A real taste of the seaside

10 best coastal restaurants

Whether you’re after a gastronomic feast, a plate of fat oysters or a slice of sashimi, we’ve got the covers right next to the sea. Click through our gallery to discover the seaside restaurants that are really worth knowing about, all courtesy of Coast magazine.

By Rachael Oakden

Want a stunning location?

This exquisite, small, country-house hotel sits behind its own sandy beach on the westernmost edge of southern Scotland, and the clifftop walk that traces the coastline towards the fishing town of Portpatrick is a great way to work up an appetite. Chef Tony Pierce holds a Michelin star for creative but unpretentious French-influenced cooking (four-course dinner, £50), while owner David Ibbotson is on hand to guide you through his wine cellar and whisky collection. Call 01776 810471 or visit knockinaamlodge.com.

Food for gastronomes

Simon Rogan picked an unlikely spot in which to practise molecular gastronomy. The residents of Cumbrian villages are more familiar with pies and picnics than 14-course tasting menus featuring dishes such as Surrealists Nitro Slammer. But the innovative set menus (from £50) in this converted smithy (right) have become so popular that its multi-award-winning chef has abandoned the à la carte options. To sample Rogan\'s talents in a more conventional setting, visit Cartmel\'s bistro, Rogan and Company. Call 01539 536362 or visit lenclume.co.uk.

Perfect pub grub

The views from the beer garden towards Raasay and the Cuillin mountains of Skye are ample reward for a hair-raising journey across the 2,053-foot Bealach na Ba pass. But what draws people to this unassuming, whitewashed pub (above) is the superb local food that Judith Fish has been dishing up for nearly 20 years. Squat lobsters, scallops, crab and langoustines fresh from Applecross Bay are the main attraction for seafood fans. Mains from £7.95. Call 01520 744262 or visit applecross.uk.com.

Food for romantics

The beech avenue leading to this Grade II-listed Georgian manor house was made for strolling hand in hand. Food is the (other) main attraction, and proprietor/chef Chris Chown has received plaudits for his cooking. The Sunday lunch, at £18.50 for three courses, is one of the best-value, Michelin-starred meals in Britain. Call 01758 612363 or visit bodegroes.co.uk.

Fab for vegetarians

Amanda Powley and Philip Taylor have pioneered a new approach to vegetarian cooking based on imaginative combinations of top-notch ingredients. Inspired by recipes from all over the world, their menus are almost as much fun to read as they are to eat - see Mushroom Cappuccino and Parmesan Doughnuts with Porcini Salt. There\'s a great children\'s menu, too. Evening mains from £13.75. Call 01273 729051 or visit terreaterre.co.uk.

The next best thing

It may seem a little pretentious to name a restaurant after oneself, but Nathan Outlaw can justify it. Within its first year, this glamorous waterside venue (left) with awesome views across the Fowey Estuary was named the Good Food Guide\'s newcomer of the year and tipped to win a second Michelin star. Call 01726 833315 or visit themarinahotel.co.uk.

Fabulous for dog owners

Your four-legged friend will be happy to snooze in one of the garden rooms while you tuck into locally smoked eel and slow-roasted pork belly (mains from £12.95). The Crown and Castle (above), which also has 18 bedrooms, even has a celebrity owner - cookery writer and television presenter Ruth Watson. Call 01394 450205 or visit crownandcastle.co.uk.

Great for show-offs

You\'ll need to book five months in advance for a weekend table at Rick Stein\'s famous establishment (right). Since opening more than 30 years ago, the restaurant now boasts a seafood bar where you can pull up a stool without booking and order the likes of Falmouth oysters, Padstow crab and sashimi of sea bass. Mains from £17.50. Call 01841 532700 or visit rickstein.com.

Fantastically fresh seafood

The seas and lochs that surround this elegant small hotel on the edge of Sutherland provide Michelin-starred chef Chris Firth-Bernard with an ample larder. Gourmets travel hundreds of miles to sample his five-course evening menus (£52), on which dishes such as Summer Isles langoustines feature regularly. With the exception of the pudding and cheese trolleys wheeled to your table at the end of the meal, there\'s no choice about what to eat, but this is no bad thing - you\'ll be too busy staring through the windows to peruse a menu. Call 01854 622282 or visit summerisleshotel.co.uk.

Incredible shellfish

Oyster fishermen first quenched their thirsts at Moran\'s bar in Kilcolgan in the 1760s. Today, it is mostly oyster eaters who flock to this thatched pub beside an inlet of Galway Bay. The fat oysters are a real treat served with home-baked brown bread and washed down with Guinness. Call 00 353 91 796113 or visit moransoystercottage.com.

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