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The Windmill is one of the time-honoured bastions of Windlesham's pub culture, dating back to 1892 when it was owned by a brewery in Staines. Even the location can't come better than this, with several attractions such as Legoland, Windsor Castle and Thorpe Park just a short drive away, this is an ideal base for those looking for a short getaway over the weekend. Its façade is a fine example of 18th century craftsmanship, and inside it manages to strike the right balance between homely and smart.

There is a laid-back, rustic feel to the décor and much thought has gone into the details: pastel shaded walls, large windows that allow a profusion of sunlight, wicker furniture and low-beamed ceilings. The bar is a cosy hideaway with an open fire, contemporary-chic mismatched furniture, great fabrics and colours and fascinating artefacts dotting the place. With the hum of happy diners, it's a perfect setting for a long lunch with friends or the family, or just about any occasion that warrants a celebration around food and drink.

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. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer Persian chicken kebabs, fattoush salad, yoghurt and mint dressing, and for the seafood fiends some smoked trout, prawn, pancetta, creamy lemon dressing, watercress and spinach. Pastas include rigatoni, pork, veal and oregano meatballs with arrabiata sauce, and bucatini with tiger prawns, crab, chilli, tomato and parsley.

Flatbreads are supplied with an abundance of toppings such as caramelised onions, goats' cheese and dressed leaves; spit chicken, bacon, tomato and blue cheese, and chorizo, chilli, rocket, mozzarella and tomato.

For the big event, there is always a chicken scallopini or rib eye steak. The calves' liver with pancetta mash, crispy onions and Marsala is worth trying too. The classic burger, which has risen from the confines of fast food chains, carves a niche for itself on the menu and comes with onion, gherkin, mustard mayo, cheese and bacon. For hearty eaters there is a five spice duck confit, or lamb rack with a spiced dukkah crust.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes Belgian frites and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. 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.

Their wine list contains well-known favourites, alongside little numbers from around the world.

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

A local institution since the 1860s, The Inn at Maybury's claim to fame is being featured in H.G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. While retaining its charming period exterior, complete with gabled roof, the interiors have been beautifully refurbished in a contemporary style encouraging guests to relax and unwind at leisure while they choose from a range of delicious modern British and Mediterranean dishes. Located in Woking, on the outskirts of Greater London, The Inn has excellent transport links and is easily accessible by rail, road and public transport.

An uncompromising quality of service makes all the difference at The Inn, the emphasis here is on giving guests a premium dining experience, so expect a warm welcome which extends to friendly attentive service. By no means a run of the mill 'gastropub', the experience is equally rewarding whether you've popped in for a quick lunch time snack or a full 3-course meal with the family, there is something for everybody at this excellent Surrey country pub. With plenty of outside seating for al fresco dining in warmer weather and a roaring log fire during the winter, the Inn at Maybury's inviting ambience is an immediate mood lifter.

The eye for quality extends to the menu which uses market fresh seasonal ingredients and offers customers plenty of variety. You could begin with a sticky sharing platter of pork ribs and watermelon, classic Mediterranean chicken and chorizo spiedini, or delicious lamb koftas and flatbreads. Alternatively opt for individual starters of button mushroom bourguignon with stirata Romana rustic bread or homemade pork rilette with pear, balsamic and date chutney and toast.

The à la carte offers a range of pizzas, pastas and salads which extend well beyond the usual margherita or lasagna. So, take your pick from a stone-baked piccante pizza topped with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapenos, mouthwatering macaroni with smoked haddock, spinach and Applewood Cheddar or salad of chicken with avocado, melon, pomegranate, feta, chilli, cilantro and lime aioli.

If succulent grilled fare is what you would like for your main course, then The Inn makes every effort to please with a selection which includes spit roast sweet cure gammon with Brussels sprout and parmesan gratin; fillet steak garni with hand-cut jenga chips and rib eye steak with horseradish and parsley butter and frites.

To give your weekend that special touch, The Inn lays out a splendid Sunday spread which includes enduring favourites such as roast rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding; garlic and rosemary studded leg of English lamb and English loin of pork with crackling. Come in, read the papers with a pint of your favourite beer at hand, or give yourself the perfect pick-up with a bloody Mary while you unwind in the company of family and friends.

To finish, consider tempting dessert of banoffee pie; warm brownie with vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce; apple and blackcurrant crumble with vanilla custard or limoncello posset with langues de chat biscuits. Alternatively, you could choose the cheese plate with delicious Colliers Cheddar, camembert and gorgonzola.

Connoisseurs of fine wine will delight in the numerous wine tastings at The Inn. Sparkling Thursdays promise premium fizz at generous prices while the Rothschild Supper Club offers two courses and a bottle of premium Rothschild champagne for two people for just £40.

You might also want to consider visiting nearby sister pubs The Inn On The Lake or The Seahorse.

More information can be found on their Website.

It is not an easy task to maintain impeccable standards and uniformity of taste across a chain of over eight hundred outlets, yet that is just the distinction that The Gondola Group has achieved. Their restaurants, with the brand names of Zizzi, ASK and Pizza Express, serve authentic Italian food at reasonable prices, in a warm and friendly ambience. The chain continues to grow, with the group opening around twenty-five new outlets each year.

Another talent that the group has is converting listed buildings and in which to house their restaurants. This has helped the group maintain standards, but allows each location to keep its innate charm. Done up in light colours, with wooden floors and gleaming cutlery, Zizzi boasts of a bustling open kitchen which churns out freshly prepared, tasty fare.

Like all good Italian restaurants, the extensive carte offers four distinct sections of antipasti, salads, mains, including pasta, pizza and risottos, a meat and fish menu which changes seasonally and a vast and exciting dessert menu. The restaurant's special antipasti platter has mixed Italian meats with buffalo milk mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, mixed olives and red onion focaccia bread. Garlic mozzarella pizza bread and caramelised balsamic onions too, set the tone for a hearty meal.

The calzones or folded pizzas are a treat and come with salads. 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. The pasta and risotto sections arouse plenty of interest, with the farfalle alla Genovese combined with marinated roasted artichoke hearts, Santos tomatoes, and pine nuts in a delicious creamy pesto sauce or the light risotto with tiger prawns, oak-roasted salmon, calamari, courgettes and baby spinach in a rich creamy base with lemon and chilli.

The pizzas are not far behind either, with funghi topped with field mushrooms, fresh tarragon, mozzarella and tomato while the popular Sophia has marinated chicken, pepperoni, over-roasted sausage, tomato, mozzarella, finished with green chilli and fresh rosemary.

The extensive wine list offers a range of red, white, sparkling and rose wines in addition to beer and spirits while the dessert menu is attractive too, with a range of tempting fare from the homemade tiramisu to the torta cioccolata with its thick hazelnut chocolate base served with vanilla mascarpone. A really hot and tasty cup of coffee, tea or chocolate rounds the meal off well.

The fact that the restaurant hires their employees very selectively is evident in the friendly, cheerful and capable manner with which the staff treat diners, lending each outlet the personalised feel of a family run restaurant.

More information can be found on their 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.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's, and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

Several thoughts come into mind when you enter Asiana Indian Restaurant. Stylish and unique are two, but the best bit about this gorgeous restaurant is probably their ambient lighting, with a huge domed skylight area allowing diners to look up into the night sky.

There is a broad range of dishes in the repertoire, all carried off with the same sure touch and stunning presentation. Start with tuna rolls or a sharing platter of onion bhajis, samosas - light pastry stuffed with potatoes and onions - and skewered cottage cheese. The sizzling mixed tava of chicken, lamb and king prawns cooked with aromatic spices is a house speciality while red salmon, chicken tikka, lamb shaslik and king prawns feature in the tandoori section. Little members of the family have their own dedicated menu with free ice cream.

Asiana also caters for parties and helpfully create special menus to suit different occasions.