Things get cool on the coast with this chic restored 19th-century lodging house and restaurant.

Never visited the Jurassic Coast? Make time to do so. It’s a truly spectacular stretch of the English coastline. Its most notable resort, Lyme Regis, is where famous fossil hunter Mary Anning lived in the early 19th century. Even after 200 years of tourists, there’s still a seemingly endless supply of fossils left to discover for yourself.

Due east of Lyme Regis is West Bay, where the wave action has created mountainous heaps from the pebbles, framed by orange sandstone cliffs. And a couple of miles outside West Bay, Burton Bradstock is a picturebook Dorset village, with thatched cottages and two delightful country pubs. The coast road snakes through the village and out the other side, but take a sharp right up the single-track Cliff Road and the ocean vista opens up in front of you. Where the road stops and the beach starts, that’s where you’ll find The Seaside Boarding House.

Back in November, when I visited with my partner, Kirsty, storm Ciaran had just swept the south coast, and the hotel’s dramatic position at the cliff edge was emphasised by the churning ocean. Originally built in the late 19th century, the building has been through a number of iterations over the last century – from hotel to care home and back again – and it’s a testament to the care with which it’s been restored that fixtures and furnishings all have an authenticity that convinced me utterly that the house had been perfectly preserved since its initial construction.

FEELING SNUG

Owned by the creators behind Soho’s renowned Groucho Club, the ethos of great food and great service has been replicated. But the atmosphere is very different. In contrast to the dramatic conditions outside, The Seaside Boarding House offered a sense of serenity which is almost impossible to find in these frantic times.

Our room offered a level of comfort that made you want to immediately throw yourself onto the bed and unwind. But not for too long! Dinner beckoned and, as it’s the kind of place where it feels right to dress for it, we did. A process made all the more pleasurable by the size of our en-suite bathroom.

Tables at the restaurant were arranged to take maximum advantage of the view. On the menu, freshly caught seafood jostled for attention with a considered selection of meat and fowl-focused appetisers and main courses. To start, Kirsty opted for the quail with pine nut risotto and lardo. I went for the pork jowl, a meaty delight with crouton-like sourdough toast. And so to the mains. Kirsty chose the restaurant’s high class take on fish and chips, namely John Dory served on a layer of creamy tartare sauce and broccoli, with matchstick fries. It was my turn to pick the bones clean as I devoured a perfectly roasted partridge, served with choucroute and Morteau sausage.

Our enjoyment of the flawless food was made all the better by the knowledgeable, attentive – but not intrusive – staff. They were also excellent at persuading two very full and happy diners to treat themselves to dessert. How I accommodated my hearty slice of sticky ginger loaf is a mystery known only to me and my belt buckle. Defeated by her appetiser and main, Kirsty could only manage a single chocolate truffle.

Completely satisfied, we snuck back through the bar and into the snug for a digestif. Too popular to accommodate us pre-dinner, the snug boasts comfy sofas, a piano and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The sort of place residents could spend a serene day protected from the weather and the world outside.

The Seaside Boarding House is a grown-up treat with one of Britain’s most spectacular beach walks on the doorstep. Whether you find a fossil or not, it will be just what you need from a must-needed mini-break.