Special restaurants to visit this summer

Trencherman’s Guide editor Abi Manning shares incredible dining experiences that visitors to the South West need to know about

‘Rick Stein calls the Trencherman’s Guide “a guide with teeth”,’ says Abi. ‘And with 32 years of publishing the annual guide to the best restaurants from Cornwall to the Cotswolds under our belts, you can be confident we know where’s especially good to eat out in the South West.’  

‘The restaurants in the guide have reached a high score when graded according to the exacting Trencherman’s criteria, so every one of them is a safe bet – important if you don’t know an area well and are taking a punt on where to book a table. We spend a lot of time visiting the restaurants and those that make the grade to be in the guide are all exceptional. Here are a few that should definitely be on your hit-list.’

St Enodoc, Rock, Cornwall

St Enodoc’s leafy setting, heated outdoor pool and spa may make it an attractive destination in the upmarket village of Rock, but it’s the hotel’s dining that has earned it a place in the upper echelons of the South West’s hospitality scene.

The hotel has a history of great head chefs (including Nathan Outlaw), and when Guy Owen took on the leading role in 2020 he was determined to elevate the dining experience further. His current offering can be found at the Brasserie, where quality local produce is transformed into healthy modern dishes that delight diners with complex techniques, flavours and presentation.

The Sardine Factory, Looe, Cornwall

Chef-owner Ben Palmer of Great British Menu fame has turned this harbourside warehouse into a buzzy 80-cover restaurant that specialises in sustainable fish dishes using produce from Looe’s fish market (located directly opposite the restaurant).

The dayboats’ bounty is crafted into the likes of spiced stone bass accompanied by kachumber salad, lime yogurt and summer vegetable bhaji, and creamy local lobster risotto with tomatoes and basil. Of course, there are also sardines, which are served simply with seaweed, lemon and garlic butter.  If raw seafood floats your boat, pick the tuna sashimi with mango, yuzu, sesame and puffed wild rice, or Porthilly oysters fresh from north Cornwall, served with Tabasco, jalapeño salsa and shallot vinegar.

Circa, Stoke Gabriel, Devon

Located in a former milking parlour on the grounds of an award-winning winery, Circa is a special place for feasting on food sourced from the surrounding rolling hills of the Dart Valley.

With some of the best produce in the UK grown and reared in the fields that border the vineyard, chef-founder Rob Weeks gets first pick of the freshest veg and grass-fed meat, while fish and shellfish is landed daily at nearby Brixham. The ambitious chef favours organic ingredients wherever possible, and lets what’s available each morning guide his constantly changing menus.

Lunch and dinner service is a sharing-style set-up, with two or three dishes recommended per person. Diners can expect to tuck into small plates such as cep dumplings with charred vegetables, fava beans, shiitake and coffee kombucha, and beef shin and Pinot Noir croquettes served with black garlic and celeriac.

The Farmers Arms, Woolsery, Devon

The kitchen team craft new-wave British dishes from homegrown, reared and foraged produce, while an innovative drinks line-up deals in handcrafted cordials and own-infused spirits.

A visit to The Farmers Arms (part of The Collective at Woolsery, a curation of village enterprises from tech entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch) is a special experience that captures the wildness of this hidden part of Devon.

Dine in three beautifully rustic dining rooms, or bag a table in the garden courtyard to feast alfresco on own-reared lamb, pork and hogget and daily picked veg, fruit and herbs. On Sundays, plump for a family-style lunch (meat or veggie) to gorge on a waistband-stretching smorgasbord. Quirky upscale guestrooms and cottages make staying the night an option.

Bybrook at The Manor House, Castle Combe, Wiltshire

In the picturesque Cotswolds village of Castle Combe, The Manor House is a 14th-century retreat that’s the epitome of old-school glamour.

Taking its name from the river that runs through the hotel grounds, the Bybrook restaurant is the jewel in The Manor’s crown. Executive chef Rob Potter has retained a Michelin star here since 2017 and leads a brigade of talented chefs in creating exceptional seasonal dishes on an exquisite tasting menu that utilises local and British ingredients of the finest provenance.

Feast on the likes of Cornish wild turbot with white asparagus, Petrossian caviar and seaweed butter; Herdwick lamb with morel, wild garlic and kohlrabi; and Yorkshire wagyu with yukon gold potato and celeriac.

The Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock, Dorset

Inspired by classic British Edwardian hotels and the Cape Cod paintings of Edward Hopper, this antidote to city life was the brainchild of the creators of London’s Groucho Club.

Whether you’re visiting for a simple breakfast, a long lunch, an intimate dinner for two or a six-course banquet, the menus celebrate modern British cooking and champion seasonal produce from Dorset’s farms, smallholdings and fishing boats. It doesn’t get much more local than Portland crab paired with green gazpacho soup and walnut oil.

When the sun’s shining, the restaurant’s large patio doors are flung open, although on balmy days you might prefer a seat on the terrace overlooking Chesil Beach. Art lovers will enjoy the nautical paintings and a collection of Peter Blake prints.

Crab House Cafe, Wyke Regis, Dorset

Overlooking Dorset’s famed Chesil Beach, Crab House Cafe is a rustic setting where visitors can feast on seafood plucked from the ocean just metres away.

Sustainability is paramount at the cafe and owner Nigel Bloxham works closely with local fishermen to source seafood from the surrounding waters – usually served the day it’s caught. Skate wing, sea bass, lemon sole, gurnard, john dory and plaice are just a glimpse of what’s to be discovered on the specials board. 

Whole Portland brown crab is served simply with dressed salad and mayo, leaving the delicate meat to do all the talking. Arguably the star of the show here, however, are the oysters. Grown at the cafe’s own oyster farm just a short paddle from the restaurant, the prized bivalves are fresh, plump and ready to be slurped au naturel.

The Olive Tree, Bath

This chic restaurant below Bath’s boutique Queensberry Hotel needs little introduction, thanks to its impressive accolades (three AA rosettes and a Michelin star for five consecutive years) and inventive menus from executive chef Chris Cleghorn.

Each plate focuses on a core British ingredient, complemented by an array of unusual extras. English rhubarb, for example, is paired with a Szechuan meringue, Ivy House sour cream and preserved rose, while Isle of Skye langoustine is coupled with kohlrabi, Tahitian vanilla and lemon balm. These unexpected fusions of flavour never fail to excite and surprise.

Precede dinner with drinks in the hotel’s hip Old Q Bar, which has an inventive cocktail menu inspired by classic tipples from bygone eras.

Holm, South Petherton, Somerset

Over the past few years, an influx of London chefs and restaurateurs have made their way west, swapping the city’s bright lights for the South West’s big skies, coastlines and greenery. Nicholas Balfe – part of the trio who established esteemed London restaurants Salon, Levan and Larry’s – joined the exodus at the end of 2021 to launch Holm in his home county of Somerset.

Connecting to the land and local people is the driving force behind this contemporary restaurant, which is housed in a former bank in South Petherton. The fields surrounding the small town supply many of the ingredients that contribute to the ever-evolving menus.

The open-plan dining room is accented with mid-century modern furniture and interesting artwork, providing a casual setting for the team’s slick food. The focus of each dish is on the beauty of the ingredients which shine in dishes like Cornish pollack with peas and cider butter, and ham-hock croquette with little gem lettuce.

The Bunch of Grapes, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire

A family-run pub in a rural town may be an unlikely setting for gastronomy, but this is where talented Trencherman’s Guide chef Tony Casey plays with flavour, texture and style to create dishes that dazzle.

Kickstart your visit with cocktails while you ponder whether to plump for à la carte or push the boat out with a five- or seven-course tasting menu. Either way, quality seasonal ingredients take centre stage in dishes such as pork belly and shoulder with turnip cake, spring roll, pak choi, purple sprouting and hoisin.

For those seeking something more casual, the bar menu offers the likes of salt and pepper squid with garlic mayo, chilli, lime and spring onion alongside pub classics.

After lunch, swing by sister venue The Bunch of Bakes next door to pick up handmade baked goods including flaky croissants and artisan bread.

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