The pick of the town's hotels is the Angel , on Angel Hill (tel 01284/714000; ?70-90), an immaculately maintained, county-set hotel with thick carpets, oodles of wood panelling and suitably luxurious rooms. A good alternative is the Chantry Hotel , 8 Sparhawk St (tel 01284/767427; ?60-70), which has sixteen comfortable rooms in a converted Georgian building near the Manor House Museum. The town has a good supply of B&Bs , including the excellent South Hill House , 43 Southgate St (tel 01284/755650, ; ?40-50), a handsome old town house with many Georgian features and three large en-suite bedrooms.

For restaurants , Maison Bleue , 31 Churchgate St (tel 01284/760623; closed Sun), serves wonderfully fresh seafood at moderate prices. The Vaults , inside the medieval undercroft at the Angel Hotel , is also first-rate, with tasty main dishes from ?7.50. Otherwise, aim for coffee, cakes and snacks in either the Cathedral Refectory (closed Sun) or the Scandinavia Coffee House , 30 Abbeygate St.

Of the pubs , one you shouldn't miss is the Nutshell (closed Sun), on The Traverse at the top of Abbeygate, which, at sixteen feet by seven and a half, claims to be Britain's smallest. Greene King's brewery tap is the ancient-looking Dog & Partridge , 29 Crown St.