It's long been well known that if you want a good meal and don't want to travel far from Banbury - head to Chacombe and the George and Dragon. Chacombe, the little village with good communication links and home to the stars has always considered itself just detached enough from Banbury to offer something a little different and this is what eating out at The George and Dragon is like. We were lucky enough to be dining out just before Christmas - taking a break from the rush and as soon as we arrived, our hosts for the afternoon, Angie Lomax and Ollie Hunt made us feel extremely welcome. One never knows quite what the reception is going to be like at country pubs - but the warm fire and

The romance of the Cotswolds is encapsulated at the Wild Thyme Restaurant (with rooms) writes Cathy Upton. From the outside the Wild Thyme restaurant looks like a typical Cotswold cottage, tucked in the middle of a terrace in the market town of Chipping Norton. On entering the restaurant however, one is filled with a sense of warmth. Owner and chef, Nick Pullen and Sally Daniels co manage Wild Thyme and have encapsulated the romance and charm of the Cotswolds right down to the candlelit glow in the intimate dining area.

After re-opening in April of this year, The Fox at Farthinghoe has seen a boom in popularity, writes Elle Scott. Word of mouth has spread fast and even on a Monday night the restaurant was buzzing with a great atmosphere. As soon as we pulled into the restaurant car park we noticed how much time had been spent on revitalising the pub, inside and out. It was so homely, yet very modern and stylish. The staff were also welcoming, and also very happy to suggest the appetisers that would complement our dishes, and wines to go with our chosen courses. We started with some lovely mixed marinated olives,

Having visited Stowe Landscape Gardens last month, I took the opportunity to visit a pub restaurant that I had heard a lot about recently - The Old Thatched Inn at Adstock near Buckingham. Not being one to dine in the afternoon usually, I was pleasantly surprised by The Old Thatched Inn's lunchtime menu - it was decidedly lighter than the dinner menu and promised a good meal without getting too stuffed and missing the rest of the afternoon napping! The Old Thatched Inn is very pleasantly decorated - cosy, but not too dark and quaintly ‘Olde Worlde (the pub dates from the 17th century)' but modern too. Owners Andy and Lisa Judge have been at Adstock now for the past four years and have clearly had time enough to stamp their mark on this historic pub.