The best restaurants for al fresco dining this summer
From a beach-side café in Cornwall to an iconic Italian restaurant in the heart of London and a Michelin-star barn in Lancashire, we have traversed the UK to round up the best restaurants with terraces, rooftops and gardens for eating and drinking al fresco this summer.
Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch, London
River Café, Hammersmith, London
The Hidden Hut, Porthcurnick Beach, Cornwall
Discover The Hidden Hut tucked away along the coast path near Portscatho on the remote Roseland Peninsula. During the day, the hut serves a small menu of uncomplicated, freshly-made lunches and refreshments. At The Hidden Hut food is cooked on a simple outdoor stove and indoor bakery oven, serving up fish chowders, big beach salads with fresh fish from the local day boats, freshly-made butcher’s pastries and handmade sausage rolls. By night, the hut opens on selected summer evenings to host open-air feast nights. Previous feasts have included “Lobster & Chips,” “Slow-roasted Spring Lamb” and “Wood-fired Seafood Paella”, all cooked outdoors on either wood-fire or local charcoal.
The Barn at Moor Hall, Aughton, Lancashire
Mark Birchall’s one-Michelin star restaurant, The Barn, offers a delicious and diverse menu, showcasing the best of seasonal dishes in a rustic setting with views out to Moor Hall and the lake. Most of the ingredients for the dishes are grown within Moor hall’s five-acre grounds or are sourced from local suppliers. Expect dishes such as 60-day aged grass-fed Jersey beef tartare, Cornish cod with smoked onion, charred leek and bacon crumb and stem ginger panna cotta with blood orange and granola.
River Exe Café, Exmouth, Devon
All aboard a water taxi to the River Exe Café, a custom-built barge that floats well offshore in the Exe Estuary. Open from 1 April until 30 September each year, the River Exe Café offers a wide range of locally sourced food and drink surrounded by superb views for the ultimate al fresco dining experience. The Café serves nibbles such as fresh cockles with a blend of spices and fresh dill, starters such as citrus cured sea bass ceviche with wasabi mayonnaise and pickled saffron shallots, and mains of fillet of hake with barbecue octopus, peanut coconut sauce, kale, samphire and seaweed new potatoes.
Nook By The River, Cardiff, Wales
Natural wines and provenance are the anchors of the restaurant Nook By The River. The menu is curated with a focus on authenticity and seasonality at this snug restaurant in Cardiff’s Victoria Park with dishes such as Jerusalem artichoke with lemon pesto, artichoke crisps and shredded savoy cabbage with caramelised onions, pressed potatoes with truffle, cauliflower croquettes and lemon curd dessert.