Where the Chefs Eat: Rick Stein shares his favourite restaurants in the UK

Rick Stein is a gentle giant of a chef; softly spoken, quietly enthusiastic and an early pioneer of the British seafood we know and love today. But, as seemingly gentle as he may be, he demonstrates unwavering interest in the evolution of food, has an unrivalled work ethic, and is a staunch champion of British cuisine. At 76, Rick is as well-respected as ever, has yet another book coming out and, when we speak, natters away about the locations in which he is currently filming up and down the British Isles. Never one to take a break, he has a new book called Simple Suppers and, as the name suggests, it’s aimed at home cooks. It is, he tells me, a book that offers up “brand-new, easy recipes for simple suppers, whether you’re cooking for one or 10 friends.”

“I’ve really taken the opportunity to simplify matters in the kitchen, suggesting supermarket buys for things like Garam Masala, because this book is really about simplifying the whole process in the kitchen,” he says. And to keep things strictly uncomplicated, he set himself certain rules during the writing process for this book, such as ensuring “no recipes went over one page, nothing takes more than an hour or so to produce, and I’ve only created dishes that use five, maybe 10 ingredients, maximum.”

These are very reflective, Rick says, of how he eats and entertains himself these days at home; Simple Suppers is “just good ideas for eating alone or cooking for a bunch of friends, and I’m really pleased with it. I don’t cook in the restaurant kitchens anymore, but I do create recipes for all of them, and I find myself cooking at home a lot for my stepkids and my wife, Sass.”

There are also lots of personal essays written by Rick and peppered throughout. They are, he explains, “reflections on things like what I keep most of in my store cupboard and people I’ve met over the years, the food I’ve eaten and the happy times I’ve had cooking.” This book is, he hopes, one you’ll use in your kitchen but one you might keep on your bed stand to read at night, too.

Reflective Rick may be, but he also enthuses with gusto about his new series, Food Stories, for which he has been travelling the length and breadth of the UK, “looking at the way food is now: not the classic stuff but the way food is changing and moving forwards. I’ve been looking at Korean restaurants in South Maldon and Bangladeshi restaurants in Birmingham; it’s all about getting a handle on where British food is these days.”. In doing so, he has unearthed some new favourites as well as confirmed some old classics, which he has kindly shared below with Conde Nast Traveller.

The Rocket Store, Cornwall

The Rocket Store in the Cornish fishing port of Boscastle Harbour is, quite literally, in an old rocket shop, the kind that sold rockets you would let off if you were in trouble at sea. I really liked it as the people there reminded me of me at that age, when I was in my early 20s. I felt a real affinity with them all, and I want it to do well, so I was really pleased to feature them in my Cornwall series.

Who comes here?

Mick Jagger‘s granddaughter, Jade’s daughter, was working there when I went, so it definitely pulls in a young, quite hip crowd, but there are loads of locals, too. It’s a bit upmarket, Boscastle, so it would have a regular group of people who come back every year.

Best table in the restaurant?

It’s right by the harbour itself so, if you go in the summer and get an outside table, that is lovely, though you can’t sit outside past 10pm.

Best time to come?

It’s a very narrow and dramatic area, Boscastle Harbour, and it’s just got a great vibe to it. I think winter is an amazing time and a bit quieter, too. But check its opening times because it isn’t open every day.

Dish to order?

I thought all the food was great, but they are known mainly for their seafood. Start with Porthilly oysters, pickled apples and soy if you can. I keep a diary everywhere I go of what I eat but, for some reason, I can’t remember the main I had while I was there. Possibly the simple turbot in butter sauce but, honestly, it’s all delicious. You can’t go wrong.

Mark Hix Oyster and Fish House, Dorset

Mark is one of my best friends, and I just love the way he cooks. I love his adventurousness. He does a sweet, cured home-cooked chop with clams that I adore and I’m actually filming with him in a couple of weeks. He’s a great cook and a very intelligent man.

Who comes here?

Mark has a lot of people who love his food so you’ll get people there from all over the country who come to Lyme Regis just to try him out This is actually where my old friend Keith Floyd had his last meal and, I think the last time I went for dinner, I actually sat at the exact same table.

Best table in the restaurant?

I honestly don’t think there are any bad tables in the restaurant, but if you can get one against the window with views over the cobb where they filmed Meryl Streep in A French Lieutenant’s Women, it’s a treat. It’s just so beautiful.

Best time to come?

I’m a big fan of lunches. I love sitting down with the day ahead of me and ordering some nice white wine with fish and taking it slowly. This is the perfect place for that.

Dish to order?

I’d go for some simply grilled fish on the bone. It’s caught by the local fishermen, and they even name the vessel it was caught on, so the restaurant has full traceability and provenance for the guests. The fish options on the menu will change once or twice a day, depending on what they get in. I’d order any fresh catch served simply with green sauce or bearnaise sauce.

Little French, Bristol

I’m quite friendly with Fay Maschler, and she has a great dinner club that will go to different places and report back; she first mentioned Little French to me, and I’m so glad she did. It was so good; I just loved it. They pay such great homage to French cooking: I’d say it’s almost better than the real thing. And I had the most perfect bottle of red wine while I was there.

Who goes there?

It’s a very simple restaurant and, being right in the middle of Bristol, in Westbury Park, does get a good mixture of clientele so it can stick to its guns and really offer up what it chooses to; the cooking is superb. And when you’ve got people like Fay recommending you, then word will spread quickly so it does get busy. Bristol is such a lovely, lovely place and I’m proud it’s a West Country city.

Best table in the restaurant?

Little French isn’t massive so, I’d say, take whatever table you can get. I sat three tables down on the left of the window, which was lovely because I got to see into the kitchen. I had a really good experience and very professional service. It reminds me of the sort of place that people like Simon Hopkinson or Rowley Leigh would love.

Best time to come?

Sunday lunch is a lovely time to go, but if you want something really relaxed and informal, go early evening and get a seat at the bar for smaller bites and a good bottle of wine.

Dish to order?

I had the pan-seared duck breast with figs, cassis sauce and garlic and rosemary fried potatoes with rocket, alongside a bottle of the Racine de la Loire Gammay.

The Fife Arms, Braemar

The Fife Arms in Braemar, Scotland, is well worth the trip. It’s been bought out by the big Swiss family, Hauser & Wirth, so it looks astonishing. It’s just down the road from Balmoral, and it’s a huge, beautiful hotel, a really substantial space. And what’s lovely about it is the art, especially that in The Clunie dining room. There is a huge mural along one whole wall, which I think is supposed to reflect the outside surroundings of the Cairngorm, and it’s incredible to see.

Who comes here?

Anyone who wants to visit the Scottish Highlands will do well to check in if possible, but, of course, because of the strong art links there now you get a lot of art lovers, as well as food lovers.

Best table in the restaurant?

I think any table along the wall under that mural is the place to sit. And, if you stay at the hotel, which you’re likely to do as it’s quite a trip for anyone, each of the rooms has a theme; we stayed in a room that had a dog theme.

Best time to come?

Honestly, I think just go anytime you can. I went there during the Scottish lockdown, so we had to finish at our table by 8 o’clock, and if you wanted to carry on drinking, you had to go outside. That was in November, so we sat with log fires outside and carried on with a wee dram or two. It’s such a lovely part of the country. I’d never really been to the Highlands before. Bob Dylan had a massive house nearby. I’m a big music fan, and you can see why Dylan spent time there. He always said his heart was in The Highlands.

Dish to order?

I’d get the Invercauld estate venison chou farci to eat: the estate is a mile away from the restaurant, so the deer doesn’t have far to travel!

Higher Ground, Manchester

Higher Ground in Manchester was launched by three friends: front-of-house man Richard Cossins, chef Joe Otway and wine expert Daniel Craig-Martin. They are young and they’re just wonderful. This is in a really trendy part of Manchester, but I love it because Joe is one of those chefs who won’t cook anything that isn’t local. Of course, it’s not one of those places that won’t use olive oil because it’s not local, but the main ingredients are strictly local. I really liked it, but it’s so unlike the sort of place that you would expect me to like.

Who comes here?

I was up in Manchester one weekend for the cricket, and Higher Ground was where we started off. It really shows how much food is improving in Manchester, and it pulls in a very foodie crowd. It’s now coming in as a top 100 restaurant in the country, with good reason.

Best table in the restaurant?

The space is fabulous, and they’ve obviously spent serious money on it. It’s a totally state-of-the-art place, and the whole kitchen is on show no matter where you sit in the restaurant, so any table would be a good table, I think.

Best time to come?

I think dinner is fabulous there and, in fact, they only do lunch on Fridays and Saturdays so it’s an evening place for sure. It was a great place to start the weekend for us.

Dish to order?

I had the most delicious homemade pasta, a pappardelle with heart, liver and lungs of lamb made into a Ragu. You wouldn’t know it was made of heart, lungs and liver if you didn’t know; it was really, really tasty. They do organic wine, which is unusual for me, but currently trendy and apparently gives you less of a hangover.

Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers is published by BBC Books, £28