GOURMET DESTINATIONS

Kent

This seaside town has been a fashionable place to visit for a decade or two now, thanks in no small part to its colourful independent shops, beach huts and bubbling food and drink scene. Long before Londoners started moving here in their droves, Whitstable was renowned for its oyster harvesting, so it’s good to see that seafood still features highly on menus. At the Old Neptune (thepubonthebeach.co.uk) it’s almost obligatory to grab a pint and some fish and chips, and sit outside to watch the waves come in. Things are a little more refined at Michelin-starred restaurant the Sportsman (thesportsmanseasalter. co.uk) in Seasalter, with five-course tasting menus on offer. Stay at Hotel Continental, which has rooms from £78 per night (hotelcontinental.co.uk).

HOVE East Sussex

Brighton’s popularity with day-trippers from London every time there’s a hint of sun shows few signs of waning, but everyone knows that Hove is the smart person’s choice when it comes to seaside frivolity in the area. The beach is much quieter for starters and there are the attractions of the nearby Lagoon – a public park that features a boating lake – and the lawns that stretch the length of much of Hove’s seafront. And then there is a choice of excellent eateries, including the Little Fish Market, set a few streets back from the front, which offers a fish-led tasting menu under the watchful eye of chef Duncan Ray, with all fish hand-caught from the British Isles (tasting menu £85, plus £50 wine pairing; thelittlefishmarket.co.uk). The Ginger Pig offers rooms from £120 per night (thegingerpigpub.com).

PORTHLEVEN BEACH

Cornwall

Home to another one of Cornwall’s many sandy beaches, Porthleven is also rich in maritime and Cornish heritage thanks to its historic harbour. There are lots of good places to eat in the area, but multi-Michelin-winning chef Michael Caines’s the Harbourside Refuge (theharboursiderefuge.co.uk), is one of the best. When you book, ask for a table on the rooftop terrace so you can enjoy sunny seaside views of the boats bobbing below as you tuck into sustainable fish and seafood. To build up an appetite, you might want to start at Praa Sands and walk the coastal path to Porthleven. Stay at the delightful Kota Restaurant with Rooms, which offers doubles from £75 per night (kotarestaurant.co.uk).

DORNOCH BEACH

Sutherland

Some of Scotland’s many sandy beaches get all the press, while equally gorgeous ones like Dornoch – which would be flooded with visitors if it was located on England’s south coast – get all but overlooked. Those who do venture here are treated to a clean bathing beach that is within walking distance of the excellent Mara fine-dining restaurant, set within the five-star Links House Hotel (doubles from £374 per night; linkshousedornoch.com), which serves up the best of land and sea with minimal interference.

TORQUAY

Devon

Torquay has long been associated with good food, but the Elephant (elephantrestaurant.co.uk), overlooking the harbour, is the only Michelinstarred restaurant in the town and has held onto its star since 2005. Chef Simon Hulstone makes the most of the produce he can find locally to create succulent dishes and the best part is that the prices are very far from what you would expect, with the set lunch costing just £25.50 for two courses and £29.50 for three. Stay at Osborne Hotel, with rooms from £66 per night (osborne-torquay.co.uk).

Port to plate: the Harbourside Refuge lives up to its name; an offering from Whitstable’s Little Fish Market, top