4 Best Restaurants in The Southeast, England

Serving the best of British seafood, as well as an extensive choice of champagne and sparkling wines, this intimate little restaurant has bar seating set around an open kitchen, so you can watch (and chat with) the chef preparing your food. But don't let the relaxed, friendly, and unstuffy atmosphere fool you; this is exceptional quality, fresh seafood cooked to perfection (or not cooked at all, in the case of the delicious oysters). Order from the catch-of-the-day specials pinned up above the bar, from the à la carte menu, or from the special oyster menu: it's two-for-one oysters every Friday between 4 and 5 pm.

Located near the castle in Herstmonceux and set within a 17th-century brick farmhouse with wood-beamed ceilings, this charming, family-run restaurant features imaginative French fare based on classical and modern approaches. There's an à la carte menu, but you might opt for the pricier eight-course Menu Dégustation; it changes with the seasons but may include pan-fried king scallops with pine nuts and tarragon, venison medallion with black peppercorn and juniper cream sauce, and crêpe Suzette.

Once the home of Victorian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, this mid-17th-century tile-hung house is now an elegant restaurant known for creative French cuisine, with à la carte dishes like roast stone bass with artichoke sauce and confit pork belly with blue cheese ravioli. The fixed-price, seven-course Chef's Tasting Menu is another option.

This sophisticated modern bistro, with its hardwood floors and royal blue banquettes, is popular with locals for a special-occasion dinner and with the theater crowd, who enjoy the fixed-price early-bird menus. The food strikes a balance between hearty, traditional British fare (like beer-battered fish-and-chips) and contemporary international dishes (like confit duck croquette with saffron aioli). The pre-theater menus, available before all performances at the Chichester Festival Theatre, are a good deal at £25.95 for two courses or £29.95 for three—considering mains alone typically cost between £25 and £35.