8 Best Restaurants in The South, England

Befitting its waterside location in a harbor village just outside Ryde, this hotel has two restaurants with a strong maritime flavor. The fine-dining Aquitania sources much of its produce from the Seaview's own farm and features dishes such as herb-crusted cod loin with an heirloom tomato salad, whereas the less-formal Pump Bar serves battered fish-and-chips and traditional Sunday roasts. There are also gluten-free and vegan options, daytime light bites, and sandwiches. Luxurious fabrics characterize the chic guest rooms in the adjoining hotel.

This cozy, child-and-dog-friendly restaurant in a 17th-century building at the bottom of Lyme Regis's main street makes a great spot for a light lunch or an excellent cream tea. Apart from hot drinks and sandwiches (including fresh crab), you can order more substantial dishes like homemade beef lasagna. It closes at 5 pm. 

Part of a chain specializing in quick, nourishing meals, this relaxed café in a 14th-century former inn allegedly once patronized by Shakespeare, Cromwell, and Pepys serves hot and cold breakfasts, lunches, and afternoon snacks. Choices include cheeseburgers served with bacon and fried egg, a Moving Mountains beetroot, mushroom, and soy version, or a sweet corn hash with halloumi, avocado, and poached egg. You can eat upstairs in the spectacular Tudor great hall or in the quieter side room.

This unfussy but elegant café-restaurant serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and afternoon tea offers freshly made soups, sandwiches, hot dishes, and cakes created with locally sourced ingredients. Favorites include a chickpea and butternut squash stew with eggplant and coconut, fried mushrooms on sourdough toast with creamed spinach, and a roast duck salad with bok choy. There are no reservations and it's very popular, so a wait may be involved at busy times.

Reasonably priced and healthy comfort food is served cafeteria-style at this established, family-run favorite. On the menu are dishes like a steak gyro, a quinoa salad with grilled tofu, and a Goan spiced fishcake with poached egg and crispy kale. Serving breakfast (including a great full English and a vegan version of same) and lunch, the place transforms into a busy cocktail bar (no full meals) in the evening.

Tucked away from the busy harbor, this French-owned local favorite serves classic Gallic dishes such as onion soup, eggs Benedict, and croque monsieur, plus simple seafood dishes like king prawns in garlic butter. If you're looking for an afternoon pit stop, try the substantial, and very English, cream tea selection and other superlative baked goods. A set-menu, monthly supper club held on Fridays and Saturdays serves dishes like bouillabaisse or a supreme of chicken filled with goat's cheese and tarragon. It books up fast.

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.

Superbly positioned right on the beach close to Bournemouth Pier, this fish restaurant serves the best seafood in town, whether grilled, baked, or in fish pies and stews. The menu may include dishes like tempura halibut, pan-fried sea bass, and a locally caught fish of the day, plus shellfish such as local oysters, crab, mussels, clams, and lobster. There are a few non-fish dishes such as an aged West Country sirloin steak. Simple wooden tables and a large glass front lend a modern, minimalist feel, and there's a narrow deck and terrace for open-air dining. In summer, pick up ice cream and snacks from the adjacent stand.