Britain's best beach cafes and restaurants
Cornwall
1. Fifteen Cornwall, Watergate Bay
Jamie Oliver’s coastal venture sits right on the beach amid whirling seagulls and crashing waves. Dishes on the menu include Cornish mackerel with fregola di Sarda and John Dory with artichoke caponata, chilli and mint.
Contact: 01637 861000; fifteencornwall.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Watergate Bay is two miles of golden sand backed by cliffs and caves, where the Atlantic swells produce reliable surf and peregrine falcons, gulls and fulmars wheel overhead. Read more on Britain's best beaches.
Where to stay nearby: The Watergate Bay Hotel has great children's facilities as well as a self-catering option.
2. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac
You need to book weeks, sometimes months, ahead for a table here and the seafood tasting menu (£130), is accompanied by a wine flight (£75). Outlaw's Fish Kitchen, also in Port Isaac, serves small, and much more affordable, plates such as squid, fennel, salami and orange.
Contact: 01208 880 896; nathan-outlaw.com
The best beach nearby: Gill Charlton, Telegraph Travel's Cornwall expert, recommends Daymer Bay, "a strand of firm sand, perfect for beach games and sandcastle-building as well as rockpooling."
Where to stay nearby: the St Enodoc hotel has exceptionally friendly staff, and well as a position a short walk from beaches and a golf course.
3. Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
For an alternative culinary masterclass head for Stein’s best-known restaurant. There is a seafood bar in the middle of the room, where a certain number of covers are available without bookings on a first come first served basis. You can also learn to cook at the Rick Stein Cookery School.
Contact: 01841 532700; rickstein.com
The best beach nearby: Daymer Bay
Where to stay nearby: It's not just the food you can enjoy with the Steins' in Padstow; you can also stay in their empire. Rooms are available above the restaurant and Rick Stein’s Café, while more expensive accommodation is available in St Edmund’s House.
4. Porthminster Beach Café, St Ives
Pure white sand, a pale turquoise sea and the extraordinarily intense light of St Ives draw comparison with the Caribbean – albeit a few degrees cooler. Add a sunny roof terrace, a faded Art Deco charm and a menu fizzing with Mediterranean and Asian flavours, and you can see why this café under the cliffs has consistently won plaudits. Dishes include crispy fried squid with miso dressing and Porthminster monkfish curry.
Contact: 01736 795352; porthminstercafe.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Gill Charlton, Telegraph Travel's Cornwall expert, says that Porthminster Beach at St Ives is a "family favourite, cleaned and raked daily, with a magnificent view over St Ives Bay to Godrevy lighthouse."
Where to stay nearby: The Blue Hayes hotel in St Ives offers superb service, beautiful harbour views, and rooms painted in warm cream hues.
5. Blas Burgerworks, St Ives
This burger bar brings quality, sustainability and ethics to the world of fast food — albeit in a backstreet, not on the beach itself — with its naturally reared Cornish beef (in a range of burgers), free-range chicken and chargrilled fresh catch of the day.
Contact: 01736 797272; blasburgerworks.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Porthminster
Where to stay nearby: Blue Hayes hotel
6. Porthgwidden Beach Café, St Ives
Less well known than its neighbour, the Porthminster Café, Porthgwidden serves great food on a pretty beach. It is open year round for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Lunch options include seafood paella and Cornish crab linguine.
Contact: 01736 796791; porthgwiddencafe.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Porthminster Beach at St Ives is a "family favourite, cleaned and raked daily, with a magnificent view over St Ives Bay to Godrevy lighthouse", says Gill Charlton.
Where to stay nearby: Blue Hayes hotel
7. The Hidden Hut, Porthcurnick Beach
This café is essentially a wooden hut next to the beach at Porthcurnick, on the glorious Roseland Peninsula, and welcomes families, hikers, beachgoers and dog-owners.
Run by Jemma and Simon, a local couple, the café's resident cake maker is Jemma's mother, Maggie, who bakes using local free-range eggs and Fairtrade chocolate.
What's on the menu depends on what is available: there might even be spider crab landed right on the beach. Also available is Roskilly's famous Cornish ice cream. Currently open daily 9am-9pm (for more deails, see their website).
Contact: hiddenhut.co.uk. There is no telephone line or mobile signal at the hut but you can email in advance: porthcurnick@gmail.com.
Devon
8. Galley Restaurant, Topsham
The menu changes daily according to what’s available – mussels and cockles from the Exe estuary, fish from the fishing boats at Brixham, Looe or Newlyn. Dishes may include a starter of hand-picked Cornish crab and fennel pollen crusted monkfish.
Contact: 01392 876078; galleyrestaurant.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Ness Cove, slightly further south, is one of Devon's best beaches, according to Suzy Bennett, Telegraph Travel's resident expert.
Where to stay nearby: According to Suzy, Southernhay House in Exeter is a "handsome colonial town-house with a buzzy cocktail bar and peaceful veranda."
9. Venus Café, Blackpool Sands beach
This café sits on one of Britain’s best beaches, Blackpool Sands. Food is organic, and the fish sustainable: menu options include fish pie made with locally landed pollock and burgers made from Devon Aberdeen Angus beef.
Contact: 01803 770209; lovingthebeach.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Suzy Bennett says that Blackpool Sands itself is a sweep of shingle that attracts families and swimmers, who practise from a floating dock.
Where to stay nearby: The White House Hotel in the village of Chillington offers homemade muesli and pastries at breakfast, has pop art on the walls, and offers interconnecting bedrooms.
10. The River Exe Café, Exmouth
A floating shed-cum-pontoon, the River Exe Café is recommended by Suzy Bennett. "Its fish comes from passing boats, so the sea-to-plate interval can be as little as five minutes", she says. Dishes on the menu may include Devon bouillabaisse and sharing platters of seafood and mezze. Booking is essential.
Contact: 07761 116103; riverexecafe.com
11. The Winking Prawn, Salcombe
Spend the morning on the sandy beach (a protected, U-shaped cove on the Salcombe Estuary), then cross a quiet minor lane for a lunch of peerless seafood or a barbie that will make you think you are in Sydney, not Salcombe.
The décor and casual atmosphere of this converted 1920s prefab beach hut (once the town’s tennis pavilion) seem funkily Antipodean, too: pale blue-washed floors, picture windows, white Venetian blinds and outdoor seating for 160.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and ice creams are served: dishes include smoked haddock, bubble'n' squeak and poached egg, hand picked Salcombe crab meat and winking prawn cocktail.
Contact: 01548 842326; winkingprawn.co.uk
The best beach nearby: An array of good beaches surrounds the yachtie town of Salcombe, but Mill Bay, a quick ferry ride across the water, pips the others to the post for being seaweed-free and basking in sun all day.
Where to stay nearby: The South Sands Hotel, right on the beach at Salcombe, offers breezy, easy-going character.
Dorset
12. Hix Oyster & Fish House, Lyme Regis
This relaxed restaurant has lovely views over Lyme Regis harbour. The simple dishes, including Portland cock crab, or fillet of Torbay cod with Kings Lynn shrimps and sea vegetables, let the fresh seafood speak for itself.
Contact: 01297 446 910; hixoysterandfishhouse.co.uk
The best beach nearby: stroll along the Marine Parade to enjoy the beach that fronts Lyme Regis.
Where to stay nearby: The restaurant has accommodation, Hix Townhouse, in the form of eight rooms with a good location on the corner of Lyme Regis's main shopping street, next to the entrance to the public gardens.
13. Shell Bay Seafood Restaurant & Bistro, Studland
For location, it is hard to beat this National Trust property on the shores of Poole Harbour, a few strides from a sandy beach and flanked by a boatyard and dunes. Diners on the waterside terrace look north to Brownsea Island, west to the Purbeck Hills. On the menu, you might find pan seared scallops, crushed peas and parma ham or whole plaice, new potatoes and caper buerre noissette.
Contact: 01929 450363; shellbay.net
The best beach nearby: Studland Bay is four miles of pristine white sand, which shelves gently into milky-blue waters.
Where to stay nearby: The Pig on the Beach at Studland occupies a prime position overlooking the sea.
14. The Hive Beach Cafe
This seafood cafe right on Hive Beach offers close-up views of Lyme Bay and the Jurassic Coast. Spider crabs from the beach are served in summer, and although the menu changes daily depending on availability, dishes may include West Bay turbot, wild mushroom and tarragon sauce, or pan-fried Lyme Bay monkfish. Dogs and children are welcome and there’s an ice cream parlour in summer. Breakfast, lunch and tea are served.
Contact: 01308 897070; hivebeachcafe.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Hive Beach, popular with families, is a pretty shingle beach on this National Trust coastline.
Where to stay nearby: The Seaside Boarding House Hotel in Burton Bradstock, up a steep path from the cafe, offers interiors that reflect the marine colours of the nearby sea, amiable staff and comfortable rooms.
15. The Crab House Cafe, Wyke Regis
The term “crab house” is almost too grand for this shack on the water’s edge overlooking Chesil Beach and close to the cafe's own oyster beds. Its outdoor eating area with pink umbrellas is always packed — with families, locals and the odd chef (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Angela Hartnett).
The menus change up to twice a day depending on what's fresh from the catch - lunch options include razor clams in their shell with chorizo, green beans and herb crumb , while at dinner the offering may be megrim sole baked with chilli and lime. There is a special menu of oysters and crab.
Contact: 01305 788 867; crabhousecafe.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Wild and windy Chesil Beach (not safe for swimming).
Isle of Wight
The best Isle of Wight hotels
16. Wheeler’s Crab Shed, Steephill Cove, Isle of Wight
Steephill Cove feels like stepping into a Famous Five adventure. Sit overlooking the beach, among the fishing boats that have brought the crabs in, and eat from a small menu that is renowned locally for its crab pasties and salads. No bookings taken, open for lunch only.
Contact: 01983 855819; steephillcove-isleofwight.co.uk/crab_shed.html
The best beach nearby: Steephill Cove itslef, or walk across the cliff top to Ventnor's pretty sand and shingle beach.
Where to stay nearby: The Royal hotel in Ventnor is in a is a handsome, four-storey building with smart bedrooms and views over the English Channel.
17. The Hut, Colwell Bay, Freshwater, Isle of Wight
The Hut has gained a following of locals and holidaymakers for its buzzy atmosphere, well prepared lunch and dinner menu, friendly young staff, great cocktails and panoramic terrace views of a yacht-filled Solent.
It’s set right above a safe swimming beach, and is west-facing, so makes a great spot for an evening drink. Dishes include crab gnocci and king scallops and grilled lobster. Booking advised, open summer only.
Contact: 01983 898 637; thehutcolwell.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Colwell Bay is a small, gently shelving beach with views across the Solent to Hurst Castle and Fort Albert.
Where to stay nearby: The George Hotel in Yarmouth offers accommodation in a handsome 18th-century house with sea-facing rooms and a good brasserie.
18. The Little Gloster, Isle of Wight
This restaurant with rooms is possibly the best place to eat on the Isle of Wight, and the service is as delightful as the food. At Gurnard, just along the coast from Cowes, it has views right down the Solent from inside or out and is a great place to watch Cowes Week races if you can get a table.
The menu changes daily, but enjoy brunch of eggs florentine, lunch of sharing platters with Bembridge crab cakes, house-cured gravadlax, mackerel salad & pork belly, or dinner of Cheverton sirloin steak. Booking advised.
Contact: 01983 298776; thelittlegloster.com
Where to stay nearby: The Little Gloster has three rooms decorated in simple but attractive Scandinavian style.
The South and South-East
19. Pebble Beach, Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire
Watch the sunset from the smart cliff-top terrace. The dining-room has a much more formal feel, as does the sophisticated à la carte menu, on which diners might find fillet of stone bass with leek crushed potatoes, clams, beurre blanc & spinach.
Contact: 01425 627777; pebblebeach-uk.com
The best beach nearby: the beach at Barton-on-Sea has lovely views across to the Isle of Wight.
Where to stay nearby: The Christchurch Harbour Hotel offers terrific service, a spa and harbour views.
20. Royal Native Oyster Stores, Whitstable, Kent
It's all about the oysters in Whitstable, and this restaurant serves the locally-caught molluscs by the half-dozen, alongside razor clams, sprats, and local wild seabass. The room is all bare floorboards, scrubbed tables and exposed brick walls - the modern British seaside at its best.
Contact: 01227 276856; whitstableoystercompany.com
The best beach nearby: where Whitstable meets the town of Tankerton is a beach called the Tankerton Slopes, steep and hidden from the view of buildings. It's where people come for long walks, to fly kites, and ride bikes.
Where to stay nearby: Read's in Faversham is a restaurant with rooms offering traditional decor (think four-poster beds and decanters of sherry).
21. Wheelers Oyster Bar, Whitstable, Kent
For a less expensive taste of the sea, head to this quaint restaurant (said to be the oldest in Whitstable), to dine in its oyster parlour, or at its seafood bar. There is an a la carte menu with six starters, six mains, and six desserts, which change seasonally, as well as a mix-and-match "browsing" menu of seafood options.
Contact: 01227 273311; wheelersoysterbar.com
The best beach nearby: Tankerton Sands.
Where to stay nearby: Read's in Faversham.
22. The Black Douglas Coffee House, Deal, Kent
Think sleepy Sunday brunch, a newspaper, a proper cup of coffee and great sea views. The menu includes options such as grilled halloumi and roast beetroot salad, salt beef and gherkin sandwiches, and pomegranate and amaretto cheesecake. Open for breakfast and lunch, and Fri and Sat evenings.
Contact: 01304 365486; blackdouglas.co.uk
23. East Beach Cafe, Littlehampton, West Sussex
The striking building, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, looks like a giant piece of driftwood with windows on to the sea. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menus consist of retro seaside classics done properly, such as beer-battered fish and chips and kippers on toast. Reservations are recommended.
Contact: 01903 731 903; eastbeachcafe.co.uk
Where to stay nearby: The Bailiffscourt Hotel, in nearby Climping, has Knowle sofas, Jacobean chairs, and spot-on food.
24. Dungeness Snack Shack, Dungeness, Kent
In a wonderfully wild and remote spot overlooking the vast shingle spit of Dungeness is this tiny cafe. Food is served from a converted caravan and eaten at a scattering of tables, chairs and benches on the shingle edge. Rugs are provided for the brisk sea breezes and there are views of big skies, wild flowers and the fishing boats drawn up on the beach.
Two of these belong to the family of Kelly Smith who runs the cafe, so she has first call on the spanking fresh fish, crab and lobster they bring in (the rest is sold in the adjoining Fish Hut). Food is all portable: hot lemon sole or mackerel baps, fabulous crab or lobster flatbread rolls dressed with lime, chilli and coriander. There are home-made cakes, tea and coffee and chowders in colder weather.
Contact: 07825 598921; dungenesssnackshack.net
The best beach nearby: Littlestone-on-Sea, just to the east, has a good swimming beach; Camber Sands, to the west, is even better.
Where to stay nearby: The Gallivant is a Camber Sands hotel offering good beds, an excellent fish restaurant and easy access to the pretty town of Rye.
East of England
25. The Company Shed, Mersea, Essex
Essentially a wooden shed, but one that serves some of the best seafood around. It’s BYO and you can’t book, so expect to wait a bit before tucking into local oysters, mussels and the famous seafood platter.
Contact: 01206 382700; thecompanyshed.co
The best beach nearby: West Mersea Beach is sand and shingle, south-facing and looks out over the Blackwater Estuary.
Where to stay nearby:The Pier Hotel, Harwich has bracing harbour views and a relaxed style.
26. Wiveton Hall Café, near Blakeney, North Norfolk
In a setting that feels almost Mediterranean (shady pine trees and sandy soil underfoot), this quirky cafe is a great spot for al fresco breakfast, lunch or tea, with views across the salt marshes to the sea.
Dishes include tapas of Wiveton asparagus, crab, chilli and parmesan salad, and salt cod cakes with aioli. There are woodfired pizzas available on weekday evenings in high summer. Booking is recommended.
Contact: 01263 740515; wivetonhall.co.uk/the-cafe
The best beach nearby: Telegraph Travel's Norfolk expert, Sophie Butler, recommends the long smooth stretch of stones and shingle at Cley for its peace and quiet.
Where to stay nearby: Cley Windmill is a b&b in a brick-built five-storey tower offering local smoked kippers for breakfast and beautifully characterful rooms.
27. Morston Hall, Norfolk
There is a new head chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant at this country house hotel near the north Norfolk coast. Telegraph Travel's Norfolk expert, Sophie Butler, described the food as "beautifully-presented" and "imaginative"; the set menu changes but may include Long shore cod with girolles and confit loin of Norfolk lamb. A set three-course Sunday lunch is also available. Booking is essential.
Contact: 01263 741041; morstonhall.com
The best beach nearby: Holkham beach is a wide, pale beach perfect for kite-flying and long Sunday walks. Read more on Norfolk's best beaches
Where to stay nearby: Moreston Hall has individually decorated rooms and communal areas with squashy sofas and cosy corners.
Wales
28. Plas Bodegroes, Pwllheli
It's not quite in a seaside location, but this restaurant with rooms in a Georgian manor house near Abersoch is less than a mile from the sea. Dinner involves locally sourced dishes that may include Welsh Mountain lamb with sweetbreads and burnt honey or turbot with langoustine tortellini and bisque - all served in a charming dining room.
Contact: 01758 612363; bodegroes.co.uk
Where to stay nearby: the restaurant with rooms concept sees Plas Bodegroes offer cosy, comfortable rooms, and excellent service.
29. Coast Restaurant Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire
When your head chef won his previous restaurant a Michelin star in under two years, you know you are on to a good thing. Will Holland, who heads up the kitchen at Coast, came from the restaurant La Bécasse in Ludlow, and now produces fresh seafood at this new restaurant next to the sea at Saundersfoot, Tenby's little sister.
The kitchen makes use of local, seasonal produce, including fish from the harbour at Saundersfoot (about 500m from the restaurant) and meat from local farms. The menu changes but may include Little Haven picked crab to start, followed by roast Welsh lamb chump or turbot. The setting is as good as the food - an airy modern restaurant just above Coppet Hall sands.
Contact: 01834 810800; coastsaundersfoot.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Saundersfoot's appealing yellow-sand Blue Flag beach is family friendly and has ample facilities, including parking. Come for the day for the British seaside at its best.
Where to stay nearby: St Brides Spa hotel in Saundersfoot offers contemporary interiors, an excellent spa and easy access to the coast path.
30. Dennis Cafe, Tenby, Wales
An old-fashioned and unpretentious place with great views over Tenby’s Castle Sands beach. Tea comes in no-frills stainless-steel teapots, condiments in sachets.
Contact: 01834 842298
Where to stay nearby: St Brides Spa hotel in Saundersfoot
North of England
31. Harbour Bar, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Mostly unchanged since it opened in 1945 – expect cheery yellow Formica tables and neon signs. It’s famous for its ice cream, especially the killer knickerbocker glory. Sandwiches can be toasted and include "hearty bacon in a bun with griddled tomato".
Contact: 01723 373662; theharbourbar.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Scarborough itself, alongside a recommendation from Joe Shute, Telegraph Travel's Yorkshire expert. Cayton Bay, a few miles south, offers great surf, bird watching, and hot showers to boot. Read more on Yorkshire's best beaches.
32. Sandside Café, Sandsend, Yorkshire
Homemade pies and cakes are the chief draw at this simple café right on the golden sands at Sandsend – the prettiest and most peaceful stretch of the wide two-mile beach that stretches north-west from Whitby.
Contact: 01947 893916; sandsidecafe.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Joe Shute recommends Sandsend: "a mammoth beach that runs along the coastal road all the way to Whitby. The brilliant Sandsend Stores has been going for more than a century and sells, simply, everything."
Where to stay nearby: La Rosa, in Whitby, is a quirkily furnished hotel that claims to have hosted Lewis Carroll on several occasions; each room is individually decorated, with themes including "Wild West".
33. The Rotunda Bar, Midland Hotel, Morecambe, Lancashire
The vast expanse of Morcambe Bay opens out in front of you from the terrace of this beautifully renovated Art Deco hotel on Morecambe seafront. You can come for lunch, dinner – or just a drink with a view. It’s also a popular spot for morning coffee and traditional afternoon tea. Dishes include roast Cumbrian pheasant breast and, of course, Morecambe Bay shrimps.
Contact: 01524 424000; englishlakes.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Morecambe Bay is excellent for activities such as sailing, powered paragliding, parachuting, and windsurfing.
Where to stay nearby: At the Midland itself.
Scotland
34. The Three Chimneys, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye
A more remote place to tuck into fresh seafood would be hard to find, but that’s what makes the Three Chimneys, on the sea shore of Loch Dunvegan, so special: fish from the sea nearby and handmade local cheeses. Dishes on the menu may include blade of Black Isle beef, River Esk trout, and warm sultana cake with Scottish strawberries. This is fine - very fine - dining. Booking is essential.
Contact: 01470 511258; threechimneys.co.uk
The best beach nearby: Claigan is a coral sand beach across Loch Dunvegan from The Three Chimneys.
Where to stay nearby: There are comfortable and smart rooms at The Three Chimneys, alternatively Roskhill House is a cosy former croft house that has been tastefully refurbished, and where service standards are high.
35. The Westward Restaurant, Argyll
The jumbo prawns, clams, lobster, mussels and oysters come with lovely sea views and are landed less than 50 yards from the kitchens at this restaurant in the Crinan Hotel where dishes may include risotto of west coast crab, Loch Crinan langoustines, and creme brulee. Booking essential. There's also an excellent bistro-style seafood bar and seafood restaurant.
Contact: 01546 830261; crinanhotel.com
Where to stay nearby: At the Crinan Hotel, website as above.
Additional recommendations from Natalie Paris, Andrew Purvis and Nick Trend.
