Take cover! Britain’s best all-weather outdoor dining Published 29 May 2024
Want to enjoy the long, light nights but worried about the forecast? These restaurants very literally have you covered. While everyone else is debating heatwave versus a summer washout, here’s where we’ll be eating.
Taunton veterans Cedric Chirossel and chef Richard Guest continue to keep things strictly local at this agreeable, laid-back restaurant nestled in a quiet courtyard not far from the town’s landmark Castle Hotel. Ingredients … Read more
Taunton veterans Cedric Chirossel and chef Richard Guest continue to keep things strictly local at this agreeable, laid-back restaurant nestled in a quiet courtyard not far from the town’s landmark Castle Hotel. Ingredients are often collected on foot from nearby butchers, bakers and fishmongers, while Somerset’s orchards and smallholdings provide a seasonal harvest. The result is a calendar-driven repertoire that mixes British and European influences with a few Asian forays. Many dishes have been mentioned in dispatches, from an autumnal vegetable tart with the lightest of pastry to cheese soufflé with a ‘marvellous salad’. Duck cassoulet is properly Gallic and properly rustic, while other highlights might include seared Brixham scallops with curry cream, raisins and pommes gaufrettes, seafood stew or aubergine teriyaki with plancha-style Asian vegetables and sesame. You can even drop by for a plate of sirloin steak, cauliflower cheese and French fries if you’re in the mood for something old school, with tarte tatin or Bakewell tart and custard for afters. Otherwise, home in on the cheeses paraded around the relaxed but animated dining room on a perambulating butcher’s block. ‘Pleasant, efficient service’ gets a nod of approval, while the workmanlike, fairly priced international wine list (including a trio from West Country vineyards) offers plenty of decent options by the glass and carafe.
* Brett now bills itself as a modern European restaurant serving a conventional three-course carte rather than a series of global small plates. Watch for a new review coming soon. *
Brett is the colloquial name for rogue yeasts t… Read more
* Brett now bills itself as a modern European restaurant serving a conventional three-course carte rather than a series of global small plates. Watch for a new review coming soon. *
Brett is the colloquial name for rogue yeasts that can add funky complexity to wine. While this 'natural wine bar and eatery' (from the team behind Glasgow high flyer Cail Bruich) isn't exactly rogue, it does exude an edgy confidence. Cheery chefs execute a complex choreography in the small open kitchen where open-fire cooking adds drama and depth of flavour. Seasonal ingredients sing in deceptively simple dishes such as chargrilled squid with smoked chilli and coriander or delicate salted baby chicken with zesty lime and soft Vietnamese herbs. To finish, a ripely runaway Gorgonzola comes with its own mini pecan pie and pecan pickles, while chocolate délice with Caol Ila caramel and puffed barley delivers a grown-up sugar rush. Dishes can be shared 'small plate style' or you could follow a more traditional structure. Sides such as sourdough with chicken fat or brown-butter baked potato with torched raclette could easily be a cheeky wee nibble if you’re only having a drink. The wine list offers a voyage of discovery, homing in on small producers who favour minimal intervention and the natural approach to winemaking. Down-to-earth staff will help you navigate with enthusiasm, expertise and some well-judged banter. The limited space is maximised through high seats and tables, with a small mezzanine and welcome outdoor space for sunny days. With hip industrial lighting and steel gantrys holding the glistening range of Riedels, there whole place has a stylish, contemporary feel – although it's more about the vibrant buzz than secluded intimacy.
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 … Read more
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.
* Chef-patron Steven Smith has left. The kitchen is now overseen by head chef Matt Smith, although not much is expected to change as regards the menus.*
There are no signs to guide you to the narrow ginnel (alley to southerners) … Read more
* Chef-patron Steven Smith has left. The kitchen is now overseen by head chef Matt Smith, although not much is expected to change as regards the menus.*
There are no signs to guide you to the narrow ginnel (alley to southerners) in this pretty village, where you finally spot the Freemasons sign with a sigh of relief and an appetite sharpened by the fresh air of the quietly affluent, green hills of the Ribble Valley. Once through the door, the welcome is warm and the young local staff are enthusiastic and endearing. The interior of the pub is equally self-effacing: the tone is smart but comfortable, conventional and restful with old beams, huntin' and shootin' prints, wooden tables, flagstone floors and open fireplaces. All eyes are directed towards the output of a kitchen that describes itself as 'seasonal, progressive, passionate and humble'. It is certainly ambitious, with lots of contemporary tropes, notoceable energy and sophisticated skills. The flavour-driven cooking can be brilliant, with provenance and seasonality evident in both the short carte and tasting menus: Nidderdale lamb, Victoria plums, English burrata and Proctor’s Kick Ass Cheddar (sic) all put in an appearance. There are also playful nods to regional tradition – note an excellent crispy fish finger with samphire, ponzu and elderflower butter sauce, or a slow-cooked steamed suet pudding of Nidderdale lamb. Elsewhere, roast grouse with sticky leg, offal kebab, BBQ sweetcorn, pickled shimeji mushrooms and Cumberland sauce weaves all those elements together to create a rich, treacly dish that transcends its radical monotone appearance. While the kitchen aims high, some feel that execution strains on tiptoe to match it and occasionally totters: Herdwick lamb loin chops, for example, pronounced ‘exquisite’ and paired with a courgette flower intriguingly stuffed with softly spiced kofta, was sadly vanquished by the dominating note of balsamic in the accompanying green olive and basil sauce. Still, there's good news when it comes to dessert: a deconstructed lemon meringue pie with Scottish raspberries and pistachio ice cream was full of flavour, especially the eye-catching, frilly pistachio sponge you could have sworn were clumps of emerald parsley, while an unusual interpretation of French toast with Victoria plum, ginger biscuit and stem-ginger ice cream didn't hold back on the flavour front either. Cask ales are locally sourced, and the excellent wine list has plenty of choice by the glass such as a 2021 Pino Grigio, lush and rich with fruity tones for £5.50.
It would be hard to imagine a more stirring location: perched right where the tides rake the pebbles of the Jurassic Coast, commanding a panoramic prospect across the cliffs and headlands of Devon and Dorset. At first gl… Read more
It would be hard to imagine a more stirring location: perched right where the tides rake the pebbles of the Jurassic Coast, commanding a panoramic prospect across the cliffs and headlands of Devon and Dorset. At first glance, Hive Beach is a rudimentary operation, with a basic hut housing a kitchen, and diners perched on garden furniture under a marquee (whose canvas flaps noisily in the onshore breeze). Simple it may seem but this café is a notch or two above other seafood joints on this holiday coastline. The tightly focused menu eschews starters but has an insistence on what is fresh, flavoursome and fun. Our inspection took in a sublimely flaky skate wing, sitting atop a mound of new potatoes, chorizo and wild mushrooms, plus a dollop of salmon and dill mayo; alternatively, you might opt for whole lemon sole with paprika-roasted chickpeas, wood-fired pepper, braised samphire and leeks. For anyone in a rush to get back to their deckchair, there’s more straightforward fare including a Portland white and brown crab sandwich or tempura-battered Atlantic hake and chips (both also feature on a separate takeaway menu). Desserts, meanwhile, offer a rousing finale: try the Lotus Biscoff cheesecake or bramble Eton mess. To drink, check out the selection of Hive-branded beers and gins, as well as the short, French-dominated wine list, which starts at £6.50 a glass.
There's something deeply reassuring about this grand lodge in a remote but spectacular spot overlooking the Irish Sea. It’s probably all down to the traditional decor – the tartan armchairs, the floral swagged windows,… Read more
There's something deeply reassuring about this grand lodge in a remote but spectacular spot overlooking the Irish Sea. It’s probably all down to the traditional decor – the tartan armchairs, the floral swagged windows, the open fireplaces, panelled walls and slightly faded paintwork – yet in the elegant dining room (all linen napery and china display cabinets) any stuffiness is offset by cool background tunes and informal, young staff. And if you're lucky enough to get the window table, your view across the gently sloping lawn to the sea and (on a good day) Ireland, is well worth the price of admission. Veteran chef Tony Pierce’s set five-course dinner menu might begin with a teacup of chilled vichyssoise (‘perfect in blistering summer temperatures’) followed by a 'delicate chicken and egg sausage' – actually a tiny feather-light omelette with a wafer-thin slice of mushroom and a subtle Madeira and truffle broth. Next up, a simple but delicious Galloway beef consommé with a touch of sherry, the perfect precursor to a beautifully judged serving of Isle of Gigha halibut with chard, garden beans, peas and an exquisite saffron and Champagne emulsion – ‘a riot of high-summer colour and flavours'. To finish, we suggest the textbook strawberry soufflé served with passion fruit sorbet. The ‘brilliantly put together’ wine list roams the globe, and the Coravin system allows you to sample widely (and well) by the glass.
On the coast just above Sunderland, Whitburn village has a treat for cooks in the form of Latimer's fresh fish counter and seafood deli. The attached café has morphed into the Hatch Takeaway, although there's plenty of seat… Read more
On the coast just above Sunderland, Whitburn village has a treat for cooks in the form of Latimer's fresh fish counter and seafood deli. The attached café has morphed into the Hatch Takeaway, although there's plenty of seating indoors and outside – all the better for some dolphin-spotting. Expect breakfast (kipper in a bun), lunch (seafood picnic boxes) and a piscine take on afternoon tea starring a crab or prawn sandwich. There are some non-fish options too, and the Hatch is licensed – perfect if you need refreshment after finishing a coastal walk.
Cavalcade of seriously inventive Greek and Mediterranean flavours
David Carter (of Smokestak and Manteca fame) is a dab hand at opening dynamic contemporary restaurants that know how to put on a show where it matters – on the plate. He’s gone all out with his latest opening. Part of … Read more
David Carter (of Smokestak and Manteca fame) is a dab hand at opening dynamic contemporary restaurants that know how to put on a show where it matters – on the plate. He’s gone all out with his latest opening. Part of a two-tiered operation in Borough Market, Oma sits above its more casual, non-bookable sister Agora, and echoes of the rawness and cacophony of the action at street level add to the vibrancy of the perfectly pitched dining room and covered terrace.
Jorge Paredes (ex-Sabor) heads the open-plan ‘live fire’ kitchen, delivering dishes that are Greek in spirit but also draw inspiration from the southern sweep of the Mediterranean basin. He achieves striking results, attracting hordes of punters intent on grazing on some seriously inventive dishes (booking is a must). The breads are a highlight – believe your server’s enthusiasm, they really are delicious. We teamed some Wildfarmed laffa (hot, fluffy flatbread) and açma verde (a green-flecked bagel-shaped bun) with a creamy mound of labneh topped with salt cod XO, while a serving of smooth houmous came topped with whole, crispy chickpeas, green zhoug and plenty of sumac.
Gilthead bream ceviche in a spiky green tomato and apple aguachile was another knockout dish – likewise squid-ink giouvetsi (squid ragù and orzo pasta), impressively rendered in a prawn-bisque stock to a state of almost criminal lusciousness. But the standout, by a whisker, proved to be spanakopita gratin – a bowl of melted sheep’s and goat’s cheese with spinach, accompanied by malawach (a flaky, Yemeni flatbread). To conclude, a beguiling combination of olive-oil gelato and fennel pollen with extra olive oil made the perfect finale.
The well-considered, 450-bin wine list has treasures in abundance to match the kitchen’s cavalcade of flavours, although there is precious little under £40 a bottle. Still, £5.50 will buy you a 125ml pour from the house selection.
A delightful daytime favourite on Micklegate, this indie café and arts space scores with its vintage decor and relaxed, slightly bohemian vibe. There are two smallish rooms, upstairs and down – the big marquee in the … Read more
A delightful daytime favourite on Micklegate, this indie café and arts space scores with its vintage decor and relaxed, slightly bohemian vibe. There are two smallish rooms, upstairs and down – the big marquee in the garden is for overspill and best considered on warm days. Brunch is the main event and the line-up is global, from sobrasada and goat’s cheese toast to a homely Persian chicken stew accompanied by a plain tortilla. They serve good-quality coffee too. Expect queues of shoppers outside, eager to snap up Partisan’s excellent sourdough loaves, cakes and pastries (we were tempted by their rhubarb pastel de nata).
Housed in the Tardis-like basement of a Whiteladies Road townhouse, this is the latest and largest venture from the Bianchis Group, replacing the much-loved Pasta Loco round the corner. Aficionados of Loco and its sister Pasta Rip… Read more
Housed in the Tardis-like basement of a Whiteladies Road townhouse, this is the latest and largest venture from the Bianchis Group, replacing the much-loved Pasta Loco round the corner. Aficionados of Loco and its sister Pasta Ripiena will recognise the brown paper lampshades, white walls adorned with monochrome photos, slatted wood ceilings and numerous shelves groaning with wines, tinned tomatoes and other Italian delights. Ask the ‘attentive and knowledgeable’ waiting staff for a table in the back if you want to watch the chefs at work in the large open kitchen.
The promise of a list of global ingredients to point up the light, fresh and immaculately sourced modern cooking is lightly honoured – say, with a drop of cider in a dish of bucatini with braised cuttlefish, cream and agretti. Otherwise, it’s Italian all the way, from a snack of oyster mushroom fritti to a beautiful blush-hued radicchio insalata with mustard fruits, hazelnuts, apple and stracciatella. The short selection of desserts might include a perfectly wobbly limoncello panna cotta paired with rustic, crumbly rosemary and pistachio shortbread.
A predominantly Italian wine list is helpfully divided into light, medium and heavy, with a handful by the glass or 500ml carafe, plus ‘Nonna’s list’ of budget-blowing bottles. Cocktails are on special offer on Monday nights, and there are excellent-value fixed-price lunches from Tuesday to Friday.
‘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.… Read more
‘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.
During the summer season, you can now hire a deckchair from Riley’s and eat their food on the beach (they will also sell you a blanket to use and take home if the weather’s breezy). The location – a glass-fronted… Read more
During the summer season, you can now hire a deckchair from Riley’s and eat their food on the beach (they will also sell you a blanket to use and take home if the weather’s breezy). The location – a glass-fronted shipping container facing the North Sea – is spot-on for a menu inspired by the owners’ stints as street-food vendors. Seasonal seafood is the deal, and the day's dishes (and service times) often depend on the catch. Items are rubbed off the blackboard as they sell out, although Riley’s classic wood-fired sourdough wraps (served in their famous ‘floppy’ cardboard boxes) are a fixture – perhaps BBQ Craster kippers, bavette steak or ‘hot plate’ hake with caper butter. Otherwise, the line-up might run from chilli fish empanadas via salt cod with grilled cos lettuce, smoked egg and preserved lemon to pan-roasted headliners such as turbot ‘chop’, lemon sole or brill (served with panzanella salad). Round off with one of Riley’s special soft-serves (wood-fired pineapple or peaches and cream, say). A dozen wines are served in plastic tumblers, there are plenty of ales from regional breweries and the venue also does a good line in homemade beverages (try the hot butter rum).
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 (form… Read more
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.
A little out of Plymouth city centre, along the route to the international ferry terminals, this is the latest venture from David Jenkins and the team behind Rock Salt (now closed). It's a place that's determined to demonstrate it… Read more
A little out of Plymouth city centre, along the route to the international ferry terminals, this is the latest venture from David Jenkins and the team behind Rock Salt (now closed). It's a place that's determined to demonstrate its versatility, with an outdoor area as well as a warren of indoor spaces on different levels – plus regular music nights to add to the gaiety. Jake Hardington cooks a fairly mainstream brasserie menu, with filled bagels (a speciality), a good-value fixed-price lunch and a roster of pedigree Devon suppliers proudly credited on a wall-board. Presentations aim to be eye-catching – witness a broad earthenware dish of gently flavoured smoked mackerel pâté (looking like a bowl of creamy soup), dotted with diced pickled veg, hazelnuts and dill, accompanied by seeded stout and treacle bread. For main course, there could be duck confit with a pork and shrimp 'baozi' or Thai pork curry, but also appealingly tender Dartmoor lamb rump with pommes Anna, roasted asparagus and black garlic purée. Desserts will push most buttons with cheesecake, toffee pudding and the like: our hefty sundae-glass serving of raspberry trifle came topped with chunks of honeycomb, alongside a beautifully intense raspberry sorbet. The flair and finish of the cooking deserves much better wines than the short, perfunctory selection, but there are tempting cocktails too.
Hip micro-restaurant in a converted shipping container
Bespoke eateries offering locally sourced, sustainably produced, seasonal small plates in Bristol's Cargo shipping container complex are not hard to find, but Matt Hampshire’s recently re-branded offshoot of the origina… Read more
Bespoke eateries offering locally sourced, sustainably produced, seasonal small plates in Bristol's Cargo shipping container complex are not hard to find, but Matt Hampshire’s recently re-branded offshoot of the original Tare (now closed) is worth seeking out. Recent feedback noting that it offers the 'same quality of food as Tare but in a more relaxed and vibrant setting,' is bang-on. Step through the sliding glass door and you’re in a light and airy space little bigger than a living room, with white walls, hanging plants, closely packed wooden tables and counter seating overlooking the open kitchen.
The menu is divided into a short selection of ‘snacks’, around a dozen ‘plates’ and a ‘sweet’ trio. Delicious morsels from the former might include a warm, soft-yolked quail and black pudding Scotch egg in a pool of silky English mustard mayonnaise or truffled potato rösti oozing with Cheddar. Tare's sharing plates have something for everyone, and are no less tempting – say, a beautifully presented heritage carrot salad with zingy orange and miso dressing and cashew cream, or prawn cannelloni resting in scallop XO and topped with pickled kohlrabi, or a moreish glazed pork belly and coco bean cassoulet.
‘Sweet’ choices could include a wonderfully light choux bun filled with custard and crunchy apple cubes accompanied by miso caramel and shaved almonds. The drinks list offers a regularly changing selection of thoughtfully chosen wines, alongside cocktails, sherries and a handful of local beers and ciders. Takeaways now available.
A centuries-old village local atop a hill midway between Hadrian's Wall and the conurbations of Tyne & Wear, the Feathers continues to provide sustenance for locals and visitors alike. Inside, it looks the part with beams, log… Read more
A centuries-old village local atop a hill midway between Hadrian's Wall and the conurbations of Tyne & Wear, the Feathers continues to provide sustenance for locals and visitors alike. Inside, it looks the part with beams, log-burning stoves, Northumbrian ales and old-fashioned pub games as part of the offer, although the place has built its current reputation on locally sourced seasonal food, industrious home production and a commitment to ethical practices. The kitchen cures its own charcuterie, makes black pudding and pickles North Sea herrings (‘as good as most I’ve had in Scandinavia,’ noted one visitor) – as well as producing bespoke spirits including mulberry gin. They have a published list of more than 60 local suppliers, including foragers and growers, Northumbrian farmers specialising in rare breeds and day-boat fishermen catching sustainable species off the East Coast. An outdoor fire pit works its magic on flatbreads, grilled vegetables (used for vegan meze) and Haydon Bridge beef patties (slotted into brioche buns with Gorgonzola piccante and dill pickles). Otherwise, the kitchen’s eclectic approach sees battered haddock and fillet of wild halibut with chilli and rosemary velouté alongside braised local roe deer with celeriac purée, English lentils and emmer wheat or Spanish-style home-cured pork chop with fried potatoes and bravas sauce. For afters, the Northumbrian cheeses are well worth a punt, as are the homemade ices and homespun desserts such as blackberry and apple sponge with custard or steamed gingerbread pudding. To drink, vermouth-based cocktails and keenly priced, well-chosen wines fit the bill nicely.
Lively, informal venue with the emphasis on flavour and fun
As the name suggests, the Loveable Rogue doesn’t take itself too seriously but offers creative and good-value food in an informal setting or, as chef/co-owner Joe Lazzerini puts it, ‘good times and great scran’. … Read more
As the name suggests, the Loveable Rogue doesn’t take itself too seriously but offers creative and good-value food in an informal setting or, as chef/co-owner Joe Lazzerini puts it, ‘good times and great scran’. Whether opting for the carte, their single-course 'date night' deal for £10, their self-styled ‘epic’ Sunday roast or just some tasty nibbles with drinks, you can always expect local and seasonal sourcing, the odd culinary twist, and an emphasis on flavour and fun. Delivering quality and creativity across the board is a challenge embraced and delivered from the small open kitchen.
Start with rich roasted onion velouté, hiding crispy diced tongue and a cheeky cheese churro for dipping. A mini coronation chicken pie with date purée and celeriac rémoulade evokes summer picnics, while a soft crab lasagne with shellfish bisque is 'floaty like a loosely made bed'. Perfectly cooked pork fillet from Ayrshire is followed by a blue cheese 'royal' on finely shredded Waldorf salad. Dark chocolate crémeux with confit blackberry and almond rounds off proceedings on a pitch-perfect note.
Lazy Sunday? Then it’s comfort-food nirvana – rare Speyside beef, wonky Yorkies, beef-fat garlic roasties, brisket mac 'n' cheese, honeyed roots, crushed vegetables and lashings of gravy. Service is cheery, the atmosphere is lively, and there's a simple but kindly priced wine list too.
Deep in the otherworldly landscape of the Avalon Marshes (not far from Glastonbury), this quirky pub with rooms (and regular music) defies expectations. In summer you can dine on the wooden terrace at the back and watch the abunda… Read more
Deep in the otherworldly landscape of the Avalon Marshes (not far from Glastonbury), this quirky pub with rooms (and regular music) defies expectations. In summer you can dine on the wooden terrace at the back and watch the abundant wildlife on the nearby river Sheppey. Otherwise, the barn-like dining room, somewhat scruffily converted from an old cider house, is decorated with exhibits by local artists. The regularly changing and boldly flavoured menu offers a raft of eclectic dishes ranging from hearty fish stew (smoked haddock, clams, cod and salmon with Parmesan, fennel and lemongrass romesco) served with a hunk of sourdough to spiced fried tofu with a summer salad, fennel, crispy noodles, chilli and ginger dressing. More conventional pub dishes – beer-battered fish and chips, chargrilled chicken burgers – are well executed too. Pudding might be chocolate and hazelnut torte with white chocolate and raspberry parfait or scoops of homemade sorbet and ice cream. Drinks include an excellent selection of Somerset ciders, real ales and lagers, as well as a short selection of mainly organic red, white and orange wines from £26.
Fabulous views of St Michael's Mount are just part of the attraction at this pared-back but child-friendly café at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. Lunch might be local hake with Bombay potato terrine, rainbow chard and a coc… Read more
Fabulous views of St Michael's Mount are just part of the attraction at this pared-back but child-friendly café at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. Lunch might be local hake with Bombay potato terrine, rainbow chard and a coconut and tomato sauce (plus a glass of white on the side), or simply opt for pudding (sticky pear and date, perhaps) with a fancy hot chocolate. There are breakfasts, Sunday roasts and the odd evening session too, but the seasons and weather dictate the scale of what's available, so check first. Note: all tables are reserved for sit-down meals in summer; coffee and cake available from the takeaway hut.
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