The Canteen

If you're in Southwold, this bright, welcoming spot is one to know. Set back from the High Street and its myriad tea rooms, the Canteen opened in 2022 after the town’s Old Hospital building was renovated and reimagined as a place for the local – and visiting – community. Breakfast and brunch are served until 2pm, while a counter piled high with cakes and bakes tempts the morning and afternoon crowd – although it's also worth booking for lunch if you fancy a real taste of ‘let the ingredients shine’ cooking. Bread from local baker Filo & Twine and plates of pickled vegetables with houmous and crudités open a short menu that includes a generous daily changing savoury tart – perhaps mushroom, Binham Blue cheese and tarragon. A substantial salad, lightly dressed, bursts with the freshness, colour and crunch of raw cauliflower, pickled golden beetroot, nectarine, chervil (picked from the beds that surround the outdoor seating) and a scattering of nasturtium and calendula petals (ditto), while really hungry lunchtime visitors could be satisfied by a plate of venison, pheasant and rabbit casserole or chestnut mushroom and chickpea masala. To finish, try a squidgy macaroon with buttermilk ice cream, pumpkin pie or a lavender honey cheesecake pot. To drink? This is Adnams-land, so maybe choose their Dry Hopped Lager (brewed just round the corner), a refreshing homemade blackcurrant cordial with sparkling water or a cup of house-made oat chai.