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The village of Tadworth, on the southeast slope of Epsom Downs, is home to The Blue Anchor, a friendly pub that is perfectly poised between being elegant yet unpretentious. Thanks to a thoughtful restoration job, the refuge is more modern than previous incarnations but still offers many cosy areas that are perfect to snuggle up in.

You could visit The Blue Anchor for special occasions that demand good food and drink, or simply to give life to thoughts of long lunches, lazy afternoons and general indulgence. A little extra style has been thrown in by giving the bar a shabby chic interior of mismatched furniture, an open fire, leather sofas, and comfortable deep tub chairs that are great to sink into and lose all sense of time. Chunky boothed tables and plush brown and black leather chairs complement the dining area's white walls and wooden floors.

The menu is simple but up-to-the-minute with lots of comfort appeal and offers homely dishes like steaks and pasta as well as ones with more contemporary, global touches, all delivered by friendly and cheerful staff. To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, box baked Camembert with red onion jam and rustic bread and Greek mezze of taramasalata with red pepper hummus, tzatziki, feta and flatbreads.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup, smoked mackerel pâté, seared pigeon breast, or a red onion tart. Flat breads are baked fresh in the stone oven and accompanied by chorizo, chilli, mozzarella, rocket and tomato, or for the seafood enthusiasts some crayfish, smoked salmon, garlic, parsley and crème fraîche among other choices.

The pasta and rotisserie for hearty eaters are worth trying and include rigatoni, pork, veal and oregano meatballs with arrabiata sauce, and spit chicken with roast garlic, lemon, thyme, aioli and frites. If you drop in feeling a fish event coming on the smoked salmon and prawn fishcakes with baby spinach, hollandaise and potato of the day can be hard to ignore.

The classic burger with onion, gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese and bacon is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. Other choices encompass five spice duck confit, and lamb rack with a spiced dukkah crust, char-grilled stuffed peppers and minted potatoes.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes Belgian frites and mayo, and the Anchor house salad. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple and frangipane gallette and Cognac ice cream, and there is also a selection of local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website.

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.

Ever felt like nobody does complete justice to Italian cuisine Drive down to Spaghetti Tree in Walton-on-the-hill and you'd be in for a pleasant surprise. Prettily perched alongside greenery and the Walton Pond, the atmosphere is anything but quiet and serene inside. The restaurant has a distinct sense of buoyancy about it that makes the ambience lively and ideal for ample conversation and laughter. The service is quick and responsive, and the staff go out of the way to make guests feel welcome and comfortable.

Coming to the cuisine, it's almost as if every dish that's on the table is arrogantly aware of its Italian roots. From the pappardelle dello chef, penne amatriciana and funghi aglio, to the fillet rossini, leg of lamb steak and zucchini fritti, it's hard to go wrong with the food. An extensive wine list and an interesting array of desserts, complete the experience, while the taste itself pleasantly lingers on making guests want to keep coming back with more company. Highly recommended for the authentic preparations and interesting presentations.

This warm and welcoming restaurant with its pleasing décor and friendly vibe brings French and modern European cuisine to Tadworth, and the general impression is altogether of a contemporary eaterie that caters to people who love good food. Quality is a serious undertaking with them and has resulted in the accumulation of the AA Rosette awards for three years.

From a regularly changing menu, starters could include chicken, bacon and wild mushroom pie followed by a main course of roasted leg of lamb served with dauphinoise potato and gravy. For dessert, there's a warm dark chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream or a selection of cheeses and biscuits.

Set menus on Saturdays run into five courses and are a treat in itself while the Sunday three course menu is equally popular. The wine list is rather global and features a number of popular favourites alongside newer choices.