Winchester
The aromas are irresistible, the food frankly fabulous, the cooking highly technical and the ingredients dare to surprise – expect duck pastrami to be…
Must-see restaurants in Wessex
Wessex
Add this to your must-eat-here list. The Pig's creative chefs devise menus by the 'micro-season'; they change hourly depending on what's been found when…
Wessex
An Anglo-French feel infuses Elderflower – from the wild nettle and doc leaf velouté, to the black treacle cured ham. Innovative puddings are a real treat…
Isle of Wight
Arrive early enough, and you'll see Steephill Cove's fishers (Jimmy and Mark) landing your lunch – the sanded wooden tables here are just steps from the…
Dorset
In this affable, elegant eatery, the furniture is more chic than shabby and the food is pure West Country élan. Dorset goodies might include Dorset crab…
Dorset
Poole's top table consistently delights as it combines local ingredients with lashings of French flair. Predictably, fish features strongly – the spicy…
Dorset
It's like the setting for an Agatha Christie mystery, minus the murder. Wicker chairs dot manicured lawns, glittering Lyme Bay sweeps out behind. The…
Dorset
At Crustacean, you'll find an imaginative head chef with Sri Lankan heritage and a passion for French cuisine. Get cracking on a whole lobster, slurp some…
Dorset
This is where the locals make for on hot summer days, to sit beside the Fleet Lagoon amid beach-shack-chic tucking into fresh-as-it-gets seafood. Fish is…
Hampshire
A laid-back spot to sample local produce and soak up local life – the menu is strong on fish that's been landed just yards away, while cider-drinking…
Dorset
Expect sweeping views of the Cobb and dazzling food at this superstylish, open-plan cabin. Lyme Bay shellfish soup comes with pastis liqueur; local…
Dorset
One of Dorchester's best, buzziest brunch and lunch spots has fleets of fans thanks to a buy-local ethos and emphasis on superfresh sustainable…
Bournemouth
On sunny weekends a cool crowd queues out the door at Urban Reef. No wonder: a waterfront deck and balcony, punchy coffee, top-notch snacks and quality,…
Bournemouth
Big squishy sofas, a mellow soundtrack and a sea-view terrace give this chilled-out eatery a surf-bar vibe. Brunch can be healthy (avocado, salmon and egg…
Bournemouth
The seafood and setting are hard to beat – bag a chair on the decking beside the sand, watch the waves lap Bournemouth Pier and tuck into perfectly cooked…
Isle of Wight
Welcome to an idyllic spot to munch your lunch. At this bijou cafe tacked on to a pontoon, the day's crab and lobster harvest is turned into supremely…
Wessex
The essence of old England seems to emanate from this convivial, flower-framed inn. Horse brasses and dried hops hang over diners tucking into dishes full…
Salisbury
It's tempting to eat at this hip hang-out throughout the day: breakfast on chorizo and avocado tortilla, syrup-drenched pancakes or cheesy beans. Come…
Wessex
You're spoiled for choice here. Head to the atmospheric river-view restaurant for classy, classic dishes; or drop by the beer garden and wood-panelled…
Dorset
The menu at sleek Sienna is peppered with rarities; expect to find fermented blackberry, jerk carrot or squid ink artfully arranged on your plate. The…
Winchester
It's almost as if they created a checklist for a great date: hushed tones, flickering candles, dark beams. They get the food right too, from lighter…
Winchester
The setting is pretty idyllic – beside a rushing river in an imaginatively converted Georgian mill. Memorable food focuses on sustainable fish and …
Dorset
Shaftesbury's top table has been keeping local foodies happy for more than 25 years. Traditional ingredients predominate – expect beef, guinea fowl,…
Isle of Wight
When a beachfront pub is this bedecked with pirate paraphernalia, ships' lanterns and lifebelts, you tend to be wary of the meals. No need. The seafood…
Hampshire
Genius: two great British institutions in one – a fish-and-chip outlet inside a pub. Your fried delights come wrapped in traditional chippy paper, so buy…
Hampshire
The best of Gunwharf Quays' numerous eateries, this smart pub occupies an 18th-century former Royal Marine hospital. Now better-than-average bar food …
Dorset
A sustainable slant and a 40-year history help lift this traditional chippy, just metres from Weymouth's quay, above its rivals – mackerel features among…
Salisbury
Ingredients that speak of classic English dishes have a firm foothold here – feast on duck confit, beef fillet or roast lamb; the cooking and presentation…
Dorset
The locals' choice. Prepare to dine, beside flagstone floors and ancient beams festooned with fairy lights, on tasty pub classics, plus fresh Dorset…
Dorset
How rare is this? The dish you're eating could well have been caught by the chef! At chilled-out Storm, fisher Pete also rattles the pots 'n' pans,…
Dorset
It's five centuries since Sherborne's oldest, cosiest inn pulled its first pint; today it signals its age with wooden settles polished smooth by countless…
Dorset
The seafood piled high in this shed by the path to the beach has been caught by ninth- and 10th-generation fishermen Joe and Levi. Bag some fish for the…
Wiltshire
The elegant library of historic Avebury Manor sets the scene for soups, jacket potatoes, brownies and a classic afternoon tea: fresh-baked scones, tiered…
Dorset
No wonder the locals love Manbos: a cosy atmosphere, great service, good prices and flavoursome, homemade bistro dishes packed with local produce. Pasta…
Dorset
The grub at this ancient pub is strong on locally landed seafood – try the homemade fish pie, local crab or pan-fried herring roe. Order some New Forest…
Salisbury
The pink-neon sign signals what's in store here: a modern, multilayered take on high-class Indian cuisine. The spice and flavour combos make the…
Wessex
A pub for all seasons: knock back summertime drinks on the waterside terrace; in winter, a toasty log burner gets you warm. Well-judged food ranges from…
Dorset
A flower-framed, beachside verandah, smart but snug interior and some of the best bistro–pub grub in town – the bouillabaisse is suitably intense.
Salisbury
A cafe just made for sightseeing: attached to Salisbury Museum, with fine views of the soaring spire of neighbouring Salisbury Cathedral from the flower…
Dorset
Views don't come much better than from the terrace of this converted fishers' storage shack set right beside Lulworth's glittering circular cove. The food…
