The South Restaurants

In summer, and especially on summer weekends, visitors can overrun the restaurants in small villages, so either book a table in advance or prepare to wait. The more popular or upscale the restaurant, the more critical a reservation is. For local specialties, try fresh-grilled river trout or sea bass poached in brine, or dine like a king on New Forest's renowned venison. Hampshire is noted for its pig and sheep farming, and you might zero in on pork and lamb dishes on local restaurant menus. The region places a strong emphasis on seasonal produce, so venison, for example, is best between September and February.

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  • 1. Seaview Hotel Restaurant and Bar

    $$$

    The outstanding food at this waterside hotel is defined by a menu with a strong maritime flavor that befits its location in the heart of a harbor village just outside Ryde. One of only two Michelin Bib Gourmand recipients on the island, much of the fresh produce is from the Seaview's own farm. You might start dinner with a local crab rarebit, then move on to the catch of the day with local tenderstem broccoli and saffron potatoes. The lunch menu features sandwiches and salads, plus vegan options. Food is served in a wood-paneled pub, the Pump Room and Grill, and in the Bistro, a cozy room modeled on a typical ship's Officers' Mess cabin. Luxurious fabrics characterize the chic guest rooms in the adjoining hotel.

    The High St., Seaview, Isle of Wight, PO34 5EX, England
    01983-612711

    Known For

    • Fresh seafood with local ingredients
    • Charming nautical theme
    • Good value prix-fixe menus

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 2. The Pig

    $$$

    The funkier sister of glamorous Lime Wood, this New Forest "restaurant with rooms" is a local favorite that puts the emphasis on local (with all ingredients sourced within 25 miles if not the restaurant's own kitchen garden) and seasonality. Lunch and dinner are served in a large Victorian greenhouse overlooking the lawns, and the twice-daily changing menu may include dishes like an Isle of Wight eggplant with Romano peppers or a whole Poole sea bass. You may also accompany the "staff forager" on expeditions to find shellfish or edible flora like wild garlic and berries. Overnight in one of the 26 comfortable rooms in the main building (an 18th-century former royal hunting lodge) or the converted stable block. All combine a slightly retro, shabby-chic style with modern bathrooms.

    Beaulieu Rd., Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7QL, England
    01590-622354

    Known For

    • Nearly all ingredients come from their own garden or other sources within 25 miles
    • Excellent porcine dishes, as the name suggests
    • Foraging expeditions with the staff
  • 3. Boston Tea Party

    $

    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 soya version, or a sweetcorn hash with halloumi, avocado, and poached egg. You can eat upstairs in the spectacular Tudor great hall or in the quieter side room.

    13 High St., Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2NJ, England
    01722-433266

    Known For

    • Child-friendly atmosphere and dishes
    • Freshly roasted coffee and homemade cakes
    • Casual dining in impressive historic setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 4. Forte Kitchen

    $

    This unfussy but elegant café-restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea offers freshly made soups, sandwiches, hot dishes, and cakes made with locally sourced ingredients. Favorites include beer-battered cod with fries, fried mushrooms on sourdough toast with creamed spinach and a poached egg, and a miso glazed chicken salad. There are no reservations and it's very popular, so a wait may be involved at busy times.

    78 Parchment St., Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8AT, England
    01962-856840

    Known For

    • Excellent breakfasts
    • Fast, friendly service
    • No reservations so waits are possible

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 5. Green's Bar and Kitchen

    $

    Reasonably priced and healthy comfort food is served cafeteria-style at this established, family-run favorite, including dishes like a vegan cheeseburger, a quinoa salad with grilled tofu, and torched mackerel on toast. Serving breakfast (including a great full English) and lunch, the place transforms into a busy cocktail bar in the evening.

    4 Jewry St., Winchester, Hampshire, S23 8RZ, England
    01962-869630

    Known For

    • Excellent breakfasts
    • Outdoor seating in good weather
    • Great cocktails
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  • 6. Pascal's Brasserie

    $

    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 pop-up supper club serves dishes like pork fillet braised in Chablis with prunes on the third Friday and Saturday of each month and books up fast.

    8 Cove St., Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8TS, England
    01305-777500

    Known For

    • Delicious housemade cakes and scones
    • French brasserie favorites
    • Excellent breakfasts

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 7. Rick Stein, Winchester

    $$$

    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.

    7 High St., Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9JX, England
    01962-587348

    Known For

    • Simply but confidently prepared classics like turbot hollandaise
    • Exotic choices like spicy Indonesian curry with prawn and squid
    • Good-value set menus for lunch and early evening dinner

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed., Reservations essential
  • 8. The Bell Cliff Restaurant and Tea Rooms

    $

    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 a cream tea with views over the bay. Apart from hot drinks and sandwiches (including fresh crab), you can order more substantial dishes like homemade beef lasagna.

    5–6 Broad St., Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3QD, England
    01297-442459

    Known For

    • Friendly service
    • Excellent cream tea
    • Generous portions
  • 9. WestBeach

    $$

    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 usually includes a crayfish roll, a soft-shell crab burger, and wild locally caught fish and shellfish (including local oysters, crab, mussels, clams, and lobster). There are also a few non-fish dishes such as a crispy duck and blood orange salad. 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 and excellent views over the sea and sand. But be warned: if you turn up for lunch one minute after service finishes, you won't be served. In summer, pick up ice cream and snacks from the adjacent stand.

    Pier Approach, Bournemouth, Bournemouth, BH2 5AA, England
    01202-587785

    Known For

    • Fresh fish and shellfish
    • Sea views from right on beach
    • Minimalist decor
  • 10. Yalbury Cottage

    $$$$

    Oak-beamed ceilings, exposed stone walls, and inglenook fireplaces add to the charm of this restaurant in a 300-year-old former shepherd's cottage across the road from where Thomas Hardy went to school. It specializes in set menus featuring superior modern French cooking using locally sourced produce, with dishes like Portland crab salad, sticky braised beef brisket, and beetroot Wellington with eggplant caviar. Sunday lunch and afternoon tea are also available. Eight comfortable bedrooms are available in an extension overlooking gardens or fields. Lower Bockhampton is signposted off the A35, 1½ miles east of Dorchester.

    Bockhampton La., Lower Bockhampton, Dorset, DT2 8PZ, England
    01305-262382

    Known For

    • French cuisine with an English twist
    • Good-value fixed-price two- or three-course dinner menus
    • Booking up quickly so making reservations is a good idea

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun. No lunch Tues.–Sat.

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