The Little Annex

Situated in an enviable location next to the South Downs, South Lodge is a beautiful country house hotel that thankfully has a restaurant to match. Ben Wilkinson is an intelligent and skilful chef who runs a calm, focused kitchen; sit at the high-topped tables to watch him and his young team use impeccable techniques to get the most out of exceptional produce, be it day-boat turbot or wild fallow deer. The flavours build as the menu progresses and the desserts are a real highlight. Dishes are delivered with real pride by the chefs.

An attractive 300-year-old former school in the town centre is home to this delightful restaurant, which is named after the owner’s favourite herb. Sit on the cosy ground floor or in the intimate upstairs room, where beams divide the area into three. Chef Alex Payne and his team offer a light à la carte and surprise tasting menu (the best option for the full experience), filled with top-quality ingredients. From Orkney scallops to mature, full-flavoured Hereford beef, the produce is put to good use in detailed, intricate dishes. The affable team genuinely want you to enjoy your visit.

This quintessential country house hotel is surrounded by 35 acres of glorious gardens; it was, after all, once home to pioneering gardener William Robinson. Ornate ceilings and fireplaces feature in the beautiful sitting rooms, while the restaurant sits within a striking contemporary extension. The kitchen garden provides the kitchen's heartbeat, with the fruit (and veg) of its labours being used across carefully executed dishes that appeal to both the taste buds and the eyes – as in the seemingly simple but utterly delicious 'garden salad'.

The Knepp Estate is such a special place; from a dog walk around the gorgeous natural grounds to browsing produce in the farm shop, you could easily spend most of your day here. At the heart of it all is an ethos of rewilding, something which drives the menus at its restaurant housed inside an 18th-century barn. Here, the cooking is overtly seasonal and often uses ingredients from the Estate; try to kick off your meal with one of the fine flatbreads and punchy wild garlic butter. They are mostly open just for lunch, with some BBQ evenings in the summer.

This long-standing inn is an understandably popular local haunt that has retained the feel of a proper village pub, and its interior is packed with character thanks to its beamed ceilings, pewter tankards, open fires and plenty of cosy corners. The good value cooking focuses on hearty pub classics such as a well-baked, immensely satisfying pie of the steak, mushroom and ale variety, accompanied by triple-cooked chips. The service team are sweet and friendly, while four tastefully decorated bedrooms complete the picture.

Situated on the edge of the woods, this long-standing thatched pub is full of character and you can't help but be carried away by the team's cheerful energy. It's run by the Gingerman Group, primarily based in Brighton, with this acting as their country outpost hidden away in the South Downs. Pubby favourites like Welsh rarebit or prawns with Marie Rose sauce are all present and correct, as are dishes with a little more flair; whatever you choose, the kitchen will lavish the same care upon it. The wine list includes some locally grown options.