Where to eat

28 of the best coastal cafes and restaurants by the beach
Published 17 July 2024

Summertime eating by the sea is surely one of the life’s greatest pleasures. These cafes, bistros and seasonal shacks - all within a salty kiss of the coast - are coming up trumps for good, unfussy food and atmosphere. Order fish and shellfish as fresh as the sea breeze, and while booking might be advisable at some (especially at peak times), we list places that welcome spur-of-the-moment walk-ins too. Relax, the holidays have begun!

Britannia at the Beach

Kingsbridge, Devon

There are few better places to enjoy fresh fish in the South Hams than at this blue beach hut on the shingle seafront at Beesands. The Hutchings family have been running their fishing enterprise here for more than 40 years, and ar… Read more

Beesands, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 2EH

Café Fish

Isle of Mull, Strathclyde ££

No-frills seafood eatery overlooking the Sound of Mull

When visiting Mull, those in the know wouldn't miss this low-key, no-frills dining room perched atop the old CalMac ferry office on the North Pier. There are superb views out to sea but, first, check out the compendious blackboard… Read more

The Pier, Main Street, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Strathclyde PA75 6NU

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Café Ode

Shaldon, Devon £

Eco-friendly eatery serving contemporary café food

Tim Bouget continues to expand the definition of what a modern-day eatery might be at his eco-friendly venue at Ness Cove, overlooking Lyme Bay near Teignmouth. If it takes some finding, persistence is rewarded by a menu of all-da… Read more

Ness Drive, Shaldon, Devon TQ14 0HP

Crab House Café

Wyke Regis, Dorset ££

The prospect of chilling beachside under cover, with the bracing expanses of Chesil Beach stretching out in the distance, is an irresistible draw for visitors to this cheery wooden shack – especially when there are plates of ozo… Read more

Ferryman's Way, Portland Road, Wyke Regis, Dorset DT4 9YU

Crab Shed

Salcombe, Devon

One of those perfect, no-frills seafood spots you dream of finding in every fishing village but rarely do. Despite the name, this is a proper restaurant rather than a shed, while its haul of crabs is landed and boiled a stone's th… Read more

Gould Road, Salcombe, Devon TQ8 8DU

Dory's of Margate

Margate, Kent ££

Margate is inundated with blow-ins from the London restaurant scene and beyond at the moment, but it was local talent that established the town as a serious food destination. And there are few better examples than Dory’s, th… Read more

24 High Street, Margate, Kent CT9 1DS

Dungeness Snack Shack

Dungeness, Kent

The broad expanse of shingle stretches as far as the eye can see, dotted with quirky huts and the late Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage, with Dungeness power station looming in the distance. Here you'll discover a fishmo… Read more

Dungeness Road, Dungeness, Kent TN29 9NB

Dylan's Menai Bridge

Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Gwynedd £

There’s a lot to like about Dylan’s, not least the location right on the edge of the Menai Strait – the best tables give matchless waterside views. It is one of a trio of family-friendly restaurants in North… Read more

St George's Road, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Gwynedd LL59 5EY

Fresh from the Sea

Port Isaac, Cornwall

Calum and Tracey Greenhalgh's tiny, no-fuss daytime café (just round the corner from the acclaimed Outlaw’s New Road) is all about fish and shellfish. The catch from the Evan George, Calum's boat, takes centre stage a… Read more

18 New Road, Port Isaac, Cornwall PL29 3SB

Hive Beach Café

Burton Bradstock, Dorset £

It would be hard to imagine a more stirring location: perched right where the tides rake the pebbles of the Jurassic Coast, commanding a panoramic prospect across the cliffs and headlands of Devon and Dorset. At first gl… Read more

Beach Road, Burton Bradstock, Dorset DT6 4RF

Latimer's Seafood

Whitburn, Tyne & Wear

On the coast just above Sunderland, Whitburn village has a treat for cooks in the form of Latimer's fresh fish counter and seafood deli. The attached café has morphed into the Hatch Takeaway, although there's plenty of seat… Read more

Shell Hill, Bents Road, Whitburn, Tyne & Wear SR6 7NT

Little Rock

Folkestone, Kent

Adjacent to the Harbour Arm, the pebble-strewn beach criss-crossed with boardwalks brings a bit of sophistication to rapidly regenerating Folkestone, and one of its prime attractions is Little Rock – a poshed-up shipping con… Read more

Beachside, The Harbour Arm, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1QH

Lochleven Seafood Café

Fort William, Highlands & Islands ££

On the northern shores of Loch Leven, this big, brightly lit space with wipe-clean tables and café chairs is the go-to spot for shellfish in the region. It’s also a showcase for the family-owned Lochleven Shellfish Co… Read more

Onich, Fort William, Highlands & Islands PH33 6SA

Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar

Newlyn, Cornwall £

Plumb in the middle of Newlyn, Mackerel Sky comprises two venues, a couple of doors apart. The Shack has a weekly-changing menu during the busy holiday season, but the principal action goes on at the Seafood Bar. There are no rese… Read more

The Bridge, New Road, Newlyn, Cornwall TR18 5PZ

No 1 Cromer

Cromer, Norfolk ££

Galton Blackiston (of Morston Hall fame) picked a peach of a location when he took over a traditional chippie in 2013 and turned it into a high-class fish and chips restaurant. Big picture windows on both floors give superb views … Read more

1 New Street, Cromer, Norfolk NR27 9HP

Porthminster Café

St Ives, Cornwall

The serene white building on a broad sandy beach with fabulous panoramic views is most directly reached by a stepped footpath that descends from the main road. It is wholly unlit at night. Set your phone to torch, and take care. F… Read more

Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 2EB

Rick Stein's Café

Padstow, Cornwall ££

If you’re looking for a casual, cut-price take on the 'Padstein' experience, this all-purpose eatery in the frenetic hinterland of downtown Padstow should fit the bill. Drop by for breakfast or a cup of coffee, feed the kids… Read more

10 Middle Street, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8AP

Riley's Fish Shack

Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear ££

During the summer season, you can now hire a deckchair from Riley’s and eat their food on the beach (they will also sell you a blanket to use and take home if the weather’s breezy). The location – a glass-fronted… Read more

King Edward's Bay, Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear NE30 4BY

Riley's Fish Shop

Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear ££

Seafood crusader Adam Riley is a man on a mission. Having scored a resounding hit with his funky Fish Shack on the beach at St Edward’s Bay, his avowed aim is spread the word and (gently) educate people about the glories of … Read more

3-5 Percy Park Road, Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear NE30 4LZ

Rock A Nore Kitchen

Hastings, East Sussex ££

You can’t get much closer to the sea than this tiny, unassuming dining room housed in one of the tall, black, centuries-old fishermen’s sheds on the front in Hastings Old Town. It’s incredibly atmospheric. The &l… Read more

23a Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3DW

Rocky Bottoms

West Runton, Norfolk ££

The sea views might be distant, but Rocky Bottoms has made quite a splash on this stretch of the coast since opening in 2015. It is owned by a local fishing family, so the crabs and lobsters are of unimpeachable freshness, yet alm… Read more

Cromer Road, West Runton, Norfolk NR27 9QA

Seaview Restaurant

Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire ££

Gaze over the monumental Victorian pier to the North Sea and the distant wind farms towards industrial Redcar with a glass of chilled Albariño – 'it really is an astounding vista,’ mused one reader. Local lad an… Read more

The Foreshore Building, Lower Promenade, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire TS12 1HQ

Shell Bay

Studland, Dorset ££

Just across the water from big-money Sandbanks, this is quite a location – with unbeatable panoramic views of Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island to boot. By contrast, Shell Bay itself looks a bit like a seafood shack that has… Read more

Ferry Road, Studland, Dorset BH19 3BA

Sole Bay Fish Company

Southwold, Suffolk £

‘Get there early, before midday’ advises the fishmonger behind the slab at the Sole Bay Fish Company. Heed his words if you’ve neglected to book a restaurant berth at this much-loved Blackshore spot – espec… Read more

Shed 22e, Blackshore, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6ND

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The Dory Bistro

Pittenweem, Fife ££

It's a ‘wonderful thing’ to eat in a restaurant that cooks fish landed 40 metres from the kitchen, enthused one visitor – highlighting the fact that this bright and airy harbourfront bistro (with an art gallery a… Read more

15 East Shore, Pittenweem, Fife KY10 2NH

The Dunvegan

Isle of Skye, Highlands & Islands £££

Argentinian restaurant serving fire-cooked dishes on a Hebridean island

An Argentinian fire restaurant overlooking the steely waters of Loch Dunvegan is intriguing and unexpected, but sadly not a well-kept secret if you’re after lunch on a rainy Saturday. Though booking is essential for dinner, … Read more

Old Dunvegan Hotel, Isle of Skye, Highlands & Islands IV55 8WA

The Magpie Café

Whitby, North Yorkshire £

A Whitby landmark since the 1940s, this doughty purveyor of great-value fish and chips by the sea stands tall – a striking black-and-white building overlooking the quay and the boats which supply the freshest of fish. It's t… Read more

14 Pier Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 3PU

The Seafood Shack

Ullapool, Highlands & Islands

Open daily from the beginning of April to the end of October, this totally unpretentious catering trailer is a godsend for holidaymakers and locals alike. Be prepared for queues, and for outside picnic seating if you want to eat o… Read more

West Argyle Street, Ullapool, Highlands & Islands IV26 2TY

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