Littlehampton, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

In a “great situation on the beach” and in an even greater, Heatherwick Studio-designed building – comprising long, undulating ribbons of raw steel that are akin to driftwood – this is “more of a hybrid” than your standard seaside caff: whether you want a snack or a three-course meal, “the menu always has something for everyone, with delicious fish dishes” a feature.

This seemingly medieval venue actually first saw the light in 1927, when it was designed by antiquarian and architect Amyas Phillips for a member of the Guinness brewing clan. Feedback on the tapestry-hung dining room was limited and slightly up-and-down this year (mostly about the fact that they are “sadly no longer doing £15 weekday lunches”), but all agree on the “impressive” setting – a 30-acre plot hosting a hotel, spa and 39 bedrooms set in cottages and houses leading down to the Climping coast.

“Slightly hidden away from the main shopping drag in Arundel”, this “calming, understated yet stylish” indie (est. 2015) inspires a large amount of highly positive feedback in our annual diners’ poll. Chef Lee Parsons is behind the “enjoyable, original and delectable” bistro-style cooking (noted for particularly “exceptional fish cookery” and a “great-value set lunch”), while “lovely” FOH wife Liz – whom he met while the duo were working at Claridge’s decades back – “really looks after you” too.

2021 Review: “Utterly consistent and fabulous” – chef Lee Williams “never lets you down” at his restaurant-with-rooms in a Regency house looking out over Arundel Castle. Its talking-point is the “beautiful gold-leaf ceiling” in the dining room, which was made in Florence in the sixteenth century. Local seafood is the star on a “delicious” menu (“especially when fresh lobster is in season”).

“A favourite Pig in the litter to date, thanks to the splendid view across the lawn, the vineyard and across the South Downs” from “a conservatory dining room laid out with an eclectic mix of tables and chairs, likewise the crockery (must be a nightmare stacking the cupboards!)”. “Like all the Pigs, it has a good buzz” and “friendly and helpful staff” are also noted in feedback. “The food’s not complicated, allowing local sourced produce to shine”.

“When you walk through the portcullis into the castle it’s like entering another world” at this luxury hotel, which sits in “well-manicured grounds” and looks straight out of a Disney movie. The dining room itself is “situated upstairs” in a modestly sized barrel-vaulted space. Not everyone is wowed by the straightforward modern British cuisine but even doubters say the surroundings “make up for it”.

As it heads into third decade, Viv Casson’s “slightly dated but cosy” restaurant (rustic, with exposed brick and many a beam) has long been known in these parts for its “lovely food and service”, which extends to regular themed dinners, including eight- or nine-course tasting menu nights.

2021 Review: “A definite must-visit” – “an amazing small gastropub next to a beautiful pond”, on the Goodwood Estate, and with a line in “tasty and flavoursome” victuals (including game).

2022 Review: “The food is excellent, and you’re made to feel welcome” at this showcase for the produce of the Goodwood Estate, an early convert to organic farming (although Lord March, the Duke of Richmond, is better known as a petrol-head). “They’ve turned the courtyard into a lovely space”, and the highlight of the menu is the ‘butcher’s board’ sharing selection of various meat cuts.

This 200-year-old local pub at the foot of the South Downs is “well run and popular”, with a “well-executed and great-value menu” of superior gastropub fare.

2023 Review: The view (towards Goodwood) from the window is said to have inspired William Blake’s anthem, Jerusalem, in 1803, but the current future is uncertain at this eighteenth-century coaching inn, which shut its doors in early October 2022. We await news of the new incarnation of this vantagepoint over ‘England’s green and pleasant land’.

This “charming, small and very English hotel” has “well-kept, comfortable sitting and dining rooms” and “makes a nice place to take aged relatives” if you’re keen on silver service. Visitors can choose between the modern British (with the odd Thai touch) Sea School restaurant or more casual brasserie offering “surprisingly good” prix-fixe menus. Chef Neil Hiskey, who oversees both venues, has been at the Millstream since way back in 2001, besides taking care of the food at the Millstream-owned Shoreside Café and Pop-in coffee shop, both also in Bosham.

2022 Review: Current owners The Epicurean Collection – behind a string of boutique pubs and inns – have a hit on their hands with this award-winning venture: a “worthy addition to an area generously supplied with high-quality country pubs”. The rolling South Downs beyond the windows inform much of the “imaginative menu”, with a particular accent on introducing non-shooting folk to game (the latter courtesy of the local Goodwood Estate).

Four miles from Chichester, and bordering the South Downs National Park, this 200-year-old pub-with-rooms is part proper boozer (upfront) and part tastefully arty restaurant offering ambitious gastrofare. Reporters this year praised the “warm ambience” and a “treat” of a menu that features some “standout courses” such as scallops and venison.

2023 Review: This “excellent South Downs destination in a picture-perfect village” – “with fine, restaurant-quality cooking” from chef Jesse Bryson (ex-Noble Rot and Leroy) – “is flourishing for good reason”. The stone-built seventeenth-century pub was taken over in 2020 by Angus Davies, a former manager at Chez Bruce and Lorne.