As the country is starting to see an end in sight with the easing of lockdown restrictions, we can but plan a visit to some of our favourite bars, terraces and restaurants. We’ve already brought you a selection of places to drink and dine at in London, and now we move further afield. From Yorkshire to Cornwall, here are some of the finest establishments to book a table or room at for that post-lockdown celebration.
Al fresco dining – 12 April onwards
Crockers, Henley-on-Thames
Dine out on Henley’s historic Marketplace and watch the world go by.
For those looking for a jaunt out of London, the one-hour trip to Henley is well worth it. The new restaurant with rooms – voted as The Times’ best hotel in Central England – boasts a terrace overlooking Henley’s historic marketplace. With head chef Tom Westerland on the pans, the menu is revamped British classics. The house burger is served in their beef fat bun with smoked cheese and bacon, or there’s their whole roasted cauliflower with raisins, curry and onion bhaji.
Signature dish: Kentucky fried octopus, chorizo ketchup, mint and cucumber yoghurt.
To book: henley.crockersuk.com
Mickey’s Beach, Exmouth
A brand-new offering from Michael Caines.
This brand-new beach bar and restaurant from Michael Caines opens its doors for the very first time on April 12. Serving up the best of the South West on a casual outdoor terrace with cocktails aplenty, resident DJ at weekend (when permitted), all overlooking Exmouth Sideshore’s magnificent views and sunsets. This is set to be the destination for this summer to kick back and relax.
To book: mickeysbeach.co.uk
Indoor dining – 17 May onwards
Jöro, Sheffield
Sheffield’s finest – shipping container meets fine dining in the old docks.
Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French’s Sheffield restaurant will be re-opening to the public on 19 May. With dishes including fermented Mayan gold potato with smoked pike roe and Highland wagyu knuckle with wasabi mustard and watercress, Jöro is the place to be to enjoy the finest native ingredients combined with some of the best modern cooking the city has ever seen.
Signature dish: Highland wagyu.
To book: jororestaurant.co.uk
Rick Stein Collection, Cornwall
The nation’s sweetheart is back.
Thousands of people have been enjoying a Stein’s at Home box during lockdown, however nothing beats the taste of fresh seafood in Cornwall. Whether it’s a whole dover sole at The Seafood Restaurant, grilled ribeye steak at St Petroc’s Bistro or a pie and pint in the Cornish Arms, you’ll be greeted with the renowned Stein hospitality. Keep an eye out for some sites with outdoor areas which may open sooner.
Signature dish: Rick’s Indonesian fish Curry with pilau rice and green bean and coconut salad.
To book: rickstein.com
Libertine, Warwickshire
The burger restaurant with a difference.
It’s the UK’s National Burger Award winner, and while we’ve all enjoyed their DIY kits at home, they’re getting prepared to welcome diners in again from 17 May. Their signature Aberdeenshire burgers – made using the finest chuck, flank and brisket steak from local butcher, Aubrey Allen – make these patties and buns the best in business. Pint, a glass of wine, or a cocktail in hand, this is the sort of food you want to eat with friends.
Signature dish: the No. 007 – their signature patty, American cheese and dripping in chimichurri and house chilli.
To book: libertineburger.com
Delightful dining with rooms
Forest Side, The Lake District
A tasting menu with rooms on the banks of Lake Grasmere.
Famed for its on-site garden with bountiful produce, Forest Side have spent the last year pickling, preserving and fermenting the fine home-grown ingredients, ready to serve its guests when open again. This sought-after dining room in the heart of the Lakes is reopening with a brand new menu featuring the likes of aged Cumbrian deer, wood sorrel and smoked fresh cheese; 2017 walnuts, hand dived scallop, salsify and Cumbrian saddleback and beets cooked in their own juice, juniper picked at Rydal and whipped cod’s roe and sweets like preserved rhubarb, meadowsweet and set custard. Eight courses of England’s finest cooked up by chef Paul Leonard.
Signature dish: Eight courses makes it hard to pick, but their yeast parfait, chocolate and toasted barley dessert is a winner.
To book: theforestside.com
Hipping Hall, Lancashire
Buried in the dales, an intimate restaurant with rooms on the Bronte sisters’ turf.
Between the borders of Yorkshire and Cumbria lies is a former coaching inn, quietly offering some of the best fine dining the region: Hipping Hall. Lancashire’s destination restaurant with rooms is immersed in local history, surrounded by walks and paths trodden by the Bronte Sisters and their world of characters. Chef Oli Martin – a MasterChef: The Professionals winner – leads a seasonally dependent tasting menu, working with the fine local produce on Lancashire’s doorstep. Dinner guests are treated to courses such as Mirs Kirkham’s custard and onion jam; Goosnargh chicken dumpling; Isle of Mull scallop with smoked unripe redcurrant; and local honey custard with flowering currant.
Signature dish: Got to be Lancashire parkin with whey caramel.
To book: hippinghall.com
Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, Ripon, Yorkshire
The newly Michelin-starred restaurant, in a Grade II* Listed 17th century Palladian Manor.
This hugely-anticipated opening (July 2019) from Shaun Rankin received its Michelin star in 2021 – it’s high-time to get to Yorkshire and try it for yourself. Shaun’s menu – a Taste of Home – harks back to the dishes of his youth, spent growing up in the area. Dishes like bread, butter, dripping, beef tea, daily-changing snacks from the kitchen garden and ‘Lanark blue cheese with Harrogate sticky bun’. Oh and all ingredients are sourced within 30 miles of the hotel – a true taste of Yorkshire.
Signature dish: It has to be Shaun’s take on a Yorkshire beef tea.
To book: grantleyhall.co.uk
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth, Devon
The Michelin-starred sea-view restaurant from chef Michael Caines MBE.
A must-visit in the South West, dinner at Lympstone Manor with chef Michael Caines at the helm, is an evening spent well indeed. A classic menu championing timeless European cuisine and the bounties of the local Exe estuary. There are a few tasting menus to choose from so you can make sure to find one that’s the perfect fit for your occasion – for dining at Lympstone is dining in style. Menus change regularly but include the likes of roasted scallops, barbequed sea bream and Brixham ravioli, slow cooked partridge, loin of venison and more. And before the indoor restaurant reopens, from April 12 you can sit out on the terrace with a glass of something cold, and look over the Lympstone vineyard and Exe estuary beyond.
Signature dish: Butter poached Brixham turbot, leeks, mushroom, chive and truffle butter sauce.
To book: lympstonemanor.co.uk
