Must-see restaurants in Southeast England

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    Terre à Terre

    Brighton & Hove

    Take your taste buds around the world without any meat in sight. In this vegetarian restaurant, inventive and flavourful dishes are meticulously plated…

  • Royal Victoria Pavilion

    Kent

    The old pavilion has sat on Ramsgate seafront like an upturned boat since 1904, its grand architecture, based on the Little Theatre at Versailles, a…

  • Sportsman Pub

    Kent

    The anonymous and oddly named village of Seasalter, 4 miles east of Whitstable, would hardly receive a trickle of visitors were it not for the deceivingly…

  • Allotment

    Dover

    Dover’s best dining spot plates up local fish and meat from around Canterbury, seasoned with herbs from the tranquil garden out back, for breakfast, lunch…

  • Iydea

    Brighton & Hove

    Even by Brighton’s high standards, the food at this multi-award-winning vegetarian cafe is a treat. The daily-changing choices of curries, lasagnes,…

  • Wyatt & Jones

    Kent

    Broadstairs’ best gastronomical offering is this contemporary British restaurant just a few steps off the beach. Savour unashamedly local dishes such as…

  • Town House

    Southeast England

    The only thing that rivals the 16th-century Florentine gilded-walnut ceiling in this compact and very elegant eatery is the sparkling atmosphere and…

  • Goods Shed

    Canterbury

    Aromatic farmers market, food hall and fabulous restaurant rolled into one, this converted warehouse by the Canterbury West train station is a hit with…

  • Exterior of Isaac At

    Isaac At

    Brighton & Hove

    Tucked on a street corner is this intimate fine-dining restaurant run by a small team of culinary talent, all aged under 30. Every ingredient is locally…

  • Brasserie Blanc

    Southeast England

    For some Gallic class, head to this understated eatery near Farnham Castle, one of chef Raymond Blanc’s 20 UK restaurants. The simply laid tables, art…

  • Tiny Tim’s Tearoom

    Canterbury

    It’s no mean feat to be declared ‘Kent Tearoom of the Year’, but this swish 1930s cafe was awarded the accolade in 2015. It offers hungry shoppers big…

  • The Pond

    Brighton & Hove

    For a decent pint and unimaginably good food, walk a few streets up from the busy North Laine shopping area to the Pond. Loved by locals and welcoming to…

  • Wheelers Oyster Bar

    Kent

    Squeeze onto a stool by the bar or into the four-table Victorian dining room of this baby-blue and pink restaurant, then choose from the seasonal menu and…

  • English’s of Brighton

    Brighton & Hove

    A 75-year-old institution and celebrity haunt, this local seafood paradise dishes up everything from Essex oysters to locally caught lobster and Dover…

  • Webbe's at the Fish Cafe

    Rye

    Rye's best fish restaurant is a simple dining room flooded with natural light from large arched windows. The menu features local fish such as Rye Bay…

  • Moshimo

    Brighton & Hove

    Moshimo is the real deal, with over 50 sushi types and combinations available in bento boxes, on the pick-your-own conveyor belt and on boat-shaped…

  • The front of Edendum

    Edendum

    Brighton & Hove

    Equally suited to couples and families, Edendum serves authentic Italian food in a warm, slick setting. As to be expected, quality pizzas are on the menu,…

  • Old Kent Market

    Kent

    This resurrected indoor market a few steps from the beach is absolutely crammed with hipster eateries of every kind, from a Singapore street-food stall to…

  • The Plough

    Southeast England

    A warmhearted community-owned pub in the high Surrey Hills village of Coldharbour. The gastropub food is good and hearty, with produce from local beef…

  • Riddle & Finns

    Brighton & Hove

    Regarded as the town’s most refined seafood spot, R&F is light on gimmicky interiors (think white butcher-shop tiles, marble tables and candles) but heavy…

  • Infinity Foods Kitchen

    Brighton & Hove

    The sister establishment of Infinity Foods wholefoods shop (health-food cooperative and Brighton institution) serves a wide variety of vegetarian and…

  • No Name Shop

    Kent

    The far-from-anonymous No Name Shop is a French-owned deli (downstairs) and bistro (upstairs) near the bus stop, a pleasantly aromatic spot for a quick…

  • Choccywoccydoodah

    Brighton & Hove

    Even if you’re not hungry or thirsty, this incredible chocolate emporium, painted blood red inside and out, is a must-see. The downstairs is packed with…

  • Hantverk & Found

    Kent

    Margate's best seafood cafe plates up mussels, oysters, clams, crab and local fish in imaginative ways, be that in spicy Korean broth, koji miso marinated…

  • The Ginger Pig

    Brighton & Hove

    Just two minutes from Hove beachfront, this gastropub is well located for a smart-casual evening meal after a stroll on the pebbles. The set menu is your…

  • Duke & Rye

    Southeast England

    Occupying a large deconsecrated church opposite Chichester Cathedral, this temple of food and ale allows you to refuel and kick back in an incongruously…

  • The Set

    Brighton & Hove

    Eating here is like being wined and dined by a foodie friend in their low-lit living room. Choose from three set menus (one vegetarian, two meat, all…

  • The Flour Pot Bakery

    Brighton & Hove

    On a street where shoppers swarm around cool boutiques, the Flour Pot invites you to take a moment out of the bustle to feast and people-watch. While it’s…

  • Boho

    Canterbury

    This hip eatery in a prime spot on the main drag is extraordinarily popular and you’ll be lucky to get a table on busy shopping days. Cool tunes lilt…

  • St Martin’s Coffeehouse

    Southeast England

    A little cocoon of nooks and crannies tucked away in a part-18th-century, part-medieval town house, this organic cafe serves freshly ground coffee with…

  • Chapter

    Canterbury

    You literally eat your dinner off the floor in this place – the tables are made of what looks like squares of reclaimed parquet floors! Thankfully there's…

  • Samphire

    Kent

    The shabby-chic jumble of tables and chairs, big-print wallpaper and blackboard menus create the perfect stage for meticulously crafted mains containing…

  • Plateau

    Brighton & Hove

    If you are looking for some imaginatively fashioned tapas, the Sussex chorizo, roast bone marrow and mozzarella with peas, mint and lemon really hit the…

  • Wolfox

    Brighton & Hove

    Situated between Brighton and Hove, Wolfox is a hip café and wine bar that’s worth walking to. Where possible they use fresh, local and organic…

  • Bay Tree

    Southeast England

    The ideal lunch stop after antique hunting on Tarrant St, the Bay Tree serves up expertly prepared dishes in a pleasingly simple setting with just…

  • Wahaca

    Brighton & Hove

    The Brighton branch of this national chain is a bright, colourful affair where Mexican street food lands on multihued tables amid eclectic, retro decor…

  • Indian Summer

    Brighton & Hove

    Brighton's best Indian outfit boasts typical British Indian decor (think high-back, leatherette chairs and modern fittings) and serves a multitude of…

  • Food for Friends

    Brighton & Hove

    An ever-inventive choice of vegetarian and vegan food keeps bringing locals back for seconds and thirds at this place to see and be seen – literally, by…

  • Gingerman

    Brighton & Hove

    Hastings seafood, Sussex beef, Romney Marsh lamb, local sparkling wines and countless other seasonal, local and British treats go into the adroitly flash…

  • Coastguard Pub

    Kent

    This welcoming seafront pub at St Margaret’s Bay is the closest tavern to France in England. Kept continually fresh, the bar and dining room are a cosy…