Craigs by the Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
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Christopher and Ruth Laing are the couple behind this clever little bakery and licensed café selling exquisite cakes, sourdough loaves and a menu of modern and creative dishes. Craigs is not strictly by the sea, that’s a 10-minute walk away, but after a bracing stroll along the beach, there’s no better breakfast than the one served in their trademark, black cast-iron skillet filled with bacon, sausage, black pudding, roast tomato and poached egg. But what entices is the instinct for turning simple ingredients into beautiful dishes, such as the slice of brioche fried in tomato butter with harissa-baked tomatoes and whipped goat’s cheese beside a delicate salad of sweet cicely, mint and dill. Hanging from the wall, a roll of brown paper announces the daily specials. It may be mutton tagine with apricots, dill and pomegranate or squash houmous and cabbage glazed with miso and brown butter. For something sweet, the sticky banana bread and salted caramel sauce with poached pear is rarely off the menu, finished with a scattering of sweet dukkah and vanilla ice cream. Though Craigs is mainly a daytime café, with no reservations and limited opening times, it's worth keeping an eye out for occasional 'supper club' evenings, which are bookable.
