The Royal George, Devon
Big windows and a long terrace let you make the most of views over the estuary where the Taw and Torridge join, as you sample the great food and local ale. The coastal path and the Tarka Trail both run nearby, letting you explore the waterside to work up an appetite for what the creative team is cooking up.
The menu changes monthly and is brimming with variety; you might get handpicked Brixham crab with pickled kohlrabi, followed by tandoori spiced fish with bombay potatoes. There’s Exmoor lamb, local pheasant, a great burger and good vegetarian options; good wines and a range of beers, with a weekly changing local guest ale.
The Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall
It’s a long, spectacular hike from St Ives to the Gurnard’s Head on a remote curve of coastline, but when you’re sitting in the garden looking out over the waves, it makes it all worthwhile. There are easier ways to arrive and sample the superb local flavours of this renowned dining pub, but none so scenic.
Inside, it’s earthy, warm, stylish and friendly, with rustic interiors and fires at both ends of the bar. Logs are piled high in an alcove, maps and art hang on the walls, books fill every shelf; if you pick one up and don’t finish it, take it home and post it back. Comfortable, cosy bedrooms have views over the Atlantic or the moors.
Llys Meddyg, Pembrokeshire, Wales
In a stunning spot on the Pembrokeshire coast, this bar and restaurant has a down-to-earth ambiance and an easy sea breeze feel. Great ingredients are gathered up locally and served simply, from the cocktails in the cellar bar to mains in the sparkling dining room or coffee and cake in the garden.
You eat in style with a fire burning at one end of the restaurant and good art hanging on the walls. Best of all is the back garden with a mountain-fed stream pouring past.
Cary Arms & Spa, Devon
When it comes to being by the water, The Cary Arms & Spa doesn’t mess about. Deckchairs on the terrace and the long dining room all look out over Babbacombe Bay just metres away, and there’s even a table on a spur of the patio where you’re almost surrounded by sea as you dine. If that isn’t soothing enough, you’ve got the wonders of the spa to turn to, with treatment tables and the pool all keeping you in front of that sea view. Throw in some boating, or fishing from the jetty and you’ve got a complete aquatic experience that’ll leave you feeling calmly wonderful.
The Ship Inn, Fife
This second Ship Inn has lovely views of the Firth of Forth and serves superb seafood. There are few inns where you can sit on the terrace and watch a game of cricket on the beach below. Legends like Viv Richards, Wasim Akram and Mark Waugh have allcome to take part, with the cosy bar serving as the pavilion and happy lunchers applauding politely between bites.
You can expect nothing but delicious food – fish and seafood from local waters, lamb and beef from nearby farms, sinful puddings you can’t resist; there are regular barbecues on the terrace, too.
The Ferry House, Kent
Located right on the shores of The Swale, which winds round the Isle of Sheppey, means that this ancient inn is by the water in more ways than one. You’re a few footsteps from some very special sea views, but can follow narrow streams for miles on scenic hikes, or head into the wetlands of the Swale and Elmley nature reserves to go bird watching. A modern extension to the pub means that your room when you return will be supremely comfortable and there are treatment rooms for a massage if you overdid it on the hiking.
More inspiration…
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