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A former coaching inn that has been thoroughly reinvented as a hotel for the 21st century, though managing to retain some of the old world charm. Outside the River Monnow adds to the scenic attraction provided by the gentle hills of Monmouthshire. Les Routiers Inn of the Year 2004.

The menu does not offer any great surprises although it attempts to veer towards the adventurous side of modern with some success. A whole globe artichoke with Hollandaise sauce is fine, though anyone who finds this delicacy slightly daunting might find solace in the asparagus done as a feuillete with more of the Hollandaise or the seared Scottish scallops.

No self-respecting Welsh Borders restaurant can afford not to serve Welsh Black steaks, and there they are, with plenty of chips and Bearnaise sauce. Nothing wrong with chips provided they're the best and these are good. The canon of lamb, formerly resident of the Usk Valley comes with mango chutney, olive crushed potato, smoked ratatouille and rosemary jus, a pleasant combination of flavours. The vegetarian option comes in the form of a roasted pepper and basil risotto with a poached egg and parmesan.

When the puddings come round you won't be disappointed. The range of Welsh cheeses are notable to the point of irresistibility. The Bower Farm clotted cream served with the bread and butter pudding is in a class of its own and nobody can say that the management is not utilising Welsh products to the full.

The wine list has a passport full of rubber stamps and there are some particularly interesting French reds. House wines from £10. Relaxing over coffee after the meal may induce an inclination towards Scotland and the relatively brief but selective list of single malts.

One wonders if the Chris Evans' pubs are country-chic bolthole, gastropub, or restaurant with rooms. As far as the Newbridge Inn is concerned, it's a combination of all three, housed within a traditional building. The stunning backdrop of the river and the breathtaking views of the valley set the right atmosphere, making it a perfect choice to celebrate any occasion.

The menu yields a good range of locally sourced produce and may open with moules mariniéres with white wine, parsley and garlic. Two steaks are lined up for main courses - a grilled 6 oz rib-eye and char-grilled 8 oz sirloin - with a host of sides like toasted ciabatta bread with whole grain mustard mayo, and horseradish mash. Finally do save space for delightful spoonfuls of chocolate parfait topped with whipped cream and strawberries.

A selection of wines from across the globe make refreshing accompaniments to the excellent food at The Newbridge Inn.

The Inn at the Elm Tree is a former 19th century barn that assumed the avatar of a renowned restaurant until the year 2000 when it also became an inn and since then, it has become a Newport favourite for numerous reasons. Primary among them could be the cheerful hospitality, delicious fare and friendly service, which elevates the experience into something memorable and lovely. From the food perspective, the restaurant is an ideal spot for a dinner rendezvous or business lunch with a colleague, and with its serene atmosphere and locally sourced cuisine, it's no wonder it's so popular.

Amongst starters, there could be deep fried calamari with a tomato and chilli dip followed by a main course of roast rack of lamb with spring cabbage, julienne of root vegetables, red currant and rosemary jus. A look at the dessert list might reveal choices such as bread and butter pudding served with ice cream. The drinks list features some excellent wines and spirits.

In 2002 Eliot and Jana Lewis became the new owners of this pleasant Monmouthshire inn, determined to restore its past grandeur. Jana, with a background in design, was delighted by the challenge this imposed, and much of the work that has been done bears her mark, in particular the paintings in the corridors and rooms.

At the heart of the village since the 15th century, The Beaufort Arms is home to many memories. Until 1842 it was a well-known stop on the South Wales - Fishguard route to the Irish ports. In the 20th century British Prime Ministers, clad in tweeds and hoping for anonymity came to stay here for the fishing.

Nowadays people still come with the same purpose in mind, but a more mobile public seeking high standards in scenic surroundings, most of whom could not give a fig about anonymity, swells their ranks.

The relative formality of the dining room - and it is only relative, but enough to give that certain lift to the evening - offers a menu that lives up to expectations, offering the best of British cooking. The soup of the day really is freshly made, from an imaginative repertoire. A pate made from crab, sherry and Parmesan has the customary Melba toast and tomato chilli jam for company.

Griddled scallops with buttered cabbage and smoked salmon brings life to a normally rather dull vegetable, with the flavour of the smoked salmon picking up nicely from the scallops. Vegetarians are well looked after and a chargrilled Mediterranean vegetable tower with spring onion and coriander salsa is transformed by the influence of an aubergine tomato chutney.

From a dazzling array of main courses the steamed lamb shank faggots are well supported by a parsnip puree with baby carrots and asparagus spears. Those expecting Welsh Black beef will need to switch attention to the Welsh rack of lamb with Irish cabbage mashed potato sauce and parsley puree.

Steak comes in the form of wild boar loin steak with Lyonnaise potatoes and wholegrain mustard and cider sauce, or a fillet steak beautifully topped with foie gras on fondant potatoes with a red wine jus.

Ten years ago roast belly of pork would not even have been considered for a menu of this quality. Now, served with black pudding, buttered spinach and mustard mash it has become a popular dish.

It would of course be a pleasant thought to imagine the salmon might have swum past the door once too often, but somehow I think Eliot and Jana would not have missed that trick. Whatever its origin, served with a tartare potato cake, a warm poached egg and lemon butter sauce it is one of the highlights of the menu.

The bar menu continues to offer the same high standards in preparation and the freshness of the ingredients, with salmon and prawn fish cake, locally made sausages with creamy champ potatoes, peas and onion mustard gravy, wild mushroom and onion tartlet, the Beaufort beefburger, a fish pie made with fresh cod, haddock and salmon, cooked in the spinach, and a really succulent beef and ale pie.

The cellar offers a weekly changing guest ale, and a wine list that moves skilfully between New and Old world names, 12 of them sold by the glass. The inn is on the Les Routiers list, still in my view one of the most reliable citations of its kind.

Cwrt Bleddyn is an impressive Victorian manor house set in 50 acres of magnificent grounds in the valley of the Usk. There is a considerable amount of banqueting goes on here but in between times the two award-winning chefs produce mainly traditional dishes that are both tasty and generous.

Located on the gateway to Wales in the valleys of the Usk and the Wye this handsome house offers a menu which ranges the culinary spectrum and could include white onion and Guinness soup, followed by seared halibut with a herb crust and a light mussel jus tinged with Noilly Prat. To round off the meal a pear William and Armagnac bavarois with a fruit Feuillentine and Mirabelle. The menu changes daily. There is a well travelled wine list with a selection of house wines at £16.

When this ships' chandlery was initially built at Lower Dock Street in the 19th century, no one could have thought that it would house a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant so many years later; now The Chandlery Restaurant has upgraded just about everything, bringing an addition of modern sensibilities to this part of Newport.

As for food, the kitchen team believe in pleasantly blending strong ingredients and adopting modern European cooking techniques, so the sight of duck and foie gras pressed into a terrine, or the delicious crab and saffron tart give first hints on what to expect. Then move on to explore new territories of flavour with a roast loin of Welsh mountain lamb together with braised shoulder, and seared rainbow trout with king prawns. After a hearty meal such as this some interesting dessert ideas like set vanilla and ginger cheese cake, or a selection of Welsh and Continental cheeses seem unavoidable.

So whether it's a business lunch, a romantic evening out or a celebration, The Chandlery Restaurant could well prove to be the smart choice.