Britain’s best wine bars and restaurants for soaking up the sun
Published 06 July 2026

It might be a tiny converted shed tucked behind Bridport’s police station, but this weekends-only restaurant is both sophisticated and instantly lovable. Sisters Connie and Jess Booth are floral decorators and growers by day, but come Friday and Saturday evenings, they chalk up a confidently short blackboard menu detailing exactly what you might want to eat for the time of year (and even the weather). Two sittings (6.30pm and 8.30pm) make the most of the 20 or so covers, which are quite comfortably accommodated around little bistro tables dressed with white paper tablecloths and colourful dinner candles. Start with a local pint or cocktail du jour to kick things off and let the buzzing atmosphere and vibey music wash over you. Thursday nights offer a single-choice dinner, often with live music, and are saved for walk-ins; otherwise, bookings should be made via their Instagram page. Don’t miss Selected Grapes, the wine bar and shop across the yard, for a pre- or post-meal bottle.

For his latest opening, Dom Hamdy (of Crispin and Bistro Freddie fame) has taken possession of the ground floor of a new apartment block in Westbourne Park overlooking the Grand Union Canal. The dining space looks sharp with an industrial fit-out (exposed ventilation, concrete flooring, pillars etc), softened by wooden furnishings and olive-green banquettes, all bookended by an open-plan kitchen and a square bar with counter seating. There's also a terrace.

The kitchen works to a menu of seasonal, modern European sharing plates featuring produce from reputable sources (Layla sourdough and Coombeshead Farm jamón, for example), and while we were impressed with the freshness of a snack of crab toast we were not bowled over by 'the table cheeseburger' – a signature smashed burger with runny Cheddar and soft milk buns. Far more interesting was Cornish monkfish flanked by clams and fat mussels, topped with sea purslane and served with orzo in a velvety buttery tomato sauce. And we were glad we saved room for a delicious brown butter and almond cake with sour cherries. 

The drinks list takes things up a notch or two with cocktails (courtesy of Haggerston's A Bar with Shapes for a Name), plus exciting natural wines from £39, with plenty by the glass from £7.

The prospect of chilling out on a hugely desirable decked terrace by the river Cherwell makes this enchanting Victorian boathouse one of Oxford’s great delights – and that’s before you factor in its glorious wine cellar and the added temptations of punting on the water. Dating from 1904, this beloved institution is also a good shout for capably handled food with noticeable English and French accents. Nothing is overplayed here, but the kitchen comes up with subtly creative ideas to match the seasons. Eating alfresco in summer, you might indulge in a bowl of gazpacho with watermelon or Cornish mackerel with sauce pipérade ahead of Cotswold chicken breast with samphire, tarragon and pea fricassée. Come winter, other treats await those who congregate in the dining room – an affable blend of wooden floorboards, bare beams and white tablecloths. Openers such as venison fritters with Parmesan purée and crispy kale might precede guinea fowl adorned with a festive harvest of walnut purée, wild mushrooms, roasted Brussels sprouts and bone marrow jus. For afters, hot chocolate pot with passion fruit is a perennial favourite – although you might prefer local strawberries with elderflower custard or tarte tatin with Calvados ice cream, depending on the calendar. For many, however, it’s all about the superlative wine list, an all-embracing compendium stuffed with mouthwatering global selections ranging from Old World aristocrats of high pedigree to the most fashionable young contenders. Mark-ups are kind, with selections from the 'shortlist' starting at £19.75 (£5 for a standard glass).

Corkage has always felt like the kind of neighbourhood restaurant that can give a neighbourhood a good name. The original manifestation was in an engaging tiny space quite a way up Walcot Street and was so successful a larger branch opened in Chapel Row, just off Queen Square. Post-pandemic, only the Chapel Row branch has survived. A long and narrow dining room with chunky wood furniture, bookended by a snug front bar and a timbered and tented rear terrace, it’s instantly appealing, a very attractive operation with rough edges but with its heart in the right place. It works as a wine and small-plates bar, offering great value, breezy, friendly service, and bags of atmosphere. The short, regularly changing menu is reflective of the Mediterranean basin, the seasons, and the chef’s enthusiasms. Thus you’ll find cured-and-torched mackerel fillet with soured cream, vermouth jelly and breadcrumbs alongside lamb sweetbreads with a mix of peas, broad beans and shallots, a dab of labneh and a smear of herb oil. Or there could be slow-braised shoulder of lamb with butter beans, lemon and greens, and nicely charred octopus atop chickpea purée with a red pepper and onion salad. Pudding might be a tart (perhaps lemon with crème fraîche) or a special of burnt Catalan cheesecake. Not the least attraction of the place is the long list of kindly priced wines, a mainly classy Eurocentric coterie with skin contact and 'funky' offerings, plus a good by-the-glass selection.

Swans in the middle of Manchester! Who would have thought? But Flawd is on the New Islington Marina, a network of canals and water basins now home to barges and wildfowl, new apartments, green spaces and walkways. The feel is Dutch or Scandinavian, enhanced by a fine-weather terrace. It’s a suitable setting for a contemporary bottle shop, wine bar and sharing-plate eatery of restricted size with a buzzy atmosphere, enthusiastic staff and a funky playlist. As soon as you walk in, you know it’s a place in which to have fun.

The blackboard menu changes regularly and features local and regional ingredients such as Lancaster smoked mackerel, Garstang Blue cheese and ‘big dollops’ of outstanding sourdough bread from neighbouring bakery Pollen. Charcuterie is from Curing Rebels in Brighton, however, although who cares about regional pedantry when it’s this good?

This place has pedigree, and it shows: flair and imagination define the largely plant-focused cooking, which goes big on flavour. Unctuous whipped split-pea dip might be paired with fermented kale or spring onions, while stewed autumn tomatoes are served with ‘nduja and garlic toast. Elsewhere, grilled romanesco is paired with goat’s curd and treviso (‘a deliciously earthy combo’), and assorted brassicas are heaped with autumnal chestnut mushrooms and topped with shavings of cured ox heart (like ‘poor people’s truffle’).

The word Flawd refers to an 18th-century term meaning ‘drunk’, which is fitting as they major on natural and low-intervention wines from small producers. It’s also a trick to disabuse drinkers of the perception that such wines are ‘flawed’. With a range of styles by the glass, it’s easy to delve into this brave new world – and if that lacks appeal, there’s also an excellent choice of craft beer. Note: there are no reservations and no desserts. A flaw, perhaps, but not a fatal one.

Across the waters from bustling Padstow, this plum spot on the Camel Estuary surveys the domains of Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth and throws its own hat in the ring as a seriously good place for dinner. Named for the four sons of caterer Fee Turner and run by two of them, it’s a family affair but one with touches of influence from London greats such as Trullo (the crab taglioni) and St John (the stubby-stemmed flutes) that bring a slice of cosmopolitan life to this holidaymakers' landscape. When doors open for the season, a weekend evening sees the handsome but minimalist dining room buzzing before 7pm with some sandy-footed blow-ins from the beach, others dressed up for an evening out, babes in arms, children, dogs and all. The Italianate menu is set up for sharing, though you wouldn’t be penalised for going it alone with a big plate of fresh pasta. The seafood is as local and seasonal as you’d expect, and delivered with enough aplomb to keep Nathan Outlaw’s team down the road in Port Isaac coming back regularly. Start your meal with a well-made Martini or a glass of Camel Valley sparkling wine in the adjoining bar or take a table on the terrace for a prime waterside view when the weather's fair. 

Situated a stone’s throw from the Grand Union Canal, the Fox has already become a valued neighbourhood asset in the little enclave of Catherine-de-Barnes. It may be on a busy road, but inside the bright restaurant is a relaxing spot with its beige carpet, chilled soundtrack, white walls and mirrored faux windows. At the rear, a beautiful vine-covered terrace, potted olive trees and a little stretch of lawn bravely try to conjure up the Mediterranean – though heaters and blankets are on hand for chilly Solihull nights. The brief, regularly changing menu incorporates small and large plates at lunch, as well as a selection of antipasti snacks, while dinner is a fixed-price deal. Creamy broccoli and blue-cheese soup, served with moreish toasted sourdough (from a nearby bakery), could be followed by a succulent chunk of hake with sliced courgette and a rich Crémant velouté, topped by a rather chewy frond of dried seaweed. A well-presented caramelised white-chocolate cheesecake with banana ice cream makes a pleasing finale, while the selection of local beers and a concise but varied wine list are further draws. Nevertheless, it is the warm welcome and friendly service that attract most praise from regulars. ‘They take really good care of you’; ‘nothing is too much trouble’; 'service is first class, relaxed, attentive and personal’ are typical plaudits. Morning coffee, bread for sale, and a roster of special events (from brunch to a menu celebrating International Women’s Day) also help to make this a cherished local haunt.

Located where the outer London suburbs fray into the thickets of Epping Forest, Gina has brought a beam of gastronomic sunshine to the culinary badlands of Chingford’s Station Road since arriving in summer 2025. Step inside and you'll encounter a lively little dining room with long banquettes and bright modern art hanging on scuffed walls – a space that manages to look contemporary but also homely.

The restaurant is named after chef-owner Mattie Taiano’s late mother, and, though Italian heritage is certainly an influence in the kitchen, dishes take inspiration and plunder produce from near and far. Cornish seafood might feature in a medley of monkfish, bacon and oak leaf (a salty and satisfying starter when we visited), though beef tartare might make an equally auspicious opener. Crowd-pleasing food done well seems to be the guiding ethos here, evidenced in the signature main of ‘Gina’s pasta’ (a terrific tangle of spaghetti swimming in marinara sauce under drifts of Parmesan) – although a main course of potato and Gubbeen pithivier made for a worthy rival.

The choice of seven desserts veers towards big, generous flavours, be it a dense slab of Ravi’s chocolate cake (bearing the name of Taiano’s wife and fellow chef-owner, Ravneet Gill) or a scoop of blackberry sorbet. Alongside a thoughtfully composed wine list, you’ll find two house cocktails – Gina’s Martini and Margarita Cremisi.

It's a mighty long way from the south London heartlands of Brixton and Peckham where Nicholas Balfe's other venues have been sited, but South Petherton in Somerset exudes its own contrasting charisma. In Holm, he has founded a rural enclave, where the kitchen can move in rhythm with the West Country seasons, the full gastronomic range of menu formats all driven by what is most tempting from surrounding farmsteads and suppliers.

From the dining area to the guest rooms, the place has been done out with the lightest palette, with terrazzo flooring, blond wood, distressed plasterwork and small framed abstract shapes to look at. Staff are attentive, friendly and importantly informed about Dan Graham's intuitively poised dishes. Lighter lunch starters might take in crisply crumbed hogget croquette with yoghurt and gherkins, or a bowl of beetroot, apple and feta soup. Follow on with butterflied mackerel zigzagged with aïoli, or an accurately pink bavette with Isle of Wight tomatoes. Pair with a well-dressed bowl of local saladings, or roasted pink firs dabbed with chimichurri.

Evening menus bring on the more substantial likes of pork loin with burnt pear, or Cornish sea bass with pumpkin in brown butter, while the vegetarian option might offer a fortifying assemblage of gnocchi with girolles and sweetcorn. We finished with an excellent tarta de Santiago (almond and citrus cake) with poached quince and crème fraîche, but there could be fig-leaf panna cotta with plums and shortbread, or chocolate crémeux and honeycomb.

Fragrant cocktails and a concise yet imaginative wine list inspire confidence, and there's a fuller cellar list for deep-divers. Castlewood Vineyard's Devon sparklers in both colours should get the party started.

Judging by our inbox, Bristolians are delighted by the arrival of this welcoming French bistro from the team behind Totterdown favourite Bank. It's a little corner of France in a shipping container with sage-green walls adorned with framed 1930s adverts, shelves full of wine bottles, a white-tiled kitchen and cute bunny motifs etched into the corner of the wooden tables.

There's a chalkboard with daily specials, while the regular menu is full of French classics ranging from rillettes with cornichons to roast duck bigarade (à l’orange). When the kitchen occasionally goes off piste with, say, a soufflé Suissesse with Gruyère and a Marmite (yes, Marmite!) cream, the result is a surprisingly delicious. Portions are hearty, while presentation (though occasionally a little rough around the edges) befits the easy-going bistro vibe. Puddings include an éclair of the day, big enough to share and often filled with something daringly avant-garde – say, white chocolate, cinnamon and apple.

Every wine on the exclusively French list is offered by the glass, with knowledgeable staff on hand to guide you through the options, while non-alcoholic Diabolos and Oranginas are available for drivers. The prix-fixe menus and accompanying wine flights (available at lunch and dinner) are good value too.

‘A beacon of freshness and seasonality’ in the elegant environs of Herne Hill, independently owned Llewelyn’s has more than proved its worth as a neighbourhood asset with chef Lasse Petersen at the helm. Large windows flood the pale walls of the dining room with natural light, reflected by gilt-edged mirrors, while the sumptuous leather of the green banquettes makes a naturally inviting place to linger during an unhurried lunchtime. Despite the relative simplicity of the menu descriptions, there is much afoot in the dishes: a rösti is embellished with smoked eel and mustard leaf, while monkfish is given the seasonal treatment with capers, crab and Brussels sprouts.

There are touches of traditionalism too: crisp-skinned pollack might be honour-guarded with mussels and sauced with a rich bisque, while grilled leg of lamb could be dressed with bagna cauda and charred greens. Veggies might fancy something cheesy – perhaps Roquefort with marinated figs, grapes and frisée or a Comté soufflé with creamed spinach and autumn truffle. Desserts play the seasonal card, from a set cream with winter citrus and pistachio to a ‘mince pie’ riff on Arctic roll.

Service exudes ‘unwavering warmth and impeccable hospitality,’ according to one devotee, while an eclectic collection of wines, including a welter of skin-contact gear, adds to the allure. The owners also run a shop and wine bar called Lulu's, next door to the restaurant.

While Ben Marks and Matt Emerson's restaurant Perilla is known for its cool, bijou space, their second opening in Clerkenwell's Exmouth Market has gone large, taking over a former bank. It is grand in scale, buffed up by oak panelling, parquet flooring and oak furnishings, while arched wood-framed windows let in loads of natural light; there’s an adjacent wine bar, too. However, it can get noisy when it's busy due to all the hard surfaces and the clatter from the open-plan kitchen (with achingly uncomfortable counter seating), which sits bang in the centre of things. Still, Perilla and Morchella are proof that the best things do come in pairs – here the ambience is laid-back, with a great soundtrack and a bevy of friendly, relaxed staff.

Food-wise, expect a repertoire of Mediterranean-inspired dishes that are warming and generous: our snack of spinach and feta spanakopita wrapped in the most delicate filo pastry fitted the bill perfectly, while lobster spaghetti, served with a rich shellfish and tomato sauce topped off with fresh basil, was a perfect antidote to the dreary weather outside. The kitchen is equally adept with meat and we were impressed by a tender slow-cooked pork jowl with beautifully thin, crispy crackling) and a dollop of quince compôte. To finish, we recommend the black fig and fig-leaf choux bun.

There's a good-value set menu too, and the owners have nailed their vinous colours to the mast with a list of predominantly organic, biodynamic and European wines, categorised as ‘classic’, ‘coastal’ or ‘funky’. Those with a taste for cocktails aren't short-changed either. 

‘This is how summer dining should be,’ thought one visitor. Indeed. Deep in the Wiltshire countryside, Pythouse's billowing flower gardens and warm walls embrace the old lean-to conservatory that acts as a dining room. Geraniums and little lemon trees juggle for windowsill space, blinds shade from the sun, and doors are open to the breeze. It’s an easy place in which to pass a few hours – especially when your table is filled variously with good things, prepared simply, mostly over fire. Bouncy, chewy potato bread with garlicky fava-bean houmous drizzled with rapeseed oil and a gathering of pickled veg nudges the appetite. The garden dictates culinary proceedings, with preserved ingredients lifting flavours here and there. A June outing brought treasures aplenty: miso-braised hispi cabbage with wet garlic; slow-cooked tomatoes with wisps of pickled rose petals and herb oil; roasted beets with smoked cream, fig-leaf vinegar and the toasty crunch of puffed quinoa. What’s not grown on site comes from nearby: wild venison from north Somerset; pasture-reared beef from a small family farm in the impossibly romantic-sounding hamlet of Nempnett Thrubwell; chalk stream trout (served with asparagus velouté). Gorgeously tender lamb (cooked pink) is a highlight, with a wilt of fermented wild garlic giving sharpness and roasted cauliflower purée adding a savoury note. To finish, fresh strawberries tumble against the 'Milk Bar's crack pie’ – a chewy, treacly, biscuity tart topped with thick, whipped Jersey-milk Ivy House cream – while bitter notes temper sweetness nicely in an espresso caramel with a Pump Street chocolate mousse. To drink? Yes there’s wine, but this is the home of Sprigster, the botanical shrub that surely refreshes parts no alcohol can truly reach.

Famous as purveyors of organic vegetable boxes, it’s hard to believe that Riverford’s slightly lesser-known sibling celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025. Situated in the heart of its (original) Buckfastleigh farm, Riverford Field Kitchen is ‘as farm to fork as it can get’, with produce grown in polytunnels metres from the simply adorned open-plan kitchen/dining room with its dried flowers and mismatched furniture.

Everyone is served at the same time (family-style) and meals are bulked out with shared seasonal salads and vegetables at their peak, while daily changing menus featuring only prepared-to-order food means that waste is kept to a minimum. Expect the likes of freshly baked sourdough, meze-style starters, just one main course and a choice of desserts. 

On our visit, starters featured the purest of flavours ranging from gently warmed, sweet figs with crumbed, salty feta to Thai-style cauliflower florets tossed with blackened flat beans, coconut and ginger. The main course was equally delicious and delivered our only hit of meat – roasted, organic pork belly (from renowned farmer/campaigner Helen Browning), soft and juicy with perfectly brittle crackling, paired with a riot of autumnal produce including Crown Prince squash, fennel, tomato and aïoli, plus crushed, roasted potatoes bejewelled with finely chopped gherkins, and well-seasoned January King cabbage draped in chilli butter.

The line-up of desserts, meanwhile, might include a soft and fluffy chocolate olive-oil cake with chilled Chantilly and frosted almonds, or a play on apple crumble involving rum-soaked fruit, hazelnut crumb and a creamy parfait. Saturday brunch (a four-course veggie set menu) is a new addition to the set-up, and there’s an extensive range of drinks to match the food – the house-made cordials and ferments are divine.

Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth time at Rochelle Canteen, you can’t fail to feel a frisson when pressing the buzzer to gain admission. Is this the place? Is it open? But once inside the old building (formerly a school bike shed), seated in the glass-walled canteen or basking in the beautifully dappled light of the garden, you feel immediately at ease. The daily changing menu is a ‘celebration of all the things that we love most,' say owners Margot Henderson and Melanie Arnold, while the venue's many regulars share their enthusiasm for Anglo-European cookery, classic and modern. Typically, that might mean faggots with carrots and green sauce, French onion soup, cod cheeks with anchovy and rosemary, crab tart with a nicely dressed little salad, or sweetbreads with radishes, bacon and mint. For afters, steamed marmalade pudding, cherry parfait and plum pavlova are puds of the ‘proper’ persuasion. In short, Rochelle is pretty much idyllic – especially at lunchtime and especially in the summer. Wines (from £35) are European, and predominantly French.

Opened on Bristol’s waterfront Cargo development in 2017, this 'restaurant in a shipping container' may be starting to show its age (in good weather, the terrace is the place to be), but Root still delivers fresh creativity on the plate. Part of Josh Eggleton’s Pony Restaurant Group, it offers an ever-changing seasonal menu of vegetable-led small plates – although there are always a couple of fish and meat choices, say butterflied red mullet with Isle of Wight tomatoes and saffron aïoli. 

A recent meal kicked off with a simple plate of crudités, elevated by the presence of sparklingly fresh raw vegetables, punchy pickles and a delicious cashew and seaweed dip. Light and fluffy gnudi-style ewe’s curd dumplings are a Root signature dish and rightly so; the accompanying braised greens had great flavour, accentuated by tart and fragrant preserved lemon. By contrast, Wye Valley asparagus with peas, broad beans, radish and cider shallots was spring personified in one fresh and invigorating assemblage. A beautifully made honey and brown butter tart brought the meal to a satisfactorily sweet conclusion. The wine list offers 25 choices, with eight available by the carafe. The emphasis is on natural viticulture, but with enough organic and biodynamic options to please the wider wine-drinking audience. 

With founding chef Rob Howell having relocated to the sister Root in Wells, we couldn’t completely dismiss the nagging feeling that the Bristol original is now something of a poor relation. In addition to the interior’s wear and tear, service was somewhat inattentive and there was a general lack of excitement about the experience. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to love about Root, and it remains a Bristol stalwart.

Sam Harrison’s ‘wow factor’ brasserie has quickly become a local institution, where friends are cherished and first timers are welcomed with arms open wide. It's joyous, buzzy, unpretentious and a godsend for the neighbourhood – especially as the man himself and his wonderfully accommodating staff help to create that special frisson of ‘show and anticipation’. The glorious setting by the river ‘feels a million miles from central London’, while the airy, clean-lined dining room (lots of light and glass) emanates an invitingly civilised glow. There’s also a much-in-demand outdoor terrace and a ‘spectacular’ bar – don’t miss the ‘oyster happy hour’. As for the cooking, seasonality rules and the kitchen is big on provenance, supporting local suppliers and the community (‘they even use ingredients from a farm on a nearby inner-city school,’ observed one fan). The result is a rolling roster of refreshingly straightforward but creative dishes noted for their bold, up-front flavours. Seafood platters go down a storm, but also expect anything from mussels with ‘nduja, spring onion and samphire to lamb rump accompanied by potato terrine, purple sprouting broccoli and wild garlic. Devotees of cheeseburgers, spatchcock poussin and lobster rolls won’t be disappointed, while those who are sweet of tooth can delight in desserts such as buttermilk panna cotta or rhubarb pavlova with lemon curd. Sam’s set menu is one of the capital’s bargains and locals descend in their droves for the terrific Sunday lunch blowout. There are also ‘special wines to discover’ from a well-chosen list offering affordable access and a decent selection by the glass. 

True to its name, this shoreside villa commands a sublime panorama from a bluff overlooking Chesil Beach – on a clear day, you can see Portland cliffs and Devon estuaries from its terrace, and you can hear the tide raking away at the shingle below. A maritime mood defines the dining room too: a classically done-out space full of crisp linen that flutters in the salty breeze, with pictures of sailing ships adorning whitewashed walls. 

Seafood (of course) primarily reels in the diners. Many open their meal slurping on Portland pearl oysters, dressed with soy, ginger and coriander. Indeed, the kitchen has been hailed for 'simple food done so well', something evident in our starter of grilled sardines, confit tomatoes and aïoli. Mains might see more intricate constructions. The undisputed highlight of our visit was a rich Sicilian-style fish stew, whose fathoms yielded generous chunks of lobster, prawns and sea bass, though a dish of sublimely flaky John Dory, balanced atop green beans was a close second.

The dessert selection sang with summery flavours from blackcurrant sorbet to raspberry and almond tart with clotted cream – though there’s much to be said for a winter visit, when inbound storms rattle the window panes and all is cosy within. France claims pole position on the fairly priced wine list. There are also nine bedrooms for those who can’t bear to part with this most beautiful of coastal views.

The inconspicuous entrance – look for the pillarbox-red door – doesn’t give much away. Take the lift to the 4th floor and pull back the velvet curtain for the grand reveal. The huge arched windows of Palladian-style Sessions House (once the country’s largest courthouse) flood the former judges’ dining room with light by day, and reflect the flickering candlelight by night. It feels like stepping onto a period film set, the distressed paintwork and salvaged furnishings evoking a faded louche decadence.

Former sous-chef Abigail Hill is now running the kitchen, and her seasonally inspired food captures and reflects the artful aesthetic. The single-sheet roster of Med-accented dishes runs from the diminutive to the substantial and can be enjoyed in a three-course format – though each dish is delivered to your table when ready, so it’s arguably better to approach the menu as a pick-‘n’-mix.

Hill composes the food as much for the eye as for the palate, and any sense of pared-back austerity is banished by seductive richness and decadence: thick, buttery slices of lightly cured trout, properly seasoned and accompanied by a tart cream, heady with perfumed bergamot, for example, or rare onglet with a cloud of finely grated Spenwood cheese, which further heightens the almost gamey umami of the beef. This is well-judged and skilful stuff. Elsewhere, roasted muscat grapes bring bursts of sweet acidity to a winter creation of rich and astutely cooked pork with collard greens.

Vegetable dishes are given minor billing, though offerings such as shards of raw Badger Flame beetroot with walnuts and Jerusalem artichoke purée or a standout combo of purple sprouting broccoli with pistachio crumb and ewe’s yoghurt go a long way to absolving this. To finish, chocolate torte is a worthy Sessions classic. The wine list, supplied by Keeling Andrew (importers, distributors, consultants and founders of Noble Rot), is well-suited to the grown-up Sessions crowd (over-18s only): expect a stylish assortment of crowd-pleasers and hip appellations, plus an impressive by-the-glass range and plenty for those who want to delve a little deeper.

There’s been quite a buzz about this dinky whitewashed eatery on the tiny community-owned island of Ulva since it reopened with new custodians. Shining like a beacon from the jetty on the neighbouring island of Mull, it's accessed by flipping a board above the slipway from white to red and Rhuri the ferryman will chug over to collect you. There are no cars on Ulva.

Outside, there's a smattering of picnic tables, crammed with families and groups of friends on a sunny Sunday lunchtime. Inside, there’s more seating upstairs in the attic-like space: distressed tongue-and-groove, vintage metal chairs and rustic tables strewn with jars of wildflowers. The chalkboard outside the front door lists the daily changing menu (depending on the day's catch), alongside vegetarian and meat options that might range from handmade pasta with asparagus pesto, hazelnut butter and crispy kale to Ulva beef and cabbage rolls in tomato sauce (the meat is reared on the island).

But briny, fresh seafood is the headline act: a plate of salmon-pink Ulva prawns or langoustines comes with a crunchy apple and carrot salad, a slice of lemon and soft home-baked brioche and butter; delectably simple, salty seaside fare. For dessert, a slice of moreishly zingy lemon drizzle should do the trick. You can also stop by for coffee, cake, and picnic supplies. No bookings.

London escapees Ivor and Susie Dunkerton started making organic cider and perry on their Herefordshire smallholding back in 1980 and their enterprise has reaped rich rewards ever since. The business is now run by their son and production has moved to Cheltenham, but inquisitive travellers can still visit the original cider mill – and its adjoining restaurant, housed in a beautiful Grade II-listed 400-year-old barn nearby. Run by local chef Sophie Bowen, it eschews folksy, homespun fodder in favour of stylish contemporary food inspired by ingredients from the surrounding countryside. At lunchtime, you can graze from the café menu (shallot fishcakes, teriyaki beef with pickled cabbage, seafood chowder), but it pays to book in for the full works in the evening – especially if you’re intrigued by the prospect of baked hake with creamy polenta, sautéed wild mushrooms and kale dressed with shrimps and capers or soy-marinated pork loin accompanied by a black pudding croquette, caraway-spiked spring greens and horseradish mayo. To finish, freshly fried doughnuts with citrus curd sound unmissable, but also consider the caramelised white chocolate, tarragon and rhubarb millefeuille. Sunday lunch is a showcase for slow-cooked Herefordshire beef with all the trimmings. To drink, one of Dunkertons fruity brews is the natural choice, but there’s also a short list of well-chosen wines from £21.

It’s all change at the historic Crown, with the arrival of restless, talented chef-patron Simon Bonwick, who has installed dozens of his own artworks and now offers various menus with the accent on old-style French cooking. Thankfully, the cosy 16th-century pub remains largely unchanged: locals still come to sup pints of ale among its ancient beams, low ceilings and wood-burning stoves, while checked tablecloths and a soundtrack of soulful jazz ballads add to the mellow bistro vibe in the dining area; outside is a large beer garden.

A blackboard bar menu is served through the week, with poshed-up pub nosh such as pie and mash or exquisitely presented, flavourful rabbit rillettes with pickles, while the first-rate bread is baked fresh for every sitting. From Wednesday onwards, a slightly more ambitious choice comes into play, perhaps starting with sharp pickled herring on a disc of potato salad, followed by poached chicken with mash or a lemon sole ('market fish, like when in Paris,’ says the menu). At our meal, both main courses had highs and lows: excellent braised carrots with the chicken, but the unremarkable chunks of skinless breast arrived in a tangy, vinegary sauce lacking the promised notes of tarragon, while the fillets of pan-fried fish came folded over and short on succulence, although the buttery meunière sauce was textbook.

For afters, there were no caveats about a properly weighty syrup sponge and a lemon curd crumble (crisp crumble, thick curd). Knowledgeable, engaging young staff add to the Crown's polish, likewise a lengthy wine list where even the house options have character. To sample Bonwick’s undoubted culinary flair to the full, book a seat at the ‘Troublesome Lodger’ Snug (Thursday to Saturday), where a six-course tasting menu encompasses his idiosyncratic take on French cuisine and traditional British specials.

There are plenty of reasons to linger in this cosy all-year courtyard garden right at the heart of the Corinthia London hotel. Beautifully sheltered, shaded and planted, it cuts a real dash in summer but come winter a mix of sofas with blankets, two fireplaces and plenty of heaters make this a comfortable and elegant destination whatever the weather. Among the all-day food and drinks offering, expect Mediterranean airs in show-stopping main courses such as white asparagus served with a morel and artichoke casserole, wild garlic and fresh Parmesan, or a beautifully rendered, baked sea bass fillet with fennel, capers and lemon. Eggs Mimosa or beef carpaccio start things off with plenty of oomph, otherwise plump for just one dish – say a satisfying salade niçoise or a pizzette topped with Ortiz tuna, tomato, black olive and pea shoots. It’s all about good food, good wine – and cigars after 9.30pm – at prices that match the surroundings.

There are lots of hints that this semi-rural pub in the upmarket residential village of Old Windsor is part of Scottish-born chef Adam Handling’s mini empire. With its stylish tartan tub chairs and walls bedecked with dried heather and flowers, the decor has more than a hint of a modern Highland lodge about it. The menu includes signature Handling dishes such as the excellent sourdough served with chicken butter, chicken-skin scratchings and an intense but quaffable chicken jus for dunking. The biggest clue, however, is just how polished, professional and smooth the whole operation is. This might be a pub (and a highly enjoyable one at that), but high standards are maintained throughout – especially when it comes to the beautifully presented, precisely cooked and big flavoured food. Purists might be surprised by the artfully arranged pile of paprika-flavoured crispy shallots that tops off a playful version of steak tartare, but they wouldn’t argue with the extra layer of complexity they lend to this otherwise classic dish. To follow, chicken breast, possibly cooked sous-vide before being browned in a pan, was exceptionally tender and had excellent flavour, the mark of a good bird. Simply but elegantly garnished with tenderstem broccoli, fresh basil, crème fraîche and 'London miso', it was the perfect lunch dish. For afters, 'the king's trifle' involved a subtle yet spicy mix of parkin, ginger cream, custard and strawberry jelly topped with candied pistachios. You will also need to be strong willed to avoid bumping up your bill with some tempting snacks such as the intriguing octopus 'hot dog' in a brioche bun with mustard and harissa. Wine doesn’t come cheap either, with just four bottles under £40, but it’s an interesting and thoughtfully assembled list – particularly if you fancy splashing out at the higher end. In good weather, a seat on the shaded front terrace overlooking open fields would be the ideal spot for a lazy repast.

In a Devon barn where grain was once threshed, the Lost Kitchen inspires readers with fresh ideas, a menu supplied by local farmers, and wood-fired cooking that scores highly on the all-important 'scrumptiousness' scale. A gorgeous terrace overlooking the gardens is a must when the sun comes out. Sharing plates mobilise plenty of assertive flavours, as do the tempting pizza variations, while grilling and roasting bring out the best in meat, fish and veggie options. A flexible approach means you can pop in for cake and a hot drink at most times, but tables go quickly for main meals, so always book ahead. West Country cheeses and multi-layered fruity desserts are not to be missed. Everyone agrees that the phenomenal staff help make this an experience to remember, as does the in-house beer and cider brewing. Meanwhile, there are enough wines by the glass to ring the changes for repeat visits.

In recent years, the charming Pheasant Hotel has suffered from a lack of leadership in the kitchen. The appointment of Adam Westgarth as head chef has changed all that and returned the Pheasant to its rightful place as one of the top dining rooms within our Most Exciting Food Destination of 2024: Helmsley and the Howardian Hills. Three miles south of Helmsley, Harome is better known as home to the estimable Star Inn, but the Pheasant with its comfortable public rooms, a sunny terrace overlooking the village duck pond and 16 bedrooms, can easily hold its own with a contemporary menu of accomplished dishes taking top-quality ingredients from its own 3000-acre Ravenswick Farm Estate at nearby Kirkbymoorside. There's a tasting menu and an indulgent carte, but sandwiches in the bar or the midweek menu offer a more affordable approach.

For many visitors, enthusiasm for this lovely 17th-century country house remains undimmed. As a member of the Pig Hotels group, the entire package appeals, including the chance of alfresco eating on fine days. Inside, the honeycomb of rooms and passageways feels convincingly special, informal but stylish with plenty of panelling, open fires and comfortable seats. Meals are taken in a conservatory-style dining room done up in the Pig’s trademark 'chic garden shed' style with bare tables, shelves of bottled produce and plants galore. The output of the open-to-view kitchen is testament to its championing of local and regional produce aided by a burgeoning kitchen garden and an emphasis on provenance. While much is made of local sourcing on the ’25-mile menu’, inspiration for dishes comes from wider-spread European roots, exemplified by snacks such as moreish pork belly croquettes, excellent venison and pork meatballs, and flavoursome beetroot houmous. Roasted courgettes with toasted hazelnuts and pesto, followed by basil and cavolo nero pappardelle, plump sardines from Folkestone market (with garlic butter and roasted shallot) and thrice-cooked chips proved to be good shouts at a late-August lunch. There’s a Kentish cheeseboard if a boozy G&T jelly topped with tangy lemon sorbet doesn’t appeal. Cocktails abound (of course), and the modern wine list includes Kentish names, with a sommelier on hand to give sound advice.

This addition to the Pig Hotel collection is an imposing 15th-century building overlooking the waters of Harlyn Bay near Padstow. 'Rustic and relaxed' is an apt description. On arrival, you’ll pass the resident pigs and chickens, while inside all is 'fashionably shabby'. Reception has an open fire and forms part of the surrounding lounge area, a homely spot for chilling out. The open kitchen chimes perfectly with the rustic feel of the restaurant, which is spread across several rooms, creating an intimate setting. Most produce is sourced from within a 25-mile radius, some is home-grown, and the results could be summed up as follows: 'simple cooking, simple local ingredients, no fuss, great staff'. Our visit took in a 'very refreshing' chilled beetroot soup given heft with a dollop of horseradish cream followed by red mullet served with a sweet onion purée and crispy, salty ‘Mr Bartlett’s’ coppa, plus sides of Cornish new potatoes with wild-garlic salt and buttered garden greens. After that, a foraged elderflower jelly teamed with a Bacchus sorbet providing a light finish. British wines are championed on a list that opens at £33. In season, there's a popular lobster shed across the driveway in front of the hotel; here, visitors can tuck into flame-grilled steaks and seafood after a day at the beach.

A serene village in the verdant Lyth Valley, complete with a pretty church and rolling hills, is home to this upmarket hostelry. Originally a blacksmith's forge at the beginning of the 19th century, its old bones make for a magnificent country inn, where beams and slates, real fires and real ales feel right at home across several spaces. It's been a dining destination for several decades and continues to deliver a menu that keeps its feet firmly on the ground, with produce from the owners' farm ensuring that food miles are kept to a minimum.

Lancashire cheese soufflé with caramelised red onions is a cross-border favourite, comforting and rich, or you could try a lighter option such as beetroot and pomegranate salad with goat's cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Cumbrian lamb arrives with a miniature shepherd's pie, while fish might feature pan-roasted cod with cider and mussel sauce, plus a serving of mash to soak it all up.

During the week, lunchtime brings similar dishes, with the addition of pub staples such as fish and chips or local wild boar and damson sausages (with mash and gravy). Those damsons also appear as a sorbet with the Punch Bowl's renowned lemon tart. Sunday lunch (a weekly changing blow-out) brings roast beef sirloin with Yorkies and seasonal vegetables (some courtesy of the owner's farm). Well-chosen wines from £27.

In 2013, chef-patron Andrew Pern (of the much-garlanded Star Inn, 20 or so miles away in Harome) snapped up a derelict water pumping station by the river Ouse and added another restaurant to his portfolio. He attached a contemporary, glass-fronted extension and a spacious terrace to the Grade II-listed building, and with views across the river, there is nowhere better on a balmy day. Indoors, the 130-cover dining room is equally inviting with generous tables, velvet banquettes and characterful vintage lampshades.

Pern's aim is to bring ‘a little taste of the countryside to the city’ with the help of a seasonally changing menu: North York Moors game sausage with truffled mash; venison and beef-shin terrine; confit duck leg and duck parfait; Yorkshire Wolds chicken with fondant potato, wild garlic and pink peppercorn jus. The menu is largely meat-focused, though there is fish from the coast such as a fillet of stone bass on buttered leeks with mussels and a lovely ‘scallop’ of thinly sliced, battered and deep-fried potatoes. To finish, keep it local with Yorkshire rhubarb and almond tart or Whitby rum and York honey panna cotta.

As a seasoned restaurateur, Pern has all bases covered here – from a substantial wine list, classic and ‘zero’ cocktails, weekend breakfasts and special dinners to a children’s menu and some of the best Sunday roasts in the city.

Quality dining options in the western reaches of the Isle of Wight can be few and far between, but visitors have been quick to recommended this harbourside restaurant with a sun-trap terrace offering great views over the Solent. It's also open all year round – a bonus when so many local venues are high-season only. The regularly changing menu is strong on seafood, offering anything from pickled Cornish mackerel with an apple dashi and artichoke purée to monkfish with tikka-roasted cauliflower, saag aloo, coconut and tomato sauce. There's a carefully selected, well-annotated and keenly priced wine list too – although the most effusive praise is reserved for the cheerful, welcoming and enthusiastic staff.

'A bit of a departure for Inverness and a great addition,' reports our mole in the Highlands. First opened as a passion project in 2021, this relaxed wine bar is now in full swing and popular with locals. Inside is a small mix of tables with a room upstairs for tastings or private bookings – and when the sun shines, there's hot competition for a seat outside to enjoy the 200-strong wine list or the selection of Scottish beers, ciders and whiskies. Platters of cheese and dry-cured meats all come from Highland producers and are served with locally baked sourdough bread. Dogs and children welcome. Booking highly recommended.

Tucked into one side of the landmark brutalist building that is 180 Strand, Toklas is easy to miss. Just remember it has its own entrance on Surrey Street, opposite the old Strand tube station – if you find yourself outside Toklas Café & Bakery, you’ve gone too far. Set one level above the street, it’s a genuine find – an oasis of calm, especially on a warm summer’s day when a table on the wide, plant-filled terrace is highly prized. The restrained modern interior goes bare on napery and big on concrete, but natural light floods in through huge windows and striking artworks add colour.

The restaurant draws inspiration – and its name – from the avant-garde American food writer Alice B Toklas, but what distinguishes it is a commitment to concise, seasonal and elegant Mediterranean-style cooking. Indeed, the kitchen is noted for its simple, calendar-tuned line-up of dishes based on the freshest of ingredients with classic accompaniments. Those pristine raw materials are handled with a delicate touch, as in a starter of wild sea bass crudo with sweet 'honeycomb' tomatoes offset by dots of salty bottarga, plus a colourfully tangled assembly of black figs, oakleaf lettuce, crunchy hazelnuts, pecorino shavings and honey. Rabbit saltimbocca with a pile of braised chard and a chunk of fresh Amalfi lemon is completely delicious in its simplicity, while homemade pasta is the business: a plate of tagliatelle with Scottish girolles, garlic and parsley showed up well during our lunchtime visit. 

And there’s concord right to the final act: our dessert of gorgeous, perfectly roasted amaretto peaches needed nothing more than a dollop of mascarpone. The innovative wine list is dominated by bottles from the Mediterranean basin. Although there are comparatively few options under £40, drinkers have access to a generous clutch of recommendations by the glass and carafe. Excellent cocktails, too.

In the gentrified hinterland to the south of London Bridge, Trivet has the capacious, calming feel of somewhere on the American West Coast. A small outdoor terrace (with its own summertime menu), a glamorous bar and well-spaced tables set the scene for a smooth operation centred on an open kitchen, where Jonny Lake – formerly executive chef at the Fat Duck – is an authoritative, gentle giant armed with tweezers. Staff are responsive to queries, the sommelier is particularly good with recommendations, and the whole experience is restorative (assuming tootly-flutey jazz doesn't spoil your digestion). 

Nibble on olives, spiced cashews, or long, broad vegetable crackers to get started. The food is all about sharply delineated flavours, with bite from pickled ingredients, salty savour from the likes of kombu and dashi, and combinations that spark the imagination. A braised spiky artichoke dressed in seaweed stock with cauliflower mushroom has plenty of piscine intensity, though it is actually a vegan dish, while dashi stock poured at the table turns a heap of saladings with kombu and gorse flowers into a sharp-dressed escort for panko-crumbed veal sweetbread.

At main course, a spin on duck with orange is composed of livid-pink fatless breast crusted in puffed rice and cracked peppercorns, with Tarocco blood-orange, orange-laced carrot purée, orange and endive salad, and bigarade sauce. An essentially fairly mainstream dish of turbot poached in citrus with herbed Chardonnay butter sauce was less than successfully partnered with chunks of confit Delica pumpkin that would have done better with the duck. A Turkish note is sounded in a small steamed yoghurt sponge coated in sesame seeds for a dessert that comes with vanilla cream rippled with black olive caramel, or there may be a great wedge of griottine and almond tart with fantastic pastry, only let down by very pallidly flavoured pistachio ice cream. 

The wines are an adventurous modern collection, with stars from Turkey and Georgia alongside the skin-contact and 'funky' offerings. Seek the readily forthcoming advice. In a recent development, the owners have launched Labombe, a wine bar open every Monday evening in the restaurant's bar space. Alongside the rich depths of Trivet's full cellar, punters can look forward to a special by-the-glass selection from master sommelier Isa Bal, plus a blackboard menu of snacks and small plates.

Hotels don’t come any more laid-back than this. Considered by many a ‘gorgeous place’ with its ‘magical garden’ used for drinks in fine weather, Ruth Leigh and Oliver Brown’s charmingly updated 17th-century farmhouse not far from Deal is popular for its delightful rural location and decor pitched agreeably somewhere between rusticity and an upper-crust restaurant with rooms.

The dining room is separate from the main house, found across the lawn in a converted conservatory – unfussy, unpretentious and, we’re happy to report, now fully winterised. The kitchen offers a gently updated version of Italian-accented cooking which, for one mid-winter visitor, meant the richness of chicken liver pâté was beautifully matched by the sweet-sour caramelised notes of agrodolce onions, while a huge, shared T-bone steak (served with ‘immaculate’ béarnaise), was perfectly cooked ‘with just the right funk of a well-aged beast’.

Other well reported meals have produced turbot with white asparagus and a silky, buttery blood-orange sauce, roast chicken with morels, and a perfect bread and butter pudding (blowtorched crust, rich custard). Sunday roasts get the highest praise – ‘almost like home-cooked’ and come with ‘sharing dishes of beautiful vegetables and a jug of gravy’. The wine choices fully live up to the ethos of the cooking, strong on Italy but not exclusively so, opening with a Sicilian red and white by the glass, carafe or bottle.