5 vineyard restaurants to visit in England
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
In the UK's dynamic wine scene, seasonally led vineyard restaurants are becoming as much of a draw as the wine itself, ideal for languid summer afternoons. Here are five of the best to whet your appetite — from Michelin-starred venues getting creative with locally foraged ingredients to an East Sussex hotspot where wood-wired pizzas are paired with the perfect natural wine.
Operating since 1952, Hambledon is the UK's oldest commercial winery. Its award-winning sparkling wines include the classic cuvee and, new for 2025, its first blanc de blancs. There's a beautiful tasting room and the new restaurant is already a destination in its own right; overseen by head chef Nick Edgar, seasonal menus feature chalk stream trout with watercress, best end of lamb or Old Winchester cheese souffle.
Blending his South African heritage with classic European cooking, executive chef Jean Delport has helped Interlude, the elegant restaurant with rooms at the heart of the Leonardslee Estate, earn both a Michelin star and Michelin Green star. Foraged ingredients from the local landscape include wild garlic, bracken fiddleheads and hazelnuts, while the estate rears its own venison.
Sip and overlook the vines at this rooftop bistro-terrace above Chapel Down's tasting room. Two AA Rosettes have been awarded for British-Mediterranean dishes, which are paired with feted wines from the 1,000-acre estate. Seasonality reigns and the menu might include Romney Marsh lamb with Moroccan mint yoghurt that sings when accompanied by a 2022 bacchus from Chapel Down's Kit's Coty North Downs vineyard. A glass of the rosé brut pairs well with the Kent rhubarb parfait.
Founded in the 1980s, Sharpham Wine has recently shifted its focus to low-intervention wines. Set on the Sandridge Barton estate, the winery is home to rustic-chic tasting barns and a restaurant in the old milking parlour with a menu centered on Devon produce. Try the likes of estate beef fillet, red chicory and anchoiade, or a range of Sharpham cheeses, perfect with its medal-winning pinot noir.
Tillingham has made a name for itself (and earned a Michelin Green star) thanks to its biodynamic approach to viticulture and bucolic setting in the Sussex High Weald. At the estate complex, flavourful natural wines sit alongside wood-fired pizzas and the likes of goat's cheese mousse with charred peach, seared local scallops with black pudding crumb, and Pevensey lamb rump. There are stylish bedrooms in a converted hop barn as well as bell tents in the summer.
Published in Issue 28 (summer 2025) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
12 minutes ago
- Axios
Americans' fear of global Trump perception may be hurting US travel to Europe
Europeans have been less interested in visiting America as of late — and for Americans, it appears the feeling's mutual. Why it matters: President Trump's policies have purportedly dinged America's reputation internationally, and it seems that some Americans are feeling self-conscious about that reputation when making their own travel plans. Driving the news: New data from the European Travel Commission (ETC) published Tuesday shows that just 33% of U.S. survey respondents are planning to visit Europe this summer, a drop of 7 percentage points from last year. The ETC said that concerns about high travel costs and plans for domestic holidays were the most cited barriers, but added that "worries about being negatively perceived overseas under Trump's confrontational foreign policy may also be a key factor dampening travel sentiment." By the numbers: Long-haul travel sentiment in the U.S. has improved slightly since the start of 2025, the ETC wrote, but remains weaker compared to summer 2024. An increasing share of Americans (+5% from last year) plan to skip overseas travel between May and August, the ETC found. The commission reported that travel sentiment is strongest among Americans from the Northeast (43% vs. 33% in the total sample), a region that typically leans Democratic and "diverges politically from Trump." "While the US remains crucial for European tourism, the strained international relations and economic turbulence make the travel outlook hard to predict," the ETC said. The intrigue: Chinese tourism to Europe is making up for lost U.S. visitors. Interest in European trips among Chinese travelers surged by 10% since last summer, per the ETC. 72% of respondents from China said they were planning to visit the continent. "The strong sentiment is supported by growing disposable incomes, favourable travel policies, and a consumer shift toward prioritising personal fulfilment and lifestyle experiences such as tourism," the ETC said. That's as both Europe and China are embroiled in trade tensions with the U.S. State of play: The U.S. has become increasingly unappealing to visitors, threatening a massive tourism industry that was worth $1.3 trillion in 2024.
Business Insider
25 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Take a look inside Vizcaya, the 45,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion near the heart of Miami
Vizcaya was James Deering's winter home from 1916 until his death in 1925. Struggling with illness toward the end of his life, James Deering came to Miami, then a small city surrounded by mangrove forests and wetlands, looking for tropical warmth, which was believed to help improve health. By the turn of the century, the Deering family had begun to develop estates around South Florida, with patriarch William Deering purchasing a home in Coconut Grove in 1900. By the time James Deering began building Vizcaya, his brother, Charles Deering, was also developing a winter home in the south of Miami. The property, known today as Deering Estate, also operates as a museum and is open to the public. The main house features 54 rooms, including 34 rooms decorated with their original furniture. Expanding over 45,225 square feet, Vizcaya's main house features the living spaces of James Deering himself, his guests, and the house staff. Envisioned by interior designer Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya took inspiration from the Italian Renaissance adapted to South Florida's subtropical climate, and showcases furniture, artworks, and artifacts purchased by Chalfin and Deering on their travels to Europe. Although Miami's population was estimated to be only 10,000 in 1916, the construction of the Vizcaya estate employed an estimated 1,000 workers, many of whom were Black immigrants from the Bahamas. Apart from the main house, Vizcaya is also home to the Vizcaya Village, the historic quarters of the mansion's workers and farmers that allowed Vizcaya to serve as a self-sufficient farm-to-table estate. The Village expands over 12 acres and includes 11 "architecturally significant" buildings, according to the museum's website. The tour begins in the courtyard, which is adorned with tropical plants. Lined with tropical plants like palms and philodendrons, the courtyard highlights South Florida's natural beauty while adhering to the mansion's European inspirations. While today the courtyard is covered by a glass canopy that allows for the estate's air conditioning, it was originally open to the elements, allowing the tropical climate to seep into the main house. Meant to be used as Vizcaya's main entrance, the East Loggia opens up to the Biscayne Bay. Featuring marble floors and columns and decorated ceilings, the East Loggia was meant to serve as Vizcaya's main entrance for guests arriving by sea, which was Deering's intended — and preferred — way of entering the mansion. It was used as an entrance for guests who arrived by boat, while the current main entrance of the museum was used as a back entrance for guests arriving by car. The room also features a model boat hanging from its ceiling in honor of the explorers who inspired Deering's interpretation of Vizcaya. Although he began living in Vizcaya during his retirement, Deering included multiple working spaces in the property. James Deering was heir to the International Harvester manufacturing firm, which produced tractors and other agricultural machinery, and he worked as its vice president from 1902 until 1909. Deering might have been one of the first prominent Florida "snowbirds," retirees who travel South during the colder months. His downstairs library, located in the northwest corner of the main house, is located steps from the entrance hall that welcomes guests. It features Deering's personal book collection, desks for him and a secretary, and seats for business guests. When closed, the door leading to the next room — a reception room meant for entertaining guests — is concealed within the book-lined walls. The reception room features a ceiling imported from Venice, which had to be resized to fit. The reception room is lined with tropical-inspired silk panels showing palm trees. Our tour guide brought our attention to the ceiling, which is decorated with sculpted panels that extend to the sides of the room. The ceiling was imported from Venice and purchased before construction on the property was finished. By the time workers were putting up the decorations in the mansion, they realized that the ceiling panel did not fit the room dimensions, leading to the restructuring of the panel, which curved into the walls. "We should remember that this house was built during the First World War," curator Flaminia Gennari said in the audio tour. "So to import large quantities from Italy in the middle of the war was very complicated." Vizcaya's telephone line was one of the first in Miami. Wired throughout the house, Vizcaya features a highly innovative telephone system for the time. Only 17 years before the beginning of Vizcaya's construction did the Miami Telephone Company begin providing telephone service to the city. Vizcaya's telephones also featured automatic electric exchange, allowing users to connect directly to the number they dialed without going through a human operator. The telephone room, located between two of Vizcaya's main entertainment rooms, was meant for guests to communicate privately without disturbing the flow of the entertainment. The living room showcased Deering's most impressive collections. The living room, with its 1600s limestone fireplace, features some of Vizcaya's most impressive items, including an "admiral carpet" originally commissioned in the 1450s by the grandfather of King Ferdinand II of Spain, the Spanish king who sponsored Christopher Columbus' exploration of the Americas. The room also features throne-like armchairs where US President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II sat in 1987 during the Pope's visit to America. A centerpiece of the room is the Welte Philharmonic Organ, which was meant to fill the house with music through elaborate sound systems. Designed for guests rather than full-time professional players, the organ uses perforated paper rolls to aid the musicians' performance by adjusting notes and volume. Concealing the organ pipes is an oil painting, which was cut in half to cover wooden doors. "Chalfin had the idea of cutting it in half and using it as the doors of the organs, which is not a very respectful thing to do for a representation of the Virgin Mary, the child, and the saints, but it somehow testifies to the freedom and positive carelessness that they had around old objects," Gennari said in the audio tour. The mansion's formal dining room features the house's oldest artifacts, although it was rarely used. While Deering himself didn't eat in the formal dining room often, he made sure that the room was impressively decorated for his guests. Sitting to the side is the room's most awe-inspiring feature: a marble tabletop sitting on carved bases resembling mythical creatures, which were historical artifacts unearthed near Pompeii, dating back to the times before Mount Vesuvius' eruption. Next to the dining room, on the south side of the mansion, the enclosed loggia gave guests a view of the gardens. The colorful glass panels, designed for Vizcaya, feature the estate's main symbols: the seahorse and the caravan. Providing a view of the garden through the glass panels and double doors, the enclosed loggia allowed guests to take in the garden views while staying cool from the Florida sun. The loggia also connects the gardens to the main house through sculpted iron gates. Aside from giving guests an inside view of the gardens from the ground level, the room also connects the outdoors to the rest of the mansion. Downstairs, the kitchen worked as a serving space for staff to plate food and bring it to guests. When designing Vizcaya, Deering asked for the main kitchen to be built upstairs as he didn't want the smell of food to flood the main entertaining rooms on the first floor. To facilitate the transportation of meals and the serving of guests to the dining room, the entertaining rooms, and the loggia, he built a downstairs serving pantry. Today, the serving pantry cabinets display one set of Deering's fine dining china, the one designated for his 80-foot-long luxury yacht, Nepenthe. Commissioned in 1912 to be shipped from Europe, the original set of china purchased by Deering was transported to America as cargo aboard the Titanic. After the ship sank, a replacement set was ordered and is now displayed. The kitchens feature state-of-the-art Gilded Age technology. Throughout the house, Deering incorporated cutting-edge technology, including annunciators with bells connected throughout the house that Deering or guests could ring at any time to get the house staff's attention. Another then-advanced feature of the serving kitchen were its refrigerators, which were rare at the time. The kitchen also featured a warming oven that helped keep food warm while guests were served. Connecting to the upstairs kitchen, which serves as the house's main cooking area, was a dumbwaiter: a food elevator meant to carry the food cooked upstairs to the downstairs plating area, where staff would then take it to the main entertaining rooms, like the dining and sitting rooms. Upstairs, 24 rooms housed guests, staff, and Deering himself. Nine of the bedrooms were dedicated to guests and each was given a name and decorated uniquely, showcasing the artifacts and furniture purchased by Deering and Chalfin on trips to Europe. While not open to the public, an additional 14 rooms housed staff. Another then-advanced technological feature of Vizcaya was its elevator. Deering was motivated to move to South Florida because of his illness, so accessibility features were built throughout the house, such as the elevator he would take when using a wheelchair or to avoid walking upstairs. Today, the elevator isn't open to the public, and the museum's second floor is not wheelchair accessible. Deering's main office was inspired by the Napoleonic era. Connected to Deering's bedroom and bathroom, the sitting room was his office where he would tend to business and personal matters, such as sorting his mail. The decoration style was inspired by Napoleonic France. Deering's bedroom was modest compared to some of his guest bedrooms. His personal bathroom has one of the most breathtaking views of the property. Opening up to a balcony, Deering's bathroom looks over Biscayne Bay and has one of the best views of the house, although it is not accessible to the public today. The closed-off balcony also leads to a secret door to the Espagnolette, the guest bedroom located next to his, usually reserved for Deering's dearest guests. Spiral staircases lead to the South tower. A set of spiral staircases leads up to the South tower, one of the two guest suites overlooking the estate. The tower bedroom has views of the bay and the gardens. The corner room atop the North tower was designed to transport guests to Europe. "Water reflects upwards to the ceiling and the sound of waves is audible in this room, precisely as upon the quay of this great canal of Venice," noted Chalfin about the room, according to the mansion's website. A central piece in the room is a large wardrobe assembled with 1700s Venetian panels, as well as the antique painted closet doors. The breakfast room was Deering's preferred dining space. Back on the second floor, the breakfast room was the central entertaining spot. The room is lined with oil paintings depicting ocean scenes, and the windows slide into pocket doors, revealing views of the garden. It also features a sound system, with a piano hidden away in a room off the spiral staircase next door and connected to the breakfast room through floor vents that allow sound to travel into the space. Most times, Deering opted to dine in this room rather than the formal dining space. Tucked next to the breakfast room is the main kitchen. Designed to maximize staff efficiency, the main kitchen upstairs has different areas for different tasks, including separate sinks for washing dishes and produce. It also features ice boxes, or refrigerators of the time, powered by salt water. During Deering's time at the estate, Vizcaya employed two French chefs dedicated to food and pastries. Food served at the mansion was sourced from the staff village built across the street, where a farm provided vegetables, dairy, chicken, herbs, and citrus. "You and I could come down and drive into the farm area, stop and buy a dozen Deering eggs and take them home and have them for breakfast, and I think that was probably particularly important during World War I," historian Arva Moore Parks said in the audio tour. "He was able to supply not only himself but his workers also." Inspired by European designs, the gardens feature mazes, terraces, fountains, and more. Inspired by 17th- and 18th-century Italian and French villas, the Vizcaya gardens feature a variety of scenes, from a garden theater to multiple paths and mazes, intended to highlight and enhance the native South Florida flora surrounding the estate. The original layout of Vizcaya featured over 180 acres of subtropical forests. Today, that number has gone down to 50 acres. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan hosted Pope John Paul II at the estate. On September 10, 1987, President Ronald Reagan welcomed Pope John Paul II at Vizcaya, where the two conversed while exploring the gardens and the estate. Atop a garden mount is the Casino, a focal point of the gardens. Located at the top of garden mounds designed to block the reflection of water ponds into the main house, the garden casino — Italian for "little house" — was a space where Deering and his guests could take in the garden views or enjoy the subtropical weather without being in direct contact with the sun. Inside the building, a painted ceiling depicts heavenly images. Underneath, bathrooms and other now closed-off areas hide under decorated ceilings. Originally, the casino overlooked a water park part of the estate, where gondolas would be launched, a crucial part of Deering's vision for Vizcaya. Today, the water park no longer exists, and the land is instead taken up by a Catholic church, hospital, and schools after the Deering family sold part of the property to the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in 1946. The opposite side of the estate was once used for clandestine entertainment; now, it is a café. While today a café sits underneath the mansion, the space served as a leisure center during Deering's stay. The rooms were filled with billiard tables, bowling alleys, and leather chairs. Hidden underneath the billiards table was also a roulette table, which Deering often used when his college friends visited the estate. The mansion, which opened at the peak of the Prohibition era, also had a decent supply of liquor, which Deering smuggled into the estate and hid in secret bars and cellars. The swimming pool is half-covered, providing relief from South Florida's relentless sun. Tucked next to the leisure rooms underneath the main house is the half-indoor swimming pool, in which Deering is said to have only swum once. Designed as the main entry point to the mansion, the east side of the mansion opens up to a stone barge in the Biscayne Bay. When he first moved into his winter home in December 1916, Deering arrived by sea on what he intended was the front entrance to Vizcaya. Opening up to the Biscayne Bay, the waterfront side of the property features a stone barge, a sculpted structure that acts as a breakwater and protects the main house from changing tides and waves. Today, the mansion hosts private events and has become a local staple for Quinceañera pictures. Purchased from the Deering family by Miami-Dade County for $1 million in 1962, Vizcaya today operates as a museum open to the public and for private reservations. The estate is often the background of Quinceañera pictures from Miami's large Hispanic population. Walking around the gardens, I saw multiple young women dressed in extravagant gowns posing in the many stunning locations of the estate. Along with being a photographic hot spot, Vizcaya also hosts private events, from Miami Swim Week runway shows to floral-decorated weddings in the gardens. Today, the estate remains an icon of Miami, a city that many would often relate to modern luxury rather than the old and classic wealth on display in Gilded Age -style mansions like Vizcaya.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Eurostar services will whisk passengers from the UK to cities in Germany and Switzerland
Europe's rail renaissance is showing no signs of slowing as high-speed rail operator Eurostar reveals ambitious plans to expand its network. The company says it will introduce direct train connections from London to Germany and Switzerland, in what it calls the dawn of a "new golden age of international sustainable travel". The operator is also enhancing its existing offering by increasing services on popular routes. Here's what travellers can look forward to. Eurostar's proposed expansion includes establishing direct rail links between London St Pancras International and two key European destinations: Frankfurt in Germany and Geneva in Switzerland. The company plans to invest approximately €2 billion to acquire a substantial fleet of up to 50 new trains for the routes. These new services are expected to begin operating during the early 2030s and aim to rival air travel for the same trips. And journey times make the rail alternative attractive. Passengers travelling between London and Frankfurt can expect to arrive in approximately five hours, while those heading to Geneva will make the journey in around five hours and 20 minutes. Eurostar has not yet released details on intermediate stops and whether passengers will have the flexibility to get on and off at various points along the route. Related I took a 7-day trip from Paris to Istanbul on Europe's newest transcontinental train All of the cheese, none of the hassle: Why I took a small-group rail tour through Switzerland The new services are particularly aimed at business travel, with Eurostar's Chief Executive, Gwendoline Cazenave, highlighting that the destinations are 'big financial hubs'. Frankfurt and Geneva are also tourist hotspots, filled with culture, striking architecture and international events. Dates for the launch remain approximate as there are still several logistical challenges to implementing these new routes. These include expanding passenger facilities at destination stations, establishing new border control checkpoints, and securing track access agreements. Despite these hurdles, Cazenave remains optimistic about the project's success, citing strong commitment from Eurostar, passenger demand, and government support. Eurostar's expanded fleet will also enable it to increase frequency on popular routes. This includes boosting daily return services between London and Paris from 17 to 20. The company has also confirmed plans to introduce a fourth daily return service between St Pancras and Amsterdam beginning on 9 September, with a fifth service added from mid-December. Currently, Eurostar operates services connecting London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and seasonal routes to the French Alps during the winter sports season. It also runs train links within Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. The operator transported 19.5 million passengers last year - a five per cent increase from 18.6 million in 2023. The London-Paris route proved most popular with 280,000 passengers, followed by London-Brussels with 250,000 passengers. While Eurostar currently enjoys a monopoly on passenger services through the Channel Tunnel, several competitors are developing plans to challenge this, including Virgin Group, Italy's FS Italiane Group, and Gemini Trains.
