Where to try the best seafood the UK has to offer

Credit: Rocksalt

Looking for the ultimate seaside dining experience? The UK has over 20,000 miles of coastline supplying the country with the freshest fish, and at these restaurants, every dish is served with a side of spectacular coastal views.

Stay somewhere along the coast and seek out the best seafood restaurants by keeping your eyes peeled for active fishing fleets. If there is a restaurant serving seafood nearby, you can be almost sure the chef visits the quay’s early morning market on a daily basis to pick for the menu. 

Another sign of good sea cuisine is a varying menu, signifying that the dishes are planned around freshly caught produce. Here are some of our favourites:

Credit: The Jetty

The Jetty | Dorset

 The Jetty in Mudeford, Christchurch, is a multi award-winning, relaxed and contemporary dining spot on the water's edge. Much of the fish is landed very locally and the menu is an extensive list of delicacies. Try and book a waterside table for the ultimate dining experience, especially for those warm summer evenings. 

Mudeford is one of our top places to stay in Dorset; find out which other destinations feature in our top 10.

What makes it one of the best? 

Their exceptional wine list.

Stay in Christchurch

Outlaw's New Road | Cornwall

Serving a set menu of the finest Cornish seafood, Outlaw's New Road is the place to go for a special meal. Set at the top of Port Isaac, this restaurant has a Michelin star so any foodie worth their (sea)salt will want to stop in. You can explore sample menus on the website but the it changes regularly according to what's been landed locally.

As well as seafood, Port Isaac is known as the home of TV's Doc Martin. Find out where the key filming locations are in our blog.

What makes it one of the best? 

It serves the best of the best of Cornish seafood in a special setting.

Stay in Port Isaac

Noel Corston | Devon

Book in advance to ensure you get a table at this exclusive hideaway a short walk from Woolacombe Beach. Noel Corston creates an intimate experience for eight diners to feast together. Dine in front of the open kitchen island to see the chef at work. Reservations are essential at this highly regarded restaurant.

Work up an appetite for your fish supper with a walk along Woolacombe beach; it's one of our favourite Devon beaches.

What makes it one of the best? 

Wherever possible, the restaurant only works with ingredients that run, grow or swim inside their UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, in North Devon.

Stay in Woolacombe

Lochleven Seafood Café | the Highlands

For delicious Scottish shellfish, you must try Lochleven Seafood Café, perched on the shores of Loch Leven on the west coast in the Highlands of Scotland. Offering panoramic views of the Mamores mountain range towering and across Camus Mhor to the Pap of Glencoe, it is an otherworldly experience. 

Find out where else you should visit on your gastronomic tour of Scotland with our food and drink guide. 

What makes it one of the best?

Dining out on the terrace and taking in the unique and unspoilt landscape.

Stay in Glencoe

River Exe Cafe | Devon

Floating in the River Exe off Exmouth, River Exe Cafe offers fresh fish caught and landed daily from the quay just a stone’s throw away from the kitchen. From the moment you step foot on the water taxi at Exmouth Marina, it is a memorable dining experience. Serving the finest flavours of the region, including local oysters, lobster and shrimps, whilst you float in the middle of a river; it is a magical experience.

Even though it's more of a floating restaurant than a boozer, the River Exe Cafe made our list of top Devon pubs; find out where else in the county you can wet your whistle. 

What makes it one of the best? 

The fact that you are dining on a custom-built barge surrounded by amazing views.

Stay in Exmouth

Credit: Rocksalt

Rocksalt | Kent

There is no need for seasoning when the salty sea air is breezing past you, which is exactly what you get dining on the terrace of Mark Sargeant's Rocksalt restaurant. Sitting proudly on the Folkestone’s harbour edge, the kitchen prides itself on delivering the best of the British Isles. This one is fab. The view is panoramic and it’s likely that the fishing boat that helped bring your meal from the sea to the table will be in sight.

While you're in Folkestone, why not take a walk along the beach? It's one of our top beaches in Kent.

What makes it one of the best? 

Rocksalt’s ethos is built around seasonality and catering for everyone, when combined, make for the most wholesome atmosphere.

Stay in Folkestone

The Stone Crab | Pembrokeshire

Seafood excellence is promised at The Stone Crab in Saundersfoot, where you'll find a laid-back, casual atmosphere in which to enjoy a mouthwatering meal which will leave you wanting to return again and again. Sit outside in the summer, or enjoy the cosy atmosphere inside in the evening. Booking is essential, but not to worry if you can't get a table, they offer a pre-order takeaway option on Fridays and Saturdays for collection from the restaurant.

Take a look at our guide to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to see what you can get up to after your seafood fix. 

What makes it one of the best? 

Exquisite seafood and friendly service, with tasty desserts to boot!

Stay in Saundersfoot

The Wheelhouse | Cornwall

The Wheelhouse is a crab and oyster bar boasting a stellar reputation for the best service and perfectly cooked seafood. From the warm, knowledgeable waiting team to the tastiest scallops you’ve ever tried, a visit to The Wheelhouse in Falmouth is almost sure to be faultless. The atmosphere is lively and a great place to pull up a chair at a sharing table and make some new friends over a memorable meal.

Falmouth is also one of the best places in Cornwall for walking; take a look at our guide for details of the top routes.

What makes it one of the best?

The service and presentation of their dishes are the details that leave only the best taste in your mouth.

Stay in Falmouth

Enjoy a foodie break

Whether you want to dine in these top seafood restaurants or catch your own supper to eat back at your holiday cottage, we have a wide range of coastal cottages to suit you. Click on the button below to take a look at our full collection.

Coastal cottages