(Especially if you're planning to eat out!)

OK I have decided to make some recommendations some of my favourite things around Worcester to do, admittedly many of them involve eating and drinking but Worcester does seem to do particularly well on the cuisine front, so much so that I'm still convinced there are not enough categories! So have a look down the list, these are my top selections, let me know if you agree and if you have any additional categories you think you might want to add!

Best Restaurant when splashing out - Browns

For the more extravagant diner, at around £40 a head, the average bod such as myself would eat here on special occasions only. But what a great way to celebrate a special occasion! Located by the river, the Browns restaurant has fabulous views and is a pretty smart restaurant to boot! The food here is fabulous, generally you will get four courses and coffee, the menu varies but offers a wide range of fabulous dishes at every course. I certainly felt thoroughly satisfied when I'd finished. The service here is second to none.

Best Restaurant on a budget - Ask

A well known chain of italian pizza/pasta restaurant. Located in the centre of town on Angel Place, you can't go far wrong with Ask, the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant might make you think you were eating somewhere more expensive. The average price of a main here is about £7-10, so 2 people can eat out well and have drinks for not much more than £30. The food is always very good and though the menu has some reliable classics such as Lasagne and Spag Bol, the specials are definitely worth a try. The staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly which adds to the whole effect.

Quick dinners - Nando's

Another well known chain. A great compromise between fast food and a sit down restaurant. The friendliest staff in all of Worcester. An excellent choice for the cinema, being based next door to the Vue cinema complex. If you've got a thing for chicken and super hot spices then this is a real must!

Best Cafe - Charlies

Situated near the Commandery, Charlies is one of the best eateries in Worcester. In a fabulous old timbered building, this family run cafe shows you don't need to have moulded plastic chairs and copies of the sun to whip a proper full english brekkie. I can recommend the execcie brekky for those hungry tums, especially if the odd bevvy was consumed the night before... accompany that with a large mug of hot coffee and that hang over drifts away! Charlies would also rank pretty highly for any vegetarian or vegan, as the menu sports a number of meat and dairy free options for breakfast... the bubble and squeak is fantastic!

Best Pub - The Crown

The Crown at Hallow is one of my favourites, located out of town to the north of Worcester, this is a fantastic old pub with an excellent beer garden ideal for whiling away those warm summer evenings. It is a great place for a bite to eat, but the choice of real ale is always good.

Best Gift Shop - Wish

If you need that different gift or a pretty card? Stuck for an idea, then this friendly gift shop on Worcester's historical Friar Street should be the place to go. Friendly staff and great ideas... what more could you want? Click here for more info.

Best Bar - The Conservatory

An all round favourite. The Conservatory is best enjoyed when town is a bit quieter and you can lounge on the sofa's and have a good old ching wag. There are many contenders for good bars in Worcester, the place is certainly not short of them! Close calls where Lunar bar and the Old Rectifying House both fabulous bars, but for real chit chat, comfort and friendly bar staff, the Conservatory clinches it for me.

Best Chippie - Ambleside

My very own local chip shop sports the best chips in the whole of Worcester. The chips are cooked to perfection and I am convinced that the fish is battered whale! Big portions are an important feature here which is something I believe is part of the fish n' chips experience. At the Ambleside chippy there is never a dull moment, expect to be entertained while you are waiting for your tasty traditional British delight. Oi Ramsden, step aside a new king is in town, and it's five minutes from my house!

Best Takeaway - Spice Wok

Certainly the best chinese takeaway I've ever found in Worcester, always friendly. Food is cooked quickly and I am pretty sure that there isn't a more reasonably priced chinese takeaway in town.

Best Photograph - Cathedral from cricket ground

One of the most famous views in the UK, the view from New Road will cost you a ticket to the cricket. But if that's your bag you'll catch a fantastic shot of Worcester Cathedral overlooking the cricket ground. What an English idea!

Best Attraction - Cathedral tower

It'll cost you a couple of pounds to get up there, but it is worth every penny. Not for the weak of heart and a someone who is claustrophobic I found the narrow stair case near the top a bit close, but it was certainly worth every one of the 235 steps, because on a clear day you can see most of Worcestershire. You can see the river meandering through the city and the Malvern hills to the south. Take a moment though, as you look at Worcester in fantastic detail from this vantage point, that you are standing where Charles II stood over 350 years ago looking out of Worcester city and ordering his troop movements in the Battle of Worcester, a sobering thought!

Best Walk in the city - Riverside

Not surprising really, but on a summers day this is great, walk alongside the cathedral side of the river and you can stop for a coffee at the Quay or stop for a swift pint riverside at the Diglis hotel. Alternatively walk down the other side of the river, and within 20 minutes you'll go from the centre of the city into the countryside.

Best Local Resource Website - This is Worcester

What apart from this one? Thisisworcester.com gets my vote as it has a wealth of local information and events. Run by Newsquest (Berrows Journal and Worcester Evening News), these guys have their finger on the local pulse. There are however loads of really great resources on the web for Worcester from the likes of the BBC and the City and County Council.