addition to the town's amenities.

The James Figg takes great pride in serving some of the best of British ales, with Bombardier from Charles Wells in Bedfordshire, UBU from Stratford-on-Avon's award-winning Purity Brewery, guest ales from our local Vale Brewery, lager from Kirin Ichiban and cider from Addlestone's.

The menu is delightfully simple and very appealing. Small food offers home-made pork scratchings; soup of the day or Scotch egg, and breaded camembert. Sausage rolls strike a pleasantly retro note, and there are spicy prawns for those who like their starter small and flavoursome. Main courses have a great proper pub appeal, starting with a slab of home-roast ham, egg and chips; traditional fish and chips to classic Ploughman's. Chocolate Sundae, and banana split are one of life's little comforts, but others are available along the same lines.

The James Figg makes the most of nature's bounty in the form of ham from outdoor-reared pigs, then roast at home. Newitt's Butchers are conveniently close so hardly surprising their pies and sausage rolls are part of the more casual fare.

A simple selection of sandwiches and side dishes looks after the needs of those in search of something swift and simple. Expect to find cheese and tomato toasties; prawn Marie Rose, hot beef bap and roast potatoes or Caesar chicken wrap.

The wine list is brief, but good value is never far away. All are available by the glass, or 'pinta' which corresponds to a 500 ml carafe served in an old fashioned milk bottle. Only two stray over the £20 bottle price, but not drastically.

Behind the pub, in what used to be the Stables Block, a large events space has been created for happenings night or day. Private parties of up to 60 people seated or 100 standing can be comfortably accommodated, with its own bar and facilities for live bands, DJs and a dance floor. Business meetings, product launches or small conferences can also be made welcome. Call to discuss your requirements.

A vigorous programme of events is never far away, and whilst you may have missed the first Thursday music club on first Thursday of every month, plenty of sporting watching on the large screen ensures there are few dull moments. This is a child and dog friendly establishment, with treats for pooches and double lollies for children.

This is a thoroughly refreshing, in every sense, pub that will appeal to those who are looking for a genuinely welcoming, no-nonsense approach to pub-keeping which not unnaturally attracts the same sort of customers. Do check on their Website for further details and read, if you need any further encouragement, what the press coverage has to say about The James Figg.

Located in the bustling market town of Witney, renowned for beer, bread and blankets, The Blue Boar lives up to the town's reputation and is a sought-after venue for some hearty Mediterranean food and local real ales. You could also unwind at the bar or the cafe overlooking the courtyard, and Blue Boar's cosy bedrooms are well-equipped with modern amenities and the famous blankets! The restaurant's interior is done up in warm colours with an open plan kitchen that allows diners to watch the chefs in action.

Kick start the day with a champagne or traditional breakfast alongside a steaming hot cup of cappuccino or hot chocolate. The main menu offers sharer plates such as antipasto misto, Greek mezze, bruschette platter and fish platter, and an exciting range of starters, light dishes, ciabatta sandwiches and pasta. Succulent 21-day aged beef steaks feature on the Josper grill menu alongside slow cooked shoulder of lamb, duck breast and pork rib-eye. Desserts include a warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and lemon crème brûlée with lavender shortbread.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Only a couple of minutes from the Botley Road or the southbound A34, The Fishes is a hidden gem. Quite a big gem too. The Fishes is an imposing Victorian building set in 3 acres of wooded grounds leading down to the banks of Seacourt Stream. On sunny days the gardens are dotted with picnickers, enjoying a picnic basket ordered from the bar, whilst the deck that wraps around the conservatory offers one of the few opportunities in land-locked Oxford to dine outside with an idyllic view. Fans of Sophie Grigson, a regular at The Fishes, are likely to have opportunities to pay homage.

Head chef, Charlie Barr, gained her chef's whites by 'accident', as she reckons, when her holiday waitressing job came to an end as the head chef asked her to work in the kitchen. There was no looking back ever since. After her training at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, she spent a year working at Rick Stein's seafood empire at Padstow. After her stint at the Michelin-starred Simpsons in Edgbaston, Barr is now running the show at The Fishes where she's putting her experience to good use.

À la carte offers everything from deli board with starters, nibbles or sharing dishes all a possibility, taken from cheeses, cold cuts, fish, veggie and a favourite board. On their menu, you will find the very best quality fresh ingredients - fantastic sausages; free range chicken; pan-fried sea bass and seafood; 28 day dry-aged Aberdeenshire bavette steak - sourced from producers who take pride in their products and an ethical stance in their production.

The Fishes always makes the most of seasonal ingredients, this ensures they avoid air-freighting and keeps us in touch with the cycle of the year, while combining the best of great British cooking and influences from around the world that are now part of our culture.

The à la carte menu is served every day of the week. If that does not appeal, does a Sunday roast picnic hamper hit the button - all you have to do is ask?

Everyday picnic hampers can be made up on the spot and transported out to the site of your choice in the garden. The choices are impressive and a well-mannered wine list is a credit to this attractive place whether taken in or outside.

Their Website is equally praiseworthy, and packed with useful information including seasonal changes of menu. See also The Thatch in Thame and The Fleece in Witney, local sister pubs to The Fishes.

When you enter a chain restaurant there is always a sense of déjà vu, yet with the twelve outlets of Giraffe, this may not really be true. Russel and Juliette Joffe and Andrew Jacobs' philosophy behind this group of restaurants is sustaining the driving force of healthy, happy eating, while retaining the difference each location brings. This includes minor variations in the menu too, and explains why the restaurant does not like to be called a chain, but prefers being referred to as a herd. The origin of its quaint name too, is interesting. The giraffe has the largest heart in the animal kingdom, and with its magnificent height is able to perceive things differently. These two features of being different and large hearted sum up the restaurant's proclamation of 'love, eat, live'.

Giraffe offers world food and adds an unusual twist to some familiar dishes. Their breakfast menu has stacked pancakes with bananas and blueberries, warm waffles, ranch styles tostadas and healthy veggie options. Some great starters are a mezze plate with warm naans that offer the best of many cuisines - grilled halloumi, hummus, tzatiki, ratatouille and falafel. Japanese king fried prawns are a hit, while another bright spot on the menu, is the colourful sunshine antipasti bruschetta, a clever combination of artichokes, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, red onion and rocket on pesto foccacia. If this long list of ingredients is intriguing, just wait until your palate takes over.

The house's special salad, cheekily called 'more than love', is colourful and has crunchy appeal. The Thai chicken and vermicelli noodle version is an equally enticing starter. For mains, there are plenty of options like roasted corn and chilli bran burritos, tangy turkey enchiladas and the much loved sweet potatoes, asparagus, green beans and broccoli served with organic brown basmati rice. One can also settle for a good old burger and wash it down with interesting smoothies. They also offer world wines and unusual cocktails with catchy names like Bombay flower and pomegranate caipirinha.

The dessert section comprises of not just fruit based healthy desserts, but brilliant stars like Swiss mountain chocolate cheesecake, banana waffle split and rocky road ice cream sundaes, which transport the diner to a state of bliss. The friendly staff, who are carefully hired for their sunny disposition, and children's activities help make these restaurants a very special, happy and healthy treat indeed.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Housed in a historic 17th century coach house, Zizzi Henley delivers contemporary Italian dining and offers a haven of calm in the heart of this renowned rowing town. The restaurant is bright and spacious with three dining areas and there is ample outside seating for relaxed al fresco dining in the summer months.

Just a short walk from the River Thames, Zizzi boasts a trendy bar on the first floor and is the perfect place to enjoy a meal before or after taking in a movie at the Regal Picturehouse nearby.

The restaurant's bustling open kitchen turns out a wide range of freshly prepared, tasty fare. The extensive à la carte offers traditional antipasti, pizza, pasta and salads, as well as seasonally changing meat and fish dishes with a variety of tempting desserts to finish.

Zizzi's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. There's also choice of arancini, crispy risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and peas and served with a tomato chilli sauce as well as gnocchi gorgonzola, potato dumplings in a creamy gorgonzola and spinach sauce seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper, setting the tone for a hearty meal.

For a delicious pasta or risotto choose between penne vodka, king prawns, chilli, peas and Grana Padano in a creamy tomato and vodka sauce; ravioli di capra, goat's cheese and spinach ravioli served with tomato sauce and topped with pesto and pine nuts; zucca e pancetta, pumpkin, pancetta, spinach, sage and Grana Padano topped with mascarpone and rigatoni con pollo e funghi, chicken in a tomato, onion, rosemary and mushroom sauce. Gluten-free pasta is also available on request.

If you prefer a pizza, then you could try Zizzi's speciality pizza rustica, which couples extra thin and crispy bases with a range of toppings such as bufala, buffalo mozzarella with sunblush tomatoes, basil, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or mare e monti, one half topped with tiger prawn, courgette and mozzarella and the other with spicy sausage, tomato sauce and chilli, all finished off with a rocket and crème fraîche. 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. Zizzi's calzon'pizzas, half calzone and half pizza, add an interesting twist to the meal.
 
Sumptuous mains include agnello con peperonata, roasted lamb shank served with basil, roasted vegetables and a little pot of potatoes with tomato, red onion and Grana Padano; duck arrosto, slow roasted whole duck leg in a balsamic, olive and pancetta reduction served with Tuscan potatoes and green beans; and sea bass al vino, sea bass pan fried with wine, garlic and baby plum tomatoes and served with herby potatoes.

The scrumptious dessert list offers torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base topped with rich chocolate torte and served with vanilla mascarpone; homemade tiramisu; creamy vanilla pannacotta with fruit compote and torta Zizzi, an almond-based plum and fig tart topped with pistachios and icing sugar and served with gelato.

The wine list is dominated by a range of Italian wines from regions such as Veneto, Lazio, Sicily, Tuscany and Lombardy. Also on offer is an assortment of beers, and spirits as well as a range of soft and hot drinks.

More information can be found on their Website.

Bella Italia is a restaurant that pulsates with Italian style and fashion, where the day starts with breakfast, not least the Inglese, the familiar bacon, sausage, mushroom, tomato and fried or scrambled eggs and sauté potatoes with ciabatta toast so beloved of hearty eaters seeking a good start to the day, particularly when they don't have to prepare it. A vegetarian option is available, along with the bambini of sausages, tomato and scrambled egg, or a strapazzata, scrambled eggs on ciabatta toast. A cappuccino or hot chocolate offers a more gentle awakening and croissant or pastries are welcome at almost any time.

It is always worth remembering that eating Italian is a great opportunity to work away through something rather more liberating than the conventional 3 course English meal. Little and often seems to be the motto but move on to the antipasti and it's immediately obvious this is no easy task, confronted with well over a dozen dishes, not one of which you really have the heart to turn down. The selezione classica assembles a few of the favourite starters; oven baked lemon and rosemary chicken wings, spiced meatballs, calamari, mini garlic butter-filled calzoni and lightly battered courgettes served with flamed pepper and lemon herb dips.

A speck e rucola pizza, added to a traditional margherita brings together two traditions with Italian speck ham providing the second, but it is within the pasta and risotto dishes that you can adapt almost any main ingredient, as well enjoy some of Italy's most traditional treats. Who can deny a well formed spaghetti Bolognese or penne Marco Polo? And not for nothing is a nicely prepared spaghetti carbonara the preferred dish of many.

From a selection of five choices amongst the secondi many will head unerringly for controfiletto ai ferri, a 7oz sirloin steak char-grilled to preference and served with garlic butter, roast field mushrooms, fries and rocket, or the fritto misto, lightly battered prawns, cod fillet, calamari and courgette with fries and a herb lemon and caper dip.

Could anything be more appropriate than The Godfather, for 1 or 2 naturally, with nutty chocolate fudge brownies, vanilla and toffee ice cream with chocolate sauce, fresh cream and wafer curls, and rest assured the coffee will do justice to the meal.

With a wine list that makes few concessions to other countries - and why should it - good Italian food can receive an equally national baptism by wine. For further enlightenment, news about their on-line shop and special deals, a click on their lively Website will reveal all.

Located in the idyllic village of Cumnor near Oxford, The Bear and Ragged Staff is soaked in history and can be dated all the way back to the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century.

Just off Appleton Road, and set in beautiful countryside, the pub offers stunning views over fields and woodlands which boast pheasant, partridge, deer, muntjack, rabbit and pigeon, all of which feature richly in the Bear's kitchen. Freshly cooked game, casseroles, steaks and pub classics are regular highlights of the seasonally changing menu which makes full use of locally sourced produce whenever possible.

A meal here could begin with starters of Welsh rarebit with mazuna and caramelised red onion chutney; seared buck haunch with pickled red onions, blackberries and hazelnut oil or Orkney roll mops with winter leaf salad and harvest bloomer. Alternatively, try sharing platters of charcuterie with goose liver and armagnac terrine, peppered pastrami and pickled chilli or mezze with feta and olives, cream cheese stuffed red cherry peppers and hummous.

The mains selection includes braised lamb shank simmered in aged Port and red wine and served with pumpkin mash; pan fried sea bass fillets with orange butter sauce and the house special Bear's Beef Brisket with caramelised onion mash, braised red cabbage and parsnip crisps.

The Bear also offers a pizza selection with toppings of chilli, basil and mozzarella; Milano salami, pastrami, Serrano ham, red onion and red peppers and spinach, garlic and feta. A set lunch menu is also available and on Sundays guests can relish a variety of traditional roasts.

Tempting desserts of plum and Port tart tatin with crème Anglaise, spiced Mandarin crème brûlée with chocolate shortbread or mulled poached pear with double cream and cinnamon tuile will satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

The drinks menu includes a carefully compiled wine list of premium whites and reds as well as a range of beers, ales, spirits and soft drinks.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.