Barrican Beach Cafe, Woolacombe, Devon
This little cafe perched atop the sandy Barrican Beach, serves Sri Lankan curries every evening from 5-7 pm. It’s surprisingly low maintenance; Simply turn up with a beach chair or blanket, pack some cold beers and settle in for a spectacular sunset. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., hearty baguettes, sandwiches, and cakes make for an excellent post-dip lunch. It’s cash only and dogs are welcome at the beach all year round (facebook.com/barricane-beach-woolacombe).
Leaning on the Rocks, Falmouth, Cornwall
Overlooking Swanpool Beach and the nature reserve, this is the place to come for Falmouth Bay lobster and crab, along with an excellent selection of local Cornish ales, lagers and ciders. There’s indoor and outdoor seating (reservations required), but if you’re not that organized, the adjacent Seahorse Food Truck drinks, prawns, oysters, and crab fries (brown and white crab, skinny chips topped with mayo and chives). provides. ate on the beach downstairs (hookedontherocksfalmouth.com).
Seafood Restaurant, St Andrews
Nestled behind the city’s famous Royal & Ancient Golf Club, this sleek, glass-edged restaurant serves fresh-caught seafood with panoramic views. On warm evenings, The Deck is the perfect spot for an indulgent (if pricey) evening of classic fish dishes, including lobster raviolo in poached Scottish langoustine, shellfish bisque and Shetland cod. At lunch, the set menu (£35/£40 for two/three courses) is a better-value option. The Italian-focused wine list includes some world-class Super Tuscan (theseafoodrestaurant.com).
The Little Tearoom at Mickey’s Boat Yard, Ebersocho
Perched at the top of the slipway above Makros Beach, Mickey’s Café looks out onto the tranquil bay of Eberschoch, with the soaring peaks of Snowdonia in the distance. Everything – from jams and chutneys, cheese and cold meats – is locally sourced, with a focus on promoting Welsh artisan producers. The small but inventive menu includes hearty breakfasts, Middle Eastern salads and crispy, cheese-filled toast, along with local ice cream to take with you for a walk on the beach (thelittletearooms.com).
Porthminster Beach Cafe, St Ives, Cornwall
Come for the delightful beachfront location, stopping by for the sumptuous crab tongue and creative cookery that has kept Porthminster at the forefront of dining in St. Ives for more than 25 years. This seaside food is upmarket at its best. It’s ideal for families: Kids can break free from the dining table and indulge in bucket and spade delights, while parents can relax over a glass or two of rosé. Many of the ingredients are sourced from the restaurant’s own garden and the nearby coastal path, and the menu changes regularly (porthminstercafe.co.uk).
Hut, Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight
Don’t be confused by the name; This lovely eatery, located directly over the water (you can almost hang your toes while eating) is the place for a long, wine-fueled lunch rather than a quick crab sandwich. The restaurant can arrange transfers from nearby Yarmouth (where the ferry docks) and sailors can moor in front of the restaurant, who will collect diners by tender. Fresh fish dominates the menu, with a scattering of bistro classics, and vegetarians and vegans are well prepared with separate menus of five starters and five mains (thehutcolwell.co.uk).
Watch House Cafe, Bridgeport, Dorsetta
fans of broad church One would recognize the West Bay’s East Beach, dominated by khaki-gold cliffs that rise sharply above broad swaths of sand, and is home to just one beachfront café, the Watch House. Come on Sundays for Sunlight Brunch or bag a table before 11.30am for a hearty full English or veggie breakfast and smoked salmon bagels. It’s open until 4 p.m. for pizza, fish and chips or succulent crab sandwiches, and has a kids’ menu and a focus on sustainability.watchhousecafe.co.uk).
Mickey’s Beach Bar, Exmouth, Devon
Mickey’s – named after owner and renowned chef Michael Keynes – opened its doors in the spring of last year, which is located on Exmouth Beach. The bar and outdoor terrace area have a clubby vibe, with cocktails that are too easy to sip down (go easy on the five-finger punch), while the upstairs restaurant mixes surf’n’turf, including steak, Burgers and seafood are all cooked. over coal. Like the kids, vegetarians and vegetables are also well served with their own three-course menu (mickeysbeach.co.uk).
Sands Restaurant, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk
A quiet location near Quayside in Buzzy Wells, Sands is the perfect choice for a family-friendly dinner after an afternoon crabbing on the beach, with quaint “beach-hut” booths and a kids’ menu as well as straight-up bistro dishes. There are scampi, steaks, burgers – and a platter of reasonably priced seafood. The Norfolk skies have some of the most spectacular sunsets in the country, so skip dessert for ice cream and take a stroll along the pier (sandsrestaurant.co.uk).
Riddle and the Finns in Brighton Beach, East Sussex
This second outpost of Brighton’s famed seafood restaurant is located in the Rotunda, directly above the city beach, with stunning views of the skeletal remains of the West Pier. Although primarily a champagne and oyster bar, it also has a crustacea menu and half a dozen fish-themed main dishes, including a rich fish soup and a tangy Sri Lankan curry. There are a handful of tables outside, but the glass-walled interior is surprisingly elegant and offers the same spectacular view (ridlelandfinns.co.uk).
Salt’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, Tenby
Located on Tenby’s spectacular South Beach, Salty’s welcomes dogs as people, with a dog-friendly section as well as a decked terrace. The menu combines classic fish dishes – along with the catch of the day – with steaks, burgers and salads, and there is a small children’s menu (including fish-finger sandwiches). If you don’t want to eat out, the bar does a fine line in cocktails and occasionally hosts live music evenings, while the adjacent Salty’s Shack does excellent takeaway breakfast bap and coffee – perfect for a morning walk. ideal fuel (saltysbeachbarandrestaurant.co.uk).
Tavola and Tatams, Portscatho, Cornwall
Seaside food doesn’t have to mean seafood. Tavola is a cheery Italian take on Portescatho’s picturesque waterfront, serving thin, crisp pizzas and hearty pasta dishes, including three vegetarian pizza options and a small kids’ menu. Open Wednesday through Sunday (5-9 pm) all meals are served as takeaway but can be eaten at communal tables in the buzzy dining room, as long as there is space. Other times, Tavola’s sister and neighbor, Tatum, serves coffee and cakes and pastries baked in-house – the perfect post-dip treat.tavolaportscatho.co.uk, tatams.co,
West Beach Cafe, Littlehampton, West Sussex
While crowds have long flocked to Littlehampton’s East Beach Cafe (designed by Thomas Heatherwick), fewer people know about West Beach Cafe, which sits on the other side of the River Arun. It’s a great place for bacon sandwiches and coffee, or delightfully crisp fish and chips, after a stroll on the dunes and along Climbing Beach – one of the last undeveloped stretches of the Sussex Coast. Open Wednesday through Sunday, with the occasional pizza pop-up on Friday nights (facebook.com/westbeachcafe1)
Riley’s Fish Shack, Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
One of the best-known seafood destinations in the Northeast, Riley’s combines a chic beachfront restaurant, located behind King Edward’s Bay, with a firepit and deckchairs up front (bookable in advance). Breakfast includes locally sourced Crestor Keepers, while lunch and dinner feature the best of the day’s boat catch, ranging from salty salt and pepper squid to pan-fried hake, halibut, and lobster. It’s pescatarian heaven, with a fine line in homemade drinks, including buttered rum and cider (rileysfishshack.com).
The Lobster Shack, North Berwick
Open only on weekends, this much-loved seafood shack features a covered, heated outdoor dining area, making it possible to eat fresh crab, fish tacos or rich, creamy chowder, even when the weather is unforgiving. The dish to try is the grilled North Berwick lobster, with garlic butter or chimichurri oil, and the small wine list includes some sparkling options if you are looking for a real treat. Everything is cooked to order, and food can be taken away and chewed on the beach if no tables are available (lobstershack.co.uk).
Seafood Shack, Ullapool, Scotland
The award-winning, much-loved — and with its own cookbook — Seafood Shack is the creation of two friends who, rather than being eaten by locals and visitors, share much of Ullapool’s rich seafood crop. Decided to go out of town. The daily changing menu can include smoked trout, langoustines with garlic and thyme, or hand-dive scallops, all served in disposable cartons and eaten at picnic tables by the waterfront. The shack operates on a first come, first served basis (no bookings) and has vegetarian options (seafoodshack.co.uk).
The Boathouse, Insto, Devon
Book a table at sunset for views of the endless, rose-tinted ocean at this bustling brasserie nestled on the sands of Insto Beach. A great option for families after a day of sandcastle and swimming, the kids have their own menu and dogs are welcome. The restaurant focuses on locally caught seafood; The Lobster Thermidor is sinfully good, but there are milder options as well as some vegetarian options (theboathouseinstow.co.uk).
Southsea Beach Cafe, Hampshire
With a deck on the beach and a view overlooking Southsea’s elegant pier, this buzzy beach cafe is a great place for families, with kids able to play on the beach while parents can sit back and watch scallops and meats. Chorizo baps can enjoy chimichurri. Prawns or Classic Fish and Chips. For starters, the breakfast burrito is a great way to fuel up after a morning dip, while the kids can have their own Mini Benedict or Mini English—though they’ll probably end up with Dig-a-Saurus ice cream complete with chocolate dinosaurs. want pieces (southseabeachcafe.co.uk).
Seafood & Grill, Brudenell Hotel, Aldeburgh, Suffolkie
Book ahead for a table on the terrace at this sleek eatery, which looks directly across to Aldeburgh’s serene beach. Part of the Brudenell Hotel, the glass-fronted dining room offers equally gorgeous views and food: crispy crab arancini and salted whitebait for lunch, crayfish and clam linguine or roasted stone bass white bean for dinner. Think with Cassoulet. There are non-vegetarian options as well, vegetarians and vegetables are well served and it’s worth taking a long walk in the sand before eating, to enable guilt-free scoffing of sticky toffee pudding (brudenellhotel.co.uk).
Cafe More, Angle, Pembrokeshire
A Pembrokeshire institution, Café More is a unique, solar-powered seaweed boat kitchen serving fish butts and lobster rolls with breakfast bap smothered in seaweed butter. This year, it’s in a new location next to the Old Point House in Angle, taken over by Peacock’s owners and set to reopen as a beachfront restaurant and bar later in the summer . For now, Peacock is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, but this month’s hours are scheduled to be extended, so call or check social media before proceeding.Beachfood.co.uk).