IF you are looking for somewhere to eat in the Marlborough and Pewsey area you will be spoiled for choice.

Many of the village public houses provide good food and excellent friendly service that attracts customers from all over the county.

In the bigger places there are some excellent tearooms and cafes.

Marlborough has been a traditional stopping place for travellers since the days of foot travel and stagecoaches.

Thousands of tourists stop off in Marlborough for refreshments.

As well as the town's pubs and traditional restaurants there are the more recently arrived eateries including Ask and Caffe Uno.

Over the years the town has boasted more than 100 pubs, not all at once however, and some surprisingly good and reasonably priced food can still be found in those that survive.

For a real eating-out experience try Coles in Kingsbury Street or Il Capricorno in New Road, where excellent and exciting cuisine is always on offer, though the prices are appropriately higher, In Pewsey there are two excellent places to eat with home made snacks available in the Craft and Tea Rooms in the Market Place and freshly made food at Chequers Bistro.

The recently opened Khyber Indian restaurant in Pewsey has gained a good reputation.

Tourists who find their way out into the villages will find many good hostelries where excellent food can be enjoyed. The Red Lion at Axford has long had a fine reputation.

The Three Horsehoes at Milton Lilbourne and The Horsehoe Inn at Mildenhall provide a homely welcome. Both pubs in Great Bedwyn do highly rated food while in Little Bedwyn the Michelin-starred The Harrow is rated among the best restaurants in the South. The Palm Indian restaurant at on the A4 Marlborough to Hungerford road and its sister restaurant the Goa Balti at Everleigh are ever-popular.