100 best restaurants in the UK

FABULOUS FISH

By Mitchell Tonks

1. The Seafood Restaurant

Rick Stein's place is comfortable and welcoming, with first-class service. The fish here is seriously fresh and cooked in a confident, simple style. Dishes like turbot and hollandaise are perfect and the local shellfish is the star of the show.

Riverside, Padstow, Cornwall (01841 532700)

2. Venus Café

By day the Venus is a busy beach café; by night it's a full-on seafood barbecue cooked by David Hawke. Enjoy the finest Dartmouth lobster with a glass of Sharpham wine as the sun goes down. I also highly recommend nearby Anchorstone Café, where last summer I had a memorable meal of spider crab.

Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth, Devon (01803 770606). Anchorstone Café: Manor Street, Dittisham, Dartmouth (01803 722365)

3. J Sheekey

This place is in a class of its own. Mark Hix's inspired but simple menu showcases the very best classic seafood dishes – make sure you don't miss the grilled sole and turbot.

28-32 St Martin's Court, London WC2 (020-7240 2565)

4. Barrafina

Not a pure seafood restaurant, but it serves some of the best in town. Sit at the bar and enjoy chilled sherry while choosing from the small but serious fish display, much of which is cooked in front of you on a grill.

54 Frith Street, London W1 (020-7813 8016)

5. The Riverside Restaurant

Some great fish is landed in West Bay; the local mackerel is in abundance and hard to beat when simply grilled within hours of being caught. A fabulous morning walk along the beach will set you up for a great seafood lunch.

West Bay, Bridport, Dorset (01308 422011)

6. The Kishorn Seafood Bar

A small wooden dining room with the most fantastic views over Skye. My chance visit here was one of my top seafood experiences – a pile of steaming, locally caught squat lobsters with a bottle of cold muscadet. The homemade cullen skink is a must.

Kishorn, Strathcarron, Ross, Scotland (01520 733240)

7. Crab House Café

How many fish places can boast their own oyster farm? At this seriously cool café, sit outside overlooking the Fleet Estuary eating oysters straight from the tank and/or a piece of simply grilled, locally caught fish. The local Portland shellfish is wonderful and the boiled crab is hard to beat, too.

Ferryman's Way, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Dorset (01305 788867)

8. Bank

This unashamedly contemporary restaurant doesn't just serve fish – but the fish that it does serve is exemplary, including fabulous wild sea trout and Asian-style tuna steaks.

4 Brindley Place, Birmingham (0121 633 4466)

9. The Oyster Shack

Housed in an old oyster fishery, this place is full of character. Sunday afternoons are great here: gorge on locally caught lobster and oysters cooked three or four different ways. But be warned: the Oyster Shack can get very busy, especially on hot summer days, and people have been known to bring their own furniture! Milburn Orchard Farm, Stakes Hill, Bigbury, Devon (01548 810876)

10. The Sticky Prawn

Right on the quay with outside seating, the setting here is perfect for eating good seafood. I recently enjoyed a fabulous boozy lunch with a dish of the most sensational Dover sole. Most of the fish is caught only a few miles out to sea from the restaurant's door.

Flushing Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall (01326 373734)

Mitchell Tonks runs the FishWorks chain of fish restaurants across London and the south of England (www.fishworks.co.uk)

STYLISH HAUNTS

By Dylan Jones

1. Scott's

Since re-opening last year this has become the place to have lunch. Mark Hix has returned Scott's to its former glory, with an eye-catching New York-style oyster bar in the middle of the dining room. Designed by Martin Brudnizki, the oak-panelled room makes eating here feel lavish, clandestine and masculine.

20 Mount Street, London W1 (020-7495 7309)

2. Tides Grill

Overlooking Cardiff Bay, this restaurant has one of the best views in the entire British Isles. Part of the Forte group, with the design overseen by Olga Polizzi, the hotel has an extraordinary glass-backed atrium, ultra-modern bedrooms – and one amazing restaurant.

St David's Hotel & Spa, Havannah Street, Cardiff (029-2031 3018)

3. Le Caprice

The face of Le Caprice is Jesus Adorno, and he can be found most days policing the restaurant's reservation book and famous revolving door. His restaurant is as chic as he is: monochromatic, warm, A-list. David Bailey prints decorate the walls, Ugly Betty fashionistas pepper the tables.

Arlington House, Arlington Street, London SW1 (020-7629 2239)

4. The Fat Duck

It's been rated the world's best eatery, but that doesn't mean it isn't fashionable, too. Like its "sister" restaurant, El Bulli in Spain, The Fat Duck's interior is deliberately unprepossessing, allowing the food to shine through. Just going there is stylish enough.

High Street, Bray, Berkshire (01628 580333)

5. The River Restaurant at the Lowry Hotel

The best restaurant in the best hotel in Manchester, The River is the place to eat on a Friday or Saturday night, offering modern classic cuisine in a smart environment. Move to the bar for a nightcap and you'll see everyone who's anyone in the city, for better or worse.

The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Manchester (0161 827 4041)

6. The Ivy

Still the power-broking luncheon room of choice, The Ivy is the most double-breasted restaurant in Europe. They very sweetly say that there is no official dress code here, but it's the one restaurant in town where a well-turned cuff or the right pair of cufflinks will always find the right audience.

1-5 West Street, London WC2 (020-7836 4751)

7. Atrium

The winner of numerous awards, Atrium has an intriguing design (the interior is constructed from canvas, copper and dark wood) – but it works. It's also one of the most enjoyable eating experiences in Scotland.

10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh (0131 228 8882)

8. The Wolseley

The brainchild of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the gentlemen behind Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheekey, this cavernous style temple looks like apost-modern Viennese brasserie.

160 Piccadilly, London W1 (020-7499 6996)

9. The Sir Charles Napier Inn

This is an old-fashioned inn that just happens to serve some of the best food in the county, as well as having the most beautiful grounds. The perfect halfway house between urban-floorboard gastropub and twee country ale house.

Sprigg's Alley, Chinnor, Oxfordshire(0149 4483 011)

10. Gordon Ramsay

This is still the most intimate restaurant interior in the country, and the best place to celebrate that significant anniversary. Ramsay expects his customers to be as sophisticated as his food, so shave before you go: beards, legs, the lot.

68 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 (020-7352 4441)

Dylan Jones is the editor of 'GQ'

GREAT OUTDOORS

By Oliver Peyton

1. The River Café

The River Café is a consistently good restaurant serving simple Italian dishes using only the very best ingredients. The food is authentic, the setting unrivalled and the service always impeccable. Sitting outside on a summer evening is one of the great joys of living in London.

Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, London W6 (020-7386 4200)

2. Hotel Tresanton

This is my mother-in-law's hotel and restaurant and we spend a lot of time there as a family. The vista is one of the greatest in the UK. The restaurant only uses ingredients from local suppliers and the quality of fish is as good as any you'd find in Europe.

St Mawes, Cornwall (01326 270055)

3. Porthminster Beach Café

The perfect casual café with a menu full of Australian flavours thanks to the Aussie head chef. The seafood is exceptional, the service is great and the location, with its views across St Ives, fantastic – what more could one ask for?

Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall (01736 795352)

4. Riverside Brasserie

On a warm summer's day, there are few more relaxing spots in which to enjoy a leisurely lunch than on the terrace at Gary Dawson's Thameside brasserie. The food is well executed and full of flavour – and the prices are eminently reasonable.

Bray Marina, Monkey Island Lane, Bray, Berkshire (01628 780553)

5. The White Horse

This pub and restaurant has a great terrace overlooking the Norfolk marshes with views to the sea. The menu features a wonderful range of local produce including Cromer crabs, mussels and samphire. Go at dusk to watch the sunset with a glass of rosé and a fresh crab salad.

Main Road, Brancaster, Norfolk (01485 210262)

6. Petersham Nurseries

You don't have to love gardens to love this restaurant. Situated in a plant nursery, The Independent on Sunday's food writer, Skye Gyngell, has done a remarkable job in elevating a simple café to Richmond's top lunch hot spot. The combination of super-fresh food and an English country gardenis irresistible.

Off Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey (020-8605 3627)

7. Babington House

The Somerset outpost of Soho House has a great terrace with views over the lake. Many of the ingredients used in the food are grown in their walled garden. If you are looking for an escape with all the creature comforts, start with a massage in the cowshed before taking your place on the terrace for lunch.

Babington House, near Frome, Somerset (01373 812266)

8. Daylesford Organic

Daylesford is a work of genius. Their passion for growing, producing and cooking real food, organically, shines through. The café is a delight. The fact that the locals hate a commercially viable, environmentally sound operation makes me like it even more!

Daylesford Organic, Daylesford, near Kingham, Gloucestershire (01608 731700)

9. Hotel Endsleigh

This is one of the UK's best restaurants, set in one of the most idyllic rural settings, with stunning views down to the River Tamar. The food is modern British in style and the quality of the ingredients speaks for itself.

Milton Abbot, Tavistock, Devon (01822 870000)

10. The Garden Café at Hillers Farmshop

A fantastic farm shop with a superb butcher, deli and fishmonger as well as a café in the heart of the farm shop garden centre. Their rose garden is absolutely stunning and if you visit now you can dine among the blooms.

Garden Café at Hillers Farm Shop, near Alcester, Warwickshire (01789 491950)

Oliver Peyton's Inn the Park is in the heart of St James's Park, London SW1

CLASSIC ACTS

By Tracey MacLeod

1. The Ubiquitous Chip

The Chip earns its classic status not just through longevity – it opened in 1971 – but through owner Ronnie Clydesdale's continuing drive to showcase the very best Scottish ingredients. Aberdeen Angus fillet with stovies, venison haggis with turnip cream, local fish and seafood are all served in the airy dining room that has long functioned as Glasgow's unofficial arts and media canteen.

12 Ashton Lane, Glasgow (0141 334 5007)

2. Café Royal Oyster Bar

More theatrical than Edinburgh in August, this perfect Victorian relic is tucked down an alley off Princes Street. Seafood and game are specialities, but it's the fantastically atmospheric room – a riot of stained glass, murals, mirrors and wood panelling – that's the star.

17A West Register Street, Edinburgh (0131 556 4124)

3. The Goring

The last of the great London hotel dining rooms to resist a celeb-chef makeover, the family-owned Goring trundles on defiantly, like the trolley that carries its roast of the day. The seasonal British menu – gull's eggs, roast marrowbone, braised lamb's heart with haggis – may chime with fashion, but the formal dining room is a world away from St John. An establishment for the Establishment.

Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1 (020-7396 9000)

4. Mr Chow

The granddaddy of designer restaurants has been catering to London's beautiful people since 1968, when Michael Chow had the idea of combining a Cantonese menu with Italian service. It's still a rubber-necker's dream, and the food ranks with the new-generation Chinese restaurants that have followed.

151 Knightsbridge, London SW1 (020-7589 7347)

5. Kensington Place

A relative youngster at only 20 years old, KP earns its classic status by being both an original and a survivor. The buzzy dining room is still packed, and though chef Rowley Leigh recently handed over to Sam Mahoney, regulars won't see the join; the menu still fizzes with originality.

201 Kensington Church Street, London W8 (020-7727 3184)

6. Clarke's

Sally Clarke's devotion to seasonal ingredients and her no-choice daily-changing menu were radical in the 1980s. The Californian-influenced menu is still fresh and full of wonderful combinations.

124 Kensington Church Street, London W8 (020-7221 9225)

7. Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons

This is the heaven to which good foodies aspire to go when they die. Raymond Blanc's luxury country house hotel has gastronomic perfection at its heart: the modern French food isn't just good, it's Oh-God-take-me-now good.

Great Milton, Oxon (01844 278881)

8. Wheelers Oyster Bar

It may have spawned a restaurant group, but this Wheelers is a one-off. A seafood bar, a tiny parlour dining room, and a well-executed all-fish menu, make this Dickensian time capsule very special.

8 High Street, Whitstable (01227 273311)

9. Rogano

This art deco gem is the perfect place to recreate Jazz Age elegance. Oysters and seafood are the speciality, with only trad Scottish offerings, such as haggis and neeps, to remind you that you're not in the dining room of a Cunard liner.

11 Exchange Place, Glasgow (0141 248 4055)

10. Le Gavroche

Four decades old, it's easy to see why this is still a force to be reckoned with. The impeccable execution of French dishes; the Rolls-Royce service; the discreet purr of satisfaction from the wealthy clientele – truly, we shall not see its like again.

43 Upper Brook Street, London W1 (020-7499 1826)

TASTE OF ITALY

By Antonio Carluccio

1. Locanda Locatelli

Giorgio Locatelli serves possibly the best Italian food in Britain. He is very focused on his half-Lombardian, half-Piemontese origins, and produces excellent dishes using genuine Italian ingredients.

8 Seymour Street, London W1 (020-7935 9088)

2. Assaggi

Pietro Fraccari and Nino Sassu gained the experience to create genuine Italian food at my Neal Street Restaurant. Innovative Sardinian dishes show Nino's origins as well as showcasing the region.

39 Chepstow Place, London W2 (020-7792 5501)

3. Sardo

Sardo continues to convert diners to the delights of simple Sardinian cooking; favourites include the fregola (pasta bead) dishes with shellfish, excellent cured hams and spaghetti bottarga with a dried mullet roe and olive oil sauce.

45 Grafton Way, London W1 (020-7387 2521)

4. Osteria Posillipo

On my quest to find Britain's best Italian eateries, I haven't forgotten the simple trattorias or osterias that don't aspire to be glamorous but none the less deliver the goods. The Neapolitan owner Espesdito Tammaro has created a little bit of Naples in Kent, with great pizza from a wood-fired oven.

14 Albion Street, Broadstairs, Kent (01843 601133)

5. Brio

In Pino Cecere's cheerful Puglian restaurant, look out for dishes from his grandmother and mother such as "ciceri e tria" (pasta and chick peas) and broad bean purée with wild chicory.

40 Great George Street, Leeds (0113 246 5225)

6. Valvona and Crolla

Edinburgh's quintessential deli/shop/ restaurant is a down-to-earth foodie heaven and it has been one of my favourite places to eat Italian cooking for many years. Pizza di scarola (Batavia pie) from southern Italy and local Highland venison are both popular specialities.

19 Elm Row, Edinburgh (0131 556 6066)

7. La Parmigiana

The Giovanizzi family in Glasgow use both local and Italian fresh seasonal produce to delight customers. Dishes made from fish, game and wild mushrooms are all specialities.

447 Great Western Road, Glasgow (0141 334 0686)

8. Il Forno

In just two years, Vince Margiotta's restaurant has become a local favourite thanks to classic dishes made from British meat and fish and fine Italian ingredients. Must-eat dishes include linguine vongole and pizza margherita.

132 Duke Street, East Village, Liverpool (0151 709 4002)

9. Firenze

Sumptuous northern-Italian cuisine from Lino Poli (from Bergamo) and his wife Sarah. Don't expect "polenta with sparrow", a Bergamo speciality, but try polenta con coniglio (rabbit) or asparagi alla Milanese with egg and Parmesan.

9 Station Street, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicester (0116 279 6260)

10. Stock

Don't be deterred by the grand setting in Manchester's Stock Exchange – the southern Italian food here takes centre stage. Man Utd players are frequent consumers of Enzo Mauro's irresistible food – sardine fritte is a typical treat.

The Stock Exchange, 4 Norfolk Street, Manchester (0161 839 6644)

TAPAS BARS

By Elisabeth Luard

1. Brindisa

A Spanish corner of Borough Market that is the benchmark by which all others must be judged. Dishes are updated classics: gambas pilpil features juicy tiger-prawns; spinach a la catalana is fresh leaves wilted under a hot pinenut-raisin dressing; croquetas de jamon are soft-centred and crisp-coated, just as they should be.

Borough Market, Stoney Street, London SE1 (020-7407 1036)

2. El Faro

It's in Docklands, but it feels like an ultra-modern Barcelona harbourside bar. Efficient Spanish staff serve city types with updated traditional tapas: sea-urchin with scrambled eggs, tuna carpaccio, pork-belly with apricots.

3 Turnberry Quay, Pepper Street, London E14 (020-7987 5511)

3. Salt Yard

Tapas include black pudding croquetas, air-cured wild boar ham, squid-ink rice, stuffed courgette-flowers, bean-salad with fennel-pollen. Sherries include Pedro Ximenes (raisiny and figgy), a dry oloroso and a palo cortado.

54 Goodge Street, London W1 (020-7637 0657)

4. Fino

Sister-restaurant to Barrafina, Sam and Eddie Hart's place. Tapas include gorgeously fresh sardines, scallops, prawns, razorshells; or go for the clamsin garlic and sherry. Excellent wine-list, assured kitchen, terrific lavvies.

33 Charlotte Street, London W1 (020-7813 8010)

5. Eyre Brothers

The gastropub pioneers' new 100-seater in Shoreditch serves foie gras with truffles, iberico from the bone, boned quails in sweet-sour escabeche. The range of sherries is first rate.

70 Leonard Street, London EC2 (020-7613 5346)

6. Barioja

A tapas bar which draws Spaniards as well as Scots. Regular visits to Teruel in Aragon, owner Ignacio Campo's home town, ensure quality supplies. Among the tapas regulars are a tempting selection: gambas pilpil, arroz negro (rice with squid ink), fiery patatas bravas, and dishes with bacalao. Some of the best tapas outside Spain, say the regulars.

19 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh (0131 557 3622)

7. Ultracomida

Buzzy, beautiful – my very own local. Aren't I lucky? Front-of-shop is deli-goods from Spain, France and Wales: cheeses, serrano and chorizo sliced to order. In the back a newly opened bar-restaurant serves frittered peppers stuffed with cheese, spicy albondigas, pan-tomaquet. Not open after 6pm.

31 Pier Street, Aberystwyth (01970 630686)

8. Pintxo People

Regulars swear that this café-bar and deli serves the best tapas in the south. Pintxos – bits on sticks or popped on toasted bread – are the northern version of Andalucian tapas. Offerings include txoritos (small chorizos) cooked in cider; and escalibada (roasted aubergines and peppers with cumin).

95 Western Road, Brighton (01273 732323)

9. La Plancha

Not only the "hippest bar-rendezvous in the city", the tapas menu is really what draws the crowd. Specials include lamb cutlets with apricots, pork loin with raisins and pinenuts, a vegetarian paella. Round it all off with a slice of almondy torta de Santiago.

113 Alcester Road, Moseley Village, Birmingham (0121 449 5430)

10. El Rincon de Rafa

Noisy and fun. Authentic tapas, major on meat, albondigas highly recommended, as is a paella for sharing – perfect with a chilled Cruzcampo or a glass of Rioja.

244 Deansgate, Manchester (0161 839 8819)

Elisabeth Luard is the new Glenfiddich Cookery Writer of the Year. Her book 'The Food of Spain and Portugal' is published by Kyle Cathie, £14.99

CHEAP EATS

By Charles Campion

1. Nauroz

Nauroz is a bright and bustling Pakistani grill house that has the twin benefits of being very close to Eastcote underground station, and having an off-licence next door – this place is BYO. The food is very good; note the tandoori lamb chops. You'll be hard pressed to spend £10 a head.

219 Field End Road, Eastcote, Middlesex (020-8868 0900)

2. The Bistro on the Square

In a world increasingly dominated by gastropubs, the Bistro on the Square in Aberdovey is a friendly, old-fashioned restaurant. The menu stems from local ingredients (fresh fish, Welsh lamb) and the standard of cooking is surprisingly high. Around £17 for two courses.

1 Chapel Square, Aberdovey, Gwynedd (01654 767448)

3. The Quarter

The Quarter is a pizza and pasta pitstop that has sidled up to its neighbour, the more illustrious 60 Hope Street. Decent Italian food; about £15 a head.

7 Falkner Street, Liverpool, Merseyside (0151 707 1965)

4. The Balti Triangle

As soon as you venture into the Balti Triangle you are guaranteed an adventure. An implausible number of Indian restaurants cluster together and at most of them you will eat well for under £10. Al Frash is a good starting place, but currently the Al Frash team can be found at Zeb's while their builders work on a refurb. Go for the "afrodesia" balti and look out for the huge breads.

Zeb's Miripuri Cuisine, 250 Ladypool Road, Birmingham (0121 449 8909).

Al Frash, 186 Ladypool Road, Birmingham (0121 753 3120)

5. Petit Paris

There are two branches of Petit Paris in Edinburgh and they both serve simple French Bistro food. The Plats du Jour are particularly good value: £5.90 at lunch and £6.90 "pre-theatre".

17 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh (0131 226 1890)

6. Quartier Vert

Quartier Vert manages to be all things to all men: restaurant, cookery school, café bar. The tapas menu in the café bar is particularly good value: salt cod brandade with sauce vierge, £5; moules marinière, £5.50; tortilla Espanola, £3.

85 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol (0117 973 4482)

7. Viela

Should you be seeking a Brazilian churrascaria, Lincoln is unlikely to spring to mind, but Viela on Steep Hill is the real thing. Ten or so large skewers each with a different cut of pork, lamb or steak, are freshly barbecued and carved to order. As much as you wish for under £20.

8-9 The Strait, Steep Hill, Lincoln (01522 576765)

8. Effings

Effings is a thriving delicatessen selling a wide range of fine foods. It also has five tables for lucky diners. The cooking is unpretentious and makes good use of local ingredients. The set lunch is a particular bargain at £10.50.

50 Fore Street, Totnes, Devon (01803 863435)

9. Vincent Rooms

Westminster Kingsway College has turned out such illustrious chefs as Ainsley Harriot and Jamie Oliver – and you can eat very good food at a very good price in the college restaurant. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Tuesday to Thursday during term time, £18 for two courses £20 for three (including coffee).

Westminster Kingsway College, Vincent Square, London SW1 (020-7802 8391)

10. The French Connection

The French Connection has been plying its trade since its proprietor, Didier Pinguenet, left the nearby Castle Hotel a dozen years ago. Look out for local ingredients cooked with French flair – duck, fish of the day, guinea fowl. Under £20 a head.

65 Station Road, Taunton (01823 352645)

WINNING WINES

By Anthony Rose

1. The Capital

A wine lover's haven, the Capital Restaurant boasts two Michelin stars thanks to head chef Eric Chavot and a wine list of heroic proportions starting at £14.50 a bottle. Wines by the glass accompany a five-course tasting menu, and owner David Levin's wines from his Loire Valley vineyard also feature.

22 Basil Street, London SW3 (020-7589 5171)

2. Chez Bruce

An atmospheric neighbourhood restaurant with classic French cooking: what more could you want? A great wine list, and if you find Bruce Poole and Nigel Platts-Martin's 36-page selection of wines daunting, sommelier Terry Threlfall is on hand to help you navigate this mouthwatering range.

2 Bellevue Road, London SW17 (020-8672 0114)

3. Enoteca Turi

The 300-strong wine list put together by Connaught Hotel-trained Giuseppe Turi for this family-run establishment is not just an Italian geography lesson in its own right, but offers some of the best value Italian wines in London.

28 Putney High Street, London SW15 (020-8785 4449)

4. Hakkasan

Christine Parkinson's list selected for London's fashionable Hakkasan contains not only the classics if you want them but also an adventurous variety of aromatic whites and equally mouthwatering reds grouped under style headings such as "harmony: wine and food", and " terroir:a sense of place".

8 Hanway Place, London W1 (020-7907 1888)

5. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn

Unusually, at this gastronomic haven in the wilds of Wiltshire, Roger Jones credits all 28 of his suppliers at the end of a brilliantly conceived 62-page wine list in which each wine is given its due with background notes and a tantalising description that makes you want to sample every wine.

Little Bedwyn, Nr Marlborough, Wiltshire (01672 870871)

6. The Hotel du Vin and Bistro

With 10 HdVs now flying the banner of good food and great wine from Brighton to Glasgow, it's an invidious task to pick just one from a group in which there's an extensive and reasonably priced selection of wines by the glass. The respective chef sommelier, in Brighton's case, is Mathieu Ouvrard.

Ship Street, Brighton (01273 718588)

7. Ransome's Dock

In the 15 years since Martin Lam opened Ransome's Dock, this convivial Battersea local has evolved an extensive, but not expensive, list, designed to match food such as Shorthorn steak and Morecambe Bay shrimps.

35-37 Parkgate Road, London SW11 (020-7223 1611)

8. The Stagg Inn

Photographer-turned-Gavroche-trained chef Steve Reynolds leaves the choice of the wine list to his self-taught wife Nicola, a runner-up in a national food and wine matching competition in 2004. Her frequent additions, unstuffy service and astonishingly good pricing are a delight.

Titley, Kington, Herefordshire (01544 230221)

9. The Tate Gallery Restaurant

The sommelier and wine author Hamish Anderson is entrusted with the dream job of putting this excellent value, lipsmacking wine list together, and he repays that trust with affordable interest.

Millbank, London SW1 (020-7887 8825)

10. The Witchery by The Castle

John Power is the head sommelier with the enviable task of choosing the astonishingly comprehensive wine list for The Witchery, one of Edinburgh's most atmospheric locations for matching fine wine and food, set in a historic building at the castle gates.

Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh (0131 225 5613)

COUNTRY PUBS

By John Walsh

1. The Glenelg Inn

A ferry-ride across from Skye, it nestles in heart-stopping scenery, overlooking the Sound of Sleat. This old "coaching mews", renovated by Chris Main, is a gastro-dream: local langoustines and scallops, venison, hill-lamb, and a score of single malts. There's live Scots music, huge bedrooms, and a very remote chance of leaving sober.

Nr Kyle of Lochalsh, Ross, Scotland (01599 522273)

2. The Drunken Duck Inn

After a morning striding through the fells, there's no more cheering sight than this white inn perched above Lake Windermere – try the home-brewed Barngates ale, a first-class Lancashire ploughman's lunch, or splash out on spring lamb with celeriac ravioli.

Barngates, Ambleside, Cumbria(01539 436347)

3. The Museum Inn

Utterly classic country inn, from the thatched roof and flagstone floors to the stag heads in the dining room. The beer comes from local brewers, the wine list offers 160 vintages, and the food in the Shed restaurant is enticingly ambitious. Farnham, nr Blandford Forum, Dorset (01725 516261)

4. The Star Inn

This 14th-century Yorkshire inn on the edge of the North York Moors offers low beams, candle-lit nooks and crannies, padded pews and "a faint aroma of woodsmoke and beeswax". It won last year's Egon Ronay Gastropub of the Year, and its co-owner and head chef Andrew Pern picked up a Michelin star.

18 Market Place, Harome, nr Helmsley, North Yorkshire (01439 770397)

5. The White Hart

Drenched in ivy, the Hart has been an inn for 300 years. Snackers and diners choose from four eating-rooms, from the light, airy Parlour to the moodily romantic Red Room. The menu is French / Italian, but try "posh fish pie" and the apple and rhubarb crumble.

Wytham, Oxford (01865 244372)

6. Highwayman Inn

The Highwayman has been through a £1m makeover and breathes class, charm and confidence. The wine list is awesomely comprehensive and not expensive (top price £45). The menu is flamboyantly local and mouthwatering: try " Peter Gott's Potted Wild Boar, Pork Dripping on Sour Dough Toast".

Burrow, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire(01524 273338)

7. The Jolly Sportsman

Charming former Victorian alehouse hidden on the idyllic Sussex Downs. The food is robustly flavoured (try braised monkfish with shrimps and samphire) and there's an array of British beers plus 90 malt whiskies. Delightful garden with ancient wood benches.

Chapel Lane, East Chiltington, East Sussex (01273 890400)

8. The Cricketers

It's the pub run by Jamie Oliver's parents, Trevor and Sally, and is a beautiful building in the Essex countryside, serving good ales and a gratifyingly large selection of seared meats.

Clavering, Saffron Walden, Essex (01799 550442)

9. The Felin Fach Griffin Inn

Hard by the Brecon Beacons, the Felin Fach Griffin Inn is simple, unpretentious and welcoming, with goose-down pillows and big baths in the bedrooms, a well-chosen wine list, and fabulous menu, with the best selection of Welsh cheeses anywhere. The chef, Ricardo Van Ede, won a Michelin star at the age of just 21.

Felin Fach, Brecon, Powys (01874 620111)

10. Bushmills Inn

Two miles from the Giant's Causeway, this old coaching inn is like a child's castle with pepperpot towers and turrets. It incorporates the 17th-century stables, and is snugly Irish, with turf fires in the bar and 25-year-old Bushmills by your hand.

Bushmills, Co Antrim (028-2073 3000)

VEGGIE TREATS

By Mary McCartney

1. Mildreds

This has been one of my favourites for years – and at the age of 17 it is a Soho institution. It has consistently great food and a buzzy atmosphere. I particularly like the burrito filled with re-fried beans, corn and red pepper topped with tomato lime salsa, smoked cheddar and soured cream served with a leaf salad. Yum.

45 Lexington Street, London W1 (020-7494 1634)

2. Eat and Two Veg

This is a spacious contemporary American-style diner with a varied traditional menu. Try the veggie burgers and homemade coleslaw. Also well worth trying is the Not Nicoise Salad, a mouth- watering combination of marinated tofu, avocado, cherry tomatoes, olives, new potatoes, green beans and mixed leaves tossed in a tangy dressing.

5 Marylebone High Street, London W1 (020-7258 8595)

3. The Gate

The staff are very friendly and the menu is inventive and eclectic at this light, airy converted church. The restaurant also runs interesting special events – this autumn they're hosting a wild mushroom Festival Menu.

51 Queen Caroline St, London W6 (020-8748 6932)

4. Terre à Terre

One of the most popular vegetarian restaurants in Brighton. It has a brilliantly creative menu, with intricate dishes such as ribollita ribbons of pasta served with a fava, basil and rocket cream reduction, fresh curds, warm cannellini and summer leaf hash salad, with potato cream and mint oil (£13.95).

71 East Street, Brighton (01273 729051)

5. E & O

This restaurant has great vegetarian options. I love the chilli-crusted tofu, mushroom and chestnut dumplings and veggie phad thai noodles. And they do a really good watermelon martini, too.

14 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 (020-7229 5454)

6. Quince and Medlar

Although I have not eaten here, it's top of my list to visit. Their menu changes bi-monthly and they use lots of seasonal ingredients. The restaurant has twice been a winner of the Vegetarian Society's best restaurant award.

13 Castlegate, Cockermouth, Cumbria (01900 823579)

7. The Three Chimneys

Nestling in a stunning location at the foot of the mountains of MacLeod's Tables is one of the best hotels and restaurants in Scotland. If you let them know in advance Eddie and Shirley Spear will prepare you a great vegetarian menu from the freshest local produce.

Colbost, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye (01470 511258)

8. The Place

There's a very good vegetarian selection at this brasserie, and the head chef Dale Skinner likes to develop the menu around local seasonal produce. The wonderful bonus is that you can cross the road for a walk on the beautiful golden sandy beach.

New Lydd Road, Camber Rye, East Sussex (01797 225057)

9. The Grain Shop

Reasonably priced, tasty, varied, home-baked hot and cold vegetarian take-away food to eat on the go. There is no seating area and you often have to queue – but it moves quickly and is well worth the wait.

269a Portobello Road, London W11 (020-7229 5571)

10. Gaylord

It first appeared on the London scene in 1964 and was one of the first places in Britain to use the tandoor. One of London's oldest and most stylish Indian restaurants with a large selection of wonderful vegetarian Indian dishes.

79-81 Mortimer Street, London W1 (020-7580 3615)

Mary McCartney's Off Pointe: A Photographic Study of the Royal Ballet

After Hours continues at Crane Kalman Gallery, Brighton, until tomorrow

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