The best restaurants in West Sussex

Inside Tottington Manor near Bramber, TERRA sources its meat from the South Downs and fish from Newhaven, serving it in a striking dining room decorated in burnt reds and oranges.

A private dining room, children's menu and indulgent afternoon tea round out a flexible countryside all-rounder.

The Michelin-starred Dining Room at this Elizabethan manor draws heavily on its own walled kitchen garden, designed by William Robinson.

Executive chef Martin Carabott's seasonal set menus, glass-panelled garden views and a serious wine list make this the destination choice for a classic country-house occasion.

A neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of historic Arundel, run by chef-owner Lee Parsons, whose CV includes Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

Bright, technically assured modern European cooking, from Cornish sardines to roast pork with cider sauce, in a contemporary blond-wood dining room.

Housed in a 17th-century Petworth townhouse, this stylish brasserie pairs West Sussex produce with proper grill cooking: Hampshire steaks, chalkstream trout, an oyster-and-prawn platter.

Downstairs looks onto a courtyard; upstairs brings exposed stone and chandeliers. A confident, contemporary market-town choice for celebration dinners.

A proper neighbourhood bistro on Hurstpierpoint's high street, serving French-leaning classics such as moules-frites, duck breast and a seafood platter for two.

Five guest rooms upstairs make it a natural stop for exploring the South Downs. Warm, unfussy and dependable rather than showy.

A relaxed all-day café-restaurant behind Chichester's high street, born from founder Carlo Petrini's Slow Food ideals.

Organic sourdough, shakshuka and a dedicated children's menu make it a genuine local favourite for breakfast and lunch, with gluten-free bread available and a dog-friendly courtyard for warmer days.

Chef's-table dining inside the luxury South Lodge hotel, where Michelin-starred chef Ben Wilkinson's seven-course tasting menu is finished within full view of diners through a glass kitchen wall.

Precise, playful modern cooking with matched wine flights, best suited to an evening built entirely around the food.

A Michelin-starred woodland restaurant on the Leonardslee Estate, where chef Jean Delport builds a lengthy tasting menu almost entirely from foraged and estate-grown ingredients.

Expect South African-inflected dishes like venison skilpadjies and hogweed sorbet. One of the county's most adventurous, one-of-a-kind dining experiences.

Set among the vines at Leonardslee, this all-day restaurant serves farm-to-table dishes sourced from Sussex, Kent, Surrey and Hampshire, alongside the estate's award-winning sparkling wine.

Equally suited to a lazy brunch, a Wednesday-to-Saturday afternoon tea, or a vineyard-view Sunday roast.

A 16th-century tile-hung village pub in West Hoathly, all hop-strewn beams and open fires, serving honest gastropub cooking with contemporary touches. 

Dishes span pub classics, like fish and chips, to contemporary options such as miso black cod. A proper local with the informal warmth to match its history.

A 500-year-old coaching inn in Fittleworth, relaunched by chef Angus Davies (Chez Bruce, Lorne) with a 46-cover dining room and 12 boutique rooms upstairs.

Unfussy, generously portioned British cooking, from devilled kidneys on toast to a full Sunday roast menu, in a genuinely historic setting.

A converted barn restaurant at an English sparkling wine estate on the South Downs, following a 20-mile sourcing radius and Michelin Guide recognition.

Set Friday and Saturday dinner menus and an à la carte lunch pair naturally with the estate's own wines, best enjoyed on the terrace.

Set inside a restored 18th-century barn on the pioneering Knepp rewilding estate, this restaurant runs on regenerative principles: whole-animal butchery, market-garden produce and interiors built from the estate's own ash and Longhorn hides.

A distinctive, low-waste destination for curious diners, under the guidance of head chef Alex Dome.

An independent fine-dining restaurant and cocktail bar inside a Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse on Chichester's North Street, popular for pre-theatre dinners.

Refined British cooking, a well-regarded wine list and a garden terrace fill a real gap: Chichester's only serious sit-down dinner destination in the county's cathedral city.

A family-run seafood restaurant right on Worthing seafront, with a large sea-view terrace and a deliberately short, daily-changing menu built around the freshest local catch.

The menu changes daily in line with what's been caught that morning, but you can expect things like crispy squid, crab sarnies and a whole Sussex lobster. 

A romantic, classically French dining room within South Lodge hotel, where chef Josh Mann grows much of the restaurant's produce in the hotel's walled garden.

Rich, technical plates such as beef cheek with bone marrow jus and a 300-bin wine list make this a serious special-occasion choice.

A historic riverside pub-restaurant on the River Arun, with 150 metres of terrace looking straight across to Arundel Castle.

A large car park, playground and generous outdoor seating make it a popular, easygoing stop for lunch, dinner or a riverside drink after walking the Arun towpath.