Itchy feet? From hanging out with the art set in Cornwall to Scotland’s new party island, we’ve scoured the country for the hottest postcodes for 2025.
For Brummie brats
B9, Digbeth, Birmingham
Digbeth, the former beating industrial heart of the City of a Thousand Trades, has become ground zero for 365 party girls (and boys). The illegal squat raves have now been superseded by hip cocktail spots such as Passing Fancies (adult Ribena, anyone?) and Dead Wax Digbeth for beer and vinyl (it has a collection of more than 4,000 records, or you can take your own along to play). The vibe in this graffitied neighbourhood is converted warehouses with a clubbing culture on its doorstep — Club Colette, housed in an abandoned fried chicken shop that’s tucked under Victorian railway arches, is a recent addition — alongside a host of cutting-edge galleries, such as the artist-run Eastside Projects. There’s even a touch of glamour: the local production facilities Digbeth Loc Studios is where some of the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, the Birmingham interwar drama starring Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan, was filmed. The area remains true to its industrial roots — the former HQ of Bird’s (of egg-free custard powder fame) has been converted into the Custard Factory, and is now home to a collection of creative spots including the Mockingbird Cinema for indie flicks and 670 Grams, a small yet snappy restaurant from Kray Treadwell, who nabbed 2021’s Michelin Young Chef award.
In the know Digbeth bees? You bet: head to the Bakehouse, a specialty coffee shop with freshly baked bread and sweet treats made using local honey — from Bee9’s hives on the Custard Factory’s roof. VB
For big-sky thinkers
BT56, Portrush, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Perched on a peninsula along the Causeway Coastal Route, the pretty seaside town of Portrush has three glorious blue-flag-rated beaches. There’s lots on the go for sporty sorts: at West Strand you can surf, kayak or take a stand-up paddleboarding tour with Alive Adventures (a few miles along the coast there’s a seaside sauna at Portstewart Strand, a filming location for Game of Thrones). Even better: the Harbour Bar serves Guinness and salt-aged rotisserie chicken (there’s live music, a gin bar and guaranteed good craic too), while the menu at Shanty includes baked Cooleeney cheese and seafood chowder alongside great sourdough from the Ursa Minor bakery just up the road in BT54. That’s named after the Little Bear constellation, of course — and, indeed, a ten-minute drive away from Portrush is Magheracross Viewpoint, one of the best places for stargazers and northern lights hunters in the UK. For a different kind of star-spotting, Harry Styles has been known to tee off at the Royal Portrush Golf Club.
In the know Over on the South Pier, Babushka is the place to sip on iced oat lattes while tucking into the Babs brekkie: fadge (potato cake), soda bread, fried egg, butcher sausage and more. VB
For yummy mummies
CH2, Hoole, Cheshire
It’s Chester’s oldest ’burb, but “Notting Hoole”, as the locals’ tongue-in-cheek nickname goes, is the spot for indie spirit and cool café culture within a half-hour saunter of Chezza’s city centre. Beyond bagging a res at the neighbourhood favourite Sticky Walnut, the chef Gary Usher’s flagship bistro (the rotation of hearty dishes includes chicken schnitzel and ox heart kebabs), foodies can head to Okells for breads, spreads and silky flat whites, or there are brill brunches on offer at Little Yellow Pig, a thoroughly cute café. The Faulkner is Hoole’s go-to gastropub, while the veg boxes from the wholefood store Hoole Food Market are a must. And the crowd? The east London creative Oliver Hooson is a now a regular — he’s currently renovating one of the smart Victorian red-bricks in his hometown — as well as cool young parents who have fled London for more space and Parent Power-approved state schools. If that’s your scene, there’s pregnancy yoga at Hoole Community Centre and baby-friendly classes at Barre Esthetique. Slings at the ready …
In the know Find the doughnuts of dreams at Usher’s Bakehouse. Hoolites really rate the torched lemon meringue ones. VB
For the new Cotswolds
RH20, Fittleworth, West Sussex
The posh-welly brigade’s new favourite country hangout? It’s not Bruton or Burford; instead it’s in the heart of West Sussex. Fittleworth is a two-hour drive from London and has everything you need to indulge in country comforts — without the crowds of Chipping Norton. Once there, head for the Swan Inn, a 15th- century pub with rooms that recently reopened following a revamp and has already become a desirable haunt for the arts crowd, including the interiors guru Martin Brudnizki and Mumford & Sons’ bassist Ted Dwane (both are locals). Don’t just indulge in the endive gratin, a must-order: stay in one of the rooms, which are named after the British figures who have stayed there in years past, from Emmeline Pankhurst to JMW Turner. Other tips include browsing interiors buys at the chic furniture shop Sofas & Stuff, where you might bump into the actress-poet Greta Bellamacina, who designed her own sofa with the company, or catch a glimpse of the florist Milli Proust’s ancient woodland flower farm. Bucolic — but make it bouji.
In the know Nutbourne Vineyards is a boutique winery where you can sip on award-winning still and sparkling booze and nibble on its cheese picnic platters while looking out over wildflower meadows. HE
For cool dads
LS28, Farsley, Leeds
Micro-breweries, sourdough bakehouses and great live music venues — Farsley has all the cultural catnip that hipster dads can’t get enough of. Once a sleepy suburb, this neighbourhood has become the focus for Birkenstock Boston-clad, Radio 6 Music-listening dads — oh, and it’s also considered the happiest place in Leeds. Locals love Amity Brew Co: the terrace is the place to hang out on a sunny day with a pint of Waterpistol Juicy Pale Ale. The Mill Kitchen and Bakery receives rave reviews for its brunches (get the courgette ribbons with tahini and garlic yoghurt on sourdough if you can), but the beating heart of Farsley is Old Woollen, which hosts everything from comedy nights, book readings and beer tastings to music gigs and old-school bingo.
In the know There’s a reason everyone in Farsley knows the restaurant Deeva, and it’s not because it’s in a converted church. The area’s go-to Indian is the place for piles of poppadoms and perfectly spiced dishes. HE
For serious foodies
GL14, Newnham, Gloucestershire
This small town on the banks of the River Severn is emerging as one to watch for foodies in the know. Obviously there’s lots and lots to eat. Think pastries and cake at the George Community Hub or a long, laid-back lunch at Post, a bottle shop and restaurant from Fred Page, a Marle at Heckfield Place alumnus who cooks up a seasonal menu using ingredients such as pork from the nearby Plump Hill Farm. You’re in the West Country, so cider is a must: taste your way through low-intervention, Great Taste award-winning bottles made at Severn Cider, or spend a few hours sampling the taps at Bespoke Brewery in Littledean. Walk it off among the vegetable plots and orchards at Westbury Court Garden, a 17th-century Dutch-style water garden — also the perfect place for a picnic of charcuterie and sweet treats from Shop at the Ship, Newnham’s favourite deli.
In the know It’s not just the elegant rooms filled with carefully curated antiques and local artists’ work that makes Severnside Press B&B the place to stay but the cooking too. Keep an eye out for its regular supper clubs. HE
For arty types
TR18, Newlyn, Cornwall
Since the 1880s Newlyn has been known for its art scene, thanks to the quality of the Cornish light and Aegeanesque beaches. No longer overlooked in favour of St Ives, this creative corner of the county still fosters a big artist contingent, with the beautifully extended Newlyn Art Gallery hosting a varied roster of contemporary art shows (and at its sleek sister site, the Exchange in nearby Penzance). For the right kind of screen time visit the Filmhouse, an independent cinema in a converted granite fish cellar that has a bar, restaurant — and no-rustle policy once the film starts. Newlyn is Cornwall’s largest fishing port and, fittingly, the seafood is stellar: join the queue for crab nachos at Mackerel Sky and book in at Argoe for oregano-strewn megrim sole. Or do like Dua Lipa (who visited last summer) and head to Lovetts, café by day, wine bar by night. To arrive in style, from July Belmond’s sexy new sleeper train, the Britannic Explorer, will be making its way past Mount’s Bay into Penzance station from London.
In the know Interiors fans stay at Pembroke Lodge, a gorgeous Georgian pad by the sea. VB
For laid-back coasties
SA42, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales
This is the other Newport. Trefdraeth, to give this sleepy coastal town its Welsh name, offers a slice of ravishingly beautiful relaxedness in the shadow of Carningli Mountain. It’s giving off Cornwall sans the crowds, with pretty streets lined with pastel-hued Georgian townhouses and stone cottages from which to soak up the blush-pink sunsets over Newport Sands. Head to PWNC Cafe for friendly vibes and healthy fare geared towards active types (the owner James Scale is an avid cyclist), with bookworms well catered for by Brown’s Books upstairs. For arty inspiration there’s Newport Collective Gallery, run by local artists and makers, while Ffynnon suits any interiors junkies (think pressed seaweed prints, hand-thrown ceramics by Alanda Wilson and Welsh blankets à gogo). There’s plenty more going on too. For foodies there’s fab fish at Tides, a kitchen-cum-wine bar, while Llys Meddyg is a smart hotel and restaurant (with an on-site smokery and “secret garden”) serving a ruddy-cheeked, Hoka-shod clientele, refuelling post touring the nearby hills by ebike. Hot tip? Nab a seat beside the fire at the Golden Lion, an old coach house that’s been going since the 17th century, for locally sourced pub grub and pints from Bluestone Brewing, a microbrewery harnessing the crystal-clear springwater filtered through the Preseli Mountains.
In the know Go porpoise watching at Ceibwr Bay, a wild and windswept rocky inlet six miles up the coast. VB
For under-the-radar Londoners
SE20, Penge, southeast London
Whisper it: Penge is becoming the most desirable postcode south of the river. This patch between Crystal Palace and Beckenham is the city’s best kept secret, and it has it all, from Alexandra Nurseries for your chichi gardening needs (plus to-die-for emmental and sauerkraut toasties), to Penge Cycle Club, whose rides often end at SE20 Cycles, where you can get all things bike and your recovery cake and flat white (locals know that Winston serves the best coffee and veggie sausage rolls around). Plus, the ever-popular Chatsworth Bakehouse is just around the corner in Anerley, although the queues are just as famous. Looking to make your own cuppa? Carnival Coffee Roasters holds courses on how to create the perfect espresso at home. There’s art too: Penge Rooftop Gallery has revamped the top floors of a car park on Penge High Street. Expect a roster of wall art from local and international street artists.
In the know Brockley Brewery has long been providing south London’s go-to pint, but it’s time to try the craft beer made by Southey Brewing Co, available in London pubs, online and at its local taproom. HE
For real northern hipsters
HU1, Hull, East Yorkshire
Forget its grim rep post Second World War bombing, Hull has now entered its glow-up era. The former fruit and veg markets and warehouses lining the city’s old marina are chock-a-block with independents, while its hipsterish dining scene is thronging with exciting openings: Still is a cool café that turns into a candlelit small-plates restaurant on Saturdays, with stunning blooms by its in-house florist, Vita, and there’s the Social Distortion for southeast Asian-accented dishes, natural wines and punk rock. While you’re in the area, take time to divert to the New Adelphi, an independent grassroots venue on the way out of town (Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker is a patron) where Oasis, Radiohead and Fatboy Slim cut their teeth on stage. For more cultural cachet, there’s a vibrant street-art scene and creative spaces (special shout-out to Humber Street Gallery), plus literary links to the likes of Philip Larkin and Stevie Smith. Insta-famous Folie Chambre’s Natalie Tillison has just opened a design studio in the Victorian Hepworth’s Arcade, stocking chic European mid-century wares, Pugliese ceramics and her own line of Yorkshire-made bobbin mirrors and homewares. Her neighbours there include Beasley’s and its fab vintage clothing finds, and the time warp that is Dinsdales, one of the oldest joke and magic shops in the UK.
In the know Run by a trio of friends, Hearth, a bakery and first-floor dining room, is a cracking place to eat. VB
For party islanders
PA42, Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
Come for a dram, stay for the dramatic scenery at Port Ellen, a picture-perfect town on the southern coastline of Islay. The 25-mile-long Hebridean island, off the west coast of Scotland, is draped in whitewashed whisky distilleries. Hot happenings include the recent resurrection of Port Ellen distillery, a cult whisky-maker closed for more than four decades, now decked out in ultra-modern Scot-Scandi design with unobstructed views across the bay to Carraig Fhada lighthouse. And, come autumn, the old Islay Hotel, a few miles from the LVMH-owned Ardbeg distillery on the isle, will reopen, having been transformed by Russell Sage Studio and rechristened Ardbeg House. In summertime spy leaping dolphins from the kelp-covered Kilnaughton Bay, overlooked by a ruined chapel, or take in that famous peaty air while fat-biking along Islay’s windswept beaches. Once you’ve built up an appetite from hiking along the Three Distilleries Pathway, nab a fish and chip supper from SeaSalt, a bistro and takeaway, or there’s the Machrie, a Michelin Guide-approved hotel and restaurant adorned with artworks by Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry, for Loch Gruinart oysters and Ardtalla venison. It also has a spa should you fancy a seaweed-infused facial.
In the know The Blue Letterbox is a cheery gift shop and post office stocking works by more than 40 Hebridean crafters, as well as delicious Isle of Arran Ice Cream. VB
