The Custom House

Why we love it

If the old saying 'you start the meal with your eyes' is true, it was probably coined after a visit to The Custom House. Theirs is a brilliantly simple trick: show you exactly what you are about to eat. On serried ranks of crushed ice you see racks of salt-marsh lamb, ruby-red sirloin steaks, huge crevettes, hulking lobsters and glisteningly fresh fish. The cooking here is unfussy, designed to showcase great local produce rather than unduly muck about with it. Service is impeccable – regulars are greeted with a rare warmth. There's an enviable cellar, too.