Yes, we Brits may have conjured up culinary classics like bangers and mash and sticky toffee pudding but, sometimes, we crave something slightly more international. Like handmade dumplings drenched in Szechuan pepper-spiked dipping sauce, or Sicilian brioche torn and dunked into whipped gelato. Join us on a gastronomic expedition, as we seek out the hidden eateries across our fair British Isles who promise empanadas instead of pasties, and tuna sashimi instead of battered cod. Here, we round-up some of the best international restaurants to try in the UK.
Italian in Cornwall
New to Cornwall’s culinary playground, Little Ears is an Italian-inspired neighbourhood restaurant in Newquay serving fresh pasta, handmade each morning, alongside rotating Mediterranean-centric sharing plates. The menu takes guests on a whistle-stop tour of the region — from Puglia; with its signature little ears (orecchiette) with Cornish crab to Rome; with the simple but ever-addictive pici cacio e pepe to Sicily; with freshly-baked brioche col tuppo served with coupes of seasonally-flavoured homemade gelato for dolce.
Sri Lankan in the Cotswolds
Renowned more for its pretty, honey-hued cottages than its heady curries, the Cotswolds is the proud home of Sri Lankan hot spot, The Coconut Tree. From hoppers and sambol (nest-like rice flour pancakes served with a chilli-flecked fresh coconut relish) to slow-cooked goat and potato curry to kotthu (a traditional street food comprising chopped roti, curry, and scrambled eggs), guests of this olde worlde English region will instantly be whisked away to the colourful “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, if only for a bite or two.
Where to stay in the Cotswolds
Nordic in Scotland
With a cuisine having been described as “new Nordic” and with its chefs completing stints at the likes of Noma and Fäviken, it’s little wonder how stepping into Inver — a remote restaurant on the shores of Loch Fyne in Scotland — can feel like you're hunkering down in a hydda. On the menu, there’s definite Scandinavian influences too, such as the pressed cod with egg butter, radishes, and seeded crackers and the over coals-cooked rump and feather blade with fennel and almonds.
Inver, Scotland — photos by Alexander Baxter
Middle Eastern in Somerset
Over in Somerset, Queen of Cups is a distinctly Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant sat within the cosy walls of a 17th century inn in Glastonbury. Here, the dishes are a riot of colour and flavour — with Middle Eastern favourites including labneh (a soft cheese), often spiked with different flavours from wild garlic to caraway to harissa, rumaniyya (a spicy-sour pomegranate, aubergine, and lentil stew), and laverbread falafel featuring throughout the menu.
Japanese in Wales
Wales’ two Michelin-starred restaurant Ynyshir in Ceredigion only opens its bookings in monthly increments, so be quick if you’re after a much-anticipated table. As part of his punchy tasting menus, chef Gareth Ward's dishes pose as a love letter to Japan and its ingredients, flavours, and techniques — as seen with the Hamachi sushi with white soy and teriyaki and the Lancashire strawberry kakigōri (shaved ice).
Ynyshir, Wales — photo by Eleonora Boscarelli
Indian in Yorkshire
Replacing Yorkshire pudding and gravy with dosa and dal, Yorkshire’s Tharavadu has won multiple awards for its delicious, traditional dishes. From Friday night favourites like biriyani and chilli paneer to Keralan specialities such as Achayans’ lamb chops (marinated and grilled served with toasted vegetables, fresh coconut, and a “secret” sauce) and meen pollichathu (spiced fish fillets steamed in banana leaves), this has rightly become one of the region’s best loved dining spots.
Feeling peckish? Why not read about the Great British food renaissance, take a look at our Field guide to summer feasting, or explore our collection of luxury homes with private chefs.
