A stroll from the town centre, Rick and Jill Stein’s restaurant-with-rooms – ‘a foodie destination’ – opened as a modest bistro in 1975. ‘The changes since have been dramatic,’ writes a Guide inspector who knew it in the early days of red-checked tablecloths. It is today the flagship of the Stein empire, where chef Stephane Delourme continues the tradition of creating classic dishes with fresh fish and seafood often landed within sight. In the ‘spectacular’ restaurant, diners watch as chefs assemble platters of fruits de mer at a central zinc bar; the menu is ‘extensive and exemplary’, ranging from cod and chips to Goan hake curry to a ‘light, delicious’ lobster thermidor. Above the restaurant, modern bedrooms of varying sizes are supplied with proper coffee and teas, biscuits, novels and cookbooks. For sea views, book one of the rooms overlooking the estuary – the best has a private roof terrace. ‘Our room looked over neighbouring rooftops, with a nesting seagull, right up to the sandy shore of Rock across the water.’ Seafood dishes at breakfast include ‘fat and juicy kippers’; a ‘copious’ crab omelette.