The UKs best beach cafes....from Chichester to Salcombe

 The UKs best beach cafes contd…. South West

  

 We covered the stretch from East Sussex to Lyme Regis last time, concentrating on cafes open through the winter months, yes, the tough ones: but a couple of new ones have popped-up since, so we’ll just add them before we continue west from Lyme.

Chichester Harbour - Quarterdeck in the boatyard at Itchenor. Dog friendly, cosy café in the yard, perfect for passing yachtsmen and hikers https://www.facebook.com/quarterdeckcafe/

  

Hampshire - Noisy Lobster at Mudeford’s Avon Beach

Cracking stop for breakfast, where the kids can tuck into a decent stack of proper fluffy pancakes, and then run it off on the beach. I can recommend the Force Four breakfast.  www.noisylobster.co.uk

The Anchor at Seatown

The Anchor at Seatown  www.theanchorinnseatown.co.uk

I don’t know how I left the Anchor off my earlier list, as it makes a wonderful stop when you’ve made the decent from Golden Cap on the coastal path along this Jurassic stretch, but for boaters it’s more suited to a short stay for smaller motor boats:

Nestled into the small bay at Seatown, on the edge of the Jurassic coast, serving excellent pub food. Try the burger or grilled mackerel, frisky from the sea. One of our best local chef’s Jean-Paul de Ronne is here now, so put it on your list.

Now on to Devon

Exmouth - The River Exe Café – opens April 1^st – www.riverexecafe.com

On a floating restaurant just off Exmouth. They provide a water taxi to get to it if you don’t come by boat, some visitors moorings on pontoons alongside. If you come by bike (nice route from Topsham to Exmouth) padlock up at the marina and catch the ferry over tel 07970 918418

River Exe Cafe

Teignmouth – The Crabshack on the beach crabshackonthebeach.co.uk

Alongside the café is the Crab Shack Deli offering freshly made take away sandwiches, wraps and paninis, whole crabs, lobsters, oysters, cockles, winkles, whelks, and seafood hampers

Shaldon - The Clipper  – theclippershaldon.co.uk

Right on the beach, looks like a standard café but service is great and the food excellent quality, with wonderful views.

Beautiful position for the Cary Arms overlooking Babbacombe Beach

The Cary Arms, Babbacombe Beach. This was once a traditional, posh seaside hotel but now sports beach hut sleepovers and a spa, along with decent food options and in the summer it’s possible to pick up a mooring and relax whilst having lunch, dinner or high tea, gazing across green lawns to Babbacombe Bay. Call ahead for details on 01803 327110

www.caryarms.co.uk

Brixham: Poopdeck - poopdeckrestaurant.com

Close enough to the market to ensure quality fresh flappin fish. Great supporters of the RNLI so here’s one for the diary if you are in the vicinity.

Event RNLI Charity Dinner & Wine tasting 12th April - Charity 6 course dinner & wine tasting

Brixham cont. Berry Head - The Guardhouse on Berry Head promontory – voted best cream tea in Devon. Past Shoalstone Lido and the beautifully positioned Berry Head Hotel, you’ll find the Guardhouse Cafe guardhousecafe.com

Best cream tea in Devon? The Guardhouse Cafe, Berry Head

 DARTMOUTH – see full feature in the next issue, but either side we have:

Travelling up the River Dart; see www.tidetimes.org.uk/dartmouth-tide-times for access;

Ferry Boat Inn at Dittisham. Beautiful Devon rose coloured pub on the water, some space outside on the dock, gets busy on sunny weekends. Live music, good beer, decent food. Rock on the beach the 1st Sunday of the month from April to September  http://www.ferryboatinndittisham.pub

  

Pull up at the Maltsters Arms

The Maltsters Arms, www.themaltstersarms.co.uk

Then further up river, left a bit, travel along Bow Creek to Tuckenhay, once owned by jolly Keith Floyd so always holds a warm place in my heart , convivial pub in idyllic setting and with pontoons outside, well worth a visit (check the tides) tel 01803 732350   http://www.tuckenhay.com/getting-here-by-boat/

Venus Cafe – Blackpool Sands; www.blackpoolsands.co.uk/cafemenu.htm

This lovely café is on the perfect golden sand, sheltered beach, tucked away on this privately owned wooded estate, south west of Dartmouth. This outfit also runs the Venus Café at Watergate Bay, amongst other venues:  www.lovingthebeach.co.uk

Salcombe;  New Crab Festival - May 1st

Crab catching, crab pot making and crab cooking demos

Watch this space………New gin school – www.salcombe-gin.com

Distillery, bar and school in old boathouse with a few visitors moorings, aimed more at tenders than the mother ship, so you can come up the creek to visit the distillery when the tides allow. Tours £15.

Next time we will pick up the route past Salcombe and on to Cornwall, surely masters of the beach café culture? Anyone want to join me on the hike? Bike? RIB, sail or motorbike?

Bristol

Bristol Bites – and how!

‘Shipshape and Bristol fashion’ is believed to derive from the need to stow everything properly, as the old ships were left to wallow in the mud before the harbour was constructed, in 1809.

 

Bristling with history, museums and art, this City is buzzing with fast creative street food; and you can tie up smack bang in the centre of the historic Harbourside

First city in the UK to be granted European Green Capital status in 2015, innovation at every turn with Brunel’s benign eye cast from Clifton Bridge, he’s sure to know who Banksy is.

Getting here by boat: From the mouth of the River Avon, the Cumberland Basin Entrance to Bristol’s Floating Harbour lies 10.5km up river. The entrance lock is on port side approximately 0.7km beyond the historic Clifton Suspension Bridge.

What makes a great food scene?

 ‘ It’s mainly about having a critical mass of the sort of people who care about good food and, crucially, are prepared to go out, spend money and support independents. Bristol had a real ‘food scene’ ages ago, while many bigger cities are still wondering why they haven’t – and some of them never will. How could anyone not love Bristol?” 

From local lad Tim Hayward, who wrote ‘and reports for BBC4s Food Programme

Ok, we’ve tied up near Bordeaux Quay. Quick caffeine stop and small breakfast first – and what a choice.

Golden French toast from Bertinet's brioche, served at Spicer & Cole, Queen's Square

My favourite roasters Extract are based here in Bristol and many of the best cafes serve it, including Spicer & Cole, with an outlet handy for the harbour in Queen’s Square, and another up in Clifton. Bertinet’s brioche bronzed into eggy bread for breakfast, crisp bacon on the side, puddle of maple syrup and a couple of flat whites to wash it down. Other caffeine stops to consider:

Best coffee – closest to Harbourside first - Small Street Espresso (nr St Nicks) Blue Pig Café up on Colston St, tackle the Christmas Steps to get there – and breath! Near Zerodegrees and some cool shops. Bearpit Social is a bit of a hike, but worth the visit if you find yourself in central Bristol. Full Court Press – real specialists at 59 Broad St (not far from Small Street, but open earlier) are also a Bristol institution, with many fans and they run coffee appreciation courses.

Markets Now weave your way over to St Nicholas market – as you can do the circular walk round the harbour later – the market beckons.

You’ll find a few Bristol institutions here, such as Pieminister, surely the best pies around? Fantastic crisp pastry and a great choice of fillings, witty name, what more do you want? Also, the queues build outside Matina for their fragrant marinated lamb kofta in springy fresh Kurdish Naan bread. Other stalls to try - Ahh Toots (coffee and cake) Source Food Café (and shop – good for vittles) Playground Coffee, not forgetting Pickled Brisket for a dose of salt beef

  

Best bakers – Harts – under the arches at Temple Meads (Arch 35, google map ref - BS1 6QS) and Stock Exchange up near St Nicks, further afield, Park Bakery, renowned for its pizzas on the weekend. There are also some great delis around, including Papadelis and Wainwrights up at Clifton and a decent counter back at Bordeaux Quay, handy if you’re moored there.

The Stock Exchange near St Nicks market

Best baker underneath the arches at Temple Meads

Clifton – if you want a real leg stretch get up to Clifton, it’s a wonderful walk around the harbour then up towards Clifton Bridge, head right along Princess Victoria Street, where you will find the acclaimed Wallfish – top spot for that special night out – then onwards to café/ baker heaven, including Chandos Deli, Spicer & Cole and Primrose Café, opposite a mouth watering Wainwrights Deli, fill the bags then I dare you to  pass Anna’s door without sliding in to try some of her very fine, made on-site patisserie – try the tiny Canelles, works of art.

Wonderful old banks make great bars and cafes - this is Cosy Club

Best beer? I know we don’t always cover this, but when in Rome. With a positive rising of craft brewers in this epicenter of creativity you don’t need to travel far between watering holes, try the Grain Barge when you’re doing your circular walk, but don’t miss Copper Jacks Crafthouse, in one of Bristol’s many rejuvenated banks, Zerodegrees up on Colston Street for home crafted beer and lager (Mango?) top stop for a quick wood fired pizza. The Apple, all about cider is next door to Three Brothers, on the Harbour at the delightfully named Welsh Back.

Zerodegrees micro brewery in modern building with great pizzas

The big night out?

Wallfish or the Ox, or if you want to catch a cab and have your swimmers packed do try the Lido, and send me a photo.

Best burgers: for me Chomp is interesting as I also happen to like Bourbon, you also have Three Brothers on a barge at Welsh Back, conveniently close to the mooring, great value (£5 lunch deal), good views, Grillstock (seriously meaty) Burger Theory – at various markets, good veggie choices here, and my favourite chain is still Byron, but a bit of a hike on the Triangle near Clifton, and last but not least Five Guys, but it’s over at Cabot Circus.

 

Three Brothers Burger Barge on Welsh Back

 

Cocktails: I thought we should add this in, as January and February can be dire months, especially if you’ve dried out. My favourite Milk Thistle is a glorious dark speak easy behind a well hidden door – top tip, look for the engraved stone thistle above the doorframe. Best drink for a sailor – the Rhum Conference – with gold, white, French Blanc Agricole and spiced rums stirred with Demerara sugar and bitters. Further afield is Hausbar, so grab a taxi.

Milk Thistle's Rhum Conference

New: You can tell there is just too much to fit into my usual page but must add a new opening, just down from the boat, beyond Three brothers is Adelina Yard, modern European, recommended by the Telegraph's Xanthe Clay, so well worth a punt.

  

The hike: easy circular harbour walk starting wherever you’re moored up, crossing at the Avon Bridge so you can take in the new and old of Bristol, taking in the pastel coloured houses up on the ridge as you come back round towards Kaskelot and Bordeaux Quay – see maps on the Floating Harbour site below.

For more info visit:

www.bristolfloatingharbour.org.uk

www.visitbristol.co.uk

Best tweeter @Shonette

Very informative blog on all things Bristol and food www.lifelessorganised.com

 

What to see and do:

Floating Harbour

M Shed (free entry)

@Bristol – groovy Science for all the family

Arnolfini –art – good restaurant or sit outside

Brunel’s ss Great Britain – ticket lasts 12 months – the worlds first great Ocean Liner

Banksy’s - spot them around the City, look for 'Girl with the Pearl Earring'

Ferry trips across the Harbour

Grain Barge – beer

Bordeaux Quay – learn more about wine or real bread, good deli & bakery

Festivals - so many - see website

Markets: Harbourside Market every weekend 10-4

St Nicholas Market always worth a visit, open every day

Scilly Isles - part two - Bryher

Isles of Scilly Part II –  Bryher

Feb issue Best Bites 20

Leeeaaa ving .....(Bryher) ... on a Jet ...(boat) Peter, Paul & Mary

I was brought up on Bryher, one of the Isles of Scilly. You can find them on any map, a scattering of tiny islands kicked out into the Atlantic by the boot of England.

Gracie Jenkins, 1985 from ‘Why the whales came’ by Michael Morpurgo

  

We left Tresco after a memorable dinner at the Ruin Beach Café. Early morning at the New Inn and I look out to the trot of moorings that runs up between Tresco and Bryher. Pretty quiet in October, but magnificently blue. All visiting seafarers are invited to use the New Inn’s showers (for just £2), you pay £20 a night to enjoy this Nirvana, including water and rubbish collection, but a visit to the New Inn is the icing on the top. Along with super fast enabled Broadband – amazing!

Set around a courtyard that is a garden back from the shore, so most rooms get an impeccable view over to Bryher, and many a glorious sunset - I managed two, but let’s get on with breakfast. The long room looks out to sea and across the courtyard garden. The help yourself bar of fruit, cereals and fresh baked breads and croissants beckons. Choice of pancakes or the full English – what decisions – but I need to catch the ferry to Bryher this morning, to find out ‘Why the Whales came’, so I go pancakes and don’t regret it. A fluffy batch with proper crispy streaky and a good jug of maple syrup.

A short, brisk stroll and I’m aboard the ferry over to Annika’s Jetty (aka Bar) so named when the enthusiastic, track-suited Radio 2 DJ took the challenge from the Islanders to rebuild this vital low water landing point, whilst ‘Quay’ is the high water landing of choice, just a hop and skip between the two.

Bryher is the smallest of the Scillies and whilst its east coast is sheltered the west coast faces the full brunt of the Atlantic and there is always a bit of wave watching to be done out at Hell Bay. This is where I’m heading. I pop into Island Fish as I wander up the quiet lane from the quay and all is a frenzy of boxing and packing as Amanda prepares to take her stall to Tresco for the afternoon market. This family business is thriving, with father, daughter and son all helping out, from the catch to the cook, lovely stuff. 

 

   

Fresh mackerel, crab and lobster are available on Tuesday afternoons

 

 We all knew well enough that the west coast of the island was dangerous, far too dangerous for children, whatever the weather..........At Shipman’s Head and Hell Bay there were black cliffs hundreds of feet high that rose sheer from the churning sea below. Here even on the calmest of days the waves could sweep you off the rocks and take you out to sea. From ‘Why the Whales came’.

I keep going, as I don’t want to miss lunch, but am tempted by Bryher Gallery and the well packed village shop. Ahead of me I see a spread of low buildings, beyond this I can see waves breaking, though it is a very calm, warm day. I have arrived at Hell Bay – which clearly it is not. 

Pastrami sandwich at Hell Bay, on the calm terrace

Everything is very quiet. I am a little late and most of the residents are out walking, sailing or visiting the other islands, so I can enjoy the art on the walls and the view from the sheltered patio. Chatting to Philip Callan, who manages the hotel, he explained that the hotel quietens down in early October and shuts before half term, as there isn’t quite enough to do here as the days get colder and shorter. Most guests stay on Tresco and visit Hell Bay for lunch or dinner, its reputation is superb, and I have no complaint with my pastrami sandwich, but look forward to visiting another time to try the full shebang and sample the delights of the Crab Shack. I just have time to pop into the lovely little church of All Saints on the path to ‘Quay’ and am rewarded with some delightful stained glass, with a light touch on the colour it looks modern and discover the artist’s mark of the phoenix which means it’s Oriel Hicks work, on neighbouring St Marys.

The beautiful glass windows in Bryher church by Oriel Hicks

Other top eating places on Bryher are Fraggle Rock, fondly referred to as ‘the pub’ and the cosy Vine Café, a top stop off for walkers in need of a sausage sarnie or afternoon tea, one of our followers reports…

This cafe is wonderfully old fashioned and the owner works extremely hard, seemingly on her own, constantly baking delicious cakes and meals. I don't know how she does it! The atmosphere is very relaxed so fits in perfectly with Bryher. We had coffee, tea, scones and cake all delicious, good portions and at a reasonable price. The decor is unchanged - it's cosy without being fussy, with old cushions, children's games, all very reassuring to come back to year after year. But the main thing is, of course, the food which is wonderful. Unfortunately we missed the lemon meringue pie this time but hopefully next year . . . from Yottie West Country ref the Vine Cafe

Vine Cafe - perfect tea time stop for hikers' reward

Fraggle Rock does a Friday fish & chip night, year round, and is very popular with kayakers who can come in straight off the water as it enjoys a sheltered spot just north of Bar.

I need to be on the quay for 3.30 and admire the crystal clear waters as a Jet Boat whizzes over, hails me from the cabin and I jump aboard after a gaggle of school children swap places. 

 
I get back on Tresco to find a fine gaggle of shoppers at the Island Fish stall and all the lobsters gone! Never mind, I’m off to the New Inn for the seafood risotto and sticky toffee pudding – and the next chapter in Why the Whales came!

The cosy interior of the New Inn, Tresco

Pop-up beach events for 2016 - see dates below

 

Dates for the diary:

World Gig Championships will be held 29^th April – 2^nd May 2016

Low tide pop-ups; Mussels & Prosecco on April 8^th and May 8th  2016

http://www.bryher.co/

www.hellbay.co.uk

http://phoenixstainedglass.moonfruit.com/

www.michaelmorpurgo.com

The New Inn    01720 422844 - open year round

The Vine Café 01720 423168 - open for Easter 2016

Fraggle Rock  01720 422222 – open year round for Friday F&C +

Hell Bay           01720 424122

Island Fish       01720 423880

Samson Hill Pizzas – 07450 521137 who do wood fired take-out pizzas during summer

Best tweeters  @trescoisland @julietsgarden @ScillyTIC @radioscilly

Tresco - All at Sea Best Bites 19

The Scillies are on many sailors' bucket list, but if you can't manage the weather window to get there by boat, don’t put it off, simply take the Skybus from Newquay or Lands End or the Scillonian from Penzance * and enjoy these unique islands.

 

 Food choices are made simple here on Tresco, the island I've longed to visit for many years now, and I rather like that, a complete stress buster that matches my mood. Blessed with fine weather from the minute I stepped off the plane at St Mary's I was soon being transferred to one of the jet boats that whizz around the islands using a variety of harbours and slipways depending upon the tide.

The fun begins – well it did as soon as I folded myself into the 18 seater and stuck my nose to the window, spotting St Ives bay and Sennen beach; the tractor on the quay has to reverse back up the jetty and before I know it I've been hijacked by Rachel Young from Tresco Estate, who trundles me off in her golf buggy and points out the layout of the island as we head to the New Inn. In no time bags are dumped and bike sorted as I'm keen to be off whilst the sun is out and those white sands beckon....

 

Cosy interior of the New Inn

I can get up and over the island in the shake of a Ruby Red's tail and I'm enjoying my first coffee on the terrace at the Ruin Bay Café by 11.  Partridges come up to the table; the sparrows are as friendly as the Cornish gulls are hungry and look as relaxed as birds with few predators can be.

  The Ruin Inn has a wood fired pizza oven, already crackling away behind me, so there's a good choice of fast food for hikers and a more interesting menu in the evening using local produce and the afore mentioned Ruby Red beef cattle that graze the island.

The sun is still out so I follow signs to the Abbey Gardens, rumbling along the tracks with brilliant blue glimpses of sea and sky, fruit and veg stalls piled high outside garden gates, joy!

So here I am with two red squirrels and one golden pheasant, positively posing for my camera, and perhaps three other people in the gardens. Glorious they are, hidden shady paths, then open vistas, succulents galore, created by Augustus Smith who built the Abbey back in 1834 and then set about creating one of the finest sub-tropical gardens in the Northern Hemisphere.

He changed the skyline forever and as you arrive by sea, whatever your choice of vessel, Tresco stands out from the other islands with its towering collection of unusual trees and shrubs. There are still many flowers in blossom and the bees are happy – it is positively balmy here.

 

 

 

Now let’s talk about the weather – I was here in the second week of October, and had really hoped for some sunshine so that I could share some decent photos with you – I was lucky and struck gold but after meeting a timeshare fan at the Flying Boat club, who always books these first couple of weeks in October, and he’s enjoyed great weather for the past three years, so don't rule it out.

Jumping back on the bike I take a different track back towards the New Inn as I have a date with Tresco's recently retired Harbour Master, Henry Birch. He has seen a relatively quiet summer as the strong winds have not helped sailors reach their destination on their limited holiday breaks. He tells me that his French visitors love the islands, and drop by en route to Ireland. Henry's looking forward to enjoying his retirement with family and friends on Tresco. By the way, if you want to follow in Henry’s steps this is a dream job for someone out there – for more details go to www.tresco.co.uk/jobs  - Harbour Master / Bosun

I gather a picnic from the bulging Tresco Stores and head to the beach, ducking out of the wind to enjoy the warm October sunshine, and admiring a lovely piece of rock, studded with ironware and barnacles, the incredibly clear water washing the pale sands. 

Back at the New Inn, we borrow lights for the bikes and head over the hill to the Ruin Café for dinner, torch in basket we head off early so that we can enjoy the views.

Exploring by bike means you can earmark the best cottages and mark them down on the lovely hand drawn map to remember which ones to book next spring. The Ruin is wonderfully cosy, with everyone enjoying that sea view. This is sunrise side of Tresco – more later – but the views over to St Martins are beguiling any time of day.

Fritto Misto - and how! Prawns, mussels, squid and whitebait

The seafood is morning fresh here so it would be rude not to try the Fritto Misto, which comes with  home made garlic mayo and includes whitebait, prawns, squid and mussels, along with some incredibly succulent hunks of hake, perfection when this fresh. Best ever. And call me a heathen but it was very good with my Tarquin’s G&T. Cornish gin in a distinctive, if un-gin-like, bottle and offered with orange rather than lemon. Very good.

The Ruby Red beef, slow cooked and succulent 

 

 

Having admired Tresco’s own beef heard today I couldn’t resist the slow cooked Ruby Red pappardelle, with porcini, offset by the clean crunch of grated celeriac and parmesan on top. The house Sangiovese was perfect with this and cut through the richness, available by the carafe, so civilized if you all want to try something different.

The lemon curd tart - worth the trip on it's own

 

But the art was in the tart. James Norcott is head chef and his pastry skills are superb. I chose the lemon curd tartlet with berry compote and ginger ice cream. Quite perfect.

Crisp pastry, brûlée top covering smooth, nicely runny filling with intense flavour, softened by the berries and ice cream – if you don’t have the lemon bug as I do, this helps calm the tongue.

Best bites here: the pizzas, scallops and indeed any of the specials cooked in the wood oven, confit of duck and the Ruby Red sirloin steaks. And for lunch? The sharing platter of meats & cheeses

Next month we continue the story and pop over to Bryher.

www.tresco.co.uk

www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

*The Scillonian sails from March – November, as do flights from Exeter