Cool Place of the Day: The Ginger Fox, West Sussex

Round Brighton way you can’t really go wrong with any restaurant that’s got a “Ginger” in its name, and the Ginger Fox, just across the Devil’s Dyke, is the country outpost of a mini food empire that also encompasses the reliably excellent Ginger Dog and Ginger Pig gastro pubs and the Ginger Man restaurant in Brighton. Like its sister establishments, the emphasis food-wise at the Fox is on the local and seasonal, so you’ll find Harveys beer and Ridgeview wine behind the bar, and local meat and fish on the menu – in mains such as rib-eye with duck fat chips, or fillet of skate with samphire. They do a great Sunday lunch, usually featuring a couple of roasts and a vegetarian option, and prices are pretty good considering the quality of the food and service – which is always attentive yet relaxed. The pub itself is a lovely old whitewashed building with picture-perfect thatch (topped by a thatched fox), and outside there’s a lovely large beer garden with a play area – just one of the things that will keep children happy, along with a special kids’ menu and the pub’s home-made ice-cream. They also make a point of catering to hungry cyclists, with secure racks for their steeds and free top-ups for their water bottles. On weekends it’s predictably busy – book in advance.

Cool Places is a new website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)