9 Great Restaurants With Rooms
The Suffolk
Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Tucked between the pretty pastel-painted Victorian houses on Aldeburgh’s high street, The Suffolk started life in 2020 during the pandemic as a pop-up, called L’Escargot Sur-Mer, a nod to owner George Pell’s connection to Soho’s oldest French restaurant. Pell then bought the 17th-century coaching inn and, after an extensive renovation, opened his restaurant with rooms in the summer of 2022. As you would expect, seafood is the main focus here, with oysters from Pinneys of Orford and fresh fish from Wightman in Lowestoft, as well as from fishermen who land their boats on the pebble beach a few hundred yards away. The chef also makes use of the finest from local producers, farmers and growers.
Start your evening with a cocktail in the standalone bar or, if weather permits, on the roof terrace where you can enjoy panoramic views of the North Sea. The cocktail list takes inspiration from the sea and surrounding landscape, such as the Seabuckthorn Margarita with tequila, triple sec, lime juice and sea buckthorn purée or Sur-Mertini with gin, oyster liquor, white Martini and lemon bitters. Bar snacks include oysters, seaweed poppadoms with mayonnaise and smoked mussel tempura. In the restaurant itself, called Sur-Mer, which is done up in shades of cream and pale blue with soft banquettes and a herringbone wooden floor, expect to sample the likes of hand-dived scallops with samphire and bacon as a starter and halibut en croûte with lobster mousse and shellfish sauce for your main course, followed by poached pears with blackberries and muscat sabayon.
Where You’ll Sleep
The six en-suite bedrooms are decorated in soothing colours with a mix of antique and vintage furniture – the perfect setting in which to relax and recharge. We love Orford Ness, the largest of the rooms, which is located on the first floor with lovely sea views. Or if you have your four-legged friend in tow, Havergate is dog-friendly (for an additional charge) and has a central bay window seat overlooking the sea. Guests have access to the pantry with complimentary house cocktails and a fridge stocked with cheese and charcuterie.
Rooms start from £180 per night, including breakfast.
Visit The-Suffolk.co.uk
L'Enclume
Cartmel, Cumbria
Chef Simon Rogan opened his restaurant in the pretty village of Cartmel in the Lake District in 2002 and, since then, foodies have been flocking here. Two years ago, he was honoured with the ultimate accolade – three Michelin stars. Just five miles south of Lake Windermere, L’Enclume is housed in what was once a wheelmaker and smithy that has evolved into an extensive complex to include a baker, organic farm, development kitchen – complete with chef’s table for a behind the scenes dining experience – and 16 rooms.
Over the years, Rogan has pioneered the trend for foraging and local sourcing in Britain – his 12-acre kitchen garden supplies most of the vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers for his 15-course seasonal tasting menu. Dishes include fritter of Duroc pig and smoked eel with lovage and fermented sweetcorn; half a raw scallop from Orkney in whey sauce with pickled fennel flowers and nasturtium; Cornish monkfish grilled over Binchotan with bay shrimp butter, tomato molasses, crisp kale leaves, fermented shrimp and verbena tea; dry-aged Herdwick lamb loin with fermented yellow beans and sauce infused with fig leaf vinegar; and caramel mousse with miso, apple and spruce. You can push the boat out further and opt for wine pairing. For something simpler and more laid back, yet just as skilfully put together, Rogan also runs the one-star Michelin Rogan & Co in the village. This is also where you’ll have breakfast.
Where You’ll Sleep
The 16 characterful bedrooms are dotted across various buildings around the village, all within walking distance of the restaurant. They vary in size, but all are cosy and comfortable, with beamed ceilings, traditional wooden furniture, Scandi armchairs and done up in hues of moss green and greys. Some open to the restaurant garden, while others have views over the river or priory.
Rooms start from £270 per night, including breakfast.
Visit Lenclume.co.uk
The Hand & Flowers
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
When the Hand & Flowers launched in bustling Georgian Marlow in 2005, chef-proprietor Tom Kerridge wanted to create a pub with great food. In just under 20 years, he has more than achieved his aim and, today, his pub is the only one in the UK with two Michelin stars. Pub classics are elevated to new heights here with bold flavours and beautiful, yet unpretentious, presentation. Everything is made with produce from independent suppliers – on the menu at the moment, you’ll find the likes of duck liver parfait with orange chutney and toasted brioche; West Country chicken, mushroom, hazelnut and pistachio pie with morels, baby onions, bacon and sauce vin jaune; and banana soufflé with vanilla custard ice cream and milk chocolate and plantation original dark rum sauce.
Where You’ll Sleep
There are 19 bedrooms available to book, some of which are nestled in the heart of the high street but within easy walking distance of the pub. All are luxurious with big beds, vast baths, hot tubs and rain showers. Also included in the overnight price is a fantastic, full English breakfast.
A one-night stay for two on a Monday, including a three-course à la carte dinner and breakfast, is priced at £645 per room.
Visit TheHandandFlowers.co.uk
Ginger Pig
Hove, East Sussex
If you’re after a seaside break, this gastropub, housed in an elegant Edwardian building, is in a quiet area of Hove yet just a couple of minutes away from the beach. It’s part of the local, highly acclaimed Gingerman Restaurants group that includes The Gingerman, The Ginger Fox and The Flint House in Brighton. Ginger Pig always has a buzzy atmosphere, especially in the bar where you can kick off your evening with a cocktail. In the restaurant, the ever-changing, seasonal menu includes classics like burgers and sirloin steak with chips, as well as plenty of more adventurous dishes like pigeon with parsnips and blackberry jus; braised hogget shoulder pie with mash, braised red cabbage and gravy; and corn fed chicken supreme with nduja gnocchi and kale. Most of the ingredients are sourced from Sussex’s finest suppliers.
Where You’ll Sleep
Upstairs, there are 11 chic rooms over two floors that feel much more like a stylish boutique hotel. There are also three self-catering mews houses in what was once the stable block. Décor throughout is pared-back and elegant in shades of grey with pops of colour and original artworks. Bathrooms have an oversized shower or stand-alone bathtub and Cowshed products.
Rooms start from £155 per night, including breakfast
Visit GingerPigBrighton.co.uk
Updown Farmhouse
Deal, Kent
This beautifully renovated 17th-century farmhouse is only a ten-minute drive inland from Deal. Owners Ruth Leigh and Oliver Brown started converting the Grade ll-listed building in June 2021 into a lovely restaurant with rooms. Food is the main talking point here – Oliver was the founder of Duck Duck Goose (now closed) in Brixton and Ruth is the daughter of chef Rowley Leigh (of Kensington Place fame). The food is Italian-influenced and seasonal, using the best regional ingredients available on the day – so you might eat the likes of fazzoletti with morels and wild garlic, then tuck into baked saffron rice with gurnard, mussels and aioli. They have a short list of exciting wines, local beers and seasonal cocktails.
The restaurant is housed in a conservatory in the centre of Updown’s rambling grounds. Inside, guests dine beneath hanging vines and wisteria surrounded by original brickwork and antique mirrors. The set-up is simple – picture sculptural black dining chairs, white tablecloths, minimalist floral arrangements on each table and huge plant pots filled with foliage. Diners can watch the chefs in the open, semi-alfresco kitchen, which is built into the old stable wall, as they tend to the wood-fired grill and original farmhouse bread oven. In the summer months, tables spill out onto a pretty terrace overlooking the main house and gardens.
Where You’ll Sleep
There are four bedrooms in the farmhouse and, for a totally peaceful stay, the Gardener’s Cottage is set in the grounds away from the main house. The Gate House is also tucked away on the grounds and is the most luxurious of Updown’s suites, consisting of two bedrooms, a drawing room and terrace. All the accommodation is very cosy, with low beamed ceilings and comfy high beds. The décor throughout has been thoughtfully designed by the owners, with several natural and pastel shades complemented by a selection of brighter, bolder colours and interesting artworks. If you’re staying on a Sunday, when the restaurant is only open for lunch, guests are served a light supper in the farmhouse lounge – think cured meats, a cheese board and zingy salads. There’s also an honesty bar, several fireplaces and a library – just the place to spend a weekend in style.
Rooms start from £250 per night, including breakfast.
Visit UpdownFarmhouse.com
Boys Hall
Ashford
Owners Brad and Kristie Lomas bought Boys Hall in 2019 and set about transforming the 17th-century, Grade II-listed Jacobean manor into Kent’s latest hot-property restaurant with rooms. The result is a place full of warmth and character, tastefully done up with rich fabrics, Farrow & Ball paints, antique portraits and vintage furniture. The restaurant’s menu showcases the best that Kent has to offer, with fresh, local and seasonal produce.
Many of the dishes, like the butterflied sea bream and steak, are cooked over flame and coal using an Asado-style grill. Starters might include coal-roasted beetroot tart with white onion cream, fennel and apple relish; or white crab with devilled egg, cucumber, apple, dill, crumpet and thermidor sauce. For mains, you can expect dishes like black miso cod with kimchi sushi rice, bok choy, avocado, pickled ginger and cucumber; or Marsh Farm lamb cutlets with cavolo nero, lamb bacon, shallots and cream sauce. For wine lovers, this spring, the hotel has partnered with Wine Tours of Kent to transport guests to two Kentish vineyards – Chapel Down and Gusbourne – during their stay. With a dedicated driver for the day and a knowledgeable wine guide you’ll enjoy two tastings and a vineyard platter lunch among the vines before heading back for supper at Boys Hall.
Where You’ll Sleep
There are nine bedrooms, ranging in size and character from small and cosy to large and spacious. Each is individually designed with its own unique character, and all have super king beds, Egyptian cotton bedlinen, fluffy towels, drench showers, roll top baths and views over the wild gardens. Later this year, the grounds will also become home to nine new bedroom huts scattered in the gardens. Downstairs in the main building, there are snugs and lounges where you can relax, as well a cosy pub in what was originally the Wealden hall. There are plans to add a wilderness spa with a treatment hut, sauna, hot tub and plunge pool, as well as a workshop space and outdoor kitchen for alfresco events and floristry classes.
Rooms start from £180 per night, including breakfast.
Visit Boys-Hall.com
The Mistley Thorn
Mistley, Essex
Built as a coaching inn in 1723, The Mistley Thorn stands in the centre of the historic coastal town of Mistley overlooking the Stour Estuary, just down the road from Manningtree. The somewhat run-down watering hole was transformed a couple of decades ago by Californian chef/proprietor Sherri Singleton into a stylish gastro pub that has garnered rave reviews for its fresh fish, seafood and seasonal locally sourced ingredients, as well as its buzzy atmosphere.
The house speciality is mussels but other highlights include scallops, mixed shellfish plates and Mersea oysters. Meat options are available, too, and the wine list is extensive. Sherri runs cookery workshops down the road in a Georgian house where you also will find a lovely gift and wine shop. The Thorn’s food is good enough reason to visit this corner of East Anglia, but other local attractions include Beth Chatto’s gardens at Elmstead Market and Flatford Mill in East Bergholt where you can discover the views Constable painted. The area along the River Stour is also great for bird watching, sailing and canoeing.
Where You’ll Sleep
There are a total of 14 spacious, individually decorated rooms and suites, divided between the main building, the mews cottages to the rear and the shop down the road, some with views of the estuary. Expect original dark oak beamed ceilings, duck-egg-green wainscoting and hand-knitted throws and cushion covers over the comfortable king-size beds.
Rooms start from £145 per night, including breakfast.
Visit MistleyThorn.co.uk
Tillingham
Peasmarsh, East Sussex
A farm dating back to the 13th century, Tillingham is first and foremost a biodynamic vineyard which is surrounded by 70 acres of rolling hills and woodlands with far-reaching views towards Rye and the Romney salt marshes beyond. But it’s also a really relaxing and amazing place to stay overnight. After a tour of the property and the winery, there is a really good restaurant where head chef Brendan Eades uses the best of local and seasonal produce to create his five-course tasting menu of inventive dishes – as you’d expect, these change from day to day. Vegetables are sourced from the on-site walled garden, meat is reared on Tillingham pastures and fish arrives daily from Rye Harbour. At lunchtime, there is a wine bar with a wood-fired pizza oven and bar snacks are always available. The wine list, of course, is stellar and the knowledgeable staff are on hand to help you should you wish to go for wine pairing.
Where You’ll Sleep
The lovely accommodation consists of 11 pared-back but stylish and tastefully decorated rooms in what used to be a hop barn. There are also two bell tents by the towering oast house. For breakfast, which is included, you’ll get soft-yolked boiled eggs with soldiers, local apple juice and granola with raw yoghurt and fresh fruit.
Rooms start from £175 per night, including breakfast.
Visit Tillingham.com
Glebe House
Colyton, Devon
Glebe House is a gorgeous Georgian house in the small east Devon town of Colyton. Owner Hugo Guest grew up on this 15-acre estate which includes a farm that, today, supplies most of the ingredients at the restaurant. Having met and married Olive, the couple spent some time in Italy and became inspired by agrotourismos (working farms with accommodation and a small restaurant). After working as a chef in top London restaurants, in 2020, the family moved from London and set to work on turning Glebe into an English agroturismo with an emphasis on food and art experiences.
The food is certainly one reason to book in here – freshly-made bread, hand-churned butter, sausages and amazing charcuterie are all made on the premises; vegetables come from the kitchen garden and meat, fish and seafood are sourced from the area. Hugo is heavily influenced by his time spent in Italy over the years and the dinner menu might include scallop crudo with blood orange and chilli; tagliarini with monkfish ragu; roast chicken with stuffed cabbage leaf, purple sprouting broccoli and apple jelly; and pistachio and olive oil cake with poached rhubarb and ricotta ice cream. For those looking for a more casual but hearty option, ‘kitchen supper’ is also available – think delicious pies with extremely flaky pastry or an epic vegetable lasagne.
Where You’ll Sleep
Accommodation consists of a self-contained cabin and an annexe, plus five beautiful bedrooms in the house. Expect plush furnishings and, with Olive’s passion for art, the rooms feature her own work and murals as well as work from local artists. Our favourite is The Old Kitchen Room with its pretty pink pastels, indoor wood burner and freestanding bath behind a chic rattan divider. The house has lots of corners with cosy seats and fireplaces where you can curl up with a book and relax but, if you need something a little more energetic, there is a tennis court and, in the summer, a lovely swimming pool. With views over the rolling Coly Valley and a short three-mile drive to the Jurassic coast, this foodie retreat makes for a perfect break.
Rooms start from £153 per night, including breakfast.
Visit GlebeHouseDevon.co.uk
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