1. Petersham Nurseries
Richmond, Surrey

Every garden lover will be charmed by the setting of Skye Gyngell's café. First there is the backdrop of historic Petersham House, with its exquisite herbaceous borders, neighbouring church and water meadows full of cows. Then there is the rickety wooden shed which has become a tea house and restaurant. It isn't open very often (Wednesday to Sunday, 12.30 to 3pm), but it's worth planning ahead to go. You sit at vintage metal tables and everything is slightly wobbly, but each visit is a new experience, even if you only manage to drop by for a bowl of soup and sourdough bread. The food is more or less what you might cook at home. Guinea fowl with Umbrian lentils and parsley sauce, roast halibut with green sauce, that sort of thing. You do have to run through the rain to the toilets, but hey - nothing is perfect.

Richard E Grant: Why I love Petersham Nurseries

I've never been to a nursery that has food of this standard and that is integrated into the nursery itself. They are usually sad old canteens where divorced fathers take their kids on their weekends together. You know, a Little Chef with a Jungle Jim outside. I've never had a duff meal here and you can bring your dog as long as it's on a lead. Food is so important. I called Richard Curtis before I went to start shooting my film, Wah Wah, asking for his advice. He said make sure you have a fantastic caterer or fire them if they're no good. On a low-budget film it is crucial.

2. Porthminster Cafe
St Ives, Cornwall

This place is quite well known now, but still takes your breath away as you turn down past the lifeboat house and see an art-deco building right on the beach. There are stunning views across St Ives Bay to Godrevy; you'll be spoilt if you have a seat by the window, or better still, a table outside. They have a refreshing, slightly Australian-Asian influenced menu. You can certainly get a Cornish crab sandwich, but a typical lunch would be crab linguine, or crispy-fired chilli squid with Thai salad. Even the Cornish oysters come with wasabi mayo and chorizo, and then there are little treats like courgette flowers from the garden, stuffed with walnuts and brie.

3. Hive Beach Cafe
Burton Bradstock, Dorset

This is simple and very chic - like sitting in a laid-back restaurant on a Sydney beach, except that it's very English and sits on Chesil Bank, part of the fantastic stretch of coastline managed by the National Trust.

There are salmon fishcakes, fish and chips, tea and buns, all the usual things plus local ice cream in wonderful flavours like lemon meringue and wild strawberry sold to queues of children from a kiosk at the back. What I like most is the fantastic fresh fish and salad. In the summer months, it opens at night, too, but only from Thursday to Saturday.

4. River Cafe
Rainville Road, Hammersmith, London

This is one of my favourite places to eat outside in summer time; the food is always great and I love the view of the Thames. I find the cooking fresh, imaginative and delicious. You can usually predict the sort of things that will be on the menu - depending on the season. Maybe some pasta with artichokes, a little spatchcocked pigeon, some rich Italian dessert with lemons or chocolate. The cheeses are very well chosen. And I love the fact they grow some of the herbs for the restaurant on the terrace. I love spending a long afternoon here.

5. Sole Bay Fish Company
Southwold Harbour, Suffolk

The great thing about Southwold is that it is still a working harbour, and the little painted sheds have a real use, rather than being decoration for the tourists. You can catch the rowing boat 'ferry' across from Walberswick beach for lunch. This is very close to my country house so I often pop over with friends. There's no real restaurant as such, but the Sole Bay Fish Company has four sheds knocked into one: the shop sells fantastic wetfish and shellfish, and you can eat on the quayside two yards from the entrance. By next month they promise tables and chairs will be added and you need to bring your own bread and wine.

Petersham Nurseries, off Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey, 020 8605 3627

Porthminster Cafe, St Ives, Cornwall, 01736 795352

Hive Beach Cafe, Burton Bradstock, Dorset, 01308 897070

River Cafe, Rainville Road, London W6, 020 7386 4200

Sole Bay Fish Company, Blackshore Road, Southwold, 01502 724241