From historic West Country inns to remote Scottish loges, Rod Mackenzie explores UK retreats where exceptional food meets bracing seaside locales
This article was taken from the June 2025 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.
Seaside vibeBacked by dunes and stretching for miles, Camber Sands is a rarity on this coast: a true sandy beach. Just ten minutes from Rye’s cobbled lanes, the shore here is bordered by salt marshes and long grasses. Near the River Rother estuary, miles of broad golden sands dotted with shells attract walkers, kite surfers and those brave enough for a bracing swim.
The stay Just behind the dunes, The Gallivant blends beach-house ease with low-key luxury. Larger rooms open on to landscaped gardens and feature oak floors, roll-top baths and a palette of soft whites and driftwood greys. Thoughtful extras include beach towels, wellies and a larder stocked with snacks and drinks. Morning yoga and breathwork sessions take place in the on-site studio – or, weather permitting, out on the sand. For deep relaxation, sip a cocktail in the bath with the doors open to the breeze.
On the menu At Harry’s, chef Matthew Harris (ex-Bibendum) reinterprets French bistro favourites with seasonal, local ingredients: mussels with leeks, oysters with a hot-and-sour dipping sauce, or hake with sauce Maltaise. The menu follows the tides but remains hearty and elegant: rabbit with mustard, beef bourguignon or grilled veal with Montpellier butter and frites.
While you’re here Browse Rye’s antique shops and galleries, or head to the shore for a spot of kite surfing or paddleboarding and long windswept walks
Seaside vibe Mousehole (pronounced ‘mowzel’) may be one of Cornwall’s most photographed villages, but its granite cottages and harbour still feel genuinely lived-in. There are tidal pools carved from rock, cliff paths that lead to Lamorna, and far-reaching views across Mount’s Bay to the Lizard. On still mornings, brave a swim in the rock pool, where you might spot a seal bobbing out in the bay. At low tide, the sandy harbour becomes a sun-warmed haven.
The stay Set in subtropical gardens just above the shoreline, this former coastguard’s post has 14 rooms – nearly all with sea views – styled with vintage lamps, striped curtains and the odd auction-house curio. From the terrace, sip something cold and watch the shifting light over St Michael’s Mount. Inside, the open-plan bar and dining room feel relaxed and unforced – the kind of homely place that doesn’t have to try too hard.
On the menu Chef Danny Garland, who has experience at Ottolenghi and Theo Randall restaurants, brings a vibrant, seasonal flair to local ingredients. Here, you can make the most of fish landed that morning from nearby day boats – blonde ray wing, Newlyn crab or red mullet with pickled rhubarb and mint. Plant-based dishes are given equal care; they’re never an afterthought.
While you’re here Pop into the Tyler Gallery, just off the harbourfront, for contemporary works by rising and established Cornish artists – many inspired by the sea, intense colours and ever-changing light outside
Seaside vibe On the Suffolk Heritage Coast, Aldeburgh is a genteel seaside town that delivers a classic British beach escape with a refined edge. There’s a long shingle beach, a pastel promenade and a lively high street lined with independents. Looking one way, the River Alde opens to sea; the other reveals salt marshes and the historic village of Orford – all under Suffolk’s famously vast skies.
The stay Restaurateur George Pell (of L’Escargot fame) restored this 17th-century coaching inn into a restaurant with six elegant bedrooms, each fitted with vintage finds and Hypnos beds dressed in fine linen. Expect Haeckels bath products, fluffy robes and a guest pantry stocked with house cocktails, cheeses and charcuterie. Downstairs, vinyl spins in the bar, where you might sip a sea buckthorn margarita or an oyster martini before heading to the rooftop terrace – a rare East Anglian perch with North Sea views.
On the menu Head chef Luke Truelove (formerly of Tom Kerridge’s team) works closely with local suppliers to produce a seafood-forward menu: Butley Creek oysters, Cromer crab linguine, and roasted cod with samphire and chive beurre blanc. Fish often comes direct from Dean Fryer’s beach shed or the Wightman fleet out of Lowestoft. Meats come from artisan butcher Salter & King, and the specials board reflects the day’s freshest catch.
While you’re here Book a tour of the Fishers Gin Distillery, perched above the shingle beach. Family-run since 2016, it uses foraged coastal botanicals and distils in small batches using the London Dry method.
Seaside vibe Craggy chalk cliffs, a sweeping promenade and that soft, candy-coloured light Turner captured so well – Margate has long drawn artists, but its cultural tide has surged in recent years. Now home to the Turner Contemporary and modish restaurants, this once- faded seaside town has re-emerged with creative swagger.
The stay This reimagined Victorian seafront hotel retains its intricate balconies and stained-glass windows, but inside, modern comfort meets playful personality. There’s a vinyl library, rooftop DJ sets at sunset and a help-yourself pantry. Eighteen bedrooms span the top floors, while three Lookout Suites – reached via a private entrance – offer four-poster beds, double showers and sea views.
On the menu Head chef Sam Spratt – whose résumé includes The Curlew and The Kentish Hare – champions British ingredients with robata-grilled flair at the hotel’s restaurant, Pearly Cow. Expect raw-bar delicacies like Whitstable oysters and tuna crudo, alongside whole monkfish tails, côte de boeuf and seafood platters. Suppliers include Chapman’s of Rye for fish and Worgan’s of Canterbury for beef.
While you’re here Duck into the Shell Grotto, a subterranean wonder discovered in 1835. Its 21m of tunnels are intricately decorated with 4.6 million shells forming swirling patterns, trees of life and strange otherworldly symbols.
Seaside vibe Hemmed in by heather-clad hills and lapped by the tidal waters of Loch Broom, Ullapool is a Scottish west-coast harbour town with a frontier feel. A gateway to the Highlands, its brooding mountain backdrops draw artists and walkers year-round. In late summer, the moors burst into purple bloom, while offshore waters attract dolphins.
The stay On the loch’s edge, in a restored Georgian manse, The Dipping Lugger blends heritage with understated luxury. There are just three rooms, featuring super-king beds and views across the water or down to the Fannich hills. Interiors nod to the building’s layered past, particularly the town’s early fishing merchants. Expect plush comforts – robes, fine toiletries, even a complimentary ‘sweet shop’ – and the stillness only the Highlands can offer.
On the menu Dinner is a seven-course affair led by head chef David Smith, an alumnus of Charlie Lockley’s celebrated Scottish kitchens. Highland produce is handled with precision – think scallop, langoustine, venison and west-coast beef. In the adjoining Tasting Room, guests can sample small-batch gins from Seven Crofts, distilled just across the road.
While you’re here In summer, take a guided boat trip into The Minch, where minke and humpback whales are seasonal visitors to these deep Atlantic channels.
Seaside vibe Wedged between sea and moor, Lynmouth sits where Exmoor’s rugged hillsides plunge into the Bristol Channel. This North Devon harbour town feels like a place apart – all winding lanes, sea spray and storybook woods. Mossy gorges and tumbling waterfalls are to be found just inland, while the coast path winds above pebbled coves and dramatic headlands. It’s a landscape that has long stirred poets and novelists.
The stay A warren of low-beamed rooms and creaking corridors, The Rising Sun dates back to the 14th century – a once-notorious smugglers’ haunt turned charming inn. Today, this thatched hideaway has 12 individually styled rooms (many with sea views) and a bar that still draws locals. For a romantic escape, book Shelley Cottage – where Percy Bysshe Shelley honeymooned – or simply grab a pint and watch the tide roll in from the harbour wall.
On the menu MasterChef: the Professionals champion and Michelin-starred chef Anton Piotrowski creates comforting but refined dishes with the very best West Country produce. Expect dishes such as chalk stream trout with smoked cod brandade, North Devon scallop with a malt vinegar crumb, or a light take on a prawn and brown shrimp cocktail. Exmoor beef and game also feature prominently on the inventive menu.
While you’re here Ride the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway – a gravity-defying feat of Victorian engineering powered entirely by water that has been running since 1890.
Seaside vibe Just beyond Tenby, the village of Penally sits above the curve of Carmarthen Bay. It’s a quiet patch of far-west Wales where wooded hills taper to a dune-backed beach and limestone cliffs rise dramatically from the sea. Around nearby Giltar Point – the start of a particularly scenic stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path – choughs and razorbills nest in the crags.
The stay This 12-room hotel is a passion project for the Boissevain family – a gothic-style former rectory wrapped in woodland and scented with sea air. Interiors are intended to evoke ‘a seaside family home of a well-to-do, eccentric and artistic aunt’, with Colefax and Fowler velvets, toile de Jouy wallpaper and carved Strawberry Hill- style windows casting early-morning shadows across antique dressers. The best room offers full sea views, a super-king bed and a marble- lined shower with Welsh slate underfoot. Downstairs, the candlelit Rhosyn Restaurant is as beloved by locals as it is by guests.
On the menu Tenby native Josh Hughes turns out sharply seasonal dishes at Rhosyn Restaurant that celebrate local fare – including vegetables from nearby Glebe Farm. Standouts include venison tartare with pickled turnip, halibut in café de Paris butter with brown shrimp, and cauliflower with Welsh rarebit and beer caramel.
While you’re here Hop on the 20-minute ferry from Tenby Harbour to Caldey Island, a monastic outpost since the 6th century peppered with red-roofed cottages and rare wildflowers that bloom in windswept meadows, where time seems to pause.
Seaside vibe At Scotland’s far south-western tip, the Rhins of Galloway is a slender peninsula stretching into the Irish Sea. This remote coastal strip is shaped by cliffs, shingle beaches and rolling pasture, with woodland reaching right to the shore. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate is surprisingly mild – warm enough for a dip on the right day.
The stay Once a Victorian hunting lodge, this ten-room retreat lies at the end of a tangle of country lanes, where 12 hectares of garden spill down to a private pebble beach. It inspired John Buchan’s The 39 Steps and still feels wonderfully secluded. Interiors mix classic country-house comfort with crisp modern touches: think Egyptian cotton sheets, roll-top baths and fine sea views. The Churchill Suite, named after one of its most famous guests, is suitably stately. It’s also very green: a solar farm powers much of the property.
On the menu Chef Tony Pierce has helmed the kitchen for nearly three decades, applying a precise, unfussy approach to Scottish seasonal fare. Dishes might include hand-dived Skye scallops in sparkling wine butter, slow-roasted Galloway lamb or halibut from the Isle of Gigha. Many of the vegetables are grown on-site from seed.
While you’re here Drive to the Mull of Galloway, Scotland’s southernmost point, to climb the 115-step lighthouse for views of Scotland, England and Ireland, and look for dolphins, porpoises and seabirds from the windblown headland.
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