Top Secret Places In The UK Foodies Must Go!
Friday 6th January 2017 - Jenny
Fed up of this winter and need a mini break? We have been dreaming of these places…
As a foodie I love going to different places and exploring quirky cafes and amazing restaurants, so we thought we’d put together the ultimate guide for top secret places foodie must go and explore!
1. The Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall
This is such a beautiful part of Cornwall, and with so many foodie places to explore it’s hard to know where to start!
St Mawes is the Peninsulas largest village with little ferries going out from there and plenty to explore, voted in the ‘Top 20 Places to Eat by the Sea’ by The Times and number 1 ‘Top Sunday Lunches’ by The Times this one is definitely worth a look. If you have time for a beautiful lunch or just a cheeky gin cocktail, with local Tarquins gin, you can sit out on the sunny terrace right above the water with amazing views of the harbour.
If you go a little higher up the peninsula you make it to The Rosevine Hotel, which has a great balance between family friendly and grown up chic. Their seasonal dishes and beachside location makes this a must see, great for a long lunch getting lost in the amazing views. In summer you can enjoy drinks outside and in winter Sunday lunch by the fire, great all year round to share with your family.
Finally, five minutes down the road, you find the Michelin-starred Driftwood. Owned by Chris Eden, the hotel and restaurant has won many awards including its Michelin-star, its also been voted the ‘6th Best Hotel For Foodies’ by Sawday and made it into top 100 restaurants by The Restaurant Magazine. One of the great, quirky things about Driftwood is you can ask for a picnic hamper and they create for you the perfect picnic hamper which you can enjoy on the beach relaxing by the sea. If you’re looking for a sit down meal then they have amazing fresh seafood and west country meats, this is definitely a place not to miss!
2. York
York is a great place to find those little independent cafes and artisan producers down the higgledy-piggledy back streets which makes this a great place for foodies. Joshua Overington has worked in Paris and The Waterside Inn at Bray and has recently returned to York and his six-course tasting menu at his bistro ‘Le Cochon Aveugle’ is one of York’s best kept secrets. Their menu is unique, offering different dishes everyday depending on what their suppliers bring them.
York has recently launched food trail ‘Treks in the City’ which visits many local food businesses including artisan bread maker Phil Clayton, local coffee roasters ‘York Coffee Emporium’ and Sarah Puckett who makes her own ‘Puckett Pickles’. You can also enjoy a lovely meal at The Star Inn The City to finish off your foodie tour.
If that’t not enough for you don’t forget York has a CHOCOLATE MUSEUM! Fear not, it’s not just theory- you will get to try the chocolate.
York also has it’s own food and drink festival which runs in June and September, giving the greatest food and drink York has to offer and makes a great foodie day out.
3. The Vale of Glamorgan
Five minutes off the M4 near Cardiff lies a beautiful vineyard with a cookery school, woodland walk, restaurants and rooms to stay in. It’s called Llanerch Vineyard and it serves the best local produce in its luxurious restaurant and it serves its own wines with the seats looking over the vineyard that it came from.
A little south from here is a Victorian seaside resort called Penarth, this is said to be the best town in Vale for food. Bar 44 is great for a modern lunch, serving traditional Spanish tapas, however with a Welsh twist. From Spanish croquettes with a touch of Welsh Cordoba goats cheese and sweet leek filling to chocolate mousse made irresistibly smooth with the addition of arbequina oil.
A walk along the beautiful pier brings you to James Sommerin, a Michelin-starred seafood restaurant. There’s a five, seven or ten course tasting menu, which is delicately made with local produce and stunning touches. What a beautiful way to finish off the a food lovers tour.