2 Best Restaurants in Winchester, The South

The timbered and gabled building may be venerable—it dates back to the mid-15th century—but the cuisine is contemporary British. The small but well-executed menu is particularly strong on dishes using local ingredients, like roast wood pigeon with white onion purée, roast lamb with wild garlic and spaetzle, and pan-seared chalk-stream trout with dill oil. Good service and the heritage charm of the surroundings further enhance the dining experience. There's also a good-value set lunch and early evening menu. 

Renowned as one of Britain's finest seafood chefs, Rick Stein chose Winchester for his first venture away from the Cornish coast. The menu is largely focused on fish and crustaceans, but carnivores and vegetarians are catered for as well. The airy room embodies tasteful nautical chic, but the restaurant's popularity means it can be noisy when busy.