South West Restaurant Guide

Conveniently situated just off the M4/M5 a few miles from Bristol city centre, the purpose-built Aztec Hotel & Spa is a fascinating amalgam of old and new: stone-flagged floors and stunning wooden beams fashioned from old ships' timbers blend easily with brightly coloured rugs, contemporary artwork and modern fittings.

Aztec West Business Park, Almondsbury, Bristol

'Contemporary elegance with a classic Rhode Island twist' is what you can expect in the Harbour Heights Hotel with its Harbar Bistro, a handsomely renovated 1920s hotel, which now struts its stuff as a luxury boutique venue.

73 Haven Road, Poole, Dorset

A watering hole has stood on this Corfe Mullen site since 1426, and the present Coventry Arms still puts on a rustic face with its original flagstoned floors, roaring open fires, heavy exposed beams and real ales drawn direct from the cask.

Mill Street, Corfe Mullen, Dorset

This magnificent edifice, which stands in delightful grounds behind the entrance lodges to Highcliffe Castle, was Lord Bute's residence during the latter part of the eighteenth century.

181-185 Lymington Road, Christchurch, Dorset

Impressively transformed from down-at-heel Devon boozer into a fashionable contemporary gastro pub, the Rose & Crown really looks the part.

Market Street, Yealmpton, Devon

Succeeding generations of the Grose family have presided over this luxurious coastal hotel since 1896, and it is still a grand sight - standing in 19 acres of sub-tropical gardens not far from Salcombe.

Thurlestone Village, Thurlestone, Devon

In a former life, this delightful restaurant-with-rooms was a salt house used by the Benedictine monks who traded salt at Exeter cathedral.

Church Street, Sidmouth, Devon

Once a gentleman's residence, this classically designed eighteenth-century house stands in delightful gardens on the fringes of Dartmoor National Park.

, South Brent, Devon

A 'grande dame' among Sidmouth's hotels, the Riviera naturally takes its inspiration from the South of France and the Côte 'd'Azur.

The Esplanade, Sidmouth, Devon

The Makepeace family are justly proud of their hotel, which is beautifully placed in an 'area of outstanding natural beauty'.

Soar Mill Cove, Salcombe, Devon