Fresh From The Sea, Port Isaac, Cornwall
Port Isaac has a medieval harbour, which once handled coal and pottery. Now, tourists come to walk the coastal path and visit the neighbouring harbour of Port Gaverne and its rock pools. Fisherman Calum Greenhalgh can often be seen hauling his catch up the hill in Port Isaac, and it is his fish shop and cafe, run with his wife Tracey, that Cornish chef Nathan Outlaw recommends: He catches the crabs and lobsters in the bay and she cooks and serves them. They do the best crab sandwich (9.75) in the world! freshfromthesea.co.uk
Less than 90 minutes by train from London St Pancras lies Broadstairs, with its fishermens cottages and retro ice-cream parlour, Morellis, complete with soda fountain and jukebox. Guardian food writer Felicity Cloake has found a new reason to visit: Flotsam and Jetsam, a pop-up from seafront restaurant Wyatt and Jones, which offers a dizzying array of sauces such as squid ink hot sauce and oyster mayo which are perfect squeezed on to a cone of frites (3.50), as well as crispy crab dumplings (6.50). On Facebook
Going to the village and fishing port of Saint Monans is like a trip back in time, with its 14th-century foreshore church, 17th-century houses nudging the harbourside and salt pans from its industrial past. Its also on the 117-mile Fife Coastal Path (linking the Firth of Forth with the Firth of Tay). Scott Smith, chef and co-owner of Edinburghs Fhior, suggests stopping for lunch: Although its a smokehouse, I always go for the fresh lobster. Half a lobster with tarragon mayonnaise is 14.50. eastpier.co.uk
Fossil hunting on the beaches between Charmouth and Lyme Regis is a fun way to explore Dorsets Jurassic Coast. Food writer and chef Gill Meller knows the region and this cafe is his top tip: Famous for its vegan shakshuka, it opens early so you can have a coffee after a swim, sit outside and look out over the Cobb and the bay. Its unpretentious, inexpensive and where youll find the fishermen. 24 Marine Parade, no website
The Magpie was built in 1750 as a merchants house and overlooks Whitby harbour and is food writer Yasmin Khans favourite: Its an atmospheric place. It has the best fish and chips in the UK, with chips fried in beef dripping. Its also where author Bram Stoker got inspiration for Dracula. (In 1890, Stoker arrived at Mrs Veazeys guesthouse in the town.) The huge menu includes cod and chips (11.50) and Whitby wholetail scampi with chips (12.50). magpiecafe.co.uk
This Devon town is harbourside perfection on a sunny day. A wander to Churston Cove is a good way to start, as is a visit to Berry Head national nature reserve to see the breeding colonies of guillemots. Seafood ambassador and chef Mitch Tonks says there is no need to stray far for lunch. Overlooking the bay, Shoals is part of a salt-water lido. Run by fish merchant Sean Perkes and his wife Sarah, its all about fresh local fish. The skate wing is fabulous. The catch of the day, served with sides, is 13.95. shoalsbrixham.co.uk
Think Dungeness, think shingle beaches, Derek Jarmans garden and the looming nuclear power station on the headland. The local beer is good, too, so visit the tap room at Wantsum Brewery. Food writer Kate Young describes the Snack Shack as a small shipping container featuring a kitchen, surrounded by a collection of weathered wooden picnic tables. Ive thought about the fish baps (on soft rolls, with fresh salad, served with rough chunky chips) at least once a week since I visited. Its tiny, and tentatively open, so steer clear at weekends and peak hours to avoid overcrowding. dungenesssnackshack.net
Anglesey is perfect for paddling, especially Church Bay with its cliff paths and rock pools, or for windsurfing at Trearddur Bay. Food writer and blogger Karen Burns-Booth suggests refuelling in the unlikely setting of a tin shed on a campsite. The Marram Grass is a favourite. It started off serving campers and now does creative but unpretentious restaurant-quality dishes at the seaside. Anglesey crab and lemon tatws rosti is 9, Menai mussels with tarragon basil 10. themarramgrass.com
For Nicola Miller, food writer and columnist, a day well-spent at the Suffolk port town would be an early lunch at Winkles At The Ferry (scampi and chips, 9.95) then a walk along the Deben to where it meets the sea. Follow the coastal path through to Felixstowe proper with its sandy beaches, pier and arcade then to Landguard Fort, near the Port of Felixstowe, which has a nature reserve, empty shingle-and-sand beaches and a wonderful view of the shipping channels. On Facebook
Ballycastle, with its seafront gardens, sandy beach and salt-weathered Pans Rocks, is a beauty: ferries also run to Rathlin Island for seal-spotting. Northern Irish food writer Diana Henry says: My brothers (and me, when Im in town) go to Mortons in the harbour. I take a bottle of champagne to the beach to have with the fish and chips, and my own mayo or tartare sauce, too. The cod supper is 8.10. On Facebook
See the article here:
10 of the UK's best seaside cafes and beach shacks - The Guardian
- Seabean Symposium-Live Blogging - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Alvaro Jaramillo Talks Gulls at 2010 Space Coast Birding Festival - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Fall Sunset on Anna Maria - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Fort Myers Beach Photos Revisited - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Reinier Munguia Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Wilderness Matters - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Raptor Project Brings Winged Predators to Space Coast Birding Festival - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Sandscupting Festival on Fort Myers Beach - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- David Allen Sibley to Deliver Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival 2010 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims & Paddle Florida on the Suwannee River - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Zipolite Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico, Central America - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Port Charlotte Beach Park, Port Charlotte, Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Kent in South Beach, Miami – Budget Beach Hotel in Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Key West, Florida Dog Beach – Where Pooches Can Play - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Startling White Sand of Hyams Beach, New South Wales, Australia - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Palm Island Beach, Cape Haze, Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A Surfer’s Paradise at Punta Morena Beach, Cozumel - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Sand the Color of Olives: Papakolea Beach, Hawaii - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Visiting Indialantic Beach? Check out the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Beach - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Say Good-bye to Manatee County Public Beach Pier - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Eco-tourism Field Trips at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Birding at Sea: Pelagic Birding Aboard the Pastime Princess - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Video Clip - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Gulfster’s Surf Trip to Puerto Rico - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes, St. Petersburg, FL - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims: An Outdoorsman to Follow - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- How Big is This Wave? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Birders: Making a List and Checking it Forever - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Hunting Island State Park – Dog Friendly Beach in Beaufort, SC - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Beach Hotels in Ocean Park, Washington - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- San Diego, CA – Ocean Beach Dog Beach - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Best Beaches for Collecting Sea Glass - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Swimwear in 2010 combines key trends - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- S-Turns Beach in Rodanthe, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Wiped Out By Nor’easter - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- In Awe at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Summertime in the Outer Banks, North Carolina - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Panama City Beach May Not Welcome Spring Breakers in 2010 - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Bahia Honda Beach near Key West, Florida - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case Regarding Florida Beach Ownership - December 14th, 2009 [December 14th, 2009]
- Historic Sites of Canaveral National Seashore - December 19th, 2009 [December 19th, 2009]
- Myrtle Beach Building Boardwak Along Beachfront, Adding Amenities - December 19th, 2009 [December 19th, 2009]
- Barrier Island Center Upcoming Events 2010 – Melbourne Beach, Florida - December 19th, 2009 [December 19th, 2009]
- Florida Wildflowers & Plants – Space Coast Birding Festival Field Trip - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Jellyfish in Long Beach Aquarium - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Heron Island in Great Barrier Reef under new management - December 21st, 2009 [December 21st, 2009]
- Sunset on Longboat Key - December 23rd, 2009 [December 23rd, 2009]
- Pishing With Pete at the Space Coast Birding Festival - December 23rd, 2009 [December 23rd, 2009]
- Summer is Over, but it Lives on My Hard Drive - December 25th, 2009 [December 25th, 2009]
- 800 Pound Beachball to Drop Over Panama City Beach, Florida on New Year’s Eve - December 27th, 2009 [December 27th, 2009]
- Birding by Ear and Habitat with Paddy Cunningham-Pascatore - December 27th, 2009 [December 27th, 2009]
- Prevention of Overfishing of Coral Reefs Reduces Occurrence of Coral Diseases - December 28th, 2009 [December 28th, 2009]
- Florida Screech Owls Encouraged by Nest Boxes - December 28th, 2009 [December 28th, 2009]
- Cayo Costa Photo Memories - December 28th, 2009 [December 28th, 2009]
- Family Activities at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - December 31st, 2009 [December 31st, 2009]
- BeachHunter’s Top 10 Beach Photos in 2009 - January 2nd, 2010 [January 2nd, 2010]
- Viera Wetlands is a Premier Birding Destination in Brevard County - January 2nd, 2010 [January 2nd, 2010]
- Here are a Few More Florida Summer Beach Memories. - January 3rd, 2010 [January 3rd, 2010]
- Lake Morat Puts the Beach in Swiss Beaches - January 6th, 2010 [January 6th, 2010]
- Smoking Banned at Beaches Around the Country - January 6th, 2010 [January 6th, 2010]
- Identifying Gulls – A Field Trip to Brevard County Landfill - January 6th, 2010 [January 6th, 2010]
- Victoria and Albert Museum in London Sponsors World Beach Project - January 7th, 2010 [January 7th, 2010]
- Does It Snow in Florida? - January 9th, 2010 [January 9th, 2010]
- Sun, sand and history found in Bodrum, Turkey - January 9th, 2010 [January 9th, 2010]
- Winter swimming rules at Den Haag’s beaches. - January 9th, 2010 [January 9th, 2010]
- Boats, Kayaks and Birds - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Akumal, Mexico - January 11th, 2010 [January 11th, 2010]
- A Hidden Gem – San Agustinillo, Oaxaca, Mexico - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Penguins on the Beach at Betty’s Bay - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Robert Amoruso Photography Workshops at Space Coast Birding Festival - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Scuba Diving with Bull Sharks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- California Beach Tradition Threatened - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- Who’s Going to the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival? - January 15th, 2010 [January 15th, 2010]
- Getting Away From It All in the Dry Tortugas - January 16th, 2010 [January 16th, 2010]
- History of the Bikini - January 19th, 2010 [January 19th, 2010]
- Conservation and the Economics of Birding - January 20th, 2010 [January 20th, 2010]
- Landlocked Swiss Hit the Beach at Lake Zurich - January 21st, 2010 [January 21st, 2010]
- Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag Beaches - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]
- A beach of sorts in old Dun Laoghaire. - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]
- Beach Sunrise Memories - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]