Best hotels in the Cotswolds for a chocolate-box country getaway
This quaint corner of England is home to cosy hotels and some culinary surprises, among them artisan Israeli baking, hip burger vans and fragrant Asian broths
Looking for where to stay in the Cotswolds? Want to find Cotswolds hotels for foodies? Check out our guide to the best places to eat, drink and stay in the Cotswolds.... The Cotswolds is all your chocolate-box fantasies rolled into one – honey-hued cottages, gardens brimming with hollyhocks huddled around duck-paddled ponds. The names are as pretty as the scenery: Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold. Even the local rare breeds (Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs) have a bonny ring. The Cotswolds is Cider with Rosie country: a bucolic idyll packaged for tourists who traipse here to mooch around antique shops and take afternoon tea. The Cotswolds is quintessentially quaint. It’s also unexpectedly vast. Count its counties: Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, plus corners of Wiltshire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. From north to south it’s a 100-mile schlep. Off-the-beaten-track is a concept the Cotswolds lost long ago, but its central belt – a lopsided oblong with Burford, Cheltenham, Stroud and Lechlade at the corners – does fly slightly below the radar. Check our our guide to the best restaurants in the Cotswolds for all the must visit places to eat and drink during your visit. For more travel inspiration, check out our guide to the best Scottish hotels, best UK boutique hotels, best UK spa hotels for food lovers or best European hidden gem hotels. Where to stay in the Cotswolds for foodies The Bell at Charlbury, Daylesford Rooms start at £194 per night, based on two adults sharing. Check availability on their website. The newest of its stable of pubs with rooms, The Bell has all the hallmarks of a Daylesford bolthole: a commitment to local suppliers, largely British menu and cute motif (see the bell on plates, menus and staff T-shirts). The 17th-century building is home to a dozen cosy bedrooms, with a contemporary barn at the rear. There’s more to the pub than a smart market town boozer. Discreetly positioned behind the main building, The Barn serves weekend wood-fired feasting menus – rotisserie chicken, roasts, whole lobster. In summer there’s an additional dining space in The Bell’s acre of apple orchard. The pub’s small, welcoming dining room serves classics like a half pint of prawns, soups, salads, cheeseburger, fish pie, sticky toffee pudding and crumbles, with locally farmed ingredients. Daily specials range from the luxurious, including a chateaubriand for two or whole roasted brill, to a simple porchetta and apple sauce bap. Beers on tap are from family-owned Hook Norton and Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone, Daylesford’s own cider, gins and English sparkling wine. Exposed brick, embroidered bedspreads and reclaimed wooden furniture create a homely, rustic atmosphere. And four posters, red stripes, and crisp blue and white checks feel very British. Rooms start at £194 per night, based on two adults sharing. Check availability on their website. Bower House, Shipston-on-Stour Doubles from £127, check rates and availability at booking.com or bower.house Tucked into the very centre of Shipston-on-Stour, The Bower House makes a compelling case for this corner of Warwickshire as a destination in its own right. Just 10 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, it combines a restaurant and five bedrooms with the kind of quietly confident hospitality that feels earned rather than performed. Inside, exposed brick, warm timber and low lighting create an atmosphere that is sophisticated without being stiff. Upstairs the bedrooms are individually decorated and properly comfortable – Hypnos mattresses, Egyptian cotton, bespoke beds – and if you're lucky a freestanding bath. Head chef Leo Kattou's cooking is produce-led, with menus that shift to reflect what's available and at its best. A beef tartare arrives with a small scoop of caviar on top – a classic dish made even more luxurious. Lamb with asparagus, wild garlic and stuffed morels follows and is perfectly executed. The wine list, developed with The Stroud Wine Company and the town's own Sheldon's, mixes familiar producers with smaller vineyards – the team is incredibly knowledgeable so feel free to lean on them for recommendations. Breakfast is delicious whether you are going for the cooked offering or something lighter, it’s best accompanied with a glass of apple juice pressed from the owner's own orchard. Doubles from £127, check rates and availability at booking.com or bower.house The Fox at Oddington From £225 per night, check availability at thefoxatoddington.com The newest addition to the Daylesford stable, the group’s pared-back aesthetic is tempered here with a light-hearted foxy theme on everything from topiary to tableware. Its airy bar and Saddle Room is built around a lively open kitchen where chefs knock out the kind of relaxed, seasonal food we could eat every day. Sustainability is built into all Daylesford does, most visibly in the pub’s living roof, planted with wildflowers and herbs, and acting as a nectar source for bees. Chef Alan Gleeson’s menu of modern classics encourages sharing, from a half-pint of prawns and some Daylesford cheese to the full three courses. Small plates including tuna tartare with soy and ginger, and heritage tomatoes teamed with feta and mint are a promising start. A decent, tender pork chop comes with greens and apple; a simple plaice with seaweed butter and Ratte potatoes. Flatbread with lardo, anchovy and salsa verde is a must-try, as is Korean fried chicken. There’s usually a fruit tart and a dark chocolate mousse with pistachio biscotti. At breakfast, The Fox is flooded with light. Oversized plants and artfully placed saddles all echo the Gloucestershire location. Omelette Arnold Bennett, a rich haddock and cheese concoction, is served with hollandaise in a mini skillet; french toast with poached apricots is equally luxurious, as are breakfast brioche rolls. Wood-beamed rooms are decorated with hunting scenes and local wildlife from local artists. Sheepskins, woollen rugs and quilted blankets add a cosy touch to crisp white bedding. Some rooms include a free-standing bath, showers are powerful and fragrant with sage and geranium Bamford botanical products. Check availability at thefoxatoddington.com Dormy House, Broadway From £215 per night, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com Despite the grandeur, this 17th-century Cotswolds farmhouse, transformed into a foodie spa hotel, is as welcoming as it is luxurious. There are 38 bedrooms spread across the main house and farmhouse outbuildings. Two Hot Tub Suites, in individual cottages with their own private patios, are decorated with delicate floral-printed wallpaper, upcycled furniture and Kilner jars filled with ginger biscuits. A quaint feel overall, although there are modern additions: tablets instead of books, for example. The Potting Shed serves hearty pub-style food (think spiced cauliflower pie and double-patty burgers) in a low-key setting, while The Back Garden celebrates homegrown produce with simple, seasonal dishes. At the latter, you’ll eat at sleek marble tables, usually with a view of Dormy House’s vegetable plots. Check availability at mrandmrssmith.com The Wheatsheaf, Northleach From £117 per night, check availability on booking.com As glam as it is cosy, former coaching inn The Wheatsheaf Inn, set in a restored 17th-century Cotswold stone building, has three log fires, as well as a wood-burning stove in the snug. Get comfortable with some craft beer or a bottle of wine from the 300-strong list. There’s culinary clout too with seasonal, daily changing dishes, such as grilled whole lemon sole, grapes, capers and limes, or meltingly rare beef from Cirencester. The 14 stylish rooms here are more bourgeois bolthole than humble inn. Check availability on booking.com The Rectory Hotel, Crudwell From £120 per night, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com An 18th century former rectory in the heart of picturesque Crudwell, recently refurbished The Rectory Hotel is all about intimate dinners, fireside cocktails and country walks followed by hearty food. Originally the rectory to the village church, this ancient stone building oozes relaxed country manor. Homemade cordial welcomes rosy-cheeked walkers into the drawing room, where you can warm up by the log fire and sink into pretty peacock feather-hued cushions. The 18 rooms are all unique, with the first floor hosting more spacious rooms, and the second floor benefitting from exposed oak beams. The team at The Rectory Hotel has freshened up the interiors to preserve original features (little fireplaces, sash windows, panelled walls) and antiques, but add a checklist of little hotel luxuries (Robert’s Radios, tea and coffee from local roasters UE and Jeeves and Jericho). Beds are like huge armchairs, with velvet curved headboards in mustard yellow and forest green. The kitchen focuses on refreshed classics. Unfussy comfort food includes fish pie, and pretty salads using fresh produce grown in the allotments behind The Potting Shed pub over the road (sister business to the hotel). The grill section includes flat-iron chicken with lemon, aioli and fries, Chateaubriand for two with roast beetroot, crispy shallots and wild rocket, and grilled catch of the day (turbot from Dorset on our visit, served with buttery Lime Regis new potatoes, watercress and a ramekin of Hollandaise). The breakfast spread, taken in The Glasshouse overlooking the gardens, is impressive. Graze on homemade granola, fresh fruits, mini pastries and ham and cheese before taking your pick from the made-to-order hot menu (French toast, avocado on sourdough, eggs any style) and topping up from the DIY bloody mary station. Check availability at mrandmrssmith.com Artist Residence, South Leigh From £120 per night, check availability at booking.com In a sleepy village in rural Oxfordshire Justin and Charlie Salisbury, the duo behind quirky Artist Residence hotel group, have restored a 16th century Cotswold-stone farmhouse and opened it as their fourth property, Mr Hanbury’s Masons Arms. A community-focused pub, with five perfectly put-together bedrooms upstairs, Mr Hanbury’s is split into two areas – a cosy bar area with a classic pub menu and a more sophisticated dining room where guests can enjoy a fine dining menu. Each of the five bedrooms here has its own unique quirks. Room number 4 boasts a ginormous free-standing copper bath to sink into with Bramley bubble bath, while number 2 has Sri Lankan tea chests as bedside tables and a window that looks out onto the vegetable patch. Check availability at booking.com Thyme, Southrop From £325 per night, check availability at booking.com Set deep in the rolling Cotswolds countryside, in the quiet village of Southrop, Thyme is exactly what you want from a rural escape. A 150-acre estate, it is home to a cookery school, pub, holiday cottages, cocktail bar and restaurant while the 15th century manor house at its heart (and various outlying barns) is now a boutique hotel. The renovation of the latter was a labour of love for its energetic, and charming, owner Caryn Hibbert and it shows. Crunch over a gravel drive and you arrive at an impressive, honey-stone Tithe Barn, home to The Baa (yes, really) with its great cocktail list. Not a bad way to kick off a stay. Check availability at booking.com The Swan, Ascott-under-Wychwood From £100 per night, check availability at booking.com This 16th-century half-timbered inn, at the heart of pretty Ascott-under-Wychwood, has been revamped by hotel gurus Sam and Georgie Pearman (the couple are also behind the spruced-up Talbot in Malton). It bears all their hip-yet-homely hallmarks, including playful, eclectic furnishings and art, sink-into beds and in-room baths stocked with 100 Acres Apothecary products made (by Georgie) from natural botanicals. You’ll also find the usual attention to detail, from swan-shaped room keys crafted at the local forge to homemade cookies in bedrooms. British to the core, it appeals to locals, young and old, and city foodies seeking a rural weekend escape. Seasonality and creativity drives head chef Adam Abbott, previously of The Wild Rabbit in Kingham. You only have to look at his pork pies, made using rare-breed meats from Herefordshire’s Huntsham Court Farm, to see that he doesn’t compromise on quality. Vegetarians will be happy here, too – starters might include broad bean hummus topped with spiced aubergine and grated hazelnuts, served with a platter of mixed sourdough breads from nearby Chipping Norton. From the choice of mains, try The Swan’s signature smoked haddock Monte Carlo and a wholesome vegetables-and-grains bowl. Drinks are local where possible. On tap at the bar is Bobby Beer, Cotswold Lager and Pearson’s cider. Local brewery Hook Norton rules the roost when it comes to beer, and for vodka, there’s Black Cow from Dorset. Check availability at booking.com Sign of the Angel Inn, Lacock From £115 per night, check availability at booking.com Dating back to the 15th century, this former coaching inn sits in the heart of Lacock village. With its rough stone walls, well-worn tiled floors, moody oak-panelled snugs and imposing inglenook fireplace it’s a cosy setting for some hearty West Country food and an early night. Out at the back, a garden leads to a stream and a paddock. West Country ingredients are put to good use in the regularly changing, seasonal menu from the 2 AA rosette kitchen. Expect local game in the autumn, hunks of blushing lamb in the spring and plenty of veg, potato and pastry all year round. Whenever you visit, though, expect to kick things off with homemade bread, slabs of cold, salted butter, oil and balsamic vinegar and a little canapé – on our visit a comforting offering of sliced white enriched with blue cheese, brown flecked with rocket and lemon, and mouthfuls of pressed rabbit, apple and fiercely pickled red onions. There are five bedrooms at Sign of the Angel and each is comfortably chic. With little else to do in the village after dark – there’s only one other pub within walking distance – prepare for an early night. At the foot of our sink-into bed, topped with duck down and feather pillows and fringed with a homely grey blanket, thick, large towels beg to be used after a long soak in the tub. Check availability at booking.com The Bell Inn, Lechlade From £67 per night, check availability at booking.com There are plenty of contemporary-chic gastropubs in the Cotswolds but not all manage to retain the laid-back feel of a village boozer after their Farrow & Ball transformations. Happily The Bell, a 17th-century inn in pretty Langford, on the fringes of west Oxfordshire, does. Its combination of rustic, wood-fired comfort food, stone-flagged dining rooms, and affable service, makes it a congenial space to unwind. Eight stylishly simple bedrooms mean you can settle down to sample that cooking, relaxed in the knowledge you don’t have to drive anywhere afterwards. Digest with a stroll to Langford’s pink-towered Saxon church across the fields, then enjoy an early night. Check availability at booking.com Barnsley House, Barnsley From £309 per night, check availability on booking.com Once the home of renowned garden designer Rosemary Verey, the gardens of this luxury hotel remain a highlight. Produce picked by the chefs take pride of place in dishes such as tangy Barnsley House pickled beetroot, creamy goat’s cheese curd and candied hazelnuts. Amid such ultra-local provenance it’s easy to be caught off-guard when you discover that head chef, Francesco Volgo, is Italian and that the house speciality is vincisgrassi, a rich mushroom and truffle oil lasagne. Wandering up to bed after dinner there were two surprises in store: a packet of Little Gem lettuce seeds on the pillow instead of chocolate and, in the fridge, a handful of fresh mint for tea – reminders that outside the window was a fruitful English country garden. Check availability on booking.com The Wild Rabbit, Kingham Check rates and availability at thewildrabbit.co.uk In the heart of the Cotswolds on the Daylesford estate, The Wild Rabbit is a modern British inn serving seasonal, hyper-local food and offering 12 bedrooms (all, like the inn itself, named after creatures found in the English countryside). There are also two cosy cottages just a short walk away and, as of late 2018, three more opposite the inn. While it attracts an out-of-town crowd, at its heart The Wild Rabbit is a country pub, albeit one with Hugo Guinness block prints on the walls and tea lights flickering on farmhouse-style tables. It acts as a kind of sociable living room for the locals (the notice board was calling out for village bakers on our visit), with squidgy leather sofas taken up by blush-faced walkers escaping the cold, shaggy dogs lounging in front of the crackling fire and families wrapping their hands around mugs of hot chocolate and hot buttered rum. Choose between 12 calm, airy bedrooms above the pub, or, for larger groups, take your pick of the cottages, scattered in the surrounding village of Kingham. All showcase Daylesford’s signature pared-backed country style (think exposed beams, sash windows, duck-egg blue stable doors and lots of muted shades of cream, taupe and stone) but peppered with luxuries; if you’re taken with the decor you can buy everything from the egg cups, chopping boards, throws and toiletries at the Daylesford shop in Kingham (and online, here). Check rates and availability at thewildrabbit.co.uk No 131, Cheltenham From £120 per night, check availability on booking.com Stay in the Cotswold oblong’s northern corner at No 131 in Cheltenham. An elegant Grade-II Georgian hotel with a restaurant and handful of quirky rooms (ours had a free-standing tin bath and a knitted cosy on the teapot), it’s part of the Cotswolds-based Lucky Onion group, a clutch of restaurants, hotels, pubs and b&bs owned by Julian Dunkerton. Much of the restaurant’s produce is sourced from local farmers and producers (order eggs for breakfast and they’ll have come from Cackleberry Farm in Burford). Our lunch of Wiltshire lamb fillet with merguez sausage, caponata and tzatziki, fregola primavera (a vibrant spring green) and beets was a riot of colour and flavour. Check availability on booking.com The Painswick, Painswick From £171 per night, check availability at booking.com With affordable room rates and a playful aesthetic (note the neon sign in the reception area), this is designed as a younger, more affordable addition to the Calcot Collection’s properties (and, possibly, a Cotswolds riposte to The Pig hotels). Bedrooms are decorated in muted natural shades, lounges come with open fires and mountains of cushions, a lawn is perfect for sprawling on sunny days, there are two treatment rooms for facials or massages and, in the hallway, scrolls of printed walking routes and a stack of help-yourself wellies invite guests to tramp out into the neighbouring Slad Valley (of Laurie Lee fame). Check availability at booking.com The Churchill Arms, Paxford From £100 per night, check availability at booking.com Set the SatNav and, whichever way you approach The Churchill Arms in Paxford, you’ll travel along winding roads, lined with thatched cottages, through sleepy Cotswold villages. Your destination is equally quaint – a honey-hued pub dating back to the 17th century but re-opened after a sympathetic refurbishment earlier this year. You’re made to feel at home as soon as you step through the door of this family-friendly hostelry. Stand with the traditional inglenook fireplace on your right and choose from the bar, on your left, or a cosy dining room on your right (reached across a flagstone floor). The pub’s owner and head chef, Nick Deverell-Smith, is a local boy and grew up eating here with his family. But while he is clearly passionate about this pub, Deverell-Smith also brings the kind of depth to his cooking that can only be won through stints in Michelin-starred kitchens. Book into one of the pubs two, simply furnished, bedrooms and you’ll find walls painted in muted, chalky colours, original beams, hardwood floors and soft, white cotton sheets. Sit and take in the view over rolling fields from the cushioned window seats or relax in the bath after a long walk. Check availability at booking.com Minster Mill, Minster Lovell From £150 per night, check availability at booking.com Set amidst 65 acres of leafy grounds on the banks of the River Windrush (which powers most of the estate via an on-site hydropower turbine), Minster Mill offers a genteel but slick sprawl of honey coloured Cotswold stone buildings to hole up in. Its sister property, the Old Swan country pub with rooms, is just around the corner if you fancy a smidge less formality and a hint more tradition. Light-filled rooms are generously sized and decorated in tasteful neutrals. Scandi-esque touches include pastel-hued wool blankets on the beds and Danish-style loungers. Find L’Occitane toiletries in the plushly modern bathrooms, Cotswolds-made lager, chocolate and crisps in the mini bar, and a room service menu that ranges from Oxford rarebit with brown sauce to rhubarb trifle. MasterChef: The Professionals 2017 semi-finalist Tom Moody is behind the pass at the hotel’s restaurant, which serves polished seasonal plates using produce from the hotel’s vegetable garden. A must-order is the butter-soft veal sweetbreads dressed in beef fat (all the meat and fish is British), with velvety caramelised cauliflower purée and crunchy walnuts. Aged loin of Cotswold lamb, blushing pink, spiked with salty hits of anchovy and feta, is another winner. Pre- and post-dinner tipples, from crisp fino sherry to champagne and classic cocktails, can be found at the hotel’s chic gold-accented Mill Bar. There are also champagne and Cotswold cream teas to try. Check availability at booking.com More hotel guides Best country house hotels in the UK Best health and wellness retreats Best hotels in London Best UK boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Best Cornwall hotels Best hotels in the Lake District Best London hotel bars to visit Best romantic hotels in the UK European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track Best Paris hotels Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best restaurants with rooms in the UK Best Amsterdam hotels
Best restaurants in Somerset: where to eat and drink in this green, produce-rich county
Somerset keeps finding its way on to must-eat lists and it’s no surprise – when you’re surrounded by farms, dairies, vineyards and orchards, great plates follow. These places capture exactly why
Looking for great places to eat in Somerset? Local writer Jenna Walters shares her must-visit favourites, from wood-fired pizza in an 18th-century chapel to cider-fuelled afternoons by the river. For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks, best pubs with rooms and foodie day trips from London by train. Also discover more of the best restaurants in Bristol, best restaurants in Cornwall and best restaurants in Bath. View Green Video on the source website The Sheppey Inn, Lower Godney Set on the Somerset Levels with little around it for miles, The Sheppey Inn is everything you wouldn’t expect – inside you’re greeted with retro toys, disco balls and live music that drifts out onto the riverside terrace, which is perfect in sunshine and during sunsets, especially with a cider or cocktail in hand. But it’s the food that really stands out: vegetarian dishes are great and the Korean fried chicken burger steals your attention – no small feat in a place this wonderfully weird. thesheppey.co.uk Canteen at Perrys, Dowlish Wake Tucked away on a cider farm with thatched barns and orchards to roam, Canteen at Perrys serves proper street food alongside café classics. Order a meze bowl, add a Perrys cider tasting paddle and settle under the blossom, or, come autumn, soak up the scent of pressed apples. Brunch is notoriously good and the Somerset tea – think scones and jam, but also scotch eggs and toasties – makes it a great coffee and cake stop. canteenatperrys.uk Holm, South Petherton Relaxed restaurant dining that celebrates the very best of Somerset’s produce is exactly what you’ll find here. Set in a former bank in South Petherton, Holm is a calm, modern space with a seasonal menu that’s shaped by local farmers, growers and makers. The wine list is superb – get acquainted with it on the sunny terrace. Go for the chef ’s menu, order the Westcombe cheddar fries and trust that you’ll be talking about the mont blanc choux long after. holmsomerset.co.uk Lord Poulett Arms, Hinton Saint George This is the kind of country pub you’ll end up recommending a lot: thatched roof, low garden with a Somerset Pimm’s beams and open fires that draw you in for a post-dog walk pint and bar snacks. In summer, afternoons in the garden with a Somerset are something of a ritual. The food is reliably excellent – especially the roasts and nostalgic puds. The molten chocolate skillet cookie is always tempting, unless local cheeses get there first. lordpoulettarms.com Da Costa, Bruton A visit to Hauser & Wirth nearly always leads to a table here. This is proper Italian cooking, shaped by the seasons and surrounding countryside. Gather with friends, go big on the sharing plates and pair a bottle with the homemade pasta – the kind you’d normally have to book a flight for. The estate venison with creamy polenta is a favourite for very good reason, and the tiramisu is absolutely essential – indulgent and boozy. da-costa.co.uk Horrell & Horrell, Sparkford Every weekend, Steve and Jules open the doors of their beautiful garden barn and personally invite you in. Or, at least, that’s how you’ll feel. The dining experience is seasonal and menu-free, with four courses guided by the week’s harvest and cooked over fire, all served at a long communal table. Expect generous, sensational dishes like wood-roasted lamb or raspberry crostata with pistachio and Italian meringue, and an evening that feels like a dinner party with friends. horrellandhorrell.co.uk North Down Orchard, Haselbury Plucknett Come summer North Down Orchard transforms into a mini festival most weekends, and locals flock to the rustic cider barn for live music and a weekly rotating line-up of seriously good street food vendors – if you smell wood-fired tacos, don’t hesitate! It’s well loved, the cider’s strong and it’s exactly where you’ll want to spend a warm evening with friends (preferably with no plans the next morning). Completely Somerset and very much a word of mouth favourite. northdownorchard.com At The Station, Frome A former train station turned buzzy food hall, At the Station is home to a brilliant mixture of independents – bakery, cheesemonger, pizzeria and wine bar – all in one lively collaborative space. Order what you fancy to share at a sunny table. Whether it’s a Rye Bakery pizza and south Indian curry, or a bottle paired with a cheeseboard you won’t find elsewhere, it’s one of the easiest places to eat well with friends. atthestationfrome.com The Cotley Inn, Wambrook This peaceful country pub surrounded by rolling hills is as much a rural escape as it is a feasting favourite. Having one of the best beer gardens around makes it the easiest ‘yes’ on summer afternoons, enjoying pizzas served from the hut or spending the evening by the fire pit. The Sunday roasts are seriously good – big sharing boards piled high with all the trimmings. It feels a bit like being on holiday, just with a Somerset cider in hand. cotleyinnwambrook.co.uk The Manor House Inn, Ditcheat A 17th-century inn and boozer at heart, this is everything you want in a proper country pub: relaxed, full of character and with great local pints and cosy corners to settle into. Seasonal, comforting pub food is done really well here and the pizzas pair superbly with lazy garden drinks. Come hungry – three courses are hard to resist. Order the scotch egg to start and leave room for the sticky toffee pudding. Welcoming and well loved, and rightly so. manorhouseinnditcheat.co.uk At the Chapel, Bruton If you spend any time in Bruton you’ll almost certainly end up here. The beautifully renovated 18th-century chapel is home to a very stylish, relaxed restaurant that serves seasonal dishes and much talked about wood-fired pizzas alongside a bakery that’s reason enough to stop by. Get there early for your pick of almond croissants, cinnamon cruffins or a Somerset ham and Westcombe cheddar croissant – or do the sensible thing and order all three before exploring. atthechapel.co.uk Wraxall Vineyard, Shepton Mallet Perched on a hillside with sweeping countryside views, Wraxall Vineyard is a place to truly slow down and enjoy yourself. Book a tour and tasting, wander through the vines, then find a spot on the terrace at The View wine bar to enjoy a Somerset cheese and charcuterie board, and a bottle of extremely sippable Wraxall bacchus just in time for sunset. For a longer stay the cottages and shepherd’s huts make for a wonderfully peaceful escape. wraxallvineyard.co.uk Foodie neighbourhood spotlight Bruton This pint-sized but flavour-steeped Somerset town has an abundance of exceptional field to fork spots, plus galleries, independents and vintage shops dotted in between. Make a weekend of it by staying at Number One Bruton – whether unwinding in the cosy cottages or beautifully decorated Georgian townhouse, you’ll arrive to a welcome hamper filled with local produce. It’s also home to Briar, where chef Sam Lomas serves hyper-seasonal, locally led small plates as part of a menu that changes daily. Wander down the high street to find The Old Pharmacy, a wine bar, bistro and grocery with great things to take home, plus a menu worth staying for. Over at Matt’s Kitchen it’s BYOB alongside a five-course set menu, cooked by Matt and served in his old living room – relaxed, welcoming and reliably brilliant. It’s also worth heading a little further afield – two or three fields, to be precise – to Westcombe Dairy for rich cheddar, or Hauser & Wirth for a post-gallery wine at Roth Bar, before shopping for Somerset bites from the farm shop opposite. More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Glasgow Best restaurants in the Lake District
Best restaurants in St Ives: an expert shares their favourite local spots
Discover the best restaurants in St Ives, serving up everything from Mediterranean tapas to fresh seafood and unbeatable brunch on the beach
This popular corner of Cornwall is filled with great restaurants, cafés and interesting bars. Here's our pick of the best places to eat and drink in buzzy St Ives. For more Cornwall inspiration, check out our guides to the best restaurants in Cornwall, best restaurants in Penzance and the best hotels in Cornwall. Best places to eat and drink in St Ives Brine For inventive brunch dishes Grab a coveted window seat at this cute first floor café overlooking St Ives Harbour and try one of the inventive brunch dishes, like the Ful (beans with flatbread, pickles and tomato confit) or the Jaffle toastie, stuffed with fresh crab, Singapore chilli sauce and cheese. In the evening Brine transforms into a cosy spot with freshly shucked and topped oysters, small plates (such as smoked mackerel caesar) natural wines and cocktails. Look out for the late afternoon wine and oyster happy hour bargains too. @brine_stives Ardor For Mediterranean grilling The Josper grill is the star of the show at this central Fore Street spot. The Med-influenced menu runs from lighter tapas dishes like scallop, prawn and octopus pil pil, and grilled sardines with chorizo and piperade, through to perfectly seared dry-aged steaks, duroc pork chops and monkfish skewers cooked over charcoal. There’s a concise European wine list with lots available by the glass to try. It’s an elegant spot perfect for date night and buzzy enough for a fun group outing. ardorstives.co.uk Silco Bar & Kitchen For stellar sharing plates This fun, casual space which hugs the Downalong side of the harbour is perfect if you fancy a drop-in lunch or perfectly mixed cocktail. Bag a seat outside and watch the boats bobbing as the sun goes down over the harbour. There’s a lovely playful menu of small sharing plates with eclectic global touches. The small kitchen turns out stellar dishes including a puttanesca butter flatbread with white anchovies and crispy capers, and a crisp pork belly, meltingly tender, with a nuoc cham sauce. You can also buy bottles of premixed house cocktails to take away. drinksilco.co.uk Porthmeor Beach Café For unbeatable views This breezy café perched directly over Porthmeor beach has some of the best views in St Ives with multiple areas to choose from, including a dog-friendly terrace, the main restaurant or cosy sea-facing pods. Whichever you choose you’ll be directly over the beach. The menu is a mix of vibrant spice-forward plates like celeriac shawarma with beet hummus and ras el hanout yogurt, or crispy skinned St Ives Bay mackerel with zaalouk (aubergine dip) and fennel and grape salad. It's the perfect spot to grab a spritz made from Cornish rose vermouth and watch the surfers during the day, or to savour a drink at sunset. porthmeor-beach.co.uk The Gurnard’s Head For an excellent pub There’s a reason The Gurnard's Head tops many 'best of West Cornwall' lists. It's not strictly in St Ives (you’ll need a car, taxi or local bus to get there) but absolutely unmissable if you want to try some of the best cooking in the area. The distinctive bright yellow pub sits on the edge of the coastal path and there’s a winding road down to the sea if you fancy a pre- or post-lunch stroll. In the summer the huge garden is great for views across the countryside, but if the weather turns there’s a cosy flagstoned pub room with an open fire, as well as a larger dining room. The menu changes seasonally and makes the most of locally landed fish in dishes like plaice with mussels, capers and seaweed, or wild sea bass with lobster butter. There’s a great selection of wines available by the carafe or glass. If you miss the lunch sitting there’s an all-day bar menu with a superior burger or ploughman's available, alongside a pint from Cornish brewers like Verdant, Firebrand or Skinner's. gurnardshead.co.uk JOHNS For unique bottles This Aladdin’s cave of craft spirits, wines and local beer and cider is worth visiting just to marvel at the sheer volume of different bottles on offer (including its own award-winning Crusty Juggler rum). Hidden away at the back is a cute, compact bar area where you can enjoy a bottle of wine chosen from the shelf or fridge, try the St Ives Brewery beers on taps, or sip an expertly poured Golden Hour martini. johnswines.co.uk St Eia For wine bar chic This chic, intimate wine bar pours rare, low-intervention bottles alongside a short menu of bistro-inspired food. Chat to the knowledgeable team, who will help you pick a glass you’ll love, or buy a bottle to go. steiawines.com More travel inspiration... Best day trips from London by train Brighton guide: where locals eat and drink 14 small towns across the UK every foodie should visit The UK's best pubs with rooms UK boutique hotels for food lovers 10 exciting UK city breaks for food lovers Best restaurants with rooms UK spa hotels for food lovers Best romantic UK hotels Best seaside staycations
Best restaurants in Cornwall: where a local eats and drinks in this foodie region
Food writer and photographer Camille Kenny-Ryder picks the best places to eat and drink in Cornwall, plus a must-visit town and foodie activities in the area
The scenery, the sea air and some of the country’s very best produce… Cornwall has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to food. Destination expert, Milly Kenny-Ryder, author of Weekend Journals, tells us where to feast on the finest fare from pub grub to seafood platters, fine dining to seaside picnics. Read on to discover the best restaurants in Cornwall – from neighbourhood bistros to fine dining and pubs serving top-notch seafood. While you're here, find out where to stay in Cornwall, or for more like this, check out our guides to the best restaurants in the Cotswolds, the best restaurants in the Lake District, best restaurants in Bournemouth and best restaurants in Brighton. Jump to: olive's top 10 best restaurants in Cornwall Foodie day trips around Cornwall Foodie town spotlight: Newlyn Where to stay in Cornwall olive's top 10 best restaurants in Cornwall Flora at Trelowarren Estate, Helston Neighbourhood bistro vibes A family-run café, bistro and bakery nestled deep within the unspoilt Trelowarren Estate. The eatery is situated in the historic stable yard and is run by friendly and talented couple, Tim Spedding (who previously cooked at The Clove Club and P Franco) and his creative wife Louise Rødkjær. Lunch might include new potato and sorrel soup with soda bread, wood-fired pollock with summer herbs and aïoli, or sprouting broccoli, kale and gremolata pizza. There is always a counter full of irresistible cakes and pastries, and on Sundays Tim serves a refined but relaxed set menu lunch in the dining room. floranewyard.co.uk Crocadon Farm, Saltash Farm to fine dining Crocadon Farm has been a labour of love for Dan Cox, a Roux scholarship winner who has worked in some of the country’s best Michelin-recognised restaurants, before working tirelessly to transform this exceptional 120-acre farm into the ultra-sustainable field-to-fork mecca it is today. Surrounded by the farm that grows and nurtures most of the produce on your plate, this restaurant is assured and original while also giving back to the environment. crocadon.farm Gurnard’s Head, Saint Ives Seafood pub This vibrant, mustard yellow gastropub stands out among the stark green fields that surround it. The hearty menu is well received by locals and tourists alike, and the Sunday roast is particularly popular, best enjoyed after a bracing coastal walk. Head chef Max Wilson excels with classic fish dishes and innovative seasonal inventions, driven by the changing seasons. gurnardshead.co.uk The Rocket Store, Boscastle Seafront spot A small blackboard states the daily menu at this under the radar spot. Always filled to the brim with hungry locals, the kitchen creates innovative dishes championing local seafood but with the addition of bold spice mixtures and intriguing exotic flavour combinations, such as mackerel with nahm jim or monkfish with saffron broth. The quirky eatery is found inside an old rocket shop in the quiet fishing port of Boscastle. therocketstore.co.uk St Eia, Saint Ives Wine bar chic A welcome break from the tourist traps of well-trodden Saint Ives, this chic, intimate wine bar pours rare, low-intervention bottles alongside a short menu of bistro-inspired food. Chat to the knowledgeable team who will help you pick a glass you’ll love, or buy a bottle to go. steiawines.com The Verdant Seafood Bar, Falmouth Tiny taproom Those in the know visit Verdant Seafood Bar, tucked away on a side street in Falmouth, Cornwall’s main student town. The tiny hangout is the main taproom for Verdant Brewing Company, which makes a selection of unfiltered, vegan, hoppy craft beer. The company was founded in 2014 by three friends and the venue serves from eight taps – four classics and four ever-changing seasonal options. Get cosy at one of the few tables and order a few plates of seafood (we recommend the lobster and crayfish roll and fried seafood balls) to accompany a refreshing pint of Lightbulb beer. verdantbrewing.co Tre, Pol & Pen farm shop, Launceston Cornish produce Just over the Devon-Cornwall border, Tre, Pol & Pen is an encyclopaedic farm shop showcasing the best Cornish ingredients and products, sourced from Launceston to Land’s End. It is an ideal first stop if you are staying in self-catering accommodation while in Cornwall – stock up on fruit and vegetables from the Tamar Valley, its own Red Ruby beef, and creamy Trewithen Dairy products. There is an airy on-site café for light lunches or a caffeine break from driving. trepolandpen.co.uk Origin Roastery, Porthleven Harbourside brews Origin Coffee is one of Cornwall’s greatest foodie success stories – founded by Tom Sobey in 2004, this exceptional specialist coffee roasting company now supplies coffee shops all over the country, with its own cafés in Cornwall, London, Bristol and Edinburgh. The huge roastery is the heart of the business, a great place to enjoy brunch and a perfectly poured cup of coffee. The original Porthleven café nearby is also worth a visit if you fancy a flat white with a harbour view. origincoffee.co.uk Gorse, Newquay Buttery bakes Cornwall might be best known for its traditional savoury pasties but the Gorse team is introducing a (dare we say it) more refined French style of viennoiserie. Housed in a sparse industrial space on the outskirts of Newquay, this creative bakery presents trays of alluring buttery bakes, from Marmite and cheddar swirls to seasonal fruit topped Danish patries. Perch at the communal table, order a coffee and choose from the tempting array of breakfast treats. @gorse_cornwall Four Boys, Wadebridge Local hangout Avoid the Rick Stein fanatics and instead hop on the scenic pedestrian ferry from Padstow to Rock for lunch in peace. This hip café and restaurant overlooks the estuary, and serves a daily menu of comfort food, from sea bass crudo to its iconic smash burger, and meringue with poached rhubarb and cream for dessert. fourboyscafe.co.uk Three foodie day trips around Cornwall Trevibban Mill, Padstow Cornish wine continues to thrive and Trevibban Mill is leading the movement with its award-winning wines. Visit the winery, situated on the slopes of the Issey Brook near Padstow, and enjoy a meal at the in-house restaurant Barnaby’s, which is run by the Prawn on the Lawn team. Guided tours takes place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while tutored wine tastings are available Tuesday to Saturday. trevibbanmill.com Feasting with Simon Stallard at Hidden Hut, Portscatho Simon Stallard’s alfresco feasts have become a phenomenal sell-out success and have popularised the notion of beach dining in Cornwall. If you don’t manage to book a place at the table for one of his BBQ lobsters and seafood paella events, you can visit his Hidden Hut café for wholesome homemade food after a walk along the Roseland Peninsula. Simon and his wife have also opened Tatams café and The Standard Inn in the nearby town of Portscatho. hiddenhut.co.uk Coombeshead Farm, Launceston Everything you need for the perfect weekend break in Cornwall – a foodie destination (founded by chefs Tom Adams and April Bloomfield) with the added bonus of beautiful bedrooms. Dinner in the barn is a highlight of a stay here but you can also take part in bread making workshops or enjoy a Coombeshead picnic on the grounds surrounding the main house – there’s a reason you’ll find Coombeshead bread on the menu at restaurants up and down the country. coombesheadfarm.co.uk Foodie town spotlight: Newlyn Newlyn is located in south-west Cornwall, next door to the more familiar Penzance. It is a sleepy fishing village and port, and is home to the celebrated fish market that supplies many of Cornwall’s best kitchens. Start the day with a coffee at Lovett’s which uses locally roasted Origin beans and showcases sweet treats from Oona’s Cakes. Lovett’s operates as a specialist wine bar in the evenings so there is reason to go back later in the day. Argoe is found on the water’s edge, serving fresh seafood in a wood-clad building, the succinct menu dictated by the morning’s catch. Tolcarne Inn is the perfect spot for Sunday lunch, a charming historic maritime pub with Ben Tunnicliffe at the helm. An evening meal is best enjoyed at Mackerel Sky, a tiny restaurant lovingly run by Nina and Jamie MacLean, and serves tasty seafood-focussed small plates, from crab nachos to crispy sole with katsu curry sauce. If the weather is playing ball, treat yourself to an indulgent ice cream at Jelbert’s – it only serves vanilla, but make sure you get your ball topped with Cornish clotted cream and a flake! Stay at Chapel House, in the neighbouring town of Penzance, a charming boutique hotel housed in a former arts club. Check out our full guide to the best restaurants in Penzance for more top tips. Where to stay in Cornwall Trevose Harbour House, St Ives Doubles from £165, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or expedia.co.uk Breakfast is an art form at Trevose Harbour House, in the higgledy-piggledy artistic hub that is St Ives (home of the Tate Modern and the Barbara Hepworth Museum). A jaunty boutique B&B, with six nautical-themed rooms, a smattering of Ercol and harbour views, the focus is firmly on local and organic. Start with a smoothie 'shot of the day' then choose from their version of the continental or a hot dish. The continental is a smorgasbord of homemade bircher muesli, granola parfait, organic yoghurt, fresh fruit, seasonal fruit compote, homemade organic multigrain granola, freshly baked pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins and local organic bread smeared with homemade jams. Along with the full English, cooked options include a hot croissant filled with runny Cornish brie, ham and tomato. Doubles from £165, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or expedia.co.uk More travel inspiration... Best day trips from London by train Brighton guide: where locals eat and drink 14 small towns across the UK every foodie should visit The UK's best pubs with rooms UK boutique hotels for food lovers 10 exciting UK city breaks for food lovers Best restaurants with rooms UK spa hotels for food lovers Best romantic UK hotels Best seaside staycations
Best restaurants in Bristol: Esther Clark shares her favourite local food and drink spots
This thriving city is now a must visit for foodies across the country, and the perfect choice for a long weekend away
Looking for Bristol restaurants? Check out the best places to eat in Bristol, including cafés, bars and restaurants. Here you'll find local beers and interesting wines, lively bars and buzzy cafés. Check out our local food and drink guide to Bristol... For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks and the UK's best artisan bakeries. Also read our city guides to the best restaurants in Bath, best restaurants in Cardiff, best restaurants in York and best restaurants in Oxford. Jump to: Best places to eat and drink in Bristol Best cafés in Bristol Best food and drink shops in Bristol Foodie neighbourhood in Bristol Where to stay in Bristol Best places to eat and drink in Bristol Marmo For modern European food and wine Marmo is one of Bristol’s most special dining experiences. It sits on bustling Baldwin Street – inside are high ceilings, an open kitchen and a buzzy, inviting atmosphere. It has an extremely pleasing menu taking influence from Italy, and an exceptional organic/biodynamic wine list. Marmo is headed by couple Cosmo and Lily Sterck. Cosmo is ex St John and Brawn, and Lily worked front of house at Luca in their London days. The menu reads really well to a point that it’s hard to know what to order for fear of missing out. Simple Italian ingredients are given the best treatment. There’s plates of lightly fried gnocco fritto and salame rosa, perfectly pickled, crunchy vegetables and bobby beans tossed with white peaches and a pine nut cream. A fresh pasta dish is always available and the famous steak tartar always graces the menu. The staff are well versed in both wine and food so you feel in good hands. If you order any dessert make sure you get at least one chocolate mousse for the table – it’s perfectly set with a blanket of lightly whipped cream strewn over it. It’ll be the ideal end to what’s likely to be a flawless meal. marmo.restaurant Farro, Bristol For pastries and sourdough Farro is certainly Bristol’s best bakery. In fact, it’s renowned as one of the best in the country. Because of this you may be faced with a queue on weekends but don't let this deter you. The queues move fast and the cabinets are well stocked. Sitting comfortably in central Bristol, it’s a slick, small establishment but with limited seating so be ready with an empty tote bag for pastries and sourdough, and a free hand for takeaway coffee. There are classic French pastries from golden pain au chocolat to a classic croissant. The perfectly sweet and heavily vanilla-scented canelé de Bordeaux is the best we’ve tried outside of France. There's savoury scones packed with cheese and rosemary, seasonal fruit galettes (like strawberry and elderflower in the summer) and if you go on the right day you’ll find trays of custardy pastel de nata. Don't leave without a loaf of sourdough, and the dense and nutty rye bread is also excellent. The menu is seasonal so changes regularly but whatever’s on offer is never far off pastry perfection. farro.co.uk Root For veg-led dining Long standing favourite Root (opened in 2017) is known for its modern, small plate, vegetable-led dishes. It sings of seasonality, with just a few meat and fish dishes of the highest quality gracing the menu. Unsurprising that this place had earned such accolades when it’s owned by renowned chef Josh Eggleton (The Pony Chew Valley). Start with a seasonal cocktail like a gooseberry and elderflower martini or an apricot whisky highball. Root has a real skill at making humble veg the star of the show with a menu that boasts mouth-watering dishes such as a hispi cabbage caesar salad, crispy Cornish potatoes with curried butter, pizzettas with caramelised onions and Cotswold brie, and smoked Cornish monkfish with tahini, yogurt and pickled red cabbage. What’s great about Root is its extensive use of British ingredients, championing some of the country’s best producers. This is a fantastic shout for vegetarians, or those who just prefer a vegetable-led meal. rootbristol.co.uk Noah's For seafood or fish and chips Noah’s is a fish and seafood restaurant situated under a bridge on Spike Island overlooking the Cumberland Basin. It’s not hard to tell where its name came from – the restaurant itself, with modern wooden cladding and a subtle nautical theme, hints to fishing boats. Its simple approach to seafood is supported by the freshest produce, boasting a menu of fish caught from the south coast to the clear lochs of Scotland. To start there’s soft crumpets piled with lemony crab mayonnaise, hand-dived fat Orkney scallops drenched in garlic butter, and piles of Fowey mussels in a perfect white wine sauce. For a main you can choose your fish grilled or fried, like Cornish sole with brown butter and capers, or battered hake. There’s a rather clever Lock Keeper’s menu that runs for lunch daily 12-3pm as well as 12-6:30pm Mondays and Thursdays – this includes mussels, a fishcake or prime battered cod fillet with a pile of chips, mushy peas, homemade tartare sauce and a mug of builder’s tea. It comes in at £14.50, an absolute steal for some of the freshest fish you’ll get in the west of England. noahsbristol.co.uk Wilson's and Wilson's Bread Shop For fine dining Headed up by husband and wife team, Jan and Mary, Wilson’s opened its doors back in 2017 on Chandos Road in Redland. This one-Michelin-star restaurant happily brings together fine dining with farm-to-table eating in a relaxed neighbourhood setting. The small whitewashed restaurant features bare wooden tables and black painted boards with the leafy streets of Redland on the doorstep. The menu, though fine dining, is simple. You’ll find ingredients treated with the upmost thought and consideration such as raw seabass with smoked crème fraîche, gooseberries and thai basil, or blackcurrants from their farm turned into a smooth, delicate sorbet with basil leaves and oil, also made from their own crops. For a six-course menu available at both lunch and dinner you’ll pay £78, and the wine flight is an extra £50, which is very good value for such a fantastic dining experience. Just a few doors down from the restaurant is the bread shop, which absolutely should not be missed. Here you can pick up some of the exceptional sourdough served in the restaurant, as well as loaves such as Icelandic rye. There’s Wookey Hole cheddar toasties with house-made seasonal pickles, thick wobbly custard tarts and seasonal fruit-filled choux buns (with the fruit sourced from the farm). At weekends it serves up a real treat: the most excellent bacon rolls using Hokkaido milk buns, Koji-cured bacon and homemade red or brown sauce – just the perfect bite. wilsonsbristol.co.uk Bokman For modern Korean cooking Bristol favourite Bokman is a small Korean restaurant run by husband and wife duo Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson. It’s a small establishment in Stokes Croft, known for its independent businesses and thriving pub and live music scene. Bokman dominates the area as the best eatery around, serving up authentic, relaxed Korean food. A blackboard of up to 10 dishes serves as the menu, with regular changing Korean favourites. We started with pork and beef stuffed chillies, deep-fried in a crisp shell of batter and served with a dipping sauce with just the right balance of sweet and acidic, with notes of clementine. Sip on Korean beer before ordering a high-piled crunchy chinese leaf salad, tossed with seaweed, pine nuts and a creamy dressing, or try banchan, a plate of pickled Korean vegetables. There’s delicious locally caught fish on the menu along with rich, spicy braised tofu and a spectacular whole chicken stuffed with raw rice that’s slow cooked until the meat is tender and the rice has soaked up the fat and turned soft and sticky. A soft serve ice cream is always on rotation with seasonal toppings and usually one other dessert – if you’re lucky you may be there on a week where the matcha and chestnut tiramisu makes an appearance. The food feels like you’ve been invited to someone’s home as a guest for dinner. The staff make you feel comfortable, almost like a local. And no doubt you’ll wish you were once you’ve eaten at Bokman. bokman.co.uk Gambas For simple Spanish food at its best Gambas has a cool setting and slick menu – it’s one of those restaurants that does what it does extremely well. You feel in good hands eating there, under chefs that know what they’re doing and staff who competently chat you through the specials. Consistently excellent, it’s located in Wapping Wharf, overlooking the harbour, so on a sunny afternoon you’re in for a treat. The high-quality ingredients here never feel short of excellent. You’ll find fresh, juicy prawns pil pil, drenched in garlic butter, a fat tortilla with a wobbly centre and a smear of garlic aïoli, and plates of hand-carved jamón ibérico and golden, freshly fried croquettes. It all comes out at a good pace, never rushed, with enough time to enjoy the views and the wine. There’s a good wine list too and a jug of seasonal sangria never disappoints, such as cherry in the summer or clementine and rhubarb in the cooler months. gambasbristol.co.uk Dongnae For sophisticated sharing dishes Dongnae is the newer, sister restaurant to the popular Bokman. It sits on Chandos Road in Redland and has a much smarter setting than its more relaxed sister. The way of eating is different here too. You’re encouraged to share dishes from a charcoal grill, such a whole Brixham john dory, grilled pork belly and wagyu feather blade. These are all served with a wooden tray of ssam and condiments – essentially crispy whole lettuce and bitter leaves which act as a wrap for the smoky meat, fish, vegetables, pickles and sauces. There are also small plates, like beef dumplings in a delicate broth and the crispiest fried chicken wings in salty, almost caramel-like, lip-smacking sauce. You can order extra banchan too, including the homemade kimchi, which is the best we’ve ever tried. This is a really special dining experience. Book a table for an early evening and eat some of the most delicious Korean food in a calm, sophisticated setting. dongnae.co.uk Sonny Stores For Italian-led modern dining Pegs Quinn’s unassuming eatery sits happily on a corner in the backstreets of Southville. Unassuming it may be but here you’ll find some of the best food being served in Bristol. Pegs spent five years at The River Café before packing his bags and heading back to his home in the West Country to work in several restaurants before opening Sonny Stores five years ago. The menu reads head to toe of things you’ll be desperate to eat. There are fat, salted anchovies swimming in olive oil, large hunks of bubbly focaccia and the most sublime, crispy vegetable fritti to start with crispy curls of fried sage. There’s always pizza on the menu, smaller, chubbier and blistered or larger and thinner to share, the dough is light and fluffy, and toppings carefully thought out – like a pizza bianco with a creamy sauce, salami and little sharp pickled chillies. You could just eat the pizza because it’s so good but then you’ll want to save room for more. There’s hand-rolled pasta circulating the menu and meat braised slowly, served with the softest polenta. There’s a fat wedge of fluffy tiramisu, a simple, well-executed end. This small but perfectly formed restaurant is not to be missed. sonnystores.com Gigi's Pizza For New York slices This relatively new pizza joint is one of the hottest tickets in town. Located in the Old Market area of Bristol, it sings more of the backstreet pizza joints of Brooklyn. The premise is simple: American ovenbaked pizza with a crisp bottom and fantastic toppings. You can order Gigi’s by the slice or in whole 12-inch or 18-inch pies. The best way to dine here is to bring some friends and share some big pizzas. The margarita has a rich, glossy tomato sauce and a generous layer of oozy cheese. There’s pepperoni with just enough hot honey to cut through the spicy meat, and a really special cacio e pepe number. Order some slices, a pot of buffalo ranch and a couple of cold beers. Once you start it’s hard to stop ordering slice after slice. gigispizzashop.com The Kensington Arms For a very good Sunday roast Tucked away in the picturesque, leafy streets of Redland is local favourite The Kenny. It’s a cosy corner pub that serves evening meals, lunches and Sunday roasts that are as good as they come. There’s a sense of neighbourhood in this boozer, locals sit at the bar drinking Somerset cider and sleepy dogs wind themselves around their owners’ legs under the table. But what really makes this pub stand out is the exceptional cooking that comes out of the kitchen. Head for a Sunday roast and enjoy ruby red ex-dairy beef with fat yorkshire puddings, creamed celeriac and crispy roasties, or perfectly crackled iron aged pork belly. Start with a blackboard special that might involve some freshly caught Brixham scallops, lightly whipped cod’s roe on toast or pan-fried gnocchi with goat’s curd. Finish up with a wedge of sticky toffee pudding and a big satisfied smile on your face. Be sure to book as seating is limited in this cosy establishment and the Sunday roasts in particular are popular. thekensingtonarms.co.uk Fed For brunch Breakfast and brunch is always a 10/10 at one of the four Fed cafés that are dotted across Bristol (find them in Cotham, Gloucester Road, Fishponds and Westbury). With knock-out coffee, a really strong breakfast menu and some of the most delicious cakes in Bristol, order something sweet like apple overnight oats with earl grey soaked prunes, or a savoury number such as poached Cacklebean eggs on thick sourdough toast with garlicky greens, or a hot brioche bun with crispy bacon, eggs and chilli chutney. The huge selection of cakes is hard to pass by, strategically located by the exit, so don't leave without a big wedge of banana bread or a slice of the famous towering fudgy chocolate cake. fedcafe.co.uk Bristol Lido For building up an appetite Bristol’s Clifton Lido and its historic setting is one of the highlights of the city. Take a dip, sauna and hot tub before setting yourself down for a fantastic lunch in the bar or restaurant. The poolside bar offers a small plate menu inspired by the Mediterranean. There’s taramasalata with pickles, sumac and fluffy flatbreads, watermelon and barrel-aged feta salad, chargrilled lamb pintxo with harissa and seasoned yogurt, and Cornish sardines with tahini, coriander and lime. The restaurant above has a more extensive menu with larger plates such as slow-cooked tomato cavatelli or pan-fried skate wing. There are some fantastic packages on offer: for £55 you can bag yourself a swim and lunch package where you can use the facilities then enjoy two courses in the restaurant, or on Sundays have a swim and three small plates in the bar for the same price. Booking ahead is highly recommended as this is one of the most popular spots in Bristol. lidobristol.com More restaurants in Bristol loved by the olive team 1 York Place Chef Freddy Bird of Little French fame has opened his second Bristol restaurant, this time a split-level dining room on the outskirts of Clifton. Freddy’s food is flavour-driven and strongly European with opening snacks like jamón and smoked eel croquetas, and the lightest potato beignet with anchovy mayonnaise and pecorino. Seasonality comes into play in a starter of asparagus and a brown butter hollandaise with homemade sourdough. There is plenty of seafood on the menu – wild prawns, scallops, surf clams, hake, skate and gurnard – plus sharing options including roast rump cap with crisp cubed dripping potatoes and horseradish. 1yorkplace.co.uk Bank It’s a pleasure to spend time in this airy, welcoming space in Totterdown where all the important things matter: decent cocktails, imaginative wines, cooking over fire with seasonal ingredients, small plates and feasting menus, excellent coffee. Founder Dan O’Regan and his co-owner chef Jack Briggs work with local suppliers and seasonal ingredients, some grown at the restaurant’s allotment, to offer hearty plates for two or three to share like Hereford Cross sirloin with beef shin rendang, bone marrow and charred pineapple. Smaller, regularly switched-up dishes such as smoked pork belly, picked watermelon and mission crab butter; Scottish girolles, burnt sweetcorn custard, crispy poached egg and jalapeno show sharply-honed kitchen skills and influences from across the world. bankbristol.com The Pony Brother and sister Josh and Holly Eggleton are well-known on the Bristol dining scene. Their smallholding, a short drive from the city, combines restaurant with cookery school and polytunnels, gardens and orchards. Take lunch, dinner, afternoon tea – or a sustainable wine course. The Pony’s set menu is a great-value intro: cold roast beef with garden pesto, chalkstream trout with Pony herbs and vanilla set cream. theponychewvalley.co.uk Cotto Across several much-loved Bristol restaurants, including their eponymous flagship, the Bianchi family is an energetic proponent of modern Italian food. Cotto is steeped in tradition: old family recipes, cooking research in Padova, sourcing trips to storied Tuscan butchers. But it is colourfully innovative, too – for example, in its artichoke fritti with mint and hot honey or its Loco carbonara. Originally a cult hit at a previous Bianchi restaurant, Pasta Loco, a recently revived carbonara – which takes several days to make – arrives as a plate of saucy spaghetti and fennel sausage, topped with a slab of slow-cooked, crispy pork belly and a pancetta-wrapped poached egg. cottowinebarandkitchen.co.uk littlefrench Freddy Bird’s family-run restaurant in Westbury Park serves up hearty, regional French dishes which deliver on every level. With a menu of snacks, starters, mains, sharers and sides, you get the feeling Freddy’s trying to feed you up. Let him. A ‘snack’ of chargrilled baby monkfish is the juiciest we’ve ever tried, served with sauce vierge, fresh basil and a decent thwack of woodsmoke. We down massive oysters with shallot vinegar for a saline hit, seriously good olives sweet with garlic and rosemary, and creamy fizz from the Loire. littlefrench.co.uk Bianchis A painted Bell’s Diner & Bar Rooms sign still exists above the door at this famed Montpelier restaurant site, taken on by Dominic Borel and Ben Harvey to turn into a traditional Italian trattoria. Interiors include bottle-green banquettes and wood panelling, crisp white tablecloths, and a modern geometric print in the bar – and there’s a mix of bookable tables and those reserved for walk-ins. There’s a suitably grown-up nod to the restaurant’s Italian roots right from the off, with a bitter aperitivo list (negronis, Aperol and Campari spritzes, vermouth and tonics), and plenty of Italian wines, but there are also a few curveballs to look out for – including an Essex pinot blanc, an Austrian orange wine and a trendy Greek red. When it comes to the food, the team goes further than the pasta-centric offerings at its other sites. The menu – divided into cured, raw, antipasti, primi (showcasing their pasta-making skills) and secondi sections – makes the most of local West Country producers: think braised quail with pancetta, coco blanc, turnip and girolle agrodolce; and roast hake with Dorset clams and baby fennel. The kitchen is headed up by Pegs Quinn, who boasts the River Café on his CV. bianchisrestaurant.co.uk Bertha’s Once an engineer for the McLaren Formula 1 team, Graham Faragher and his wife, Kate, started Bertha’s as a street-food business, serving pizzas from a converted canary-yellow Land Rover Defender before opening a bricks-and-mortar pizzeria in Bristol’s burgeoning harbourside food quarter. For Graham, it’s all about a long fermentation for the sourdough – at Bertha’s, it’s between three and five days – and seasonal South West ingredients for the toppings. berthas.co.uk Poco Café by day, tapas joint by night, ethically focused Poco is a long-time member of the thriving indie community of Bristol, with food and drink menus featuring seasonal, British and often organic produce. The varied but cohesive collection of small plates (which is chalked up on the back wall alongside the producers whose ingredients it stars) is illustrative of Ian’s imagination and skill. Sweetcorn fritters are far more exciting than the image they conjure, and come loaded with jalapeño and rich crumbs of chocolate to offset that sweetness. Each is sat on an aioli-topped kohlrabi slice, for wrapping it in, taco-style. Cornish hake, dusted with kelp powder, is cooked with real care; the soft flesh falls away in thick, moist flakes at the mere suggestion of a fork, and slips into the silky oyster mayonnaise it’s partnered with. pocotapasbar.com Bulrush This modern British restaurant in the Cotham area of the city quickly made an impression on locals thanks to the clever cooking, interesting techniques (they’re big fans of fermentation) and bold flavour pairings from 30-year-old chef George Livesey. Originally from the Peak District, George has worked at St. John, for Dan Cox (executive chef of Fera at Claridge’s), and White Rabbit in Dalston before deciding to head West. His menus champion the produce of the region, including all the foraged ingredients he can get his hands on (from fiddlehead ferns and pine, to juniper and sea kale). With personable and passionate service, a cracking cocktail menu that complements the food, and sterling cooking coming out of the tiny kitchen. bulrushrestaurant.co.uk Pasta Ripiena Pasta Ripiena is the sister restaurant to the popular Pasta Loco. To keep things seasonal, the restaurant gets two weekly deliveries from the Milan fruit and vegetable market. This produce ends up in a range of dishes, particularly stuffed pasta, which is made on site every day. Typical main courses include tortellini of salt marsh lamb, artichoke barigoule, pancetta and ricotta salata, and ravioli of beef shin ragu, crispy coppa, chard and pedro ximénez. Dominic says: “You’ll find Joe rolling five different styles of stuffed pasta between the end of lunch service and dinner – the PX sherry jus on the beef ragu is sticky, sweet, rich and just plain naughty!” pastaripiena.co.uk River Station Bag a table by the window (or on the terrace) in the glass-fronted River Station (The Grove) to catch the action in the harbour. Go all out in the smart upstairs restaurant with mains such as roast hake with parmesan crust and cannellini beans, the two-course set lunch in the relaxed downstairs café-bar is a bargain. riverstation.co.uk Koocha Mezze Bar Koocha Mezze Bar is a Persian, all-vegan cocktail and mezze bar with a contagiously sparky, easy-going spirit, in Bristol’s independent quarter. Run by long-time vegetarian turned vegan, Noda Marvani, Koocha’s bold, all-black exterior hints at the snug, stylish space within. There are also bright blue picnic tables on the patio outside for warmer days but Koocha’s brought the outdoors in, too; festoon lighting against a dark ceiling makes for an atmospheric, dining-under-the-stars feel. The menu is short and sweet, with one page for mezze, mains, sides and desserts then another for drinks — including plenty of vegan cocktails and signature G&Ts. Menu highlights include the koopa – earthy rice balls, deep-fried and loaded with cinnamon and turmeric – and spiced, slow-roasted cauliflower teamed with saffron yogurt and pomegranate seeds. Almost everything here is made from scratch (including the seitan used in the kebabs) and what Koocha don’t make themselves they look to the Bristol community to supply. Desserts are brought in from Elspeth’s Kitchen — a vegan, gluten-free bakery down the road from the restaurant — and bread’s sourced from Bristol-based Abunoor Pitta Factory. koochamezzebar.com Nutmeg Located in smart Clifton, Nutmeg serves up seriously delicious Indian cuisine. With its buzzy, welcoming atmosphere, this restaurant doesn’t mind if you’re dressed up or down, but the dishes are certainly special enough for a celebration. In its dishes, decor and demeanour, Nutmeg is wonderfully colourful. Street-art-style murals on the walls are pure Bristol, while wooden floors and red banquettes add polish. Owner Raja Munuswamy and head chef Arvind Pawar source ingredients from local indie suppliers, including Ruby and White butchers and Bristol Sweet Mart. While the tasting menu focuses on one region at a time (on our visit the northern region of Kashmir), cycling quarterly to keep things fresh, the à la carte features flavours inspired by all 29 of India’s states. After a tray of well-balanced homemade chutneys, the amuse bouche of golgappa puri – a traditional street snack of deep-fried tried filled with tamarind water, chilli, chaat masala and chickpea – proved to be one of the standouts of the night. We also found ourselves particularly enamoured with the main course’s yakhni gosht – rich, slow-cooked lamb that was moreishly tender, warm with ginger and cumin and cooled with a hung yoghurt sauce. Paired with a fruity pinot noir rosé, the pudding rounded the evening off beautifully; a deliciously syrupy jalebi acted as the perfect foil to a fragrant ball of homemade rose kulfi ice cream. nutmeg.co.uk Bravas For a pre-dinner bite, cross Whiteladies Road to small, buzzy Bravas which, with its exposed brick walls and hessian coffee sacks, could be a backstreet tapas bar in Spain. Make sure you try the lamb à la plancha with hazelnut and parsley salsa or the tortilla with homemade aïoli. bravas.co.uk Bocabar For a sit-down Sunday lunch with friends and family, Bocabar is a Bristol institution (though it’s just as good on other days of the week too). There’s a local, sustainable ethos running through the menu; fish and meat dishes often list the farm or fishmonger those scallops, roast pork or lamb come from. It's a great option for kids: the relaxed vibe means there are plenty of child-friendly sharing platters stocked with West Country cheeses and meats. Wood-fired pizzas and Sunday roasts are other classic menu items here (though it’s also the kind of place you could just drop into for coffee and order some toast for the kids). And the large space and laid-back vibe makes it a breezy, chilled out place to be with children, where you don’t feel you’re impinging on other diners. bristol.bocabar.co.uk Green Man Tucked away in tranquil Kingsdown, the cosy Green Man could almost be in a Somerset village. Savour a pre-dinner pint of Bristol Best, made with British malt and hops by Westcountry brewers Dawkins (who own the pub). If you’re not booked elsewhere for dinner, the home-cooked food is good too. facebook.com/thegreenmanbristol Best cafés and coffee shops in Bristol Ahh Toots Tables are much sought after at this cool and cosy bakery-café, where, behind that historic Tudor façade, owners, Tam Galliford and Amy Symonds, create ace celebration cakes and lush afternoon teas. Sandwiches and unusually interesting scones (sour cherry and toasted pumpkin seed, for example) are followed by a variety of modish bakes, such as thyme and sea salt chocolate cookies or lemon mascarpone choux buns. Tam and Amy like to use products from fellow Bristol indies, such as Circumstance Distillery’s whiskey in their white chocolate truffles. Their house coffee blend was created with Radical Roasters. ahhtoots.com Hart’s Bakery The queues snaking out the door tell you all you need to know about Hart’s Bakery. Set under the arches at Bristol Temple Meads railway station, swing by for epic sausage rolls and Saturday Bread. hartsbakery.co.uk Two Day Coffee Roasters As unpretentious as coffee shops get, Two Day Coffee Roasters sells an impressive selection of beans by weight, as well as cups of coffee to go (there are no seats). The Bristol coffee scene may have grown over the past few years, but these guys were right there at the start. twodaycoffee.co.uk Primrose Café Ease yourself into the day with brunch at one of Bristol’s longest-standing food institutions, the Primrose Café (Clifton Arcade, 1 Boyce’s Avenue). Go for the All-In-Two cooked breakfast, haddock fish cakes, or a slab of its legendary chocolate and salted caramel cake. primrosecafe.co.uk Papadeli Transport yourself to the Med at Papadeli, a deli-cum-café-cum cookery school whose ‘papa’ is affable ex-chef Simon MacDonnell. If you’re staying beyond the weekend, book onto a weekday evening cooking class. Otherwise, devour a chocolate brownie in the café or snap up a Sorelle Nurzia Italian Easter Colomba cake in the deli. papadeli.co.uk Spicer & Cole Amble into classy Clifton for tea at Spicer & Cole, the antidote to faceless coffee shop chains. Ingredients are locally sourced and the sandwiches and cakes are handmade on site. The carrot cake is addictive. spicerandcole.co.uk Mark's Bread You can spot the queues long before you reach Mark Newman’s artisan bakery on the popular North Street. Bag a loaf of his sourdough, still warm from the ovens behind the counter, or settle down with a paper and croque Monsieur in the café next door. marksbread.co.uk Best food and drink shops in Bristol The Bristol Cheesemonger Shopping in a shipping container is cool, right? Literally in the case of The Bristol Cheesemonger, since the space is also refrigerated; proprietor Rosie Morgan sells excellent More Wine bag-in-box wine and the most marvellous array of British cheeses, including an awesome trio of cheddars (when in the West Country…). bristol-cheese.co.uk Bristol Sweet Mart Head to Easton (east of Bristol city centre) to find Bristol Sweet Mart, a glorious South Asian emporium where you can buy anything from tiffin boxes to bunches of herbs, chutneys, fresh pickles, pulses and grains (make sure to nose through the gargantuan selection of spices). sweetmart.co.uk Wai Yee Hong Apart from having one of the funniest Twitter profiles out there, Wai Yee Hong is a behemoth of a Chinese supermarket, requiring a whole day to fully explore its shelves. Charge round with a shopping trolley stocking up on all things Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai. waiyeehong.com St Nicholas' Market Soak up the atmosphere at St Nicholas’ Market which offers everything from wheatgrass juice to handmade Pieminister pies (try the Heidi with Somerset goat’s cheese), and pulled pork sandwiches from Grillstock Smokeshack. At the gorgeous Source food hall & café, grab a Gloucester Old Spot sausage roll or stock up on local goodies. bristol.gov.uk/st-nicholas-markets Reg the Veg Take your pick from the veg-laden cart outside another Bristol stalwart, Reg the Veg greengrocers. Reg has moved on and it’s now run by John Hagon and son Tom. Vegetables come from nearby Failand or in the case of asparagus, the Wye Valley. There’s Bradley’s apple juice and Ooh! Chocolata bars made in Nailsea too. regtheveg.co.uk Foodie neighbourhood to explore: Wapping Wharf Situated on Bristol’s historic floating harbour, Wapping Wharf is one of the city’s coolest and best loved neighbourhoods. And for good reason. It boasts a collection of shipping containers housing some of the best independent restaurants, bakeries and bars in Bristol. Here you’ll find more casual dining, lunches to grab after a visit to Bristol's famous M Shed museum as well as harbourside evening dining. There’s well known Bristol institution Root, for vegetable, seasonal-led eating, and Gambas for authentic waterside tapas (not to be missed, the garlic butter sizzling pil pil prawns). For a quick bite grab a New York style bagel from Bagelry Box, served from an old horse box – this small menu doesn't skimp on quality with freshly baked hand-rolled bagels filled with 10-hour smoked pastrami and all the trimmings – an ideal lunch alongside a coffee from Mokoko sat by the water. For finer dining head to Lapin, a small French eatery with modern twists: try golden comté gougères, Brixham scallops with garlic butter, and roast aubergine ratatouille with pistou. The best way to satisfy your after-dinner sweet tooth might be a trip to Swoon Gelato for its rich, creamy Italian artisan gelato, the pistachio and Bacio (hazelnut and chocolate) being nothing short of perfect. If you fancy grabbing anything for the road, independent supermarket Better Food stocks an array of great local Somerset produce, from cheeses, milk from Bruton Dairy and seasonal organic veg to delicious breads from Batches Bakery and local chocolate Where to stay in Bristol The Bristol First time visitors entering by Prince Street will be surprised and delighted to discover that that across the lobby of The Bristol lies the harbour, making it a great base for exploring much of the city’s most vibrant food scene. The hotel’s classic afternoon tea in the River Grille provides the opportunity to see the iconic yellow ferries putter along over cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge and hyper-local Bird and Blend tea. Next door is contemporary Rick’s Bar, for sharing boards and brunch on the terrace and signature cocktails at the bar. Book a cosy Harbourside Room for views of the Bristol Eye ferris wheel. Rooms from £98, B&B from £125. Check availability at booking.com The Artist Residence Looking for a place to stay in Bristol? The unstoppable Artist Residence team has restored a Georgian townhouse, previously an old boot factory, right by Bristol’s eclectic city centre. Loft rooms have standalone bathtubs, whilst the luxurious Lookout room on the top floor is spread over two levels with a private terrace for views over the city. Doubles from £154, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com More UK travel guides Best restaurants in Penzance Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in Broadstairs Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Words by Esther Clark, Laura Rowe, Claire Thomson (Bristol-based chef and the author of three cookbooks), Mark Taylor, Rosie Sharratt, Tory Parks, Kate Authers, Christine Hayes and Helen Salter Photography by Sam Gibson, Mike Lusmore, Getty, Kirstie Young
Best restaurants in Bruton: where to eat and drink
From cosy bistros and chapel cafés to farm shops and boutique hotels, this small Somerset town has more to offer than just lush green countryside
Looking for where to eat and drink in Bruton? This small town nestled among green rolling hills in Somerset is only 45 minutes from Bath (see where to eat and drink in the city here) by car, and has become a something of magnet for unconventional chefs and arty culinary creatives in recent years, turning the once quiet market town into a gourmet hot spot. Next, check out our pick of the best restaurants in the Cotswolds or the best restaurants in Penzance. Take a look at our guide to small towns across the UK that every foodie should visit for more travel inspiration. Best restaurants in Bruton Da Costa Bruton’s Durslade Farm has replaced Roth Bar and Grill with Da Costa, a space inspired by Veneto, powered by Somerset. Traditional northern Italian dishes make up the menu, much of the veg and herbs for which are grown in the walled garden and cooked on the centrepiece woodfire stove and barbecue. A celebration of the two regions is seen in carpaccio of Durslade Farm beef and Cornish Yarg; handmade buckwheat pasta with fonduta and salt-baked beetroot risotto with toasted hazelnuts and Bruton soft cheese. To drink there are wines from Durslade Farm’s vineyards and amaro, aperitivi and Italian-inspired cocktails. Artwork features vintage photographs of the owner’s grandfather, whose Venetian roots are the inspiration for the restaurant. da-costa.co.uk The Old Pharmacy Enter Bruton’s old pharmacy and turn left to find yourself in a dinky, green-panelled deli, where you can buy bottles of wine, locally roasted coffee, artisan condiments and more. On the right, the adjacent dining room is lined with shelves groaning wine bottles, crinkly candlesticks and cookbooks, with creaky wooden floorboards underfoot and window seats overlooking Bruton's main High Street. Small plates include Westcombe finnochina (fennel-flecked local salami) with cantaloupe melon, Swiss chard ricotta malfatti in sage butter and candied beetroots, ricotta salata and almonds in a sweet mustard vinaigrette. oldpharmacybruton.com At The Chapel This light, elegant space proves not only that chapels can be stylishly and successfully converted in the right hands, but also that great food is to be found in the most unlikely of locations. In this case, much of that food comes from the giant wood-fired oven at the front of the building. There's also a bakery space that sells fresh loaves and cakes (among them, commendably, a no-profit loaf designed to make good quality, nutritious bread available to all), and a simple but carefully sourced menu of pizzas – try the Taleggio, field mushrooms and thyme topping. If you’re not a pizza fan, there’s plenty else to tempt, from cos, feta, fennel and almond salads to chargrilled local chicken with lemon, thyme and aioli. This is relaxed, modern food for a relaxed modern crowd (families are very welcome), many of whom book into one of the bedrooms above the restaurant and make a weekend of it. There’s also a wine store on site, with an interesting selection of organic, biodynamic vintages, and a programme of films, talks and events to tap into. atthechapel.co.uk Matt’s Kitchen Run by self-taught chef Matt Watson in what was formerly the front room of his house, this intimate BYOB restaurant (it seats only 26) serves a single main course dish on Friday and Saturdays evenings, plus a trio of starters and 'double desserts'. Check the website for the current week’s menus – expect everything from whipped feta with red grape compote to cod masala with fennel bhajis. One note of caution: it’s sometimes closed altogether for private functions. mattskitchen.co.uk Where to eat and drink near Bruton Westcombe Dairy Two of Bruton’s local food champions, Tom and Richard Calver at Westcombe Dairy, produce award-winning cheeses from their own herd of Holstein-Friesian cows (most famously a seriously tangy, nutty Cheddar, but also a Caerphilly and a Somerset Ricotta) using traditional techniques. Despite their appreciation for age-old techniques, the Calvers are anything but Luddites. In recent years they’ve built a cheese cave, pioneered the use of tiny microchips for cheeses, and commissioned the UK’s first cheese-turning machine, affectionately dubbed Tina The Turner. westcombedairy.com The Newt Visit The Newt, a stunning hotel and garden attraction between Bruton and the town of Castle Cary. Koos Bekker and his wife Karen have planted orchards, restored the gardens and turned the Palladian mansion into a hotel, and there's even a shiny state-of-the-art cider-making facility, complete with daily apple-pressing shows. The Garden Café here is a contemporary vision of glass and wood that overlooks the kitchen garden. Its seasonal menu has been designed as a gardener's notebook, and head chef Alan Stewart makes sure that the garden's fruit and vegetables are the headline acts. Even the bread and butter is on-message – the sourdough starter is made from apple pulp from the cider press, and the buffalo milk butter is flavoured with preserved orange and thyme from the garden. thenewtinsomerset.com Horrell and Horrell This micro-dining experience sees the eponymous Horrells, chef Steve and host Jules, welcome up to 40 guests to their Sparkford smallholding. Guests are invited for Thursday, Friday and Saturday dinners, as well as Sunday lunch, served in a converted barn on one long communal table, beautifully adorned with cosy blankets, sheepskins and candles. Using produce from their 6.5-acre smallholding (fruits and nuts, myriad vegetables, even home-reared lamb) and select regional, artisan suppliers (Chapel Cross goat’s cheese; Buffalicious mozzarella; Brown & Forrest smokery), Steve creates a seasonal, four-course menu in his bespoke outdoor kitchen. A southern European influence is clear in dishes such as artichoke fritti, basil mayonnaise and parmesan, or rosemary and garlic lamb, cime di rapa, chilli and pangrattato. horrellandhorrell.co.uk A festive visit to Bruton Whether absorbing art at the Hauser & Wirth or Bo Lee and Workman galleries, or browsing in Bruton’s stylish interiors and lifestyle stores, such as Philo & Philo, Smouk or New Romantic , this boho Somerset town is a chilled enclave in which to recharge before a busy Christmas period – with carols, craft stalls and late shopping. It is a tasty retreat, too. Renowned for restaurants such as Michelin-starred Osip, Italian Da Costa, artisan bakery, wood-fired pizzeria and all-day restaurant, At the Chapel, Matt’s Kitchen, and nearby communal barn dining experience, Horrell & Horrell (see more on all below). Seasonally wrapped in a huge bow (and promising eye-popping decorations at its Blue Ball pub, too), boutique hotel, Number One certainly gets into the Christmas spirit, with festive fare served at excellent restaurant, Briar, headed up by chef Sam Lomas. Should you feel the need to walk off any gastro-indulgence, Bruton has many brilliant walking routes on its doorstep, as does nearby National Trust estate, Stourhead. Where to stay in and near Bruton Number One Hotel Number One is a revamped Georgian townhouse that offers 12 bedrooms and a sense of playfulness behind the polish. On the ground floor is an honesty bar and a lounge lined with photographs taken by the likes of Terence Donovan and Perry Ogden, while legendary garden designer, Penelope Hobhouse, is behind the hotel’s tiny courtyard garden. In the Georgian townhouse itself, designers Frank & Faber have decorated the bedrooms with a tasteful riot of pattern on pattern, plus period fireplaces and gilt mirrors. For a more modern feel, a trio of cottages behind the main house (overlooking the courtyard garden) have simple white bathrooms, quarry-tiled floors and neutral colour schemes, reflecting their former status as workshops. Four extra bedrooms, industrial in style, are at the end of the garden in what was previously a forge. Breakfast, taken in Osip (see entry above), is totally unique in terms of its offerings. Try vanilla-spiked rice pudding topped with homemade granola and a spoonful of toffee-ish milk jam; still-warm boiled egg cradled in a little nest of hay; pheasant terrine and chutney on freshly baked sourdough; or a sliver of jammy pear and quince tart. numberonebruton.com Osip Merlin Labron-Johnson’s elegant farm-to-table restaurant offers chic rooms for a decadent bucolic getaway. Housed in a whitewashed coaching inn, Osip is perched roadside in rural Somerset. Pad round the back through the wildflower meadow and duck beneath exposed beams into the reception room where a stone fire is lit in winter to snuggle beside on squishy sofas over Chemex coffee. The open kitchen takes centre stage, offering views of the garden and countryside beyond, with diners positioned to face the action (plus two chef’s table spots right at the prep station). The tasting menu is a succession of Somerset produce, most grown on Osip’s farm up the lane, cleverly worked into the likes of pig’s head croquettes in a shiso lettuce cup. Dishes are complex and intricate – for instance grilled peking duck, candied cherries and grilled beetroot with duck meat sausage and liver sauce alongside beetroot mole-filled tacos topped with duck heart shavings for extra umami. The cheese course is next-level – a square of cider brandy-soaked malt loaf topped with Bath soft cheese. To finish, burnt honey tartlets with crème fraîche ice cream, soft meringue pollen and mead. The four rooms, hidden up a winding staircase, offer elegant luxuries while connecting guests to nature – super king-size beds with striking wood headboards, jute rugs and walk-in stone showers with Maison Osip toiletries. A selection of treats awaits in each – homemade canelés, Osip cider, Somerset apple juice and loose-leaf teas to sip in Wiltshire-thrown porcelain mugs. Brue has a mezzanine set-up, with standalone bath and spacious seating area downstairs plus ensuite bathroom and bedroom carved into the eaves up top, while Avon switches it round with the bathtub up on the mezzanine. Pitt and Somer are smaller yet equally charming. Superb hospitality continues through to breakfast, with an individually laid out array of toasted honey granola, jams and compotes, and squidgy little pear and cinnamon buns. There’s also a central table groaning with wild hay smoked trout, Wiltshire ham and cider mustard, treacly bread, Westcombe cheese and fresh fruit grown on the farm, plus coffees made to order. osiprestaurant.com Find more boutique hotels for food lovers here. Photographs by Maureen Evans and Rhiannon Batten More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Penzance Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Fowey Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in the Lake District
25 small towns across the UK that every foodie should visit
From Welsh market towns with creative culinary gatherings to Yorkshire boroughs that are home to artisan roasters and gin distilleries, these are 10 of the best foodie towns across the UK for a staycation
Looking for UK staycations? Want to know the best towns for foodies? Check out our guide for the must-visit UK towns that every foodie should visit. Filled with must-try restaurants, bakeries and bars, there is something for everyone in 0ur gourmet picks – from an island getaway in Jersey to picturesque Bruton in Somerset's green rolling hills. For more travel inspiration, find out the best unique UK holiday cottages for foodies and check out our best gastropubs with rooms. Feeling active? See our picks of 10 unique walking holidays for foodies. If you're planning a summer holiday, check out our UK summer travel ideas. Totnes, Devon The market town of Totnes in Devon has some of the most progressive organic restaurants in the country. The Bull Inn is driving the charge with its ecological and social impact pledges, including commitments to “field grown, not flown”, mindful meat, seasonality and supplier-led organic food. Its inventive menu includes such dishes as roasted courgettes, whipped tahini, preserved lemon, pumpkin seed picada and basque cheesecake with plums. Eversfield organic farm shop & café has a menu of all-day brunch classics such as toasted banana bread with seasonal compote and Turkish eggs with warm chilli butter. The Totnes Sunday food market is the biggest in Devon offering up fine produce from local producers. For a taste of fine-dining, head to Gather which showcases locally sourced and wild foraged ingredients from Devon’s fields, shoreline, rivers and hedgerows. Where to stay: not just a restaurant, you can also stay at The Bull Inn. There are nine chic, minimally-designed rooms to choose from plus a four-bed self catering apartment (with it's own private terrace) that is ideal for larger groups. Doubles from £165, check availability at booking.com Alnwick, Northumberland The market town of Alnwick, famous for its historic castle, is quietly becoming something of a culinary hotspot. New fine-dining restaurant Sonnet serves up a tasting menu inspired by ingredients from small local farmers, producers of rare-breed meats and British fine food makers. Alnwick Brewery Co & Taproom has been producing traditional brown ales and IPAs since the 1860s, and is a lively hangout that regularly hosts food trucks from local establishments like Caribbean Ren’s Kitchen. The Bistro at The Cookie Jar is a relaxing restaurant serving up local produce in dishes such as tempura cod cheeks with spicy pea purée and chorizo crisps, and homemade ice creams and sorbets. And Jasper’s Bistro, in nearby Amble, is an intimate seafood restaurant with just six tables, specialising in locally landed lobster, crab and langoustines, with an excellent wine list. Check out our full guide to the best restaurants in Northumberland for more. Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth in Cornwall is famous for its scenic natural harbour and stunning views, and is now also something of a culinary hotspot. Perched on the rocks overlooking Swanpool beach is new seafood restaurant Beach House Falmouth, which is centred around a menu of fresh, local and sustainably sourced seafood. It serves delicious dishes like whole grilled Falmouth Bay crab with garlic butter, shell-on wild prawns with ’nduja, and fried oysters with aïoli. Harbour House, just over the bay in Flushing, is a waterside pub with a focus on seasonal dishes and local drinks. Its menu includes Fowey scallops from the grill, beef short rib cottage pie, and kedgeree scotch eggs with curry mayonnaise. Located between Mylor and Flushing, Food Barn is a weekly market with more than 20 stalls that champion local, sustainable food from traders like Allet Dairy, Penny’s Pies, Loveday distillery and Ruby June’s Indian Kitchen. Sabzi’s Deli serves up Cornish and British produce cooked into Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, like local roasted Savoys with sumac, butter beans and fresh herb chutney, and spiced roasted carrots with whipped tahini. Settle, Yorkshire Dales This historic market town and the villages of surrounding Ribblesdale and Malhamdale are cultivating quite the food scene. In Settle, foodies are buzzing about the hip, crisply executed small plates at chef Iain Graham’s The Nettle restaurant. Elsewhere, refresh at High Street Coffee, micropub Millers @ Bar 13 or the Talbot Arms freehouse. For food shopping visit butcher and expert pie maker, Drake & Macefield, homewares store (and cute café) Car and Kitchen, Tuesday’s town market and Settle Artisan Market (second Sunday, monthly). Heading into the surrounding countryside, Lay of the Land is a small garden centre whose café, led by chef Jimmie Lay, is much-loved by discerning locals. As is Town End Farm Shop, a crucial outlet for regional artisan foods, including owner Chris Wildman’s charcuterie. Just a few miles from Settle, Austwick is home to the well-regarded hotel restaurant The Traddock and nationally significant food hub The Courtyard Dairy. The dairy retails up to 50 carefully matured cheeses from small farmhouse producers, houses a cheese museum and hosts events and cheese-making courses. It also shares its Crows Nest Barn location with pizzeria Rind, natural wine shop Buon Vino and artisan bakery Ambry. Folkestone, Kent The coastal town of Folkestone in Kent offers a unique blend of creativity, seaside charm, and hidden foodie hotspots which are lesser known than some of its trendy seaside neighbours such as Margate and Rye. The Folkestone Harbour Arm is home to an outdoor array of shipping containers which have been converted into independent food businesses, offering everything from fresh oysters and champagne to global street food, all set against the backdrop of stunning sea views. Highlights include poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes), and inventive cocktails. For a relaxed family meal, head to Rocksalt, where local produce takes centre stage in dishes like Romney Marsh lamb and Folkestone-caught mackerel. Folkestone's Creative Quarter, brims with live music, tapas, cafés and Kentish beers and wine. In the evening, discover strong and perfectly-formed cocktails at The Potting Shed which will transfer you back-in-time to the vibrant 1920s. Where to stay: Shoreline Holiday rentals are the ideal base for exploring Folkestone. Each property is thoughtfully styled, offering luxurious yet cozy interiors, well-equipped kitchens, and private balconies with sweeping views of the English Channel. Perfect for families and couples alike, there’s two and four-bedroom beach houses on offer, all within walking distance of beaches, galleries, and restaurants. Jersey, Channel Islands A short hop from the UK (or France), Jersey, famous for its prized potatoes, oysters and rich custard-yellow cream – is having a gourmet revival. Restaurant pêtchi, from island-raised chef and Great British Menu finalist Joe Baker, is leading the charge. Its menu celebrates the abundance of the island’s local seafood with dishes such as Chancre crab and seaweed tarts, and a signature wood-roasted lobster rice. JEJE, housed in St Helier’s historic fish market, specialises in fresh sushi and Korean-inspired dishes made using the daily catch. Over on St Ouen’s Bay is SANDS, whose menu is inspired by Australasian and Californian coastal cuisine, with homemade tacos and sodas like its apricot/cardamom and lychee/vetiver. And for a nightcap head to The Porter’s Store, a stylish speakeasy with live music and cocktail masterclasses on offer. Reigate, Surrey Reigate has had an influx of foodie establishments in recent years, making it well worth a visit. Lebnani – from chef Jad Youssef – is leading the charge. Its menu is inspired by the food of Beirut with traditional meze and charcoal grills designed for sharing, using the finest spices, herbs and grains from Lebanon, combined with local ingredients. Chalk Hills Bakery makes artisan breads that use traditional long-fermenting methods, each kneaded by hand, including sourdough with potato, rosemary and nigella seeds. The Chapel is an independent café specialising in perfectly brewed coffee, open sandwiches and sausage brioche rolls using meat from local family butcher Robert & Edwards. And New Gurkha Kitchen serves up authentic Nepalese cuisine, like Gurkha aloo (potatoes with turmeric and cumin), Kathmandu chicken and Nepalese-style chow – stir-fried noodles with spices. Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire Famous for its spirited community ethos which has attracted writers and artists for decades, Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire is now a hotbed for culinary creatives. At its heart is Kitchen 91, a micro-bakery and dining room in a converted weaver’s warehouse specialising in Italian cuisine with sustainability at its core. Independent cooperative Valley Organics sells ethically sourced ingredients from local producers, and Goo Cheese has a range of more than 100 British and continental cheeses with an emphasis on lesser known cheesemakers. Stylish contemporary restaurant Coin is the best spot for dinner, serving small plates such as Crown Prince squash, rocket, Loch Arthur yogurt and smoked almonds alongside an extensive list of natural wines. For a night cap, lively bottle shop Drink (open until 10pm) has a range of regional craft ales, fruit sours and cloudy gose beers from across the county. Bruton, Somerset Picturesque Bruton is nestled among Somerset's green rolling hills and has become a something of magnet for unconventional chefs and arty culinary creatives in recent years, turning the once quiet market town into a foodie hot spot. At the Chapel – a Grade II listed restaurant-gallery-hotel hybrid – takes pride of place in the centre of Bruton high street, serving a Mediterranean menu that heroes West Country produce and a wine store filled with organic, biodynamic vintages. Durslade Farm Shop showcases artisan makers and growers of Somerset in the chic Hauser & Wirth Gallery. The Newt country estate hosts seasonal gastronomic events such as foraging masterclasses and artisan cyder tasting in its orchard. And Michelin-starred restaurant Osip, fronted by chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, has removed all menus entirely – asking diners to put their faith in the hands of its masterful chefs. Where to stay: Number One Bruton is a revamped Georgian townhouse that offers 12 bedrooms and a sense of playfulness behind the polish. In the Georgian townhouse itself, designers Frank & Faber have decorated the bedrooms with a tasteful riot of pattern on pattern, plus period fireplaces and gilt mirrors. For a more modern feel, a trio of cottages behind the main house (overlooking the courtyard garden) have simple white bathrooms, quarry-tiled floors and neutral colour schemes, reflecting their former status as workshops. Breakfast, taken in Osip (see above), is totally unique in terms of its offerings. Try vanilla-spiked rice pudding topped with homemade granola and a spoonful of toffee-ish milk jam; still-warm boiled egg cradled in a little nest of hay; pheasant terrine and chutney on freshly baked sourdough; or a sliver of jammy pear and quince tart. Check rates and availability at numberonebruton.com Lyme Regis, Dorset Affectionately known as the pearl of Dorset, thanks to its beautiful bay, the areas surrounding Lyme Regis are also rich in culinary delights. The Seaside Boarding House, overlooking Lyme Bay, champions local Dorset produce and has a guest series with a host of exciting chefs including Jeremy Lee, Rick Toogood and Abby Lee. The Parlour at Bredy Farm offers Italian small plates like Tuscan fish stew with Dorset clams and courgettes alla poverella. And Rachels in West Bay is a beach side hut with fresh local seafood platters, moules and chowder, plus it gets our vote for the best fish and chips in the area. Stockbridge, Scotland Perched on the Water of Leith river and blessed with eye-catching architecture, this hip, upmarket inner suburb is a very pleasant 25-minute walk from central Edinburgh. Beyond its period charms (check cobbled Insta fave, Circus Lane), it is also a tasty place to eat. Acclaimed fine dining restaurants eòrna and Avery, which previously operated in San Francisco, rub shoulders with ambitious gastropub, the Scran & Scallie, cool basement small plates joint, Skua, and the Last Word Saloon, sister bar to legendary cocktail spot, Bramble. Wine geeks will love pace-setting wine bar, Smith & Gertrude (do not miss its grilled Montgomery cheddar sandwich) and the shopping opportunities at treasure trove, Raeburn Fine Wines, Vino and newcomer, Communique Wines. To accompany those wines, food shop at Stockbridge Market (Sundays) or cheesemongers IJ Mellis or George Mewes. Before the steep climb back into Edinburgh, refuel on next-level croissants at revered bakery, Lannan, or take a moment in craft beer haven, Stockbridge Tap, or Edinburgh Cider Co’s The Cider House. Aldeburgh, Suffolk Aldeburgh, a small seaside town in Suffolk, is famous for its annual food and drink festival, and something of a hot gastronomic ticket. The Lighthouse serves simple home-cooked fare with a neighbourhood vibe – including its very own Lighthouse 77 gin, which includes botanicals such as heather and liquorice. Sea Spice is a beautiful restaurant that combines local Suffolk produce with flavourful Indian cooking. The beach is lined with shacks selling boxes of prawns and smoked fish from local artisans including Butley Oysterage. And, like all great coastal towns, there’s the iconic Aldeburgh Fish & Chips made the traditional Suffolk way – fried in beef dripping! Be it colour palettes and decorative touches inspired by the Suffolk countryside or a guest pantry where you can pour yourself a complimentary cocktail, every detail of six-bedroom The Suffolk has been carefully considered. Enjoy the rooftop sea-view terrace, then head down to the restaurant, where chef Tom Payne makes impressive use of Suffolk produce, such as Gressingham duck or Dingley Dell pork. From Butley Creek oysters to lemon sole in Pernod garlic butter, seafood is prominent. Check rates and availability at the-suffolk.co.uk Malton, Yorkshire There’s so much going on in Yorkshire’s food capital of Malton right now. Those serious about their food won’t be disappointed. Over a four year period, 26 food and drink businesses have set up shop here. Many cluster around Talbot Yard – a former stables – which now houses an artisan roaster, Roost, the Bluebird Bakery, the Groovy Moo gelateria, macaron-maker Florian Poirot, the Rare Bird Gin Distillery and a butcher, Food 2 Remember. Other dates for the diary include the Malton Harvest Food Festival in October, and the monthly food markets. These events bring together the wider area’s exceptional producers’ including Malton Cider, cheese from Botton Creamery, chutneys from Sloemotion and lots more. Where to stay: Talbot Inn (owned – like much of Malton – by aristocrat Tom Naylor-Leyland and his glamorous wife and Vogue-contributor Alice) has relaxed décor, in a glamorous, playful sort of way. Ex-Lucky Onion stalwarts, Georgie and Sam Pearman, spruced up the 26-bedroomed Talbot, bringing a modern style to the imposing 17th-century coaching inn, resulting in oak-floored rooms where modern art and antique finds rub alongside ancestral portraits. Eating is when and where you want. Already savoured the views of the watermeadows from the plant-draped Garden Room? Curl up by the log fires in the Snug, or slouch into a leather armchair beneath the wall-mounted wild boar in the navy-walled Upper Bar. Wherever you sit, jeaned and Converse-sneakered waiting staff miraculously appear. Doubles at Talbot Inn from £96 per night, check availability at booking.com Studland, Dorset The village of Studland, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, is gathering a reputation as a beach destination with discerning culinary clout. Shell Bay Restaurant & Bistro – on the tip of the Jurassic Coast – is a scenic sunset-watching spot that specialises in open-fire cooking. Its exciting menu champions local lobster, bass and Poole Bay oysters, with dishes including fire-roasted miso and yuzu cod and pepper soft-shell crab with smoked pineapple chilli sauce. The Pig on the Beach has a walled kitchen garden and is committed to home-grown produce with its 25-mile menu, serving veg picked that morning and transformed into dishes such as marinated beetroot with spiced hazelnut crumb and blood orange. Across the water from Studland in Poole is Thirteen from head chef Alex Naik, whose tasting menus combine locally sourced and foraged ingredients – courses might include the likes of mushroom tom kha soup with seaweed noodles, velvet shank and oysters, and thyme panna cotta with orange jelly, ginger gel and clementine powder. And Bankes Arms is a pub by the sea that’s also home to the award-winning Isle of Purbeck Brewery – serving up the likes of Studland Bay Wrecked, Solar Power, Fossil Fuel and Purbeck IPA. Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds In the Evenlode Valley, within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh makes an ideal base for a ‘foodie’ trip. A short hop from popular villages and towns such as Daylesford (famous for its organic farm, shop and restaurant), Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold, it benefits from good public transport links including direct trains to London. The main street is lined with handsome stone buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, many of them shops, tea rooms, pubs and places to eat. There are plenty of places to stay the night, including the White Hart Royal, a former manor house where King Charles I took refuge during the Civil War. The main public building is the Redesdale Hall which holds antiques and craft fairs, and there’s a weekly Tuesday street market. When it comes to eating out, Henne is highly regarded by the locals with its inventive and sustainably driven menu using hyper-local produce. If it’s artisan bread and patisserie you’re after, Otis & Belle bakery is exceptional and The Cotswold Cheese Company sells countless local cheeses. A short drive out of town is the Michelin-starred Royal Oak at Whatcote. Tisbury, Wiltshire In Wiltshire’s pretty Nadder Valley, Tisbury is more village than town yet still packs a punch when it comes to eating and drinking. On its edge the Grade I thatched Tithe Barn has been converted into Messum’s, a contemporary art gallery where the Mess Restaurant offers much more sophisticated fare than your standard museum café. In the morning Genius Coffea, on the High Street, is the first port of call. For sustenance to go with it, continue on to Tisbury Deli where the shelves prop up goodies from croissants to pork pies. Pick up a bottle to go with your supplies from <The Beckford Bottle Shop, where you can try-before-you-buy and get expert advice from staff. Pythouse Kitchen Garden should be on everyone’s radar too; not only for the first-rate restaurant but because the company’s glamping village, tucked away in the orchard, is the perfect place to stay. Where to stay: Pubs in the area are plentiful but few focus on food; the exception is The Beckford Arms where you’ll need to book to get ahead of the locals who come for a Beckford Bloody Mary and stay on for Sunday lunch. Doubles from £91 per night, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com North Berwick, Scotland There’s a food revolution underway in the seaside town of North Berwick, just half an hour from Edinburgh by train along the East Lothian coast. Millennials priced out of the city have de-camped to the coast bringing with them a demand for flat whites and sourdough – which they get at Steampunk Coffee Roasters and the <Bostock Bakery. The croissants at the latter are so good that NOMA’s René Redzepi sent his pastry chef from Copenhagen to learn from Bostock’s Ross Baxter. For seafood, try Lobster Shack – a seasonal operation on the harbour that cooks its catch from the neighbouring Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery between Easter and October; the lobster and crab bisque is exceptional and the Shack is licensed so you can order a glass of crisp white to go with it. A blustery and beautiful walk out of town brings you to shipping container turned coffee shop DRIFT, perched on an outcrop above Canty Bay; sit in and order the bacon and egg sandwich with herby aioli. Where to stay: Stay just out of town, in Gullane, at The Bonnie Badger, Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s restaurant with rooms. Doubles from £236 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Deal, Kent Kent’s coastal towns are smartening up, luring in a hip London crowd who steer south on fast trains. Whilst foodies still love Whitstable, Deal is the buzzy new kid on the block. Find everything from Kent’s favourite chippie, Middle Street Fish Bar to date-night-dining at Victuals & Co. where the Raid the Larder menu on Sunday evenings is particularly good value. The Deal Dining Club is an institution and its Friday and Saturday night set-menu feasts always sell out; typical events include a Taste of Kent, with a menu boasting Canterbury cheese puffs, Kentish brown shrimp, local pigeon, home-smoked haddock and rhubarb crème brulee. It’s BYOB so pick up a bottle beforehand at Le Pinardier, a French wine bar and shop with an array of predominantly natural wines. Where to stay: Cross the road to The Rose where the seasonal cocktails are invented by local forager and chef, Lucia Stuart, who also runs excursions such as a Berry Bonanza Wilderness Picnic via The Wild Kitchen. As well as a bar, restaurant and pretty courtyard garden, The Rose has eight artfully-designed bedrooms. It’s worth staying for breakfast – the sourdough toast with pear and ginger jam is scrumptious. Doubles from £167 per night, check availability at booking.com Orford, Suffolk The Suffolk town of Orford may have kick-started its foodie reputation with the opening of the renowned Pump Street Bakery (a visit to its Suffolk-pink premises for breakfast pastries is a must) but the business has done a pivot into artisan chocolate-making so save space to try one of their artisan bars too. Proximity to the shingly coastline means the town is also home to two excellent seafood spots, fixtures since the 1950s – Butley Oysterage, a smart restaurant serving up plump oysters and griddled prawns dripping in garlic butter, and the sister shop, Pinney’s, where you can buy smoked fish, potted crab and angels on horseback to take away. If you’re visiting in September, Orford also makes a great base for exploring Aldeburgh Food Festival – confusingly not in Aldeburgh town but, rather, at nearby Snape Maltings, the Victorian red-brick malt kilns turned world-famous concert halls that sit amongst the reedbeds on Suffolk’s river Alde. It’s a great setting to learn, among other things, how to make bread courtesy of Marriage’s Bakery Room. Where to stay: Orford’s pub, the The Crown and Castle, promises smart bedrooms overlooking Orford’s 12th century castle, or there’s the Wash House Studio B&B – stay in a sweet shepherd’s hut or the converted wash house next to the coastguards cottages and wake up to find a breakfast hamper covered with a gingham cloth on your doorstep in the morning. Doubles at The Crown and Castle from £122, check availability at booking.com Abergavenny, Wales Abergavenny Food Festival takes place each September and is one of the most creative and dynamic culinary gatherings in the UK, also one of the longest running. Regulars come for talks by Diana Henry and Bee Wilson, Dinner Party masterclasses with Rosie Birkett and Elly Pear, vegan BBQing tips from Matt Pritchard, debates on sustainable farming, a children’s cookery school and outdoor feasts based around wild cooking. Beyond the festival, you’ll find a quiet market town packed with independent shops like The Angel Bakery, which serves seasonal fruit pastries and perfect artisanal baguettes. Pair one of the latter with a ploughman’s hamper from The Marches Deli (it includes three Welsh cheeses, local chutney, Cradocs crackers and Welsh ale). The top table in town for breakfast and lunch is at The Kitchen at The Chapel where soda bread is baked each morning and might be served with pumpkin, butter bean and olive oil soup and a local craft cider, while the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree Inn is just outside town. Where to stay: Stay at Old Lands in one of three pretty holiday cottages set within converted stables and barns on an old family estate. There’s a walled garden and an on-site micro farm shop and guests can book children into Forest School, go on a nature walk or take a rowing boat out to an island on the estate’s lake. Check rates and availability at old-lands.co.uk Clitheroe, Lancashire The Lancashire market town of Clitheroe, in the Forest of Bowland, is the hub of Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. You’ll find a heaving cheese counter at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe’s monumental new food hall, and regional produce galore at Booths. Dip into independent food shops, such as Cowman’s Famous Sausage Shop, which sells over 70 varieties. Then go for a walk on Pendle Hill, followed by lunch at the Assheton Arms in Downham. Where to stay: Stay over at Freemasons At Wiswell, just south of town. As well as a chef’s table experience the dining pub has added bedrooms; enjoy Herdwick lamb with aubergine and miso purée, and a superlative vanilla slice, then stumble into bed. Or head half an hour out of town to remote Dale House, a 400-year-old farm. One of its owners used to work as a chef for the Roux brothers so expect standout breakfasts and sumptuous (zero-mile) dinners, such as venison haunch steak with blackberries followed by homemade eccles cakes. Doubles from £160 per night, check availability at freemasonsatwiswell.com Porthleven, Cornwall Almost as far southwest as you can get in England, Porthleven is a pretty Cornish port that greets you with waving sailing flags and colourful buoys bobbing in the water (and a medley of carefully curated food stalls if you time a trip to tie in with the annual Porthleven Food Festival each spring). It may be a tiny town, but the food scene is growing at pace here – think Padstow thirty years ago. Current highlights include Origin, a coffee roasters that started here but now has shops in Shoreditch, Edinburgh, the British Library and Southwark too. Next door is Kota Kai which serves Thai tapas and forms a more relaxed little sister to Kota restaurant, up the road. Run by half-Maori, half Chinese Malay chef, Jude Kereama, Kota (meaning ‘shellfish’ in Maori) serves Cornish seafood with Asian and Kiwi influences; think pan-fried hake, crab ravioli, Cornish mussels and tiger prawns in a vegetable dashi broth or Porthilly oyster tempura with wasabi tartare. Try the tasting menu and then stumble upstairs to bed. Where to stay: Kota has two bedrooms above it so you don’t need to leave town. Alternatively rent a picture-perfect thatched cottage on the nearby Trelowarren Estate, also home to the excellent New Yard restaurant. Bridport, Dorset It’s over fifteen years since Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall turned the spotlight on field-to-fork dining in Dorset, with the River Cottage, and West Dorset is now a firmly foodie pocket of the UK. Exciting things are happening in the market town of Bridport. A vibey Asian street food joint might be the last thing you’d expect to stumble on up a small-town alley, but Dorshi is exactly that. The name (“Dorset-sushi”) stems from the founders’ days spent doing a roaring trade out of a food truck. Now in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant the menu is all about dumplings, buns, zingy salads and noodle bowls. Likewise the Soulshine Café is on-the-button with superfood spirulina smoothies, oat milk lattes and a vegan full English on the menu – meat-eaters needn’t worry you’ll find sausage sarnies here too. For a sweet treat visit Baboo Gelato where the ice cream is award-winning – try the plum sorbet. Just outside the town visit Washingpool Farm, home to one of the region’s best farm shops (it stocks its own veggies as well as other local produce, like North Perrott apple juice and Dorset Cereals. Where to stay: Stay further up the sands at the Seaside Boarding House, a hip hotel with unrivalled views over Lyme Bay, elegant modern cooking and a grown-up line in cocktails. Ashburton, Devon Dartmouth and Salcome might get all the attention in Devon’s southernly corner, but look inland for fewer crowds and great food spots. Ashburton, on the edge of Dartmoor, is home to the famed Ashburton Cookery School where over 40 classes are offered from a five-day patisserie week to a three-hour Indian cook-to-go and a recently introduced range of Christmas classes, from festive breadmaking to party canapés and chocolate advent calendar workshops. If you’d rather leave the hard work to the experts, the award-winning Ashburton Deli is the place to go, stocked with the best produce from across the West. Ten minutes’ out of town, meanwhile, brings you to Riverford, the organic farming champions – visit their home turf for lunch or supper at The Riverford Field Kitchen where the set veggie menu is about as close to farm-to-fork as can be. Where to stay: Stay at the Live and Let Live pub where there’s excellent provenance-orientated food and three bright and airy bedrooms. Kendal, Lake District But for its eponymous mint cake, Kendal is not known for its food. It is overlooked entirely by many visitors who, alighting at Oxenholme station or racing past from the M6, head straight for the Lakes’ better-known hot spots. This is a mistake. The food and drink scene in this handsome market town is on a flavour-packed roll at casual dining spots such as Comida, Marra 46, Pappy’s Texas BBQ, Baba Ganoush and exciting small plates restaurant, Ramble, run by wine-maker, Northern Wine. It is home to two mega breweries, Lakes Brew Co, which hosts street food traders at its monthly brew-tap, and Fell (check its bar and new arts venue, Glisky). Kendal also boasts award-winning butcher, Roast Mutton, a carefully curated, twice-monthly farmers’ and artisan-makers’ market (second/last Fridays), and, just outside town, one of Britain’s best bakeries, Lovingly Artisan – a neighbour to, among other food businesses, Plumgarths farm shop. Is Kendal Cumbria’s tastiest town? Quite possibly. Where to stay: 20-minutes drive from Kendal, Gilpin Hotel & Country House in Windermere offres luxurious bedrooms with lakeside views, and an on-site Michelin-starred restaurant that puts an Asian twist on Cumbrian dining. Doubles from £335 per night, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk Words by Daisy Allsup Photographs by Clare Hargreaves, Weekend Journals, Rhiannon Batten, Helen Cathcart, Keiko Oikawa More travel guides Best country house hotels in the UK Best health and wellness retreats Best hotels in London Best UK boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Best Cornwall hotels Best hotels in the Lake District Best London hotel bars to visit Best romantic hotels in the UK European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track Best Paris hotels Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best restaurants with rooms in the UK Best Amsterdam hotels
Best restaurants in Devon: where a local eats in this idyllic south-west county
This idyllic south-west county is a magnet for foodies looking for abundant local seasonal produce served in creative ways in on-trend restaurants, laid-back cafés and sustainably minded vineyards
Looking for restaurants in and around Devon? Want to know where to eat around the Exe Estuary? This corner of the south-west does quirky eats with as much finesse as it does fine dining, with an impressive roster of on-trend restaurants, laid-back cafés and sustainably minded vineyards. For more UK travel guides, check out our picks of the best restaurants in Cornwall, best restaurants in the Cotswolds, best restaurants in Bristol and the best restaurants in Margate. Pink Ginger, Exeter Split over two floors, this always busy, creative bakery and flower shop boasts Exeter’s most exciting cake selection. Authentic Japanese and Thai flavours are intertwined to create the likes of choux buns bursting with matcha, vanilla cream or hojicha, or Thai tea cream rolls. @pinkgingerexeter The Seahorse, Dartmouth With décor inspired by vibrant Venetian restaurants, The Seahorse will transport you there in a pop of a cork. Big on pasta, rice and stews, the menu marries local seafood and seasonal ingredients with a love of Italian cuisine. With twice-daily fish deliveries, expect the menu to change not just between visits but throughout the day. A typical meal might feature a selection of antipasti including Fine de Claire oysters followed by crisp red mullet with tartare sauce and Basque-style cheesecake with apricots. seahorserestaurant.co.uk The Chagford Inn, Chagford From cosy nooks and log burners in winter to alfresco dining in the warmer months, The Chagford Inn is a pub for all seasons. Its no-waste, nose-to-tail philosophy results in dishes like pig skin ragu with polenta; chargrilled courgette, butter bean and sundried tomato; or Brixham scallops, heritage tomato and black olives. The owners strongly believe in supporting the local community and strive to source everything nearby. thechagfordinn.co.uk The Lost Kitchen, Tiverton This informal and relaxed restaurant celebrates seasonal produce and wood-fired cooking at its best. The beautifully restored feasting barn that was once home to cider has become one of the most sought after dining spots in the region. The pizzas and flatbreads have the locals in a tizzy but also try the wood-roasted merguez sausage with hazelnut and rocket pesto, or bubbling haddock, leek and potato gratin. Booking is advisable. lostkitchen.co.uk 130 Basement, Exeter Located near Exeter’s historic quayside, 130 Basement provides an intimate atmosphere perfect for coffee lovers. Known for its friendly service, relaxed vibe and expertly crafted coffee, it’s quickly become a favourite for locals who like to hunt out the good spots in town. Whether you’re after a caffeine fix or a quiet spot to work, it provides a unique, welcoming experience in the heart of the city. @crankhouse130b Harry’s, Exeter A stone’s throw from the bustling high street, this popular family-run restaurant has been going strong since 1993. Known for its warm ambiance and exceptional cuisine, the cheese soufflé and succulent steaks are firm favourites on the menu. Attentive, friendly staff enhance the dining experience, making this an ideal spot for both intimate dinners and celebratory occasions. harrysrestaurants.co.uk Circa, Totnes This modern British bistro, housed in an 18th-century building, offers inventive sharing plates with a focus on sustainability, welcoming service and cosy vibes. Dishes like ember beetroot with nettle labneh and fallow deer tartare with hawthorn and celeriac showcase local ingredients and open-flame cooking techniques. circadevon.co.uk The Bull Inn, Totnes The Bull Inn has been instrumental in making Totnes a must-visit town for judicious foodies. With its “no-bull rules” this organic, ethical pub is all about well executed modern British cuisine. Add in nine contemporary, stylish bedrooms, attentive staff and an exceptional wine list, and it’s very difficult not to fall head over heels. The fried cauliflower with ajo blanco and smoky onions is a must try. bullinntotnes.co.uk Andria, Dartmouth Weaving inspiration from his Parisian birthplace and Italian heritage through abundant local fare, chef Luca Berardino creates enticing plates that truly represent him as an individual. Dine in the modern restaurant or request a seat at the chef’s table – hidden away upstairs, this purpose- built dining room with a bespoke open kitchen featuring a wood-fired barbecue offers guests the likes of Torbay scallops, capocollo and artichoke, and fillet of beef, cauliflower cheese purée, caramelised garlic and smoked onion. andriadartmouth.com Glebe House, Colyton This tucked out of the way guesthouse offers an unforgettable dining experience rooted in rustic Italian and French country cooking. With seasonal produce from its own smallholding, menus range from exquisite kitchen suppers to a more relaxed Sunday lunch. Every dish is served family style at the table to allow guests to each create their own plateful. Interiors are as thoughtfully curated as the cuisine – bold colours, vintage details and original artworks create a warm, elegant atmosphere for a countryside escape. glebehousedevon.co.uk Foodie day trips River Exe Cafe, Exmouth Known by locals as ‘floating heaven’ the menu at this custom-built barge turned restaurant and bar has a heavy nod towards day boat fish and seafood. Accessible only by water taxi or boat, it’s open from 1 April-30 September each year. The relaxed atmosphere and scenic views make it a popular spot for locals as well as those visiting the Jurassic Coast. There’s a perfect blend of great food, exceptional service and a sense of tranquillity that can only be found on the water. The panoramic views of the Exe Estuary create an idyllic backdrop, whether you are enjoying a leisurely lunch or a sunset dinner. Choose from the catch of the day, loaded sharing platters complete with hand-picked Brixham crab, steamed mussels and shell-on prawns, and tomahawk steak, garlic roasted bone marrow and truffle and parmesan fries. Booking essential. riverexecafe.com Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth Blackpool Sands, located near Dartmouth, is a privately owned sheltered beach that, on a sunny day, could be mistaken for the Mediterranean. The beachside café, lounge and restaurant offers a superb selection of dishes ranging from seaside staples like fish and chips to more refined small plates. Cream teas, served the Devon way of course, are served all day. Adventure seekers can rent a paddleboard or kayak to explore the coastline. Or, if it’s a sense of calm and relaxation you’re after, rent an hour in the lavender- and eucalyptus-infused outdoor sauna. blackpoolsands.co.uk Sandridge Barton, Stoke Gabriel Nestled in South Devon’s Dart Valley, Sandridge Barton has been crafting English wines for more than 40 years. The estate boasts 32 acres of land under vine, cultivating varieties like pinot noir, chardonnay and bacchus. In 2020 the estate unveiled its state of the art winery incorporating features such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting as part of its sustainable design. Visitor experiences range from guided or self-guided tours and wine tastings to an onsite restaurant and self-catering accommodation (the boat house is particularly idyllic). Linger on into the summer evenings at the Vineyard Vibes events. Think: watching the sunset, glass in hand while chilled out music plays. sandridgebarton.com Foodie town spotlight Ashburton Nestled on the edge of Dartmoor, an Area of Outstanding Beauty, the market town of Ashburton boasts a vast selection of independent restaurants, cafés and shops. At Creamo’s, top-notch flat whites are paired with pastries – think Yorkshire rhubarb and cardamom danish – and seasonal ice cream flavours. If heartier fare is your jam head to Rafikis. Its menu reflects the owners’ passion for travel while staying true to Devon’s amazing produce – kimchi pancakes, rainbow veg bánh mì and Sri Lankan baked eggs to name a few. Down the hill at Italian osteria, Emilia, watch chefs conjure up the likes of fazzoletti with pork and fennel ragu in the open-plan kitchen. The elegant, light-filled dining room at sister spot, Le Vin Perdu, is the perfect setting for a lingering Sunday lunch. Rotisserie chicken with chicken fat roast potatoes is the speciality, reminiscent of Provençal food markets, or pop in for a cocktail curated from the ever-changing homemade cordials and syrups. Photographs by Paul Courtney, Guy Harrop, Tara Smith More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Broadstairs Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in the Lake District
Best restaurants in Bath: where locals eat and drink in this Somerset city
From perfect cinnamon buns to seafood displayed in a rolltop bath and fry ups in an antiques shop, a local shares her guide to where to eat, drink, shop and sleep across this Somerset city
Looking for restaurants in Bath? Want to know where to eat in the historical spa town? Local residents, past and current, share their tips for the best restaurants in Bath, along with where to find the best coffee, bakeries and gin bars. Plus, find out the best afternoon tea in Bath here. Check out more UK restaurant and travel inspiration, from city breaks to pubs with rooms and foodie day trips from London by train. Or find our local guides to the best restaurants in Oxford and where to eat in Cornwall. Jump to: Best places to eat and drink in Bath Where to stay in Bath Food shops in Bath Best places to eat and drink in Bath Landrace Bakery and Cafe – for cinnamon buns Every time you return to this unassuming corner of Walcot Street, Landrace is doing something new and brilliant. Most recently, the bakery has expanded into a fully-fledged café, with ample seating and space to linger. The new interior is lovely and bright, and the bakery itself is unparalleled: cinnamon and cardamom buns galore alongside the iconic breads, sold in various other outlets across the wider countryside, because they're just so good. The bakery works in conjunction with Landrace Milling, a portion of land at Westcombe in southern Somerset, where specialty grains are grown and milled. Grab a coffee and a pistachio cornetto, and pause on a window seat to watch the world go by. landrace.co.uk Upstairs at Landrace – for elegant bistro vibes First came the bakery, and then came the excellent restaurant above. Set across two fetching upstairs dining rooms, donned with wine bottles and vibrant posters, this neighbourhood bar and bistro is doing brilliant things, with Chef Rob Sachdev at the helm in the kitchen. Seasonal sharing plates sing of beautiful produce and rustic provenance. Start with a plate (or two) of the cheddar fritters, accompanied by a glass (or two) from the adventurous natural and biodynamic wine list, and then meander through the succinct but perfect array of plates that follow. There’s always a seasonal, handmade pasta or two – get the ragù if it’s there – and make sure to save room for one of the desserts, which champion the bakery’s patisserie skills. landrace.co.uk OAK – for vegetarian dishes Bath’s acclaimed vegetarian restaurant Acorn has evolved into the more relaxed OAK. The cosy Georgian room is fitted with mustard and cream panelled walls, dried Somerset flowers and soft lighting. Huddle up in the little alcove at the back, with window seating boasting views of a perfect hidden nook of Bath ­– the abbey looming majestically over blackbirds picking berries from the trees. Choose the five course meat-free feast to try a variety of new flavours, with the option of small-batch natural wines to match. Highlights include crisp panko-covered arancini with an aubergine centre; chickpeas tossed in a creamy, smoky vegan pine nut sauce with crisp pangritata and greens; and springy pieces of homemade sourdough cavatelli pasta tossed with vibrant heritage tomatoes. On your way out, peruse the selection of Somerset products, including artisan pottery, lockdown baby Hárth chocolate truffles and pretty bottles of natural wine. oakrestaurant.co.uk Thai Balcony – for authentic Thai food Open for more than two decades now, Thai Balcony is a stalwart of Bath cuisine, so-called because of its narrow, flower-filled balcony, overlooking King’s Mead Square. Climb the stairs up to the gilded interior and take a seat at the window or out on the balcony if you’re lucky enough to nab one of the tables for two out here. The food is superb and varied, fine Thai cuisine: glorious curries (the Gaeng Kua Goong with pineapple and prawns is fantastic) and the pad thais are much-loved, but don’t forget to order a portion or three of sticky rice, as well. A true Bath classic and an old faithful amongst the ever-changing restaurant scene. thaibalcony.vdit.co.uk Taylor’s Bagels – for top notch bagels This neighbourhood bagel spot has become so deservedly popular that it’s popped up in three locations in Bath so far, and more recently migrated to Keynsham as well. Originally a boutique café, it switched to bagels, and the results speak for themselves. People flock from all around to get their hands on these freshly-made, New York style bagels, with a brilliant array of fillings. In the mornings, expect breakfast items in abundance, and at lunch, try the New Yorker (pastrami, sauerkraut, pickles, cheddar) or the Bath Bagel (beef brisket, pickles, cheddar and mustard mayo.) With great coffee as well, these friendly cafés are a must-visit on a trip to Bath. taylorsbagels.com Beckford Bottle Shop & Bistro – for wine Stumble across this wine-lovers’ emporium and you'll be delighted to discover that it also boasts a bistro with a Michelin Bib Gourmand as well! Friendly staff will help you find new wines in the shop, which you can then take next door to the restaurant to enjoy with a corkage fee. The menu features sharing small plates, charcuterie and cheese - all designed to be enjoyed alongside a glass or two. Dishes celebrate the bounty of Somerset produce, resulting in a considered and quietly-excellent array, with a bit of fun thrown in, too. The bistro interiors are cosy and charming, perfect for whiling away an hour or two eating great food and admiring the hubbub of the top end of the city from a window seat - but you can also sit in the wine shop itself, surrounded by bottles and in the midst of it all. beckfordbottleshop.com Beckford Canteen – for modern British dining Also from the team behind Beckford, this old Georgian greenhouse, now a modern British restaurant, sits on a cobbled mews street in the top half of the city and is a true asset to the food scene in Bath. The space is beautiful, bright and airy with elegant touches, like the iconic wall of Majolica plates. The food here is confident and comforting: snacks to start, such as crab potato rosti followed by seasonal stars of asparagus with coddled eggs and anchovies, and for mains, perfectly-cooked meat and fish dishes with a comforting side of mash. On Sundays, its famed for legendary roasts and confit potatoes. Cooking focuses on seasonal and local produce, with meat from Walter Rose Butchers and produce and vegetables from The Community Farm Bristol. The wine list centres around the food, with a wide variety available, and the Bottle Shop just up the street if nothing tickles your fancy. beckfordcanteen.com Fat Boys Cafe – for a fry-up in an antique shop A hop and a skip from Bath Spa train station is Fat Boys Cafe: recently an antiques shop and now an eclectic but remarkably good breakfast caff. Bacon baps to go are sublime: buttery brioche buns with perfectly cooked rashers, but if you have time to sit inside – amongst the antique paraphernalia and humorous wall art – the full English and breakfast stacks are worth making time for. Fat Boys is the perfect marriage of greasy spoon and English country house: an extremely good butty on a Spode blue and white plate. The Scallop Shell – for upmarket fish and chips This simple seafood restaurant is unpretentious and artily rough around the edges – the day’s catch is piled high in a rolltop bath snagged off eBay, and there are light fittings fashioned from colanders, lobster pots and fishing nets. Starters are unfussy plates of the freshest shellfish available on the day, while the mains range from hake in crisp batter to grilled skate, all with proper 'chippie' chips and homemade tartare sauce served in a pretty scallop shell. If you're staying in the west of the city look out, too, for The Oyster Shell, the restaurant's younger sibling based on Moorland Road. thescallopshell.co.uk Colonna and Small's – for coffee Head to this contemporary coffee shop and roaster for a serious espresso. The brews, all double shots, change weekly, there are tasting notes for each one (including how the flavour changes when adding milk), and the in-house baristas are all experts. The Gigesa Grade 1 Washed, an Ethiopian coffee with promise of peachy sweetness, hints of melon and bergamot. colonnaandsmalls.co.uk Pintxo de Bath – for tapas This Basque-style tapas bar with a pretty garden and a dedicated sherry menu is tucked away in Bath’s theatre district. Order sharing plates of pan con tomate y jamón along with tinned sardines served with bread and aioli before moving onto albóndigas (meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce), gambas al ajillo and fried padrón peppers. A succinct dessert menu offers warm chocolate and almond cake as well as vanilla ice cream, both of which can be ordered individually or together, with a shot of Pedro Ximenez sherry on the side. Choose your sherry of choice from the dedicated menu and make the most of any sunshine in the leafy sherry garden out back. pintxobath.co.uk Noya's Kitchen – for Vietnamese After moving from Vietnam to England at a young age with her family, Noya Pawlyn has become one of the most loved foodies in Bath and has recently transformed her popular Vietnamese supper club into a restaurant. As well as serving informal but hearty sharing dinners in the evening, Noya’s Kitchen also opens for lunch, Tuesday to Saturday, offering a thali-style menu, presented as a tray os small dishes that diners eat clockwise, starting with an appetiser such as fresh summer rolls with punchy dipping sauce or a squidgy pork bun, followed by small portions of Noya’s favourite Vietnamese stews and broths, and finally a miniature dessert. Noyaskitchen.co.uk Yak Yeti Yak – for Nepalese food Bath's long-standing Nepalese restaurant, with its quirky decor, cushioned seating area and friendly staff, is a great option for families and groups. The traditional menu includes Nepalese classics such as delicately spiced, fun-to-dip momos and curries, served with rice, orange dal and homemade chutneys. yakyetiyak.co.uk The Dark Horse – for cocktails A local and seasonal ethos is the central tenet of cult Bath bar The Dark Horse. It draws a grown-up crowd with its dark basement setting, traditional styling (brawny wooden furniture, button-back sofas and rioja-coloured walls), table service and ultra-local drinks list. Alongside beers and ciders from the Southwest, and English wines and liqueurs are cocktails made with juices pressed to order and homemade syrups, cordials and bitters (often made not just with seasonal ingredients, but locally foraged ones). This experimental approach means there are a few misses – we weren’t wild about our Twelfth Night (Tullamore Dew whiskey, Cocchi Torino, Somerset Pomona and coffee) – but the gamble usually pays off. Dear Prudence (Sipsmith gin with strawberry and lavender syrup, fresh lime and orange bitters) was a triumph. darkhorsebar.co.uk Berdoulat – for foodie souvenirs Over 50 spices from the jar, shelves of small batch wines and a bakery concession can all be found at this impeccably restored grade II listed food emporium. The shop has been a labour of love for Patrick and Nuri, who have uncovered the building’s past to reveal cheesemonger’s receipts and vaults that now nurture plants as an on-site fernery. The couple have curated and crafted their own pieces to sit alongside original apothecary-style furnishings. Order a loose-leaf tea and fresh cinnamon bun or madeleine from Frome’s Rye Bakery concession and head up to the gallery where cookbooks sit alongside candles and aprons for sale. Look out for supper clubs and sophisticated foodie events, including London’s Honey & Co brunch on 9 September. berdoulat.co.uk Elder – for wild game and sophisticated Sunday roasts A series of intimate, green-panelled dining rooms make up Bath’s new restaurant from wild game chef, Mike Robinson. Dark wood floors, framed hunting paintings and terracotta-coloured leather banquettes add a lavish cosiness to the converted Georgian terrace that also houses the city’s boutique Indigo Hotel. Dinners kick off with a complimentary rosemary and sherry-infused venison tea served with crusty, warm granary bread. Highlights of the menu include venison tartare on a squidgy brown butter crumpet, cod cheeks in a creamy guanciale sauce with puffed rice and pea purée, and an elegant black bream fillet with crisp capers and Jersey Royals. Visit on a Sunday to tuck into a sophisticated roast of perfectly pink beef, a dinky copper dish of the crunchiest golden roasties and a Yorkshire pudding filled with caramelised onions and white sauce. theelder.co.uk Kingsmead Street Bottle – for craft beers Step off lively Kingsmead Square into one of Bath’s more contemporary establishments. Scandi interiors include a concrete bar, a few window tables and funky illustrations hand-squiggled onto the wall. Rotating beer taps offer Cornwall’s Verdant Brewing Co, Bath’s own Electric Bear Brewing Co and hoppy Black IPA from North Wales’ Polly’s Brew Co. There’s a fridge of beers by the bottle and plenty of natural wines to take away. If you’re staying in, pair your brews with a Bath-based cheeseboard. The line-up includes nutty, semi-hard Wyfe of Bath and creamy brie-style Bath soft cheese alongside a bespoke chutney made with cider, soft berries and fresh apple. palmerstbottle.co.uk Swoon Gelato – for ice cream Bristol's artisan gelato shop has a second brand in Bath, serving seasonal gelatos and Swoon on a Sticks (think artisan Magnum). Guest flavours include cremino, a heady whirl of vanilla, chocolate and coffee but regular varieties include that children’s holy trinity of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. swoononaspoon.co.uk Olé Tapas – for Spanish food A tiny, corner tapas bar with charming, Spanish staff, Olé is tucked in above Paxton & Whitfield cheesemongers in Bath. Settle in with a tabla mixta – jamon de bellota, spicy chorizo rounds, soft salami, pink slices of tender cured pork loin, triangles of manchego and goats’ cheese, the obligatory quince paste and bread sticks. Then turn it up a notch with fiery paprika-dusted slices of pulpo a la gallega (Galician octopus), tempura-battered, deep-fried aubergine sticks drizzled with dark honey from Malaga, and ensalada de tomato (the ripest raf tomatoes with aggressive minced raw garlic, earthy dried oregano, and the best Spanish olive oil). Don’t forget drinks as the booze is just as well-considered: think dry manzanilla sherries, white tempranillo riojas and Spanish craft beers (try El Boqueron, made from seawater). Book a table or turn up late (it’s one of the few places in Bath where you can grab a table after 9pm) and eat and drink until you (nearly) fall off the barstools. oletapas.co.uk Mokoko – for coffee There are two elements that set Mokoko apart. One is the coffee, which is all single origin and roasted in-house (as well as the usual flat whites and cappuccinos you can choose between aeropress, chemex and syphon filter coffees). The other is its cakes, which are freshly baked at the Bristol bakery, change regularly and usually include a vegan choice or two. Current picks include the cherry cheesecake cruffin and banana and peanut butter cake. mokokocoffee.com Tea House Emporium – for loose-leaf tea If tea is more your, er, cup of tea, you’re also well catered for in Bath. The Tea House Emporium is great for stocking up on loose-leaf teas, as well as pots, tins and infusers. teahouseemporium.co.uk Where to stay in and near Bath The Royal Crescent Hotel Few visitors to Bath see beyond the façade of the magnificent Royal Crescent, the city’s most impressive landmark. Fewer guess that No 16 extends into beautiful hotel gardens with lavender path, a haven for birds and butterflies where afternoon tea, cocktails and light lunches are taken. Chef Martin Blake balances simplicity with on-trend touches. Montagu’s Mews’ evening tasting menu starts with tiny canapés of Bath Blue cheese and avocado mousse with cucumber and borage. Then shokupan, a soft Japanese-style milk bread with Somerset’s Ivy Farm butter and smoked roe studded with salmon ikura. Hollandaise for beef tartare is spiked with Bath Ale and IP8 (beer) vinegar. A forced rhubarb dessert is softened with olive oil and vanilla. The comprehensive wine list includes confident choices such as a barrel-aged assyrtiko. The hotel’s five-star spa includes a heated pool with sauna and steam, tranquil treatment rooms and a small garden where you can relax after a swim, still in your robe if you like. Rooms are built for comfort and luxury, some with terraces and views on to the gardens or over the sweeping lawns of the Crescent. Fireplaces in bedrooms may be filled with decorative pinecones, modern art sits alongside vintage portraits and busts, and everywhere the outside is brought in with plants and floral displays. Rooms from £435 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Homewood Set in 20 acres of rolling gardens and woodland just outside Bath, Homewood is a boutique country house hotel that gives you the option to easily explore the country or city. The honey-coloured stone building is framed by landscaped grounds with an outdoor terrace overlooking the well-tended gardens and the Somerset hills. The heated outdoor pool and whirlpool are the perfect place to relax after a day exploring and you can order drinks and light snacks straight to your sun lounger. It's well worth prioritising a weekend where you can book into La Taberna, set in a vibrant orangery you are treated to an extensive Sunday lunch cooked over open flames. The meal starts with a glass of champagne and a private tour of the stunning fruit and vegetable gardens, the menu makes the most of their homegrown products and you can expect flame-grilled cote de bouef served with garden vegetables, new potatoes, cauliflower cheese and a rich bone marrow gravy. The table is set with freshly-cut flowers and it’s a social affair with guests sat around one long but lavishly decorated table. Children are welcomed with the same warmth as all their guests, special treats include a complimentary pick and mix sweet bar and dedicated play spaces, however the overall feel is calm and luxurious so it’s perfect for an adult-only weekend too. From £230 her night including breakfast, check availability at homewoodbath.co.uk Eight Just a few cobbled steps away from big-hitting local attractions such as Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths, this hotel’s two beautiful bow windows give passers-by a glimpse into this recently revamped and restored townhouse on North Parade Passage. Rooms are decked out in a palette of chic, neutral greys with colour pop accents – burnt orange in our superior double – on velvet furnishings and thoughtful illustrative artwork. There are a variety of tea and coffee pods for the Magimix drinks machines, as well as homemade shortbread in a Kilner jar for dunking (though UHT milk is a disappointing surprise; there are no in-room fridges). There’s an unexpectedly cool bar below the hotel for its residents. It makes the most of its medieval structure, with cavernous original fireplaces and stone stairways to nowhere. Decked out in shades of opulent dark blue and emerald, set off with the odd metallic shimmer from gently flickering lanterns and collections of statement mirrors, it feels like the perfect ‘secret’ spot to hunker down after dark. From £141 per night, including breakfast; check availability at booking.com. The Bath Priory At first glance, everything in this honey-stoned country house hotel on the fringes of Bath is pretty much as it’s been for decades, from the ticking clocks and carefully plumped sofas in the library to the starched white tablecloths and synchronised cloche flourishes in the dining room. But appearances can deceive. In the kitchen, Michael Nizzero's style is modern classical French (no sous-vide cooking here) but with a delicate touch and clean flavours. His star-studded CV includes not only the three-Michelin-starred Waterside Inn at Bray where he worked alongside Michel and Alain Roux, but the Hostellerie La Briqueterie in France (where he won a star while executive chef) and most recently The Ritz. From £219 per night, check availability at booking.com. Timbrell’s Yard, Bradford on Avon Doubles from £88 per night, check availability at booking.com In a converted Grade II-listed building, tucked away by the river near the iconic Town Bridge and Lock Up, Timbrell’s Yard provides the perfect hideout for a gastro pub style weekend getaway. With a well-stocked bar buffeted by smartly upholstered sofas and wooden tables, plus a large restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, you need only leave Timbrell’s Yard to stroll up through the town’s honey-stone houses to cafes, shops and delis, or to stride out along the banks of the River Avon into the Wiltshire countryside. Check availability at booking.com Hare & Hounds This stone-built, dog-friendly inn is only a mile from Bath city centre, but nevertheless the Hare & Hounds is surrounded by beautiful countryside and extensive gardens. From the terrace, there are sweeping 10-mile views across the city towards Solsbury Hill, an Iron Age hill fort immortalised in song by Peter Gabriel. Perhaps the best views in the city (along with those of the Packhorse Inn, a community-run pub on the southern slopes of the city with a fabulously set beer garden). The Hare & Hounds garden comes into its own in the summer, with its large lawn, picnic benches and children’s play area. It all makes for a lovely spot to enjoy a pint of Somerset-brewed Butcombe ale and simple dishes such as beer-battered fish and chips, or mash and beef braised in red wine. hareandhoundsbath.com Best food shops in Bath If you’re self-catering in Bath, make a beeline for some of Bath’s best independent food and drink stores – among them The Fine Cheese Co. and Paxton & Whitfield for cheese, and Wolf Wine and Independent Spirit for booze. Head along Walcot Street to Didi Cakes and pick up something from its vast range of cupcakes (peanut butter, Black Forest and passionfruit cheesecake among them), a slice of vegan banana bread or a pear and almond tart to take away and eat in nearby Hedgemead Park. For more conventional baked goods, Bath’s most famous bakery is arguably the Bertinet Bakery (which also has a nearby cookery school in Bath). It's known for its traditionally made breads – sourdoughs, ciabattas, baguettes and focaccias – but if you want a sugar hit, look out for their superior twist on a Bath bun, essentially a sugar-topped sweet roll. For foodie souvenirs, make your way to Mr B’s Emporium and Topping & Co. for cookbooks, Magalleria for obscure indie food magazines, and Rossiters for cookware. Bath is also home to various markets, including Bath Farmers Market, which takes place at Green Park Station every Saturday morning and draws some of the region’s best small produce traders. You can pick up a wedge of Westcombe Dairy’s tangy Somerset Cheddar or try a pint of Dick Willows’ proper West Country cider (Green Park Station). On the third Sunday of the month between March and October there's also the Independent Bath Market for high quality baked goods, cheeses, charcuterie, preserves and pickles. More UK travel guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in Broadstairs Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge
Dorset best restaurants: where to eat, drink and stay
Discover the best restaurants in Dorset for a gourmet weekend away, from fresh seafood to tapas and creamy ice cream, plus our best picks of where to stay in Dorset
Want to know the best places to eat in Dorset? One of the richest corners of the UK for food, it would be easy to spend three months eating your way around Dorset and still not try all that’s on offer. Read our expert guide to the best Dorset restaurants to find the best meals during your visit, from seafood on the coast to unexpected Asian flavours and the creamiest ice cream. Plus, discover the foodie highlights of Lyme Regis and our picks of where to stay in Dorset. For more UK travel inspiration, check out our guide to the best restaurants in the Cotswolds, best restaurants in Cornwall and the best places to eat and drink in Brighton. Jump to: Best places to eat and drink in Dorset Best ice cream in Dorset Foodie neighbourhood spotlight: Lyme Regis Where to stay in Dorset Best places to eat and drink in Dorset Brassica, Beaminster Run by a culinary dream team of chef Cass Titcombe (ex-Daphne’s and Canteen) and interiors guru Louise Chidgey (ex-Conran Shop), Brassica in Beaminster is the classy but unassuming provincial restaurant you always hope to find but rarely do. Luckily for anyone visiting Beaminster they’ve succeeded. The restaurant’s cheerful dining room (exposed stone and brick, sheepskin, floral fabrics, rainbows of candles in antique holders and bright little posies of fresh flowers on each table) works just as well for a casual lunch as it does a romantic supper. As for the menu, it changes daily and is reassuringly short, with a smattering of seasonal drinks (a chilled glass of Manzanilla, perhaps, or an alcohol-free spiced quince soda) and snacks (fluffy focaccia with aioli, antipasti) to start, a few seasonal sides and a choice of five starters, five mains and five desserts. All of which can be ordered separately except on Sundays (when there’s a Sunday lunch menu) or ordered as part of a great value prix fixe menu on Wednesday to Saturday lunchtimes. Keep an eye out too for occasional evening events (foodie film nights, paella suppers, street food takeovers…). brassicarestaurant.co.uk Catch at the Old Fish Market, Weymouth Opening in 2021, Catch has become a firm favourite of the Dorset food scene. Upstairs at the Old Fish Market on Weymouth’s picturesque quay, the original vaulted timber roof and harbour views create a relaxed atmosphere. Fish and shellfish travel a few steps after being landed to reach the restaurant’s kitchen, and local and sustainable are top of mind for the rest of the menu, too. You can also enjoy a mixture of celebrated and lesser-known wines from Dorset, Hampshire and further afield. Ben Champkin took the helm in 2024, a Dorset local who has worked in celebrated kitchens across the globe before returning home. Ben’s six-course set menu showcases the freshest ingredients with sincerity and a delicate touch, making the most of each element. As you’d expect from a menu built around the day’s catch, it’s constantly changing. We started with potted crab, enveloped in a lightly bruléed hollandaise and served with a brandy-rich crab tea and dark sourdough. Braised squid with smoked potatoes was incredibly tender. An optional and indulgent addition, native lobster was coal roasted and served with blistered kale sprouts. A selection of regional cheeses showed the quality of thought and sourcing that goes into every detail of your meal, and burnt cheesecake with forced rhubarb was a perfectly executed finale. The restaurant was busy when we visited in February, so book early in summer when the crowds descend. catchattheoldfishmarket.com Shell Bay Restaurant & Bistro, Studland Shell Bay Restaurant & Bistro on the tip of the Jurassic Coast is a scenic sunset-watching spot that specialises in open-fire cooking. Its exciting menu champions local lobster, bass and Poole Bay oysters, with dishes including fire-roasted miso and yuzu cod and pepper soft-shell crab with smoked pineapple chilli sauce. shellbay.net Soulshine Café, Bridport This colourful, welcoming café is the perfect chillout space if your feet are sore from pounding Bridport’s pavements in search of its best independent shops (there are many of them). Pull up a chair at one of its simple wooden tables, let the kids run off to explore the stack of vintage Fisher Price toys and order a freshly pressed juice (maybe a Soulshine – carrot, apple, pineapple, ginger and orange – or a Care Pear – pear, apple, fennel and lemon), smoothie or coffee (the house blend is from Extract Coffee). Bread is baked fresh every morning. There’s a pile of blankets to help yourself to if you’re mulling over whether it’s warm enough to sit out in the little courtyard garden. The cake selection is both whopping and attention-grabbing (anyone for a raw, vegan, gluten-free chocolate beetroot bar with rose petal sprinkles?) and, while carnivores can get their meat fix with Moroccan chicken salads and posh bacon butties, there are also plenty of veggie and vegan choices on the breakfast and lunch menus, from veggie chillis to a ‘vegan English’ (corn fritters with tomato, mushrooms, homemade beans, toast and olive oil). Kids are well catered-for, too, with a dedicated menu that ranges from veg sticks and hummus to cheese on toast. If you’re staying locally, keep an eye out for the café’s occasional evening supper clubs; tickets tend to sell out early for these, from Christmas tapas evenings to burger, curry and Mexican nights. soulshinecafe.co.uk Dorshi, Bridport If there were a more surprising location for Dorshi, tucked down an alleyway in the unshowy historic English town of Bridport, it would be hard to imagine what that might be. Founders Jolly Carter and Radhika Mohendas started out running supperclubs serving sushi made only with Dorset ingredients (Dor-shi, geddit?). Now the business has branched out into a small, fully-fledged restaurant. Dishes follow the brand’s surprising but successful combination of local and Asian flavours (the secret ingredient in the winning chicken dumplings, for instance, is Dorset Red cheese, slipped in along with lime, four types of pepper and mushrooms). Also a hit is the cauli popcorn, served with a punchy Dorset honey and kimchi dressing. To drink? Craft beers, ciders, cocktails, wines and sakes all feature on the drinks list, as do brews from local tea specialist, Comins Tea. dorshi.co.uk Crab House Café, Weymouth On the water’s edge where Weymouth meets Portland Bill, the Crab House Café is essentially a weather-beaten shack attached to an oyster farm. The oysters and local crabs take star billing on the menu, which can change twice a day depending on what’s landed by day boats working out of Poole, Weymouth or Brixham. The view from the restaurant and tables on the shingle outside looks across Chesil Beach to some of the fishing boats supplying the kitchen. crabhousecafe.co.uk The Anchor Inn, Seatown The Anchor Inn is a dining pub serving fish caught just offshore, in Lyme Bay, and crabs from within scuttling distance. The real draw here is the setting – a scene-stealing cottage almost right on the sand, with a great curve of shoreline sweeping away from it. Order a glass of local Furleigh Estate Bacchus, or one of the bar’s 46 rums or 34 gins (Conker or Lilliput are both distilled in Dorset: here are our favourite British gins) and carry it up to the terrace at the side of the pub to sit and sip with one of the best beer garden views in the country. theanchorinnseatown.co.uk Soulshine Café, Bridport For a great brunch, Soulshine Café is on-the-button with superfood spirulina smoothies, oat milk lattes and a vegan full English on the menu – meat-eaters needn’t worry you’ll find sausage sarnies here too. wearesoulshine.co.uk Bodega, Christchurch Megan Spink and Andy Fielden’s wine bar, deli and shop has picked up countless accolades including two in the Observer Food Monthly Awards. The pair pride themselves on searching high and low for products from the very best artisans and producers. The wine menu and cheese/cured meat selections change regularly and there are weekly events including wine tastings, cocktail masterclasses and cheese and wine pairing nights. bodega-christchurch.com Thirteen, Poole Thirteen comes from head chef Alex Naik, whose tasting menus combine locally sourced and foraged ingredients – courses might include the likes of mushroom tom kha soup with seaweed noodles, velvet shank and oysters, and thyme panna cotta with orange jelly, ginger gel and clementine powder. thirteenrestaurant.com Deans Court, Wimborne A beautiful old manor house that hosts occasional food-focused events, Deans Court is also home to a quirky homewares shop, set in a former squash court (look out for household brushes, crockery and aprons), and a cosy café scattered with mismatched wooden tables, salvaged metal chairs and glowing tealights. Much of the produce served in the café’s salads, quiches and soups is grown in Deans Court’s extensive kitchen garden – delicious and zero food miles. Grab a snug corner table and settle down to a slice of caramelised fennel and red onion tart with homegrown salad slicked with peppery olive oil, a warming bowl of red lentil and chard soup, a gooey pumpkin blondie or just a pot of Dorset tea. deanscourt.org Best ice cream in Dorset Baboo Gelato Baboo Gelato, with six sites across Dorset including kiosks in West Bay, Lyme Regis and Weymouth, has grown a dedicated following across the region, and beyond, for its short but sweet range of artisan gelatos and lollies; look out for gooseberry and elderflower, Nutella, pear sorbet or Sumatran Bourbon – the latter made with coffee from Read’s Coffee in Sherborne - among more classic flavours such as mint choc chip, raspberry ripple and honeycomb. baboogelato.com Gelateria Beppino, Bridport Baboo has competition in the shape of Gelateria Beppino. Not only does this café and ice cream parlour do a brisk trade in gelato (flavours such as cookies and cream, salted caramel and liquorice are made with Dorset milk) and seasonal sorbets (did someone say blood orange?) but its other big draw is freshly made cakes. gelateriabeppino.co.uk Foodie neighbourhood spotlight: Lyme Regis Affectionately known as the pearl of Dorset, thanks to its beautiful bay, the areas surrounding Lyme Regis are also rich in culinary delights. The Seaside Boarding House, overlooking Lyme Bay, champions local Dorset produce and has a guest series with a host of exciting chefs including Jeremy Lee, Rick Toogood and Abby Lee. The Parlour at Bredy Farm offers Italian small plates like Tuscan fish stew with Dorset clams and courgettes alla poverella. And Rachels in West Bay is a beach side hut with fresh local seafood platters, moules and chowder, plus it gets our vote for the best fish and chips in the area. If you’re looking to cook your own supper, sign up for one of Fore Adventure’s coastal foraging and food trips. We like the sound of its Kayak, Fish, Forage and Feast tour – half or full-day trips that take participants out by kayak to catch their own fish before returning to shore to cook up seabass parcels stuffed with herbs and lemon back on the beach. Where to stay in Dorset The Ollerod, Beaminster The Ollerod is a great base for a weekend escape: stay here and you can choose between forays into picturesquely rambling countryside or salty sea air (the nearby Jurassic coast is just a pebble’s throw away). The style remains traditional, highlighting the property’s stately original features. Each of the bedrooms is uniquely decorated – stylish and homely, with a hint of countrified opulence (updated rooms have less patterned wallpaper and more understated glamour but all are decadent, with Frette linen and organic toiletries). All are large in size, apart from one Tiny Double, described as “perfect for the solo traveller, but can sleep two if you’re happy snuggling”! The rooms in the neighbouring coach house all have showers over bathtubs, with the two ground-floor rooms dog-friendly (the third of an acre of garden will keep children and canines happy). Doubles from £165, check availability at booking.com The Pig on the Beach, Studland Bay One of a mini-chain of The Pig hotels created by Robin Hutson, founder of Hotel du Vin, this one perches on a clifftop, surrounded by sweeping lawns – and fields full of pigs (Oxford Sandy and Blacks), chickens (Legbars and Burford Browns) and sheep (Dorset Horn). Set in a 16th-century manor house, rooms have cosy, country-house style with rolltop baths in some of the more luxurious rooms. There’s also a walled kitchen garden where the hotel grows both traditional and sea vegetables – menus operate on a 25-mile radius, sourcing everything locally. Join a free kitchen garden tour every day at 11am. In between meals and exploring Dorset, relax in the spa treatment cabins for a facial or massage using Bamford products. Doubles from £305, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com The Alexandra Hotel, Lyme Regis With its spectacular view across Lyme Bay and Lyme Regis’ famed harbour wall, The Cobb, the Alexandra is in prime position if you’re looking for a luxury seaside escape. The crowd here is a reassuring mix of locals and tourists. Sunset ramblers from the public gardens below are enticed onto its well-kept lawns or wisteria-draped terrace, where bar staff linger to take orders. Have dinner at Ammonite, the hotel restaurant which is partially supplied by a small patch of herbs, salad leaves and sprouting vegetables in the hotel’s gardens. The pinnacle of the accommodation is the sizeable Countess’s Room, with its towering headboard, floral furnishings and grand bay window overlooking the rear gardens and sparkling coastline; plus a rather opulent master bathroom, with walk-in shower and a bath with a built-in television. At breakfast, fresh juice and strong coffee are accompanied by none other than local success story Dorset Cereals, homemade granola, pastries and Moore’s Dorset Preserves, plus a hearty West Country breakfast with local sausages and bacon. Check rates and availability at hotelalexandra.co.uk The Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock It’s all about location at the Seaside Boarding House. This smart seaside hotel sits so close to the coast above Burton Bradstock’s beach that it’s practically surfing; most of its nine bedrooms have sea views. Décor pays an ironic nod to boarding house chic. Tables are laid with paper cloths printed with the hotel’s name, there’s a piano in a backstairs hallway for anyone to play should the urge strike and bedrooms mostly have baths for deep, post-coastal walk soaks; if you want a shower you can take one of the shower rooms on the ground floor. In keeping with the retro theme, bedrooms don’t have TVs, just radios and books – a brave move but one that promotes a restful feel. Huge beds are brilliantly comfortable. Food is a highlight. In the dining room, an elegant space overlooking Lyme Bay, tables are laid with bone-handled cutlery and monogrammed crockery. The kitchen team is headed up by another London settler, Dan Richards, who puts his former experience at St John to good use in understated but punchy modern dishes such as marinated beetroot with super-fresh goats curd, dill and toasted seeds on citrusy Tamarisk Farm leaves. For lighter lunches and dinners there’s also a (well-priced) bar menu, serving fish soup with rouille, gruyere and croutons, kedgeree, crab sandwiches, chips and Dorset cream teas. (Read our guide to the best afternoon teas in the UK, here). Breakfasts tie in with the rest of the hotel’s understated ethos; don’t expect a vast amount of choice on the continental front (fresh orange juice, yoghurt, homemade berry compote, croissants and a bowl each of bananas and satsumas). For anything else, however, they prefer to make it on request. Hence a made-to-order breakfast menu that covers everything from a traditional fry-up to French toast, pancakes, boiled egg and soldiers and bacon sandwiches. Make sure you save space for one of the hotel’s ice creams later in the day. Order a couple of scoops out on the terrace if you want to enjoy them, retro-chic, in a silver coupe. Or wander over to the ice cream cart perched out on the grass at the top of the cliffs in the summer months and grab a cone to take down to the beach. We kept it simple with a scoop of fresh strawberry and it was a world away from the industrially produced stuff; not overly sweet, the perfect creamy consistency and jam-packed with the flavour of fresh strawberries. We would happily drive all the way back to Dorset just for a second scoop. theseasideboardinghouse.com River Cottage HQ, Axminster The 17th-century whitewashed farmhouse on the Devon/Dorset border that was first brought to foodie attention by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (it’s at the heart of his River Cottage HQ) has long been a place of pilgrimage for those wanting to learn how to bake sourdough, cure and smoke pork, cook over fire or preserve hedgerow finds. In the past, however, the site was only open to visitors during the day. Now, the farmhouse has been cosily kitted out and opened up to overnight guests, too. The master bedroom is spot-on – sleek, lots of beams, pale hues, and a big bathroom stocked with Bramley products and a basket of fluffy white robes. Soak in the stand-alone tub and take in views of the rolling hills beyond the kitchen garden. The two other rooms, equally as stylish and with timber beds, share a bathroom complete with rain shower and more naturally-scented Bramley products. Sheepskin rugs warm up flagstone floors, a muted grey palette offsets original beams and squishy sofas sit beside crackling fires, encouraging conversation among guests. Share a bottle of Lyme Bay wine or pour yourself a nightcap from the honesty bar stocked with local spirits – Black Cow vodka, Somerset cider brandy or Conker gin. Time your stay to coincide with one of the River Cottage feasts for a full foodie experience. rivercottage.net/accommodation More UK restaurant and travel guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Bruton Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Glasgow Best restaurants in the Lake District
Creative cruffins, lively pizza spots and coral-pink rose gin and tonics are the highlights in this artsy coastal town
Looking for Penzance restaurants? Here are our favourite restaurants in the Cornish town. Although Penzance may lack the cachet of neighbouring St Ives and Padstow, it has a rootsy, sea-blown charm that feels gutsier than many of Cornwall’s harbour towns. Its streets and shopping arcades are ramshackle and bohemian, and the place is bathed in that same soft, wispy light that has inspired artists for centuries. Drawn by its no-fuss atmosphere and supportive community, artisans have moved in, seeking an affordable, unpretentious place to develop their products. For more travel inspiration, check out our guide to the best Cornwall hotels for food lovers and the best restaurants in Cornwall. Jump to: Best places to eat and drink in Penzance Where to stay in Penzance Best places to eat and drink in Penzance Loafs This neighbourhood bakery, found in the heart of Penzance, is a one-stop shop for all things baked, from hearty sausage rolls and sandwiches, to creative cruffins and all the classics in-between. Speciality coffee is on offer to complement your pastry, made using beans from the brilliant Square Mile Coffee Roasters. The black-tiled exterior and fun branding shows it doesn't take itself too seriously, but when it comes to bread and croissants, it's not messing around. instagram.com/loafsbakery/ Barbican Bistro Barbican Bistro is a family affair, run by local brothers Jack and Jay Liddicoat. The duo pride themselves on championing suppliers from the area, including fish from their dad Shane, who delivers it straight off the boat from Newlyn. The charming historic building overlooks Penzance Harbour and has a menu of small plates to share – highlights include crab croquettes with brown crab mayo and lemon sole fillets with wild mushrooms and garlic. barbicanbistro.com Pizza Plz Found on Market Jew Street in the very centre of town, Pizza Plz serves Neapolitan-inspired pizza and Italian bar snacks. The lively corner spot offers a few sit-in stools, but most choose to takeaway their order. The menu features all the familiar favourites alongside a few seasonal specials, like the popular ‘The Pleeze Burger’ pizza. A small drinks menu includes Italian and local Cornish beers, and devoted fans can pick up some quirky Pizza Plz merch. pizzaplz.co.uk 45 Queen Street Tucked away on (as the name suggests) 45 Queen Street, this friendly spot is a neighbourhood bar, kitchen, deli and shop that's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also regularly used for events. Owned and run by couple Hannah and Sam, the business has evolved since they took over the once-abandoned warehouse in 2017. Now the venue is beautiful and bustling, serving wholesome seasonal plates and a drinks list features cocktails using their own Tinkture rose gin. 45queenst.com Polgoon Vineyard Polgoon is a vineyard and orchard just outside Penzance that offers tours and wine tastings on a 24-acre estate. Owners Kim and John Coulson battle against the Cornish climate to produce up to 30,000 bottles of wines a year, as well as a range of ciders and juices. Sit under the dappled shade of the site’s vine-wrapped courtyard café and sip chilled bacchus and eat a chunky wedge of crab sandwich. Inheriting the land with a house, the family at first struggled to know what to do with it. They opted for a vineyard, hand-planted 3,000 vines, paid their children 5p for each snail they collected and, four years later, picked their first harvest. The result is on sale in the vineyard’s shop, along with local crisps and ciders, seaweeds and salts, teas and chocolates, ice creams, honey, beer, relishes and preserves. polgoon.com Penzance Farmer’s Market For fresh produce, Penzance Farmers’ Market is the place. Held every Friday in St John’s Hall, its gingham-covered tables are laden with fruit and vegetables, just-baked breads, cakes, Cornish cheeses and Wild Smoked’s products. penzancefarmersmarket.wordpress.com Where to stay in Penzance Artist Residence hotel A coolly colourful 17-bedroom hotel in Penzance’s old quarter, this hotel has a relaxed vibe (checked blankets, yellow Roberts radios, contemporary artworks) and a retro-chic restaurant and bar, The Cornish Barn. The menu includes meat and fish from its in-house smokehouse and tapas-style dishes of deep-fried squid with chilli, lime and salt, and parsnip rösti with caramelised shallots and goat’s cheese. Dessert includes rum-infused crème brûlée, hazelnut brittle and homemade banana ice cream. artistresidencecornwall.co.uk Doubles from £143, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Chapel House Chapel House is a graceful, light-filled Georgian home in Penzance’s Old Quarter, where white walls are hung with landscape paintings by students at nearby Newlyn School of Art and where antique furniture sits alongside stylish Nordic pieces. The six rooms all have sea views, painted white floors and vibrant modern artworks. The huge, stone-flagged, kitchen diner in the basement is the scene of owner Susan’s regular weekend suppers, and lengthy brunches. Susan champions local producers, rarely straying far from Penzance to buy ingredients. Try the breakfast speciality: cod’s roe, smoked bacon, samphire and a poached egg. It’s a cheap, nutritious dish and it’s easy to see how it became a favourite with fishermen. Check rates and availability at chapelhousepz.co.uk More travel inspiration... Best restaurants in Brighton Best restaurants in the Cotswolds Best restaurants in Northumberland Best restaurants in Whitstable 14 small towns across the UK every foodie should visit The UK's best pubs with rooms UK boutique hotels for food lovers 10 exciting UK city breaks for food lovers Best restaurants with rooms UK spa hotels for food lovers Best romantic UK hotels Best seaside staycations 13 day trips from London by train
Try crab bao buns and egg hoppers, hoppy pale ales and local fizz in this bustling Cotswolds town
Looking for Cheltenham restaurants? Whether you're attending Cheltenham Races and want to know where to eat and drink after your day out, or are just looking for an evening in the town, check out our pick of the best cafés, bars and restaurants. Stay at one of Cheltenham's best foodie hotels, No. 131, full review here... For more city food guides, check out the best restaurants in Oxford, best restaurants in Leeds, and best restaurants in Bristol. Now discover more best restaurants in Cardiff. Best places to eat and drink in Cheltenham The Scandinavian Coffee Pod – for coffee in Cheltenham If you need a break from Georgian architecture (and a caffeine hit) head to this contemporary, cosy coffee spot tucked away on a side street minutes away from the town’s famous Promenade. Housed in a yellow pod-like structure, inside it fulfills all Scandi-minimalist dreams, from gabled wooden ceilings to blonde-hued walls and tables with cheerful blue chairs and mid-century-style loungers. Fuel up on dinky cortados or a smooth V60 filter coffee made with ethically sourced beans roasted just next door. thescandinaviancoffeepod.com The Coconut Tree – for Sri Lankan food in Cheltenham Though this acclaimed Sri Lankan street-food outfit now has outposts in Bristol, Cardiff, Bournemouth and Oxford its original site in Cheltenham’s studenty St Paul’s neighbourhood is worth making the journey for. Fun interiors (we loved the penny-tiled bar), cheerful service and hip tunes on the speakers set the scene for vibrant, colourful dishes including red lentils cooked in coconut cream, slow-cooked goat curry, kotthu (finely chopped roti with eggs and veg), devilled chicken wings, egg hoppers and coconut flatbreads. On the side sip Sri Lankan Lion lager or a fruity rum, passionfruit and Rio cocktail. thecoconut-tree.com DEYA Brewing Company – for craft beer in Cheltenham Tucked away in a cavernous industrial unit, DEYA is a little hard to find but craft-beer lovers should persevere. There’s a taproom serving juicy, hoppy brews in a funky setting – think communal tables, a gigantic, multi-coloured mural and tumbling plant life. Order the aromatic, tropical Steady Rolling Man pale ale along with dinner – food trucks visit on Fridays and Saturdays (check the website to see what’s coming up). deyabrewing.com Purslane – for seafood in Cheltenham Refined plates of British seafood are the star of the show at this sleek, low-key fine-dining restaurant outfitted in soothing natural tones. Chef-patron Gareth Fulford sources his catch from small Cornish day-boats that use handlines and nets so as not to damage the seabed. Highlights include elegant takes on surf and turf, from wild sea bass with bath chap, roscoff onion and elderflower vinegar to monkfish with chicken wings, celeriac and trompettes. Keep an eye out for imaginative veggie dishes, too, such as parsnip brioche bread pudding with Bath Blue cheese, pickled walnuts and praline. purslane-restaurant.co.uk Le Champignon Sauvage – for Michelin-star dining in Cheltenham Ask anyone in the Cotswolds where to go for proper, treat-your-self fine dining and they’ll point you towards this much-loved, Michelin-starred outfit, where chef David Everitt-Matthias and his wife Helen have been quietly doing their thing – serving critically acclaimed Gallic fare – since 1987. Dishes are lavish and imaginative – think butter-poached lobster with Jerusalem artichoke, pear and sorrel, or pig’s trotter stuffed with snails and ox tongue. Foraged and local ingredients abound in dishes such as Cinderford lamb fillet with dandelion and burdock salsa, or Cotswold venison with mugwort and smoked apple purée. lechampignonsauvage.co.uk Domaine 16 – for cheese and wine in Cheltenham Domaine 16’s owner, Stephanie Ronssin, trained as a cook in Paris and later moved to Gloucestershire where she co-founded Purslane before opening this tasteful cheese-and-wine outfit last year. Turophiles will love a menu that features the likes of cheese boards, three types of fondue, tartiflette, camembert fritters and baked vacherin. There’s also a bottomless raclette deal on Tuesdays. Accompanying this is a mostly old-world wine list that skips assuredly across Europe – from Burgundy to Hungary and Lebanon – as well as the Cotswolds. Start your visit with a glass of elegantly crisp, local Woodchester Valley fizz. domaine16.co.uk Baker & Graze – for pastries in Cheltenham Ryan Bennet and Adam Hall’s Montpellier bakery uses classic French techniques, small local producers (including stoneground flour from a nearby 13th-century water mill) and inventive, global flavors in their breads, pastries and cakes. These could include heritage grain sourdough, vegan croissants, chocolate and prune buns, and rhubarb, strawberry and cheesecake danishes. Head inside the navy-fronted café for Middle Eastern-inflected brunch dishes such as lamb merguez sausages with scrambled eggs, and shakshuka with coriander and dukkah. bakerandgraze.com Holee Cow – for burgers in Cheltenham This no-frills burger joint has plenty of choice on the menu – from lamb kofte burgers to Korean-style fried chicken – but the original is hard to beat – a well-seasoned beef patty with crispy edges draped in molten American cheese with burger sauce and pickles in a glossy brioche bun. Order a double patty for maximum chin-dripping enjoyment. If you have room, get some truffle cheese fries with parmesan, chives, smoked cheddar and truffle oil to eat alongside it. holeecowburgers.co.uk Where to stay in Cheltenham No.131 hotel This elegant boutique hotel is spread over three neighbouring Georgian properties on the Promenade. Inside, swoon-making period features – from high ceilings to stately proportions and sash windows – juxtapose an eclectic, modern décor. Add in a superlative foodie offering – including kedgeree, fry-ups and DIY buck’s fizz at breakfast, and a buzzy gin bar in the basement – and it makes the perfect bolthole from which to explore Cheltenham. Doubles from £140, check availability at booking.com no131.com More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Bruton Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Glasgow Best restaurants in the Lake District Best restaurants in Brighton
Fowey foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Cornwall’s Fowey may be small but you’ll still find fresh crab and dill butter sarnies, warm monkey muffins, pizzas topped with squid, mussels and anchovies, saffron croquetas served with glasses of sherry and sharing plates of sea bass with chilli and cucumber
Looking for restaurants in Fowey? Want to know where to eat the best crab sandwiches in Cornwall? Read our Fowey guide for the best homemade jams, single-origin coffee and homemade vermouth. Quay bakery – best for bread and pastries Come here for springy sourdough (the starter is nearly ten years old), skirt steak or local gouda pasties, fresh Belgian butter croissants, airy iced buns, rosemary focaccia, saffron buns the colour of sunsets and, on Saturdays only, monkey muffins – swirls of croissant dough, fashioned into a muffin and flavoured with cinnamon and brown sugar. Everything at the Quay Bakery is made on-site from scratch (it’s the only place in Fowey that bakes Cornish pasties daily), and it opens each morning as soon as the first loaf comes out of the oven. That means plenty of early breakfast runs if you’re staying nearby. quaybakery.co.uk Captain Hank’s Crab & Snack Shack – best for a crab sandwich Wander a little further down North Street, towards the car ferry opposite what was once Daphne du Maurier’s beautiful blue-and-white holiday home and you’ll find Captain Hank’s Crab & Snack Shack. It’s a cheery food van, positioned at the water’s edge, that sells sandwiches stuffed with crab so fresh that it still smells of the sea. If your budget can’t stretch to £8.95 per crab and dill butter sarnie (worth it for the quality), try a hake fish finger sandwich with homemade tartar sauce, or a cup of crispy crab bonbons instead. Captain Hank’s also sells excellent halloumi fries and the take-away packaging is compostable. en-gb.facebook.com/captainhanks Sam’s On the Beach – best for views The original green-fronted Sam’s restaurant, in the centre of Fowey, is a must-visit for its seafood classics (order chargrilled whole sardines with Cornish sea salt, toasted seeds and olives). Also worth a visit, however, is one of its sister restaurants, Sam’s On the Beach, a five-minute drive from Fowey on Polkerris beach. A converted RNLI Lifeboat station, the restaurant’s front is made entirely from glass, making the most of sublime views. Outside tables mean diners can swirl their feet through warm sand while they eat hot whole prawns cooked in garlic butter. There’s also a wood-burning stove that churns out charcoal-crusted pizzas – order your seafood special (topped with smoked salmon, squid, mussels, anchovies and prawns) to take-away, and eat it on the beach after a day spent building sandcastles. samscornwall.co.uk/on-the-beach Kittows of Fowey – best deli A family-run, fifth generation butchers and delicatessen, right next to Fowey Parish Church, Kittows of Fowey is a charming place brimming with wicker shopping baskets and blackboard menus. Outside you’ll find stacks of fruit and veg crates while, inside, there’s a dedicated meat and cheese counter, fresh bread, deli sandwiches, homemade jams and an impressive selection of pies, quiches and cakes, all made on the family’s farm. It’s the perfect place to pick up a picnic: briney anchovies, smoked mackerel pâté, chewy sourdough, garlic Yarg, plump nocellara olives, warm sausage rolls and great big brownie wedges. kittowsfowey.co.uk Brown sugar – best for coffee With its wooden benches, casually-strewn pillows and dark grey colour scheme Brown Sugar has the look of a hipster hangout. It’s on South Street, opposite the church and Kittows of Fowey, and is a good spot for breakfast: try spinach and sweetcorn fritters or a generous stack of pancakes. There are ciabatta sandwiches and the like for lunch, but the main draw is the coffee – it’s made using single-origin, sustainably sourced beans from Yallah coffee roaster in Falmouth, which only ever distributes coffee roasted within the last five days. Try it in a flat white, embellished with pretty milk foam patterns. brownsugarfowey.com Pintxo – best for tapas and sherry Walk away from Fowey’s busy quayside towards the Esplanade (a seafront thoroughfare that eventually leads to Readymoney Cove) and you’ll find Pintxo tapas bar squeezed in between sky-high townhouses. It’s an ideal spot for a Spanish lunch of Valencian rosemary almonds, spicy pickled chillies, manchego with orange blossom honey, patatas bravas and, of course, Ibercio jamón. Posh-it-up with spider crab and saffron croquetas and a glass of manzanilla, Spanish brandy or traditional El Gaitero cider. Better still, Pintxo is opposite the Old Grammar School Garden, a tranquil jumble of grasses and tropical trees that overlooks the river Fowey. It’s split into sections by sea shingle, curvy paths and driftwood, and is a great place to sit awhile after one’s meal. pintxofowey.co.uk The Old Ferry Inn – best for sunshine Fowey is on one side of River Fowey, Bodinnick on the other. And although the majority of places to eat, drink and be merry are on the Fowey side, it’s Bodinnick that gets the most sunshine. One such place that basks in it is The Old Ferry Inn, just minutes from Daphne du Maurier’s old holiday home, Ferryside. The inn is more than 400 years old and sits high above the car ferry jetty below – which means wonderful views of Ferryside, the river, and Fowey. Sit in the snug, with its Cornish stone walls and slate floor, or on the south-facing terrace outside. Sip a pint of malty Sharp’s Own (brewed in Rock) and order a posh charcuterie board. theoldferryinn.co.uk Fitzroy – best for fine-dining Cornish lad David Gingell and his business partner, Jeremie Cometto (the duo brought Westerns Laundry to London), opened fashionable Fitzroy, a riverside restaurant in the middle of Fowey, in summer 2019. Decked with smooth oak furniture, huge black-framed sash windows and an art deco typeface, Fitzroy is unlike any other Fowey eatery in style. The menu sticks to sophisticated sharing plates, with an emphasis on seasonal seafood. Fill your table with fried sprats, ray wing with chicken butter sauce, raw sea bass with chilli and cucumber, and red napa cabbage with plum and sesame. It’s an open kitchen, so you can watch the chefs at work while sipping a glass of homemade vermouth. fitzroycornwall.com The Old Quay House – best for waterfront dining This swish hotel and restaurant is set over three floors and is as close to the waves as you can get. Once a refuge for seamen, the whitewashed Victorian building stands proud on the shoreline, parading its elegant bay windows and an unrivalled sunny terrace. There are 13 bedrooms upstairs, many of which have balconies with views of Polruan village on the opposite side of the river, plus a restaurant on the ground floor. A huge bifold glass door is flung wide open during the summer months, so that it feels like you’re eating in the middle of the estuary. Order a Kittow’s rump steak with all the trimmings and watch yachts sail by. theoldquayhouse.com The Dwelling House – best for afternoon tea The Dwelling House, a former Georgian merchant’s house, is a haven of tea and cake. There are 25 varieties of the former to try (Tregothnan loose-leaf only; no bags allowed), including a fine Keemun blend, and all the treats are baked fresh each day in a sturdy AGA Rayburn cooker. Pop in for an afternoon tea of plump, golden-hued scones and generous bowls of clotted cream, presented on three-tiered vintage china stands. For something savoury, try the Cornish Yarg ploughman’s or Cornish rarebit. It’s also a bed and breakfast, with one spacious room upstairs (complete with pink velvet armchair and roll-top bath) and the promise of a Rayburn-cooked breakfast. thedwellinghouse.co.uk Appleton's Bar & Restaurant – best for Italian Andy and Lyndsey Appleton have relocated their St Issey restaurant, Appleton's Bar & Restaurant, to Fowey, having outgrown the original Trevibban Mill venue. Andy, a former head chef at Fifteen Cornwall, has designed a menu that focuses on rustic, Italian dishes with a contemporary twist. So expect the likes of prosecco-battered polenta chips with 'nduja ketchup; rose harissa fish stew with fregola sarda and rye toast; squid ink linguine with Padstow crab and anchovy pangrattato; and strawberry and lemon balm panna cotta for dessert. It's also set to be the best place in Fowey for a negroni – there are a dozen types to choose from, including a negroni violetta, with its heady parma violet flavour. You'll find both Italian and Cornish wine on the menu, with bottles from Trevibban Mill Estate taking precedence – try a glass of Black Ewe white sparkling, for its fine bubbles and green apple, lemon and sherbet notes. appletonsrestaurant.com More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Bruton Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Glasgow Best restaurants in the Lake District Best restaurants in Brighton
A vibrant community of producers is making this corner of the South West a hotbed for wild beer, raw-milk cheese, natural sparkling wine, cider brandy and apple pulp sourdough
Looking for restaurants in Somerset? Want to know where to eat in Bruton? Travel writer Lucy Gillmore takes us on a foodie road trip through Somerset, stopping off at all-natural ice-cream producers, field to fork estates and biodynamic vineyards. Westcombe Dairy Tom Calver flings open the doors of the cellar, a chilly cathedral of cheese, and introduces me, with a grin, to 'Tina the Turner'. Tina is the robotic machine turning the mould-dappled wheels of Westcombe Cheddar as they mature. The cavernous 'cave' was constructed after a trip to France when Calver saw, first-hand, a different approach to affinage, the ageing process. There's been cheesemaking on this family farm, Westcombe Dairy, hidden down a tangle of hedgerow-trimmed lanes in Somerset, for over a century. It all began in the 19th century when Edith Cannon created her legendary unpasteurised cheddar. Fast-forward through two world wars, the introduction of pasteurisation, the rise of the supermarket and demand for bland block cheddar, then press stop. This was when Tom's father, dairy farmer Richard Calver, jumped off the mass-market merry-go-round. Unearthing the old recipes, he steered the farm full circle. His father might have turned back the clock – but it was Tom, a chef in London until his apprenticeship at Neal’s Yard Dairy, who threw them all out. “Cheesemaking shouldn’t be done by the clock, it needs to be intuitive. It’s all about slowing down the process. Over the past 50 years everything has been speeded up and you no longer get the breadth of flavour." Mixing high-tech and old-school (his first cheese-smoker was an old phone booth), it's also a science. The cows bed down on sand topped with a dusting of straw for 'bacterial loading' of the udders - adding good bacteria to the raw milk. "We try to preserve the unique microbial make-up which gives the raw milk cheese its three dimensional character." It all starts with the cows, grass-grazed Holstein Friesians, of course – and the 'cow man,' Nicholas Millard. "Finding a good cow man is hard; finding one who has studied pasture to flavour – well there's only one and we've got him!" When I visit, Nick is away at 'Cow Club' in the Auvergne with a batch of fellow dairy-nerds. As well as cheddar the dairy makes Caerphilly and ricotta. And salami. This is a vibrant community of makers. The farm is also home to an artisan ice cream-maker and microbrewery – and an annual Beer and Cheese festival. In the farm shop Tom hands me a slither of Caerphilly; it has a delicate yoghurty taste, the spoonful of ricotta a subtle sweetness. The cheddar is tangy and complex - you can almost peel back the layers of flavour. In a back room charcutier Paul is making salami, from Tamworth pigs reared, field-to-pork, in woodland around family-run Gothelney Farm near Bridgwater. "We're thinking of experimenting with veal salami," Tom continues slicing meltingly good Saucisson Sec seasoned with garlic, pepper and nutmeg. Wild Beer Co The farm shop is also the Wild Beer company's single-tap taproom – you can fill up a growler to go. Founded by Andrew Cooper and Brett Ellis, the business is known for its sour and barrel-aged beers brewed with wild yeasts. Brett was once a chef in California and uses his culinary expertise to create beers that can be paired with food – and blow your mind: 'Of the Sea' was inspired by lobster bisque - think aromas of shellfish and saffron. It's pure Willy Wonka - bonkers but brilliant. In the farm's old cheese store a ‘beer library’ contains beers aged in old bourbon, whisky, port and cider brandy casks. Jamaican rum barrels add a sweet richness, red wine barrels give a balsamic flavour. This year they've been experimenting with fruit. Other brewers use purée, they use freshly picked. A kombucha-like bright pink sour beer 'Choked Up' is made with chokeberries from Norway and apples and foraged fruit from Somerset. It's barrel-aged, with jammy redcurrants and cranberry aromas, tart to taste - and pairs well with partridge. 'Modus Operandi' was their first wild yeast beer. Aged in bourbon and red wine barrels and then blended, it's blood red, the flavour 'sour cherry dipped in toffee.' Brickell's At the back of the dairy, is sister company, Brickell’s where Rob Gore makes small batch, all-natural ice-cream. The signature flavour? Milk. "Instead of vanilla I wanted to celebrate the quality of the milk,' he explains. It's all about collaboration. "I've just made a ricotta and dark chocolate chip ice cream." His Malted Millionaire, meanwhile, uses pre-fermented beer from the Wild Beer Co. Somerset is where old ways marry new ideas and their love child is a precocious genius. It's a county of passionate producers and fired-up food innovators and draws like-minded individuals to its nurturing folds. People such as trailblazer, Catherine Butler, with her restaurant with rooms, artisan bakery and wine shop, At The Chapel in Bruton and Ben Crofton former director of Soho House who, with his wife, Vanessa and 2018 Great British Menu finalist, Dan Fletcher, is launching a restaurant, bakery and wine shop in Somerton this autumn, 28 Market Place. Roth Bar & Grill And Swiss art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth. Their ground-breaking contemporary art gallery, Hauser & Wirth, sits alongside Durslade, a rock ‘n’ roll farmhouse rental, and a restaurant, the Roth Bar & Grill, on a 1000-acre estate outside Bruton. The estate is a field to fork producer in its own right, rearing Aberdeen Angus, Wagyu and Hereford cattle, Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, Lleyn sheep and even vines for their own wines, but the restaurant at its heart also champions local growers and producers. "We are the shop window for the people we work with, like Tom Calver," explains Operations Manager Jules Horrell. We're chatting at the annual Hauser & Wirth Summer Party. There's porchetta sizzling on the grill, cured with sugar, bay and juniper and wood-roasted vegetables. Cooking with fire is what they do. "Why cook inside when you can do this?" Jules gestures to the flaming grill. Along with Thursday Feasts the restaurant recently launched Roth on the Road. "It's all about sharing the experience with people who want to know where their food comes from." Round the corner Tom is dishing out brick-top Westcombe Cheddar toasties in the sun while people queue for a thirst-quenching Orchard Mist cider cocktail at the Temperley's brightly painted Somerset Cider bus. Burrow Hill Farm At the family's Burrow Hill farm, surrounded by 180 acres of orchards, they have been pressing cider for over 200 years. Julian Temperley, father of fashion designer Alice and photographer Matilda, not only makes cider, perry, Kingston Black aperitif and Pomona but is feted for his Somerset Cider Brandy. Tours, tastings and orchard trails take visitors through trees laden with over 40 heritage cider apples, from Kingston Black to Yarlington Mill, grazed by Lleyn sheep. I jump into a dilapidated farm vehicle and we career up to the top of Burrow Hill for a spectacular 360-degree view of the county. "The art of cider-making is in the blending, its inspiration is the art of winemaking." It's one the Temperleys have mastered, winning the national cider championships in Devon, Somerset and Herefordshire in the same year. Back in the yard, Julian introduces me to to Fifi and Josephine, his old copper stills. "We are hillbilly cider makers - but we're also distillers,' he smiles handing me a glass of 20-year old, treacle-laced fire among the barrels. He jokes, "this is either the crown jewels of the cider industry or what cider makers do when they grow up." Matilda Temperley is now working with her father – and has recently launched her own creation, Somerset Shrubs a sophisticated non-alcoholic drink, made with cider vinegar, honey and fresh-pressed raspberries, that’s delicious with tonic. Limeburn Hill Vineyard There must be something in the water. Or soil. In 2015 in the Chew Valley, landscape architects Robin Snowdon and Georgina Harvey planted a four-acre south-facing slope on Westfield Farm with 1,800 varietals including Orion, Rondo, Regent, Solaris, Seyval Blanc and Pinot noir; biodynamic Limeburn Hill Vineyard was born. Joining Robin for a tour and tasting, we chat about their path. “We don’t come from a farming background, so it's been wonderful connecting with local growers." [Limeburn shares the land with the newly planted orchards of chefs-turned-growers Beccy and Sam Leach of Wilding Cider and there’s a community farm nearby]. Robin and Georgina don't clear the vegetation under the vines. "The more plants, the more biodiversity, the richer the soil,” Robin explains. "It feels like we're creating a place full of life - and the wine is just a bi-product." Their first vintage is now available: Wolf Wine in Bath is a stockist as is local gastropub The Pony & Trap. We sit on straw bales in the sun, the air buzzing with insects, and three bottles (white, rose and red) of Pet Nat, the traditional artisanal method of making sparkling wine, as Robin uncorks the first bottle. The white is lively, bone dry, bursting with apples and pears, while the rosé has a floral bouquet and heavenly strawberry and caramel notes. I eye the red nervously, bad memories of sparkling Shiraz flooding back. The bubbles are candyfloss pink, the wine deep and dark – but the flavour is not overcooked jam. Robin smiles at my confusion. "It's like tasting fruit fresh from the vine." "We wanted to capture the joy of being in the vineyard and I think these do." I agree. It's wild and wonderful – and a world away from the most hyped opening in Somerset this summer, The Newt. The Newt South African billionaire Koos Bekker and his wife Karen, the couple behind the much lauded Cape Dutch farmhouse-turned-boutique hotel Babylonstoren bought 17th-century Hadspen House estate in 2013. Here, at what was once the home of Arthur Hobhouse, founder of the national parks system, and garden designer, Penelope Hobhouse, they have planted orchards, restored the gardens and turned the Palladian mansion into a hotel. There is passion here, too, with a starry team plucked from River Cottage, the Lost Gardens of Heligan and Noma. From the moment you arrive at the visitor reception, a soaring threshing barn, it has undeniable wow factor. Everything is exquisitely conceived from the carefully curated store showcasing local artisans' wares to the farm shop with meat from butcher Lloyd Tucker's parents' farm down the road. The shiny state-of-the-art cider-making facility sits next to an open-air cyder bar with a daily apple-pressing 'show.' The Garden Café is a contemporary vision of glass and wood overlooking the kitchen garden where Charles Dowding's no-dig gardening methods are practised. Its seasonal menu has been designed as a gardeners notebook and head chef Alan Stewart not only makes sure that an element of each dish is from the garden but that its fruit and vegetables are the headline acts: think 'Gooseberry, pickled,' with brown and forest smoked mackerel, salad leaves from Tia's garden and 'Napoli carrots' braised and tossed with carrot top pesto. Even the bread and butter is on-message, the sourdough starter made from apple pulp from the cider press, the buffalo milk butter with preserved orange and thyme from the garden. The Newt is an architectural and horticultural wonder, the gardens' star turn Penelope Hobhouse's famous parabola walled garden, planted with an apple maze of 460 trees. It might be the antithesis to the county's earthy bedrock, but there's no denying it's a glorious homage to Somerset's most famous asset: the apple. HOW TO DO IT Double rooms start from £125, b&b at At the Chapel (atthechapel.co.uk) and £300, b&b, at The Newt (thenewtinsomerset.com). Durslade Farmhouse sleeps 12 and is available to rent from £650 per night (dursladefarmhouse.co.uk). Follow Lucy on Instagram and Twitter @lucygillmore Words by Lucy Gillmore
Padstow, Cornwall foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Check out our favourite restaurants, cafes, bars and foodie spots in Padstow, Cornwall, including plenty of fresh fish and seafood
Looking for Padstow restaurants? Few stretches of British coast harbour more culinary talent than the Atlantic-bashed area around Padstow, where Ainsworth and Rick Stein reside have their seafood restaurants. Here's our pick... No 6 Paul Ainsworth There are only a handful of restaurants we’ve been to where we’ve wanted to book a return visit upon first bite. Chef Paul Ainsworth’s pin-sharp No 6, located in a tiny Georgian townhouse in Padstow, is one of them. The morsel that did it? A plump, deep-fried Porthilly oyster served with charcoal mayonnaise and chunks of soul-satisfying sourdough. Despite the hype around it, No 6 avoids being stuffy. Ainsworth, who trained under Gordon Ramsay and won TV fame through Great British Menu, has the playfulness and boyish energy of a labrador puppy. The décor is just as lively, with outrageously bright Cole & Son Miami wallpaper (bring your shades), and windows on to the kitchen’s theatricality. The food is equally free of fussiness, stripped of cheffy canapés and tasting menus in favour of à la carte dishes such as a Jacob’s ladder ragu with spaghetti; raw seabream served on a slaw of sand shrimp with tuna-rich katsuobushi mayonnaise; and tournedos Rossini made with chicken instead of the usual steak. The latter – a stuffed chicken breast topped with morels and a cold parfait of livers from duck, goose and chicken – is laced with a rich madeira sauce, its stock derived from an entire chicken. number6inpadstow.co.uk Caffè Rojano, Padstow Are we in Cornwall or on the sun-baked Med? Neapolitan-style pizza is one draw at Paul Ainsworth’s Caffè Rojano. Elsewhere, its menu, capably executed by chef Mike Probert, ranges from baby squid with romesco mayo or pasta with pork shoulder, chilli and Balearic sobrassada sausage, to an epic hot dog with truffled mayo, fontina cheese, sweet Cévennes onions and remoulade. Mains from £13; paul-ainsworth.co.uk Prawn on the Lawn A few cobbled streets from No 6, Padstow's Prawn on the Lawn offers tapas-style fish plates (crab som tam, whole mackerel with ’nduja and fennel, Porthilly mussels with clams and manzanilla) in white-tiled, bistro-style surroundings. prawnonthelawn.com The Seafood Restaurant When Rick Stein opened The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow back in 1975, he couldn’t have possibly imagined it would still be fully booked in 2019 and part of what has become a restaurant empire and global brand. Stein may no longer be behind the stoves but his long-serving head chef Stephane Delourme still recreates classic dishes such as bouillabaisse of turbot, cod, sea bass, mussels and langoustines, or roast tronçon of wild turbot with hollandaise for those lucky enough to get a table. rickstein.com Craftworks Above Padstow town, Craftworks produces pop-up nacho and taco suppers (think Cornish beef brisket with shredded Little Gem, taco slaw, salsa, soured cream and red onion pickles) from its food truck at Trerethern Farm. You sit on straw bales to eat while gazing over the fields of Padstow Kitchen Garden (where much of your supper comes from) and the cornfields that flank the Camel Estuary (padstowkitchengarden.co.uk). craftworkskitchen.com Trevibban Mill Vineyard Narrow country lanes from Padstow tunneling through beech trees lead to Trevibban Mill, a vineyard and apple orchard that produces ciders and wines, and houses a wood-and-glass restaurant run by Andy Appleton, previously head chef at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall. As at Fifteen, Appleton offers a creative interpretation of Italian cooking, including Middle Eastern ingredients such as harissa that he freely admits would have Italians spluttering over their spaghetti. But it works. Lunch kicks off with deep-fried sage leaves wrapped around anchovy fillets, followed by wild garlic agnolotti filled with fermented leeks and ricotta. The rose harissa fish stew (Trevibban’s must-eat main) and homemade squid ink linguine with Cornish scallops and ’nduja pangrattato are equally delicious. And of course it all begs to be accompanied by wines produced just a cork’s pop away (try the sparkling pink brut). trevibbanmill.com, appletonsatthevineyard.com Rick Stein's Cookery School Rick Stein has been credited with putting Padstow on the map (and creating bottle-neck traffic jams during the summer hols). Book into his Seafood School now to beat the queues and choose the best classes from the school’s new programme which includes everything from cooking with kids to becoming a chocolate expert, or simply keep it to what Stein is famous for. The Original Fish & Shellfish course, the school’s most popular, has new menus for Rick Stein’s Seafood school this summer, including some exciting Asian flavours, while its new skills workshops take in everything from fish filleting to Far-Eastern steaming. Among the new One Dish evening courses you’ll find Madras Fish Curry. Learn how to cook Rick’s perfect hot and sour southern Indian curry as seen in his travels on the subcontinent. Words by Clare Hargreaves and Mark Taylor Photographs by Clare Hargreaves Continue your foodie roadtrip in Cornwall with our best places to eat and drink near Padstow here...
Porthleven, Cornwall foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
This tiny Cornish harbour village is jam-packed with foodie gems, from simple seafood to high-end dining with an Asian twist, and the perfect pint
Looking for Porthleven restaurants? Here's our foodie guide to Porthleven – Porthleven pubs for the perfect pint, seafood restaurants and cafes, along with where to stay in the Cornish harbourside town... Want to know where to visit in April? Take a look here. Best pub in Porthleven – The Ship Inn Steep steps up from the harbour take you into this classic 17th century Cornish fishermen’s pub. In winter you can huddle by the open fire with a pint of Porthleven pale ale (made by Cornish brewery Skinners) and watch the waves crash against the sea wall as seasonal storms come in. In summer the outdoor terrace has panoramic views over Porthleven harbour and the surrounding coastline. theshipinnporthleven.co.uk Best seafood dinner in Porthleven – Seadrift Kitchen Café This small café is a hidden treasure of brilliant seafood cooking. As well as the regular menu, head chef Chris creates a daily specials menu based on whatever fish is landing locally. The set two-course lunch and dinner fish menus are a bargain and include a glass of wine. We tried baked scallops, mussels and prawns with a garlic and herb crust and pan roasted gurnard with chorizo, rocket and parmesan – both beautifully fresh and flavour-packed. Dogs are also welcome at any time and get a towel and a treat! seadriftporthleven.co.uk Best coffee shop in Porthleven – Origin Coffee Roasters The original location for Origin Coffee this little shop on the harbor head has award winning baristas and coffee directly sourced from growers all over the world. The also make their own bottled cold brew and offer seasonal specials such as affogato in the summer. Perch on a stool in the window if it’s a rainy day or there’s benches outside overlooking the harbor for sunnier times. Origin Porthleven was named as one of UK's baristas' favourite coffee shops. Check out more favourites from the experts here... origincoffee.co.uk Best pasty in Porthleven – Horse and Jockey You’ll spot this harbor side bakery by the regular queues out the door. It sells all manner of baked goods but is justifiably famous for its huge (and we mean HUGE) Cornish pasties, melt-in-the mouth pastry packed with peppery steak, potato and swede filling. Skip breakfast and get one for a super-early lunch. You won’t need to eat again till dinner time. Best full English in Porthleven – Harbour View Café Lovely quirky little traditional caff which does crab sandwiches, toasties and a stonking fry-up all washed down with big pots of tea. It’s also very child- and dog- friendly. Mount Pleasant Rd, Porthleven (no website) Best Sunday lunch in Porthleven – Amelies This airy harbourfront restaurant doubles up as an informal café/bar during the day and a twinkly candlelit space at night. The vaulted ceilings and white and sage painted interior give the space a lovely beach-hut feel and there are views out onto the harbour through huge glass doors, or in summer even more panoramic views from the terrace. The menu is a real celebration of Cornish produce. Not surprisingly, given the harbourside location, seafood features heavily and changes dependent on what boats are landing that week. We had spankingly fresh Porthilly oysters served simply with shallot vinaigrette and salt and pepper squid with a fiery homemade chilli sauce from the seafood menu. Amelies is famous for its Sunday lunches and the Cornish roast sirloin of beef came with huge puffy yorkies, crunchy golden roasties and a deep, rich gravy. A bouillabasse was packed with crab, crayfish, cod and mussels. Service is attentive and friendly to all - kids and dogs are welcome and there’s a separate well thought-out kids menu that includes lots of healthy options. ameliesporthleven.co.uk Best brasserie in Porthleven – The Square This brasserie-style café restaurant is a breezy space with a small terrace out front. Tea, coffee and cakes are served all day and, at lunch and dinner, the menu ranges from lighter sandwiches and soups (such as French onion soup with Cornish Gouda rarebit) to heartier dishes like crisp pork belly with hogs pudding and apple salad. thesquareatporthleven.co.uk Best fine dining in Porthleven – Kota Fine dining with an Asian twist can be found at this harbourside restaurant. Chef Jude Kereama references his Maori/Malay roots with delicate plates such as Beef carpaccio with shemeji mushrooms, roast garlic, pickled beetroot, parmesan shavings and rosemary soy dressing, or pan-fried hake fillet with Cornish mussels, seaweed and a ginger dashi vegetable nage. Prices are equally high-end but it does a good value daily two- or three-course set menu. A few doors away, little sister restaurant Kota Kai is a more relaxed family-friendly version. kotarestaurant.co.uk Best crab and seafood shop in Porthleven – Southgates Cornish Crab A gem of a place if you are staying in a holiday cottage and buying in lunch or dinner, this tiny counter shop sells cooked crab and lobster as well as packs of hand-picked crab meat and whole dressed crabs. All its seafood is sustainably caught, with most of the crab landed by the family boat at Coverack on the Lizard Peninsula. 01326 558848 Best deli in Porthleven – The Corner Deli Tucked away just off the harbour this cute little deli is a great place to stock up on locally-sourced cheeses, charcuterie and booze as well as daily-made sandwiches, cakes, tarts and soups. Standout cheeses include Cornish Gouda from nearby Looe or soft and creamy Helford Blue. In the evenings the small wood-fired oven turns out a selection of pizzas to order and there are regular gin and wine-tasting evenings throughout the year. thecornerdeliporthleven.co.uk Best places to stay in Porthleven Harbour View Cottage Perched halfway up a hill seconds from the centre with views over Porthleven Harbour, this is a cute little bolthole for two (and a furry pal if you like as it’s also dog-friendly). The layout is charmingly topsy-turvy as the bedroom and bathroom are on the ground floor with the living/kitchen area up a spiral staircase. The underfloor heating in the bedroom keeps the cottage wonderfully cosy on colder nights and the crisp white linens and muted colour scheme keep everything fresh. Up the spiral staircase there is an open plan living/kitchen space with a wood-burning stove and squashy sofa for evening lounging. The kitchen is brilliantly equipped for cooks so perfect for self-catering (Porthleven has a great fresh fish shop, deli and a supermarket which carries lots of local Cornish produce). There is a separate private enclosed terrace opposite the cottage with a table and chairs with panoramic harbor views and is perfect for outdoor eating or just enjoying a bottle of wine watching the sunset. porthlevenholidaycottages.co.uk Tom’s Cottage One of Beach Retreats’ luxury hideaways, just two minutes’ walk from the harbour in Porthleven, Tom’s Cottage is a restored 18th century fisherman’s cottage, a cosy bolthole for a week away. Downstairs is a modern kitchen, which is well equipped if you fancy cooking up some freshly caught seafood for dinner, and the woodburning stove in the living area is perfect for stoking up on a stormy evening. If you’re too relaxed to even think about shopping for dinner, Beach Retreats also partners with The Mindful Chef so that guests can order in healthy meal boxes; a recipe and all the local ingredients you need to follow it (including organic beef from Dartmoor and fish from St Ives) are delivered to the door for you to cook at home. beachretreats.co.uk Words by Janine Ratcliffe
Win return flights to the beautiful Isles of Scilly
Make this the year you connect to the Isles of Scilly, the UK destination that feels like an exotic escape. Isles of Scilly Travel is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of return Skybus flights to this unique archipelago.
***This competition has now closed*** Lying just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, Scilly is the first place summer arrives in England – and the last place it leaves ­– and is a truly unspoiled paradise that offers a welcome sanctuary. Its five inhabited islands of St Mary’s, St Martin’s, Bryher, Tresco and St Agnes all offer crystal-clear turquoise seas and white sandy beaches, and you can easily hop between the islands by tripper boat. It’s easy to discover Scilly with Skybus flights from Exeter, Newquay and Land’s End reaching the islands in less than an hour. Alternatively, you can opt for a relaxing sail from Penzance aboard the iconic Scillonian III passenger ferry. Enter the competition and discover for yourself why people who visit the Isles of Scilly come back time and again. The prize offers return flights for two to the Isles of Scilly with Skybus, departing from your choice of Exeter, Newquay or Land’s End airport. Travel to and from the point of departure and airport car parking is not included. For more information about Isles of Scilly Travel, and to discover how you can #ConnectScilly, visit islesofscilly-travel.co.uk/connect or call 01736 334 220. To enter, simply answer the following question. Terms & conditions Not to be used in conjunction with any current bookings or discounts. Excludes travel and accommodation on bank holiday weekends and school holidays. Travel to be taken in March, April, May, September or October, and bookings are subject to availability on requested dates. Deadline for competition entry on 8 March 2018. Winners will be selected at random after that date and no cash alternative will be offered. Click here for full T&Cs
Pineapple Spa, Stow-on-the-Wold: holiday cottage review
We review Pineapple Spa in the small and quaint Cotswold town, Stow-on-the-Wold. Pineapple Spa is a unique Grade II listed holiday cottage with an abundance of character and modern furnishings, a perfect countryside getaway
Read our expert review of Pineapple Spa holiday cottage, Stow-on-the-Wold. With its quirky interiors, this unique Grade II listed holiday cottage set in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds has an open log fire, free-standing copper bath and a garden with views of the stunning countryside. This quiet and cosy holiday cottage makes for the perfect weekend away. From £343, check availability at booking.com Our must-haves: log fire, roll-top bath, luxurious kitchen, garden with a view, quirky interiors and pubs within walking distance... quite the wish list, when it comes to hiring a holiday home. Luckily, holidaycottages.co.uk caters to pernickety needs. The company’s filters are extensive and fun to play with - choose waterside views, on-site fishing, four-poster beds, an outdoor hot tub or even the option to stay on a working farm. Our own preferences brought up a dozen beautiful choices, the most enticing of which was a Grade II-listed, 200-year-old Cotswolds spa. Pineapple Spa in Lower Swell, just outside Stow-on-the-Wold, is intriguing. Indian carvings mark its buttery stone exterior, and a pineapple motif sits above its arched doorway; there's also a golden fir-cone on top of each upstairs window. Such an exotic building plonked in the most English of surroundings is hard to explain – we ponder the possibility that it was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell, the architect who designed nearby Sezincote House, a Mogul Indian palace built in 1805. As for the 'quirky interiors' we asked for, a trap door in the living room (covered by a glass partition) leads to a stone cellar and the spring that makes this the smallest spa in England. Guests can't go down to it, but a string of colourful fairy lights illuminates the possibility. There's also a pineapple-shaped stone font by the stairs (to which the water is pumped) and, continuing the fruity theme, pineapple tea cups, candle holders, key rings and cushions throughout... we counted more than 20 examples. Stone walls, a sky-high chandelier, wood burner, posh sofas and a gilded mirror above an ornate fireplace complete the living room. A beautiful archway marks the beginning of a handcrafted kitchen to the left, and staircase to the right. The former is a vision of cream and white, with curved marble worktop surfaces, Belfast sink, classy oven range that looks as if it's never been used, and a little dining table with views of a pretty landscaped garden - a garden separated only by chicken wire from miles of lush countryside and a flock of inquisitive sheep. Mugs of coffee in hand, we spent our mornings watching them watching us. There are two bedrooms, both richly furnished and comfortable, and a stylish bathroom with reclaimed stand-alone bath made from shiny copper. Perfect for a long soak after a day exploring the Cotswolds, the best of which all seems to be within a 20-minute drive of Pineapple Spa. Highlights include Bourton-on-the-Water (excellent motoring museum and syrupy 'petal' cake from the Bakery on the Water, best eaten in its riverside garden); the Miss Marple-esque village of Lower Slaughter, where the meandering River Windrush leads you to The Old Mill museum, craft shop and waterfront cafe - try the homemade elderflower ice cream; and charming Stow-on-the-Wold, where we tried 10 different flavours of still-warm fudge from Roly's Fudge Pantry (our favourite was whisky and ginger). Lower Swell is also close to Daylesford Farm Shop and an abundance of pubs that serve good food, including The Porch House (read our review of it here). Another little gem we found along the way was Locojo's pizzeria in Moreton, where the veggie feast pizza comes topped with fresh figs and goats cheese. Or just stay in, enjoying the decadent peculiarity of a sleepover in a spa - and the pampering array of treats (croissants, cookies, coffee, red wine and fresh flowers among them) that owner, Rachel, leaves out for her guests. Pineapple Spa sleeps four. Check availability at booking.com Words | Charlotte Morgan Photographs | holidaycottages.co.uk
Langford Fivehead, Somerset: restaurant with rooms review
Read our expert review of this farm-to-table restaurant with rooms in the West Country countryside. Expect classic French cooking techniques using local food and luxurious bedrooms, ideal for a romantic break
We love a weekend getaway (check out our favourite bed and breakfasts for couples here), especially when there's great food involved, too. We check out Langford Fivehead in the Somerset countryside. Here’s our review of the farm-to-table restaurant and luxurious bedrooms… A gorgeous pre-Tudor manor, on the Somerset Levels, Langford Fivehead oozes history from every one of its flint- and fudge-coloured stones. Inside are vast Ham-stone fireplaces, four-poster beds and an ancient staircase of oak and elm. But if all of this smacks of stuffy country house hotel, it’s anything but. Thanks to Olly and Rebecca Jackson, the dynamic couple who run it (he in the kitchen, she front of house), Langford Fivehead is friendly rather than fusty, and intimate and indulgent rather than intimidating. And contemporary touches, such as the swanky bathrooms and artworks by local artists, mean it pleases young urban-based foodies and local retirees alike. This is very definitely a relaxed restaurant with rooms (six of them) and not a hotel. Rebecca is a natural and diligent hostess with a knack for making you feel instantly at home, while Olly is so chilled he’s happy for you to watch him cook if you wish. The food Having previously manned the stoves at Suffolk’s Crown and Castle and Cornwall’s Trelowarren Estate, Olly understands plot-to-plate eating. Here, the couple have put their seven acres of grounds to productive use so much of the vegetables and fruit come fresh from the kitchen gardens and orchard. But while ingredients are local, Olly’s techniques are firmly classical French, so expect braises, sauces and confits rather than techie tomfoolery. Dinner is available Tuesday to Saturday, lunch Wednesday to Friday, and guests eat in one of two intimate dining rooms (one a library housing Olly’s amazing collection of cookery books), choosing from a menu that’s pleasingly concise with three choices per course. Olly’s cooking is confident, creative and beautifully presented. The highlight of my dinner is a dish of pan-fried Dorset hake fillet with garden peas, pancetta, and home-grown hispi cabbage - a play on petits pois a la francaise - around which dinky potato towers stand to attention. It’s all parked on a bath of beurre blanc that’s rich and buttery yet also citrusy and light. Carnivorous dishes generally juxtapose a prime and a cheap cut, the meat sourced from Bonners in nearby Ilminster. Olly is a wow with desserts too – I try both the home-grown strawberry soufflé with strawberry sorbet, and the smooth dark chocolate delice with honeycomb, and it’s impossible to choose between them (the chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice cream is another firm menu fixture). If you want to be close to the action, choose the Kitchen Table option and watch your five-course meal being cooked from your table in the heart of the kitchen. The drink Navigate your way around the drinks list while enjoying pre-prandials and canapes by the fire or, if it’s fine, on the terrace. Most of the soft drinks, beers and ciders are local, as are many of the spirits, including Newton House gin, and Somerset Cider brandy crafted up the road by Julian Temperley. I go with a Funkin Bramble, a syrupy yet pleasingly punchy blend of Newton House gin and blackberry liqueur. The wine list, by contrast, is unashamedly French – to match the food – and refreshingly, arranged by price rather than country of origin. It opens at £20 and top-end wines are particularly well priced – a bottle of Volnay Premier Cru, for instance, will set you back £50, a fraction of what you’d pay in London. You can buy most of the wines by the glass, which is great if you want to test-drive some new ones. The bedrooms The six en-suite rooms are traditionally furnished, with heavy curtains and antique furniture, but there are contemporary touches too, such as the Ruark digital radios and iPod docks. Honeymooners make a beeline for Nathaniel Barnard (named after the local chap who bought the house in 1649 – spot his name graffitied into the fireplace), with its super-king four-poster, roll-top bath, Jacuzzi shower and ornate plasterwork ceiling. I also like Sybilla de Gundvill (named after the property’s first owner) which, although smaller and shower-only, has fabulously ancient elm-wood paneling. There are no TVs – which makes it extra peaceful – but if you need a telly fix there’s a burgundy-walled snug with a television downstairs. The breakfast I kick off with local apple juice and Olly’s homemade granola (nice and cinnamony) with yoghurt and mixed berries. Porridge, toast and croissants are on offer too. Hot made-to-order dishes include Full English (including Somerset sausages made by The Sausage Shed), home-cured salmon with scrambled eggs, and American-style pancakes with maple syrup. Double room at Langford Fivehead start from £195, accommodation, 3-course dinner and full English breakfast langfordfivehead.co.uk Words | Clare Hargreaves Photographs | Clare Hargreaves
The Churchill Arms, The Cotswolds: pub with rooms review
Read our review of The Churchill Arms, a cosy Gloucestershire pub with cooking much more refined than the rustic setting suggests – plus two bedrooms to retreat to at the end of a long meal
Next discover the best restaurants in the Cotswolds. Set the SatNav and, whichever way you approach The Churchill Arms in Paxford, you’ll travel along winding roads, lined with thatched cottages, through sleepy Cotswold villages. Your destination is equally quaint - a honey-hued pub dating back to the 17th century but re-opened after a sympathetic refurbishment earlier this year. You’re made to feel at home as soon as you step through the door of this family-friendly hostelry. Stand with the traditional inglenook fireplace on your right and choose from the bar, on your left, or a cosy dining room on your right (reached across a flagstone floor). The food The pub’s owner and head chef, Nick Deverell-Smith, is a local boy and grew up eating here with his family. But while he is clearly passionate about this pub, Deverell-Smith also brings the kind of depth to his cooking that can only be won through stints in Michelin-starred kitchens (in his case, Marcus Wareing’s, Marco Pierre White’s and, most influentially, Eric Chavot’s of Brasserie Chavot). Using local suppliers is important to the team here, which sources everything except fish from within a 10-mile radius. Refined dishes such as smoked haddock soufflé with a creamy chive velouté, pan-fried sea bream with crab beignets and seasonal greens, and smoked duck with textures of artichoke sit alongside elevated pub classics such as fish and chips, ham and leek pie and pork T-bone with apple, sage and shard-like crackling. If you’re really hungry (and a little ambitious), the mammoth (450g) sirloin steak on the bone, sourced locally from Todenham Farm, is a must-order. For dessert, opt for the rich dark chocolate tart with orange sorbet or on-trend caramelised roast pineapple with rice pudding, rum panna cotta and a mango sorbet. Cheese is always a good way to get the measure on a place and the board at The Churchill Arms is impressive; on our visit a local selection of St Eadburgha, St Egwin, Oxford blue and a soft and creamy goats curd was accompanied with a homemade chutney. The drink A Freehouse, operating alongside principal supplier Wells & Young, The Churchill Arms also serves beers and ales from three local, independent breweries, including the Purity brewery company. These are regularly rotated but the pub always aims to include a session ale, a gold ale and a brown ale and even their own brew in the mix. If beer’s not your thing, the impressive wine list spans all the big hitters alongside some more unusual, well-priced bottles such as a nutty pinot blanc d’Alsace. Fancy something a little stronger? The Cotswolds Distillery is right on the doorstep, so it’d be rude not to indulge in a G&T with gin made with botanicals including Cotswolds lavender, bay leaf and grapefruit. The rooms Book into one of the pubs two, simply furnished, bedrooms and you’ll find walls painted in muted, chalky colours, original beams, hardwood floors and soft, white cotton sheets. Sit and take in the view over rolling fields from the cushioned window seats or relax in the bath after a long walk. The Churchill Arms might have all the charm of a sleepy Cotswold pub, but there are modern comforts, too: TVs, espresso machines (brownie points for the fresh local milk in the mini-bar) and free wifi. The breakfast With only two rooms breakfast is a peaceful start to the day; there’s no buffet and all dishes are made to order. Choices are kept simple with a range of eggs cooked to your liking or a Churchill Arms full English. The latter includes a few surprises, such as a sausage that tasted slightly boozy (it was good). Teamed with toast and jam, fresh juices and endless offerings of coffee, take it as given that you won’t leave hungry. Don’t miss Make sure you pack your wellies. There are some beautiful walks in the surrounding area and the friendly staff will happily help you plan a day out. Chipping Campden is a 10-minute drive (or three-mile walk) away, with shops, tearooms, bakeries and country pubs a-plenty (Stratford on Avon’s about double that distance if you’re looking for a longer day’s tripping). And the Cotswolds Distillery is a must-visit – book a tour or enjoy a tasting session in the shop. Double rooms at The Churchill Arms start from £120 per night, including breakfast (churchillarms.co). Written by Nicki Smith, October 2016
Feast on stellar Sunday roasts and Seville orange soufflés at this small country house hotel in the waterside village of Beaulieu
The Montagu Arms in a nutshell A small country house hotel in the waterside village of Beaulieu. Doubles from £125, check availability at booking.com The atmosphere at The Montagu Arms. The Montagu Arms is a just a short cycle ride or drive from Brockenhurst, an ideal jumping off point for a tour of the New Forest. With open fires and wood panelling inside, and a terrace bar and pretty kitchen gardens outside, it’s a characterful spot no matter which month you visit. Add in the promise of a good supper and charming bedrooms and you’ve got the perfect recipe for post-walking or cycling pampering. Which room should I book at The Montagu Arms? Bedrooms stick to a tried and tested English country house theme, with floral wallpaper and curtains, white-painted furniture and pastel sofas. The hotel is proud of its rather old-fashioned sense of style and, while some guests might not appreciate the slightly yesteryear feel, for others it’s in keeping with the setting. Our room (room 6) was very comfortable, if a little on the cosy side, but it suited a quick weekend stop-off just fine. The food and drink at The Montagu Arms. Head chef Matthew Whitfield has brought a seasonal approach to the menu, with an emphasis on produce from the surrounding coast and countryside. There’s a kitchen garden where head gardener Barry Daniel grows, prunes and plucks ingredients to then use in the Terrace Restaurant. Go à la carte for the likes of New Forest mushrooms with confit chicken wings and crispy shallots, or hake with smoked bacon rainbow chard, and Seville orange soufflé with bitter dark chocolate ice cream. A seven-course tasting menu showcases the best from the à la carte menu, or you can opt for an entirely vegan menu. Time your trip over a weekend and you can also sit down to a stellar Sunday lunch, tucking into hearty plates of beef and pork served with duck fat roasties, seasonal veg and Yorkshire puds. Breakfast at The Montagu Arms. The first meal of the day is approached with as much care as the dinner menus. A breakfast menu included thick-cut smoked bacon and sausage from Ponhead farm, eggs from the hotel’s own hens, crumbly, freshly baked pastries and delicately flaky smoked haddock – the perfect start to a day spent cycling or walking. What else can foodies do in Beaulieu? Perched on the southeast edge of the New Forest The Montagu Arms makes a great base for walkers and cyclists wanting to explore. If it’s pure indulgence you’re in search of, however, guests are welcome to use the spa facilities at sister hotel Careys Manor, six miles away (these stretch to an indoor pool, sauna and steam room). Is The Montagu Arms family and dog-friendly? No. montaguarmshotel.co.uk Food photographs by Jodi Hinds Food Photographer London
Abode, Exeter: hotel and restaurant review
We review England’s oldest hotel, in Devon, where Michael Caines oversees a menu that takes pride in its West Country roots
First built as an Assembly Rooms, in 1769, what is now Abode Exeter but was for many years the Royal Clarence Hotel claims to be the ‘first’ hotel in England; a 1770 advert for it is the first recorded use of the word hôtel on these shores. Thankfully, despite a recent revamp, many of the building’s period fittings remain in place (stained glass, lavishly monogrammed wood and metalwork and a spectacular lift, complete with internal concertina doors, among them). The modern fittings are less successful, their contract-furniture veneer jarring against such a genteel backdrop, but there are compelling reasons to stay at this 53-room hotel, as recent guest David Cameron would attest to. Firstly there’s that heritage (it’s also said to play occasional host to the ghost of Walter Raleigh, whose father’s house once stood on the same site). Then there’s the dramatic location, with many of the rooms looking directly onto the city’s cathedral across the green (even if you’re not staying here, book in for afternoon tea in the Cathedral Lounge, pictured below, and you can enjoy the same panorama). But the main attraction is the hotel’s kitchen. The food Under the direction of local boy turned star chef, Michael Caines, and head chef, Alex Gibbs, the hotel’s 2 AA rosette restaurant (top image) turns out immaculately prepared, seasonal, modern food, much of it sourced from the West Country. Go à la carte for dishes such as roasted quail with quail egg, herb purée and quail jus; terrine of confit duck liver and leg with rhubarb and toasted brioche; and stone bass with Thai puree, stir-fried mangetout and shitaki lemongrass foam. Or, opt for one of two tasting menus (the more elaborate of the two can only be ordered by the whole table). There’s also a dedicated, and sensibly cheaper, vegetarian menu and, at lunchtimes, a bargain two-course menu. Desserts are classic crowd-pleasers: chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream, passionfruit crème brulée and pear bavarois with spiced ice cream. As with parts of the rest of the hotel the one false step here is the design. With tables that look as though they belong in a chain coffee shop and paintings of fruit and veg as cheesy as an M&S food ad there’s little atmosphere. It’s an unfathomable waste of that period setting. Presentation, too, feels oddly dated, with wobbly glass plates and napkins placed on laps. That flawless food, however, and personable service, means it’s a busy spot. Go now if you want to try Michael Caines' menus without the Michelin price tag; the recent announcement that he is leaving the Brownsword Group to open his own country house hotel and restaurant in Lympstone means that, from spring 2016, his association with the Abode hotels will end and his Gidleigh Park replacement, Michael Wignall, will be overseeing menus in the Abode hotels - not exactly a step down but a change nonetheless. (If you’re not after a three-course dinner, the food and drink line-up also stretches to a Champagne Bar, Café Bar and Grill and a pub, The Well House Tavern.) The drink As with the food, the focus with beers and soft drinks is on local, with a good range of guest ales and ciders from the South West (try the Devon Mist cloudy cider). The wine list is equally well thought-out; our glasses of Ridgeview sparkling wine and bottle of crisp 2013 Baronne du Cléray Muscadet Sevre et Maine went down very quickly. The bedrooms Brownsword is a hotel group of two halves. On one side is a collection of stately old country house hotels (albeit some of them, like the Bath Priory, within urban surroundings) and, on the other, a handful of more affordable city hotels that come under the Abode label, including this one. Here, like that two-part branding, the styling feels like a split personality; Travelodge-style headboards and multi-panel bathrooms have been slotted into a building ripe with period beauty; rather than a glossy trout pout, we wanted to see the beautiful old wrinkles brought to life more sympathetically. Beyond those first impressions, however, rooms are comfortable and practical, with great beds, powerful showers and, if you’re lucky, a view of the cathedral when you pull back your curtains in the morning. The breakfast A small but classy buffet includes all the usual suspects, from fresh pains au chocolats and fruit salads to cold cuts, yoghurts and prunes steeped in Earl Grey. Raspberry and banana smoothies served in little milk bottles, with candy-striped straws, were a nice addition. For a more substantial start to the day, there’s a menu of made-to-order dishes, from porridge and a full English to kippers and Eggs Benedict. The bill: Double rooms at ABode Exeter start from £99, b&b (abodeexeter.co.uk). More info: visitdevon.co.uk Words: Rhiannon Batten First published: November 2015 You might also like The Bath Priory Hotel: kitchen tour and interview with chef Sam Moody On the rails: Mitch Tonks new GWR Pullman train menu The UK’s best restaurants of 2015 Café Ode, Devon: a culinary poem to sustainable dining The best English vineyards to visit in 2015