Porthleven, Cornwall
Porthleven, Britain’s southernmost port, has replaced its traditional tin and chinaware with the best ice creams, seafood tapas and freshly caught fish on the Cornish coast. The Harbor Inn (double the £109 B&B price; harbourinnporthleven.co.uk) is a newly refurbished pub with waterfront rooms, serving a “Chip Shop Upgrade” of fish caught in nearby Newlyn and curry sauce. , pickled eggs and onions, and bread and butter. Elsewhere, overlooking fishing boats, Amelies (ameliesporthleven.co.uk) serves small plates of Cornish mackerel pate, salt and pepper calamari, crispy pizzas and fragrant bouillabaisse. Leave room to choose at least two of the 30 flavors of ice cream at Nauti (nautibutice.co.uk) and stock up on Cornish treats at Pengelly’s (pengellys-porthleven.co.uk) before finally heading home.
Tisbury, Wiltshire
The largest village in Wiltshire’s idyllic Nadder Valley, Tisbury is surrounded by working farms and the 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate; All contribute to a thriving dining scene loved by locals and visitors who come to stay at the charming Beckford Arms (doubles from £125 B&B; beckfordarms.com). A gorgeous rambling pub with huge flame-filled fireplaces, bushels of hops and shotgun cartridges above the bar, and a blackboard menu of daily specials, it’s the perfect rural retreat. Enjoy candlelit dinners featuring meat and game from local producers and vegetables from Beckford’s kitchen garden.
Beckford is an ideal base for exploring Tisbury and the surrounding area full of farm shops and restaurants. Drop into Messums (messums.com), an arts center and gallery in London that also includes an exhibition space, and see the latest exhibition, sample coffee and specialty cakes, or dine on modern British fare in the airy restaurant. You can also pop into Bird & Carter (birdandcarter.co.uk) in the neighboring hamlet of Fonthill Bishop, a fire-lit restaurant that makes it the perfect place to refuel after a stroll through Fonthill Manor.
There are plenty of food outlets on Tisbury’s quiet main street, a five-minute drive from the pub. Try Tisbury Deli (tisburydeli.co.uk), full of cheeses, charcuterie and carefully selected Mediterranean delicacies. There’s also Provenance (provenanceonline.co.uk), which produces fresh salads, pastries and cakes every day, pantry items such as wild garlic buds and seasonings, and home cooking for takeaway. All ingredients are locally sourced and each product is free of additives and preservatives. Further down the street, Beckford Bottle Shop (beckfordbottleshop.com, pictured above) has a 3,000-strong wine collection and more than 2,000 spirits to peruse; Beatons Tearooms (beatonstearooms.co.uk) is the perfect place to warm up. hot chocolate and a piece of sticky cake (excellent GF options).
Deal, City
One of Kent’s most charming seaside towns, Deal has taken over the baton from Margate with a thriving food scene that includes everything from delicious French cheeses to tangy charcuterie and fish at the No Name Shop deli (no-name-shop.co.uk). Right next to the boat at 81 Beach Street (excellent GF/vegan options, 81beachstreet.co.uk). At The Rose, a former pub converted into a quirky eight-room boutique hotel with bold colors and an eclectic mix of retro and contemporary artwork and furniture (double the £100 B&B; therosedeal.com, pictured below) and the former Nuno Mendes’ Stay there. As executive chef of the Chiltern Firehouse, the hotel’s excellent restaurant. Elsewhere in the city, evenings begin with cocktails at The Lane and dinner at Updown Farmhouse (updownfarmhouse.com), a charming restaurant with rooms. Before heading home, pop into Arno & Co (94 High Street) for small wines, craft beers and tapas snacks, and Jenkins Fishmongers for great fish pates.
Orford, Suffolk
Reflecting classic Suffolk charm, Orford is increasingly known for its dining scene as much as its 12th-century castle and endless skies over the tiled ledge of Orford Ness. It’s also famous for its oysters, and the best place to try them is Butley Orford Oysterage (pinneysoforford.co.uk), where the Pinney family has been serving seafood and smoked fish since 1959. For sweet treats, head to Pump Street Bakery (pumpstreetchoculate.com), where handmade chocolate produced on the premises shares shelf space with the most delicious pastries and fresh sourdough loaves. Stay at Crown & Castle, an award-winning restaurant with rooms serving a menu of fine dining using seafood from Orford and locally raised meats (double from £113 B&B; Crownandcastle.co.uk). Grab some to take home from Orford Meat Shed on Bakers Lane, which also has an excellent range of local cheeses.
Clitheroe, Lancashire
The culinary hub of the beautiful Ribble Valley, visit Clitheroe on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday to dive into one of the region’s best food markets, held since the 12th century. Pair local farm produce with a bottle or two from the 4,000-strong wine selection at D Byrne & Co (dbyrne-finewines.co.uk) and pick up breakfast treats from Cowmans Famous Sausage Shop (cowmans.co.uk). Featuring 70 different types of sausages, including curried beef and marmalade pork. For something more classic, book dinner at Tom’s Table (tomstable.co.uk), a French-inspired bistro serving traditional Gallic dishes alongside locally sourced steaks. Stay at the Spinning Block Hotel, a restored 1820s textile mill that is part of Holmes Mill; 39 stylish bedrooms lined up alongside the Bowland Dining Room (above); part deli, part farm shop, part café, with a range of offerings fabulous breakfasts including crispy bacon and free-range eggs benedict (doubles from just £75, jamesplaces.com).