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hand picked restaurants

The Richmond Arms is still very much a pub, and John and Marney Cunningham are determined to keep it that way, although minimalist décor and wooden floors do not immediately support this image. About a mile from the centre with a pretty south facing garden, the delicately spiced, well-presented food, produced by the kitchen presided over by Marney, represents probably the best value for money in relation to quality that you could find in the Bath area. There are slight downsides, as the bar can get a bit of the smoky side, and they do not take credit cards or admit children under fourteen. But with food that good - it is included in the main section of the 2003 Good Food Guide - at prices so sensible, make you quickly forget that. It can be accompanied with one of over 20 wines or 3 well kept real ales.

Gascoyne Place is an independent contemporary public house and restaurant within a unique Grade II Listed Georgian building, situated opposite the Theatre Royal in the heart of Bath. The Modern British menu changes daily and promotes market fresh ingredients sourced from local farms and suppliers.

Choice is kept sensibly short, but is always tempting, like homemade chicken liver paté with toasted brioche and red onion jam or mussels with tomato and basil sauce, with mains of lemon baked breast of free-range chicken with a chickpea, bacon, chilli and roast tomato compote or duck breast with white bean puree and a plum and juniper berry jam and for vegetarians, roast butternut squash stuffed with fruity couscous and a beetroot relish.

Their puddings are of particular note, running from the likes of caramelised pear tart with vanilla ice-cream or sticky date pudding with homemade baileys ice cream and a butterscotch sauce.

A lively and well-established restaurant in the centre of Bath, Demuths has gained a reputation for innovative, vegetarian and vegan food, but it is not just the food. The basement and ground floor restaurant occupying a Georgian property is bedecked with fresh flowers and modern art.

Step in for breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea with homemade cakes or dinner. At lunchtime it could be celeriac fritters, pea feta and mint pâté and trio of local cheeses with their own chutney, pesto and salsa; for dinner try the Sri Lankan curry, lasagne stack, Middle Eastern platter or Japanese miso ramen noodles.

There is a good range of drinks including wines, beers, ciders and softies, all of which are organic. If you want to polish your culinary skills then just put on the student cap and head to their vegetarian cookery school where you could learn the Demuths style of cooking.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.

It seems somehow appropriate that in a classical town like Bath there should exist a restaurant such as The Villore. Part of the Bath Spa Hotel in Sydney Road and in the former ballroom, The Vellore is located amidst great splendour and space.

Executive Chef Andy Hamer presides over a modern menu that emerges variously as a table d'hote or an a la carte and changes frequently. Emphasis is placed on locally produced ingredients and the meal could start with a warm salad of pan-fried Scottish scallops with crispy vegetables, baby leaves, aged Balsamic and herb-scented oil. The roast chump of West Country lamb comes with garlic potato, haricot beans and smoked bacon with rosemary juices.

I know I'm always ducking the issue and getting wound up about cheese but this one is exceptional - a selection of European cheeses served with a warm Gorgonzola soufflé, chicory and a walnut salad.

For wine over 150 bins are yours from which to select, with a wide range of coverage including China. House wine at £18.

The popular spa resort town of Bath, where the Romans built baths and temples around hot springs in the valley is home to the Thai Basil restaurant. Here the authenticity of dishes is maintained through the application of traditional flavours derived from exotic, fresh and original ingredients. The interior features bronze statues and far-eastern styling, providing a comfortable and intimate ambience.

An aromatic crispy duck served with hoi sin sauce, pancakes, cucumbers and spring onions and grilled marinated chicken on bamboo skewers accompanied by peanut sauce can provide a great start to your meal. For main courses consider Thai green curry with beef cooked in coconut milk and brought to your table with egg plants, aubergine, bamboo shoots and sweet basil leaves and stir-fried slice of chicken breast with garlic and pepper. A variety of noodles, rice, soups and salads leave you spoilt for choice. Plenty of options for vegetarians and seafood lovers are also reflected in the menu.