Britain's best outdoor restaurants - Europe
When the sun is shining, your friends have gathered and the views are the finest in Britain, you’ll need a dining experience that lives up to the occasion. Emma Ventura leads the way
The Hut Isle of Wight
When summer’s in full swing, few places feel as idyllically English as the Isle of Wight, with its meandering country roads, quaint tea rooms and mid-century vibes. Framed by candy-coloured beach cabins, The Hut is one of the island’s alfresco highlights, its timber deck set above the clear, shallow Colwell Bay. Diners putter in either by boat or car for the vibrant seafood-based menu, cheery service and zesty cocktails. A Paloma (tequila, grapefruit liqueur, bitters and soda) will put you in a buoyant mood for the fresh flavours to come: maybe fish tacos, ceviche with sea herbs or a tuna poké bowl scattered with crunchy bean sprouts and furikake seasoning. Whole fish options are always available, while burgers and dry-aged beef sirloin keep meat eaters happy. Round things off with a slice of Amalfi lemon tart and settle in for the sunset. The Hut, Colwell Bay opened its doors on 23rd March 2024 and is currently available for bookings. For more information or to book please visit thehutcolwell.co.uk. Menu items at The Hut are as follows: Starters between £15-£25, Mains £25-£65, and Dessert courses at £15.
Pre/Postprandial Fun
Discover why the Isle of Wight
is dubbed Dinosaur Island at surfing hotspot Compton Beach
where the tide reveals iguanodon foot casts and fossilised teeth,
bones and wood. After lunch, stroll up and over Tennyson Down
to Old Battery and New Battery, where you can explore the
area’s military history. Take in views of the Solent and the famous
chalk rock towers known as the Needles, by which time your
appetite might be spiked again by the highly rated scones and
jam at the facility’s lovely National Trust-run 1940s-themed tea
rooms. visitisleofwight.co.uk nationaltrust.org.uk
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Hive Beach Dorset
It’s but a short detour to the village of Burton Bradstock and the
Hive Beach Cafe, no matter where you are on the Jurassic Coast.
Just steps from the shingle, with iconic views across Lyme Bay
and Chesil Beach, this family-run favourite has been going for 30 years and currently rates as one of the country’s best
beachfront diners. Freshness, seafood and sustainability are the watchwords here, with a daily-changing menu dependent on what’s been caught locally. Breakfasts are a highlight – think
waffles, kippers and bread from Hive’s own highly rated bakery – while lunch might be a bowl of lightly spiced fish soup, made
with whatever’s best at the market, or grilled lemon sole with garlic
samphire, lobster meat and chips. It’s all served up with a dollop of
conviviality on the side, all you have to do it sit back and shoot the
breeze. Three courses from £30pp. hivebeachcafe.co.uk
Pre/Postprandial Fun
Head up the road to join the 5km section of beautiful clifftop South West Coast Path
that runs from Hive Beach to West Bay, part of the Unesco World
Heritage-listed Jurassic Coast. From here you could take to the
sparkling waters with Lyme Bay Rib Charter, which offers both
fast blasts and gentle cruises along the coast. You’ll want to stop
at historic Lyme Regis: pick up a delicious homemade ice cream
at the award-winning Baboo Gelato on Marine Parade and then
wander along the scenic Cobb while you eat it. jurassiccoast.org
lymebayribcharter.co.uk baboogelato.com
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Timberyard Edinburgh
Take a table in the brick-lined, south-facing courtyard and prepare
to experience one of Scotland’s most exciting restaurants. Run by a local family of restaurateurs, with son Ben Radford at the
stoves, Timberyard has its feet firmly in Nordic pastures – think
foraging, small producers and sustainability – with its airy industrial
architecture and cool Scandi styling setting the scene. Dishes
emphasise small bites, pristine flavours and impeccably sourced
local ingredients, supplemented by herbs, edible flowers, fruit and veg grown on site. Lunch on the courtyard means dining off a pared-back menu that could include ox tartare with radish,
rye, cucumber and dill, or glazed hake with sea kale and leeks. Timberyard’s extraordinary list of natural wines won top honours in the AA Wine Award 2018-19, and there’s a huge range of
idiosyncratic drops from across Europe – including a rare Welsh rosé. Three courses from £25pp. timberyard.co
Pre/Postprandial Fun
Timberyard puts you within an easy walk of some of Edinburgh’s most iconic sites. Head uphill to the gothic Scott Monument for panoramic city views and tours of this tribute to Victorian writer Sir Walter Scott, stopping to visit Edinburgh Castle, one of Europe’s oldest fortified palaces. If you’re there on a Saturday, Edinburgh Farmers’ Market, touted as one of the world’s best, is held below its ramparts on Castle Terrace. edinburghmuseums.org.uk edinburghcastle.scot edinburghfarmersmarket.co.uk
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The George of Stamford Lincolnshire
Its honey-coloured heritage buildings earned Stamford status as
the first English Conservation Area in the late 1960s, and this lovely
town has been drawing visitors ever since. Those in the know head
to The George, a former coaching inn with traditional styling and
a leafy, cobbled inner courtyard made for refined outdoor dining.
Take a seat under one of the crisp white umbrellas and select from
The Garden Room’s classic menu. On a balmy day, you can’t go wrong with a classic prawn and crab cocktail for starters, the
generous cold buffet of beef sirloin, sugar-baked ham and smoked
salmon or, if you’re feeling extravagant, the Grand Brittany Platter,
piled with lobster, succulent crab, mussels and more. Gruyère
fritters with chilli jam are a choice pick for vegetarians. Seal the
deal with an indulgent old-school pud. Alternatively, stop by after a
pootle around the town for a sumptuous sun-kissed afternoon tea
– flutes of Taittinger optional. Three courses from £35pp; afternoon
tea from £26.50pp. georgehotelofstamford.com
Pre/Postprandial Fun
Explore the town’s beautiful streets with their gracious stone-fronted houses, taking in the Aladdin’s cave of St Martin’s Antique centre and the 900-year-old St Leonard’s Priory. Stop by Stamford Cheese Cellar to stock up on artisanal British picks from truckles of Brinkburn goat’s cheese to Cornish Yarg. A 10-minute drive away is the Elizabethan Burghley House – one of England’s greatest stately homes. Set amid stunning parkland, this month sees a film festival (24-28 July), and Battle Proms (20 July) featuring orchestral music and fireworks. st-martins-antiques.co.uk stamfordcheese.com burghley.co.uk
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Rocksalt Folkestone
With its sleek, curved lines, contemporary dining and panoramic views, Rocksalt is one of the brightest lights on the UK harbourside. Owner Mark Sargeant earnt his stripes under Gordon Ramsay, and you’ll want to enjoy his inherited perfectionism and love of British produce from a sunny terrace table above the bobbing boats of Folkestone Harbour. Order à la carte for a variety of locally caught seafood and fish (barbecued Folkestone huss, anyone?), plenty of meat and vegetarian dishes and hard-to-ignore desserts such as Kentish gypsy tart. There are great-value three-course lunch options, plus a stylish bar with its own terrace, delicious nautically named cocktails and casual bites such as haggis Scotch eggs or a pot of whelks. These days, Rocksalt offers a handful of characterful rooms, to boot – so if day turns into night, you can lay your head right around the corner. Three courses from £35pp; £25pp for lunch (Monday-Friday). rocksaltfolkestone.co.uk
Pre/Postprandial Fun
Folkestone’s Harbour Arm buzzes in summer with food trucks, live music and all manner of alfresco fun. Kick off your evening with a glass of bubbly at the Lighthouse Champagne Bar or one of the top-notch cocktails served at the tiny Bathtub & Gun. In town, you’ll find the local arts scene thriving in the Creative Quarter, which is jam-packed with galleries, cafés and boutiques. Finally, lest we forget those who fought for our modern freedoms, there’s the Kent Battle of Britain Museum, with artefacts from more than 700 aircraft. folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk creativefolkestone.org.uk kbobm.org
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Nancarrow Farm Cornwall
Cornwall is everyone’s favourite summer holiday county, and while you can’t simply rock up to this bucolic beauty, just a picnic
blanket away from Truro, its ticketed Feast Nights and food events
are becoming the stuff of legend. Built in 1782, Nancarrow has
been in the same family for nine generations, and the approach to
agriculture and animal husbandry is time-honoured and organic.
The property’s 16ha is home to native breeds, an outdoor kitchen
and bar and beautifully restored buildings, including stylish digs,
should you wish to linger. Much of the food is produced on site,
from the cultured butter to cured meats. When the weather’s fine,
the action revolves around the outdoor fire pit, where hunks of
farm-reared beef and lamb, or maybe mackerel and cracked crab
claws from the nearby Cornish coast, are chargrilled to perfection.
Feasts from £35pp or £190pp with B&B. nancarrowfarm.co.uk
Pre/Postprandial Fun
A 20-minute drive west of
Nancarrow brings you to the coastal village of St Agnes, whose
Mining District has World Heritage status and where you’ll find craft shops, galleries and stunning clifftop walks. If the pretty
sandy coves have inspired your sporting side, book a lesson at
the Gwithian Academy of Surfing on St Ives Bay, further west.
Just south of Nancarrow lies the county’s only city, Truro, from
where you can pick up a river boat to the idyllic enclave of Malpas,
home to the Heron Inn, which offers Cornish ales and outdoor
seating with gorgeous estuarine views. visitcornwall.com
surfacademy.co.uk falriver.co.uk heroninnmalpas.co.uk
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Lord Crewe Arms Northumberland
Make the pilgrimage to the tiny village of Blanchland, at the foot of the North Pennines, for both rest and culinary riches. Set in what was a 12th-century abbey, the Lord Crewe Arms channels a Game of Thrones vibe (vaulted ceilings, a huge fireplace with
spit-roasted meats and an underground bar called The Crypt) while keeping things real on the plate, thanks to exceptional
traditional British food from Simon Hicks, former head chef at Hix
Soho. You can’t book the picnic-style tables in the walled garden,
so get there early to nab a spot on the neat expanse of grass. A
brunch of mutton haggis and sausage on toast will surely get you
in medieval feasting mode, or kick off lunch with chicory tart and
pickled garlic, roasted peanuts and peppers. Then it’s chicken from
the Ribble Valley, salt-aged beef from Northern Ireland, homemade
sourdough and the property’s own Lord Crewe Brew to try. Three
courses from £30pp. lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk
Pre/Postprandial Fun
With 21 classically designed rooms available, you don’t actually have to leave the comfort of the Lord Crewe – especially appealing if you plan on attending one of their live music Garden Gigs (6 July and 3 August). But if you do manage to drag yourself away, the North Pennines is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making for spectacular walking and birdwatching trails, several of which are easily accessed from the Blanchland car park. Alternatively, cast off and try your hand at landing a plump trout or two with a fun fly-fishing lesson at Derwent Reservoir, one of England’s biggest inland waters. northpennines.org.uk watersideparksuk.com
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Petersham Nurseries Cafe London
Not packing for Tuscany? Then find your way to the fringes of Richmond Park, where Petersham Nurseries offers a slice of rustic Italianate dining in some of the prettiest surrounds
imaginable. Nestled among the trailing greenery, flowers and
terracotta pots is the restaurant helmed by Damian Clisby,
whose elegant, seasonal dishes give star billing to the produce
grown on site. The key is simplicity, whether it’s in a platter of
marinated Sicilian Marinda tomatoes, the tender chargrilled squid
with olives and capers, or a signature starter of fried zucchini
flowers – plucked and battered to order. Other produce comes
courtesy of Haye Farm, the sprawling Devon property owned
by Petersham proprietor Harry Boglione, and includes pork
from Gloucester Old Spots, duck, rabbit and organic fruit.
Grab a group of friends and make it Bellinis all round. Three
courses from £49pp. petershamnurseries.com
Pre/Postprandial Fun
With an on-site garden centre and homewares store selling furniture, candles, crockery, glassware and garden statues, Petersham Nurseries is a destination in itself. Browse the laden shelves, book into one of the workshops, running from tea tasting to flowerbed prep, or attend an open garden event held at the adjacent Petersham House (14 July). Richmond Park is also right on the doorstep. Hire a bike to explore its more than 1,000ha, or saddle up for a horse ride with Stag Lodge Stables. And don’t forget that Kew Royal Botanic Gardens is just a stone’s throw away. parkcycle.co.uk ridinginlondon.com kew.org
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