20 Best Restaurants in The Southeast, England

The crowds line up all day to make their way into this small fish-and-chip shop just off the seafront, down near the fish shacks. Although the decor is humble, reviewers consistently rank the battered fish and huge plates of double-cooked chips (chunky fries) as among the best in the country. Everything is steaming fresh, and it's all cheaper if you get it to take out—the beach is just a few steps away.

White tiles, bare metal tables, and sparkling chandeliers set the tone as soon as you walk through the door of this casually elegant restaurant. The house specialty is oysters, fresh and sustainably sourced, served with or without a foaming tankard of black velvet (Champagne and Guinness) on the side. Other options include squid and shellfish risotto and Sri Lankan monkfish and prawn curry. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, so come early or be prepared to wait. However, you can reserve a table at their sister restaurant, Riddle & Finns The Beach overlooking the sea. The menu is largely the same, with a few meaty options thrown into the mix.

Serving the best of British seafood, as well as an extensive choice of champagne and sparkling wines, this intimate little restaurant has bar seating set around an open kitchen, so you can watch (and chat with) the chef preparing your food. But don't let the relaxed, friendly, and unstuffy atmosphere fool you; this is exceptional quality, fresh seafood cooked to perfection (or not cooked at all, in the case of the delicious oysters). Order from the catch-of-the-day specials pinned up above the bar, from the à la carte menu, or from the special oyster menu: it's just £1 a shuck every Friday between 4 and 5 pm.

Located near the castle in Herstmonceux and set within a 17th-century brick farmhouse with wood-beamed ceilings, this charming restaurant features imaginative, modern French fare. Opt for "Vincent’s 5-Course Menu Dégustation" (£70 per person); it changes with the seasons but may include pan-fried king scallops with pine nuts and tarragon, venison medallion with black peppercorn and juniper cream sauce, and Crêpe Suzette. For those who prefer to order à-la-carte, main courses are priced at £34.

Once the home of Victorian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, this mid-17th-century tile-hung house is now an elegant restaurant known for creative French cuisine, with à la carte dishes like roast stone bass with artichoke sauce and confit pork belly with blue cheese ravioli. A starter, main (plus side), and dessert will easily set you back £65, so if you're feeling hungry, it's probably best to just opt for the prix fixe, seven-course "Chef's Tasting Menu" (£78 per person, plus £55 for wine pairing).

Set just outside the medieval city walls, this historic pub turned restaurant serves locally sourced British produce with creative culinary twists. Mains include confit pork belly with burnt-ends croquettes and cod loin with creamed bacon and leak, but it's the "nibbles" (snacks) that are really inventive—try the sausage roll, served as three thick slices with housemade mushroom ketchup. It's a little pricey, but the food is excellent and the portions are very generous. There are also five appealing bedrooms available upstairs, with prices starting from £100, including breakfast.

This excellent Greek restaurant is set within a gorgeous space in the city center, with brick walls and high ceilings. The à la carte menu features delicious Mediterranean dishes including fried zucchini "cakes" with fresh Greek yogurt, veal cheeks with potato purée, and roasted octopus with caramelized onions. Save space for a traditional Greek dessert.

One of Rye's most popular restaurants, where most of the seafood is freshly caught nearby, occupies a brick building that dates to 1907, but the interior has been redone in a sleek, modern style. Sample the cuttlefish and noodle salad with fennel and orange or the pan-fried Rye Bay scallops with pancetta and chive vermouth sauce. The ground-floor café has a relaxed atmosphere and upstairs is a more formal dining room.

What started in the early 2000s as a distinctly Lewes café-restaurant has since grown to become a full-blown chain, with dozens of restaurants across the United Kingdom. This is where it all began, and the casual, mostly Modern European food remains as reliably good here as it is everywhere. Start with a plate of garlic and herb flatbread, then move on to spiced crab cakes with chili, then a flavorful cheeseburger with grated black truffle. Breakfasts here are excellent, too.

This lively Italian trattoria in the center of Rochester specializes in delicious pizza and pasta, the best of which is the simple Napoletana, which is topped with mozzarella, anchovies, capers, and tomato sauce. If that's just not enough to satisfy your appetite, try a hearty calzone stuffed with two types of Italian cheeses, spicy salami, and tomatoes. There's also a good range of pasta, fish, and meat dishes. Best of all, the prices are reasonable.

This tiny, unassuming restaurant might seem like an unlikely venue for exceptional sushi, but it's the best for miles. Everything is fresh and delicious, from the fragrant miso soup to the light tempura to the sushi platters that are big enough to share. For something heartier, try a bowl of steaming fried noodles or a katsu curry. Note that the restaurant doesn't serve alcohol, although you're welcome to bring your own.

This excellent bistro is popular with locals for a special-occasion dinner and with the pre-theater crowd, who enjoy the fixed-price early-bird menus. The food strikes a nice balance between hearty, traditional fare and contemporary stylings. The pre-theater menus, available before all performances at the Chichester Festival Theatre, are a good deal at £23.95 for two courses or £26.95 for three—especially considering mains alone normally cost between £20 and £30.

Considered by locals to be one of the best Thai restaurants in the region, Rumwong has an incredibly long menu, with dozens of choices from all over Thailand. Tasty dishes include the poh-taek, a "seafarer's soup" made with lemongrass, lime leaves, and shellfish, and kai pud krapraw, a spicy stir-fry made with ground chicken, fresh chilies, and basil.

In a quiet, edge-of-the-center location, this popular Italian eatery packs in the crowds on weekend nights with its inexpensive but classic pasta and pizza dishes. Try the mixed seafood spaghetti with garlic and tomato sauce or the n'duja pizza topped with a spicy, spreadable pork sausage, red onion, mozzarella, and tomato. The atmosphere is cheerful and bright, and the food is straightforward and unfussy.

This inspiring vegetarian restaurant is incredibly popular, so come early for a light lunch or later for a more sophisticated evening meal. The food here has a pan-Asian influence, with dishes such as Korean fried cauliflower with kicking kimchi and steamed buns stuffed with ginger-braised halloumi. There's also an excellent collection of wines from around the globe.

Next to Canterbury West Station, this farmers' market restaurant with wooden tables is well known for offering fresh, seasonal Kentish food—think spring lamb leg with lemon and mint or wild bass with a crab and tarragon broth. Whatever is freshest that day appears on the menu, whether it's quail eggs, trout, or duck breast. The vaulted wooden space with stone-and-brick walls was a storage shed in Victorian times (hence the name); today the restaurant has huge arched windows overlooking the market and a butchers' stall.

Located eight miles southwest of Guildford, just a short hop down the road from Waverley Abbey and roughly halfway between the Sculpture Park and Watts Gallery, this unusually handsome country pub is in an old watermill; you can still see the working water wheel in the lobby. The menu nicely balances British pub classics and more ambitious restaurant fare; expect to find fish-and-chips and burgers alongside pan-roasted sea bass and Devonshire crab on toast. The huge beer garden is an extremely popular spot when the weather's nice, and it's also the venue for occasional open-air theater performances by local groups. Look out for the cute (but slightly intimidating) flock of ducks who are not only well practiced at begging for crumbs but will immediately pounce on any unattended meals.

A colorful, friendly old pub near the cathedral, the Old Buttermarket is a great place to grab a hearty lunch and sample some traditional English fare with a modern inflection. You can sip a pint of fresh English ale from the ever-changing selection while sampling a wild boar and chorizo pie or perhaps a warming bowl of Cheddar-crumbed mac and cheese. There's been a pub on this site for more than 500 years; historical records show that there were once secret tunnels connecting it to Canterbury Cathedral.

One mile south of Penshurt, this historic pub first opened its doors in 1520 and in many ways hardly appears to have changed today. Its big inglenook fireplace and heavy beams give it character, the views from the hilltop are lovely, and the good food (a mixture of traditional pub grub and slightly more sophisticated fare) make it a pleasure to relax inside. Come on Sunday to try the popular lunchtime roasts.

Owned by talented graphic designers and photo artists, the Witchez Photo Design Restaurant is certainly a unique concept: delicious German- and Polish-influenced comfort food served in the middle of a design studio (which means you can have your passport photo taken while you wait). Never mind the weirdness of the concept; this place is a whole lot of fun, and the food is good to boot—schnitzel, pierogi, German sausage, potato dumplings, and pizzas. It's only open in the evening (from 5 pm Wednesday through Friday and from 4 pm on Saturday).