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hand picked restaurants

Wine and Sausage offers guests the prospect of a contemporary eating out experience in the heart of Taunton's market town in the historic Corner House Hotel, a delightful showcase of hidden features like the Victorian mosaic tiled floor. The cooking is best described as simple rustic fare that most Britons grew up eating and the kitchen supports local producers sourcing ingredients from regional farmers, fishermen, brewers and winemakers.

The daily changing main carte opens with wood pigeon, bacon and black pudding terrine with pickled mushroom, before presenting the day's specials or an absolutely stunning Montgomery cheddar salmon pie, and desserts of, say, summer pudding with crème fraîche sorbet. The sausage menu presents around six traditional handmade varieties that range from lamb, mint and apricots to Gloucester Old Spot pork, cider and wholegrain mustard.

The Farmers Inn is the perfect getaway in the colourful and picturesque Somerset countryside and its peaceful and quiet location is like balm to the soul, with its clean fresh air and relatively uncomplicated life. Everything about this hotel is perfectly charming, right from the quaint but carefully modernised bedrooms to the stripped dining tables and roaring log fires. What's more, there are splendid views of undulating greenery, making it one of those rare occurrences in life which simply delight the senses with its mere presence.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is homely and welcoming, creating a warm feeling within you with its wooden floors and comfy leather sofas. Locally sourced ingredients of the best quality go into the preparation of the delicious bar snacks and the dishes in the à la carte menu where everything is cooked imaginatively and with a great deal of passion. The pub and restaurant feature an interesting wine list alongside some fantastic ales and ciders that have been produced in local breweries.

Pitcher and Piano first started in Fulham in 1986, since when it has evolved into one of the UK's favourite bar groups, offering premium drinks, mingled with food that carries its own distinction against a background of different themes, many deriving from the locality, and from what is the whole being of contemporary life in modern bars.

Start with a cocktail, say a bourbon cookie, cosmopolitan or a parson green apple before tackling some food that will vary from pub to pub. There are bar meals, try lime and coriander chicken in Didsbury, or a more formal approach in restaurant style, what about 21 day hung, 10 oz British sirloin steak in Mayfair, with homemade chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce in Birmingham. In general the menus are very similar, with plenty of choices all round.

There are now over twenty five branches of Pitcher and Piano where you can be assured of the same decent levels of food and drinks, service and quality. Surely that's better than the lucky dip approach?