Hertfordshire is a county of two halves. To the south and the west are the leafy Chiltern beech woods, full of food-conscious country pubs and other little gems that are well worth discovering. To the north and east it nuzzles up to the flatlands bordering East Anglia, where new towns give the area a cosmopolitan feel, which is reflected in its eating places. London is within striking distance, and many of the capital's restaurant groups set up outlets in the county if they are seeking to branch out.