Bites: The pick of this season's festival restaurants

The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny; 36 on the Quay, Emsworth; Three Chimneys, Skye; Melton's, York

The Walnut Tree Inn, Llandewi Skirrid, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire (01873 852797)

The restaurant that put this part of Wales on the culinary map nearly 40 years ago still produces excellent Italian food. Now it's cooked by Stephen Terry who bought the pioneering gastropub from Franco and Ann Taruschio. Current chef and previous owners are pivotal to the town's lively Food Festival next weekend, and it's worth a trip just for The Walnut Tree's cooking.

36 on the Quay, 47 South Street, Emsworth, Hampshire (01243 375592)

Emsworth's most heavily draped and highly regarded restaurant has sell-out £75 gourmet dinners, and lunches (£18-£22 for two or three courses, coffee and house wine) during the Hampshire town's Food Festival next weekend, from Thursday. Ramon Farthing's cooking is at the complex end of contemporary French: scallops on creamed cauliflower with crispy pancetta, cauliflower tempura and truffle oil (and that's just for starters).

Three Chimneys, Colbost, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye (01470 511258)

Three Chimneys may be far flung, but the whitewashed croft is central to next weekend's Talisker Skye and Lochalsh Food Festival. It's an outstanding place to eat on the island and – given its place in a recent top 50 listing – in the world. Chef Shirley Spear is pulling out the stops for next weekend's festivities, which celebrate the produce and the places to enjoy it on Skye and just across the bridge.

Melton's, 7 Scarcroft Road, York (01904 634341)

Leading light in the city's eating scene, chef Michael Hjort is demonstrating and cooking dinners as part of the York Festival of Food & Drink, which began yesterday. Meanwhile, his pleasingly no-frills restaurant has a Mediterranean menu full of sunshine and flair, with attractions like fennel mousse with saffron risotto and red pepper relish. A £10 lunch menu runs through the festival into next weekend. Melton's Too (01904 629222), the Hjorts' new bistro, also features in the programme.