Britain’s best eats

Twice named Coastal Fish Restaurant of the Year at the Fishing News awards, The Old Boathouse occupies a former Royal National Lifeboat Institute building overlooking Amble Harbour. Here you’ll find local fish and shellfish caught via sustainable fishing practices in a rustic bistro setting. The menu features lobster, bread crumbed Hake and whole Seabass, as well as a sharing platter packed with the best seafood the region has to offer. There’s also vegan and vegetarian dishes available, too.

Opening hours: The Old Boathouse is open daily from 10am - 9pm (kitchen opens from 12pm).

The award-winning River Exe Café is a custom-built barge located in the Exe Estuary, delivering a unique dining experience out on the water itself. Only accessible by boat, including a Puffin Water Taxi from Exmouth Marina, you can look forward to incredible views, a tranquil atmosphere and a menu featuring the region’s finest produce. Dishes include roasted monkfish loin, scrumpy beer and smoked bacon mussels, and a selection of seafood sharing platters. There are also daily specials and a wide range of local beers and wines.

Opening hours: The River Exe Café is open seasonally from early April to the end of September, from Tuesday to Sunday (12pm - late), and on Bank Holiday Mondays (closed the Tuesday that follows).

Set on Hove’s seafront, Rockwater is a beachside dining destination from morning to evening, providing everything from coffee and snacks to brunch, cocktails, sourdough pizzas and fresh seafood. You can often secure a walk-in spot on the beach deck, while the terrace restaurant requires advanced booking.

Opening hours: Rockwater is open daily. Sunday to Thursday (7am – 12am), Friday and Saturday (7am – 1am).

This family-run eatery on Falmouth’s Gyllyngvase Beach offers an abundance of locally sourced food against a striking coastal backdrop. Diners at Gylly Beach Café can look across the bay to spy Pendennis Castle, a vast fortress built by Henry VIII, while also enjoying panoramic views of the Lizard Peninsula. Get stuck into freshly prepared Cornish meat and seafood, with fish bar favourites including Gyllyngvase beach lobster, St Ives Bay scallops and Mylor crab.

Opening hours: Open Monday to Thursday (9am – 5pm ), Friday and Saturday (9am – 9pm) and Sunday (9 – 8pm, Roast on the Coast is available from 5pm – 7pm) throughout the summer months.

A beach bar with plenty of seating for guests to sit down and admire the views, the Lobster Shack serves up an assortment of hot and cold seafood, as well as Kentish beers and wines. Located at East Quay in Whitstable Harbour, you’ll enjoy a menu full of exceptional seafood and daily specials to accompany the vistas of the Thames Estuary. In a region famed for its oysters, you can also try lobster and prawn mac ‘n’ cheese alongside wine from the Chapel Down estate and beers from Whitstable Brewery.

Opening hours: The Lobster Shack is open Monday – Thursday (12pm – 6pm), Friday and Saturday (11am to 8pm) and Sunday (11am – 6pm).

Spectacular views of Langland Bay go hand-in-hand with local Welsh produce at Langland’s Brasserie by the Sea, the glass-fronted restaurant, bar and terrace, a short distance from The Mumbles headland. Standouts from the menu include the restaurant’s own beef burger topped with a homemade burger relish and Brie cheese, while specials often include the catch of the day and various seafood platters.

Opening hours: Langland’s Brasserie by the Sea is open daily from 10am – late, with a 7pm closing time on Sundays.

Purpose-built and with a terrace overlooking Coppet Hall Beach in Saundersfoot, Coast offers unparalleled views and plenty of tasty Pembrokeshire produce. The majority of the meat and fish is sourced locally, while the restaurant has its own kitchen garden seven miles inland, which provides a range of seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs. Sparkling wines from Monmouthshire also feature on the menu. Booking in advance is highly recommended.

Opening hours: Coast is open for lunch  (12pm – 2pm) and dinner (6.30pm – 8.45pm, which is the last sitting), from Wednesday to Saturday.

Found within the scenic surroundings of North Berwick’s walled harbour, the Lobster Shack lets you sample seafood purchased fresh from the fishing boats. Everything is ethically caught and you can watch as an array of crab, lobster, seabass and mussels are cooked to your liking. The restaurant also focuses on using sustainable and biodegradable materials throughout, helping to conserve the beautiful environment in which it is found.

Opening hours: The Lobster Shack is open Wednesday and Thursday (12pm – 5pm), Friday and Saturday (12pm – 6pm) and Sunday (12pm – 5pm)

Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull, is renowned for its brightly coloured cottages, but it’s also home to the award-winning Café Fish. Named among the top five restaurants to eat in Scotland by Lonely Planet, it’s found in a former ferry terminal building on the waterfront and all of its meat and seafood is sourced from the surrounding region. Catch the sunset on its terrace and sample some of the freshly caught lobster and langoustines that are brought ashore via its own fishing boat, named The Highlander, each afternoon. 

Opening hours: Café Fish is open daily from mid-March until the end of October; 11am – 3pm and 5.30pm - 10pm (last orders).

The Isle of Skye’s seafood is delivered with a French twist at the 16-seater Loch Bay Restaurant, near the pier in Stein. As well as picturesque views of the Waternish peninsula, chef Michael Smith serves up a multiple-course ‘Skye Fruits de Mer’ set menu designed to showcase the best fish and shellfish caught in both the loch and the waters surrounding the island. Intensely flavoured local dishes, blended with a French twist, won the restaurant a Michelin Star in 2022.

Opening hours: Loch Bay Restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday – Saturday from March through to October; and Wednesday – Saturday in November and December.