Just yonder from the forest is the village of Stockbridge. Its rudely pretty high street is awash with food gaffs, but the most cherished is Greyhound on the Test. Stockbridge wild mushrooms on toast with garlic and sage, Broughton buffalo carpaccio, and the watercress (no doubt from nearby watercress-mecca, Alresford) with Old Winchester cheese and almond salad, are just a few winners from Chris Heather’s modern British repertoire.

Just outside the forest is Winchester, the ancient capital of England. There you’ll find the Black Rat. Don’t be turned off by the rodent theme. Jon Marsden Jones spins the stove with the kind of vim and vigour one might hope from someone in charge of a Michelin-starred kitchen. He’s well loved for his decadent fix of duck-fat brioche with game terrine, liver, and red currant. And his range is evident in delicate wild salmon, which might be paired with seaweed and local greens, pureed and blanched, or a more fortifying spiced beef short rib, with burrata, harissa, tomatoes, and chimichurri.

This freehouse in Fritham, dating to the 1600s, has a diminutive menu — ploughman’s and pork pies are staples. Handsome wedges of cheeses from the excellent Lyburn Farm a few miles away, local ham, and punchy pickles are the formula here for a trusty lunch. Appropriately, it’s all delivered through a low-slung bar in the thatched cottage.

Established in 2011 by hotel hotshot Robin Hutson, The Pig in Brockenhurst, was an immediate hit for its menu, the ingredients for which were all sourced from within 25 miles of the restaurant. Today, the forest’s produce remains a focal point for chef James Golding, who plucks leaves from the garden and smokes local hog and trout whenever he can. The restaurant’s menu is split under headers like “piggy bits,” “forest bits,” “mostly picked this morning.” Hampshire wood pigeon, cauliflower cheese with Isle of wight blue, and zero mile mushroom risotto are all comforting stars of the show.

At The Terrace in Beaulieu, folks rave about chef Matthew Tomkinson’s signature: Sweet voluptuous Scottish scallops come with a creamy cauliflower puree and nudges of coriander and cumin. For those prone to menu-envy, best get the tasting menu, which includes stunning desserts like chilled New Forest strawberry consommé with lemon verbena sorbet and almond tuile.

A visit to Chewton Glen in New Milton elicits mixed responses. It’s posh, in a word. Nevertheless, its dowdy-luxe vibe attracts a crowd of all generations. There’s a new cookery school, The Kitchen, where Tom Kitchin and other famous names from around the British Isles make cameos. The Dining Room is run by Luke Matthews, a champion of seafood and a dab hand with local vegetables. It’s also worth checking out the spa and treehouses.

Yes, this is 10 miles beyond the forest on an unlikely suburban road. But, here, owner James Fowler turns out some noble food and cocktails worthy of the extra miles. A master of many, he cooks from a wood-fired oven, while making charcuterie, serving day-fresh seafood, and shaking some serious cocktails (this is a chef who won Diageo’s 2014 World Class U.K. Bartender of the year). The txuleton steak, charred mackerel fillet, and rock oysters are popular choices.

The fishmongers at Milford on Sea’s Verveine dates back 50 years. Cannily, they morphed the back area into a restaurant where, thanks to chef and patron David Wykes’ thoughtful menu, it’s heaving. Turbot char siu, scallop porridge and sea bass are three specials. Worth noting, there’s a cookbook out soon.