The Bull Hotel

Local restaurants

At Bridport’s Electric Palace Brasserie (01308 428354), former River Cottage collaborator Gideon Hitchen rustles up simple, tasty lunches and dinners with fresh‑as‑a‑daisy local produce. In West Bay, The Riverside Restaurant (01308 422011) serves up the very best fresh fish in a charming seasidey setting; you’ll need a reservation.

Local bars

Beach & Barnicott is a grade II‑listed gastropub in Bridport and a fine place for a cosy drink – with good food, too (01308 455688).

Local cafes

Book a table for lunch or have a cream tea at the Hive Beach Café in Burton Bradstock, an alfresco favourite with award‑winning ice creams and smashing seafood (01308 897070).

For a full list of eating and drinking recommendations in Dorset, check out our Dorset eating & drinking guide

Worth getting out of bed for

There are seaside and countryside walks aplenty from Bridport: take the Bull Hotel's dog Lulu out for a stroll if you need a sense of purpose – go for a sea‑breezy walk on the beach; inland, follow the Brit Valley Way, which starts at West Bay. Otherwise, enjoy gently ambling through town and wobbling from gastropub to antiquarian bookshop to tearoom. You're at the official Gateway to the Jurassic Coast, so fossil hunters are occasionally rewarded with rock-bound treasures uncovered along the strand.

Diary

Late June/early July Bridport’s annual Food Festival punches well above its weight, gathering top-notch regional producers, chefs and farmers together for a celebration of all things edible (www.bridportfoodfestival.org.uk).

For a full list of recommended activities in Dorset, check out our Dorset destination guide