Our favourite British beach cafés
Here’s our guide to the best seaside cafés in this country.
East Beach Café, West Sussex
Littlehampton is home to one of the most stylish beach caffs in the kingdom, designed by architect Thomas Heatherwick (he of Olympic cauldron fame). It’s a steel shell layered with scalloped pieces, and upon first impression looks more like a modern art installation than a café. It sits slap bang in the middle of the beach, a location reflected by an abundance of fresh seafood on the menu including ‘Littlehampton day boat fish soup’ and their most popular dish, salt and pepper squid with chilli. They cater for little ’uns well, although the veggie options are limited.
The East Beach Café was completed in summer 2007 and has since won more than 20 national and international awards for design, architecture, steelwork, craftsmanship and engineering. It was originally inspired by a piece of driftwood, though today conjures up images of sand dunes, waves, rocks and shells.
The Hidden Hut, Cornwall
You’ll have a job finding The Hidden Hut on Cornwall’s Porthcurnick Beach – most only stumble across it when walking on the coastal footpath near Portscatho. It’s owned by The National Trust but run independently by local couple Jemma and Simon, who serve fresh, simple food such as lobster and chips, seasonal salads and, of course, freshly-baked Cornish pasties. Dogs and kids very welcome.
The wooden beach-side shed is alive both during the day and night – once or twice a week when the sun sets, it hosts pop-up ‘feast nights’ which are rustic, outdoor, bring-your-own-plate-and-booze affairs. They cook just one dish per event, and previous ventures have included ‘wood-fired seafood paella’, ‘sticky ribs and pulled pork’, and ‘rare-breed burger’ nights.
Porthcurnick Beach is one of the most beautiful and undisturbed coves on the south Cornish coast, which in turn means that both the beach and café are only accessible by foot.
Sandside Café, Yorkshire
It’s a brave holidaymaker who swims the chilly seas at Sandside, Yorkshire. You’ll be in need of a warming cup of tea afterwards, and we suggest heading to the Sandside Café for it.
The wooden hut boasts spectacular views of the golden sands below; the North York Moors behind; and the expanse of Whitby Bay to the right… oh, and there’s also a secret ruined castle to spot from your seat. The building has been run as a café for over 100 years, and is now owned by locals Neil Hodgson and Karen Mortimer, a brother and sister team.
All ingredients used are sourced as locally as possible, and they always include a ‘seafood special’ on their menu. There’s a delicious array of homemade cakes too, as well as fresh crab sandwiches and ‘sandside smokies’ – fresh smoked haddock baked in a cheese and egg sauce, served with wholemeal bread and garnish. They’ll even pack what you want up into a picnic hamper, if the weather outside is nice.
Hive Beach Café, Dorset
Breakfast, lunch and tea are served at the Hive Beach Café, which is set against one of the prettiest backdrops in Dorset on the Chesil Bank near Bridport. Grab a table outside for views of Lyme Bay, and be sure to leave room for a slice of their divine homemade cake.
There’s a fish counter on display as soon as you walk into the café, and outside are awnings and extensive patio areas. During the summer months there’s a selection of shellfish, spider crabs and browns crabs right off the boat to eat, as well as a pretty ice cream parlour selling Lovington’s ice cream.
So famed is the food that there’s even a Hive Beach Café cookbook. The café has also won numerous awards, including runner-up in the Coast Magazine Awards 2011 for Best Coastal Pub/Café. Celebrity admirers included hard-to-please food critic AA Gill and chef Lesley Waters.
Photography by Colin Crabb
River Exe Café, Devon
‘Great local food – that’s what floats out boat’ is the mantra at the River Exe Café in Exmouth – and they mean it literally. It’s a floating barge off the Ski lane on the River Exe, slap bang in the middle of an area of outstanding beauty and home to many rare birds.
The café is designed rather like a ski chalet, and focuses on showing off the best West Country food so expect Exmouth mussels, scallops, langoustine, oysters, mackerel, plaice, sea bass and fish and chips on the menu.
The river and sea views are superb, and the fish served at the café comes from passing boats, making the sea-to-plate journey only five minutes long in most cases. They also host comedy nights at the café, although make sure you sort your travel out first – the River Exe Café is only accessible by water taxi, and you’ll probably have to cycle to the water taxi stop.
Boathouse Café & Bar, Inner Hebrides
Possibly the most remote beach café in the kingdom, and the one with the wildest views outside. It’s the only café on the community-owned Isle of Gigha, and so remote is the area that the Boathouse has no website running at the moment.
All we have to go on is the cracking reviews on TripAdvisor, which hail the Boathouse Café & Bar as ‘the best bistro in the Inner Hebrides’, ‘super’ and ‘a fantastic find’. The island of Gigha is only accessible by ferry, making a trip to the Boathouse an adventure in itself. Expect homemade cakes, excellent tea and coffee, first class local seafood (the scallops are among the best you’ll ever try apparently) and a decent wine list.
West Shore Beach Café, North Wales
This cosy family-run spot can be found on the coastal path at West Shore Beach, with stunning views across the bay to Puffin Island and Anglesey. It’s run by Kevin and Alison, who like to keep things as local as possible. Specials normally include delights such as homemade Welsh lamb hotpot, and roast topside of Welsh beef. There are also homemade cakes on sale, and even locally-produced ice cream in the summer.
West Shore Beach Café is only 50 metres from the sea, and three quarters of a mile from Llandudno’s North Shore.
Do you know of a great British seaside café? Please share it with us in the comments box below.
This is a classic lovefood article that has been updated
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