There’s nothing like a lungful of salty sea air for working up an appetite. And, after a hearty beach walk, what could be nicer than pitching up at a coastal cafe?
Given the length of our coastline, the UK is certainly blessed with countless ‘beach shack’ eateries, offering everything from a traditional toastie to exotic curries and smart bistro fayre.
Here, we pick out 25 of Britain’s best.
1. Porthmeor Beach cafe, Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
Whether you fancy a spot of breakfast, lunch or dinner, this Cornish cafe serves it all with a side order of what they claim is the ‘best sunset in the West – so a perfect place to sink a Bellini at sundown’. The cafe is also well known for its ‘build-your-own breakfast’, fresh juices and extensive vegetarian and seafood tapas.
2. The Beach Cafe, South Promenade, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
This is the perfect place to enjoy uncomplicated, home-cooked food after taking a long walk on the expansive beach at St Annes (Blackpool’s quieter and more genteel neighbour). The family-owned cafe is perched just above the sand dunes and serves breakfast, light bites such as jacket potatoes, and heartier meals. The freshly caught battered haddock with chips and mushy peas takes some beating.
3. Whelk Coppers, Sheringham, Norfolk
Enjoy the atmosphere as much as the menu in this former whelk store situated on the Norfolk coast. Sheringham’s heritage is palpable: the tea rooms are panelled in Indian teak sourced from a Royal Navy Frigate built in Kolkata in 1820. There’s also a touch of showbiz as its wrought iron gates were reputedly designed by Walt Disney, who was friends with the original owner. Sit by the windows and tuck into homemade sausage rolls, cakes and scones while watching the light shift and change over the North Sea.
4. Oliver’s On The Beach, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Owned by Jamie Oliver, this family-friendly cafe serves breakfast and brunch and boasts expansive views of the Southend Estuary. Housed in a former beach hut, the menu changes with the seasons, but hearty classics include homemade lasagne, ham, egg and chips, and Welsh rarebit topped with a poached egg. You can’t make a reservation but it’s worth the wait.
5. The Boy Ashore, Aberporth, Ceredigion
This West Wales beach shack bar and restaurant perched on the gently sloping sands off Dyffryn Beach serves over-the-coals food to its walk-in visitors (no pre-booking available). The menu includes hake burger, crispy chicken, whitebait and prawns. And, if you’re not so hungry, it’s a lovely spot to dawdle over a craft beer or a couple of cocktails.
6. The Dell Seaview, Isle of Wight
Located between Ryde and Seaview and rising above the water’s edge, this dog and family-friendly, beachside bistro is the perfect place to watch the yachts and liners passing through the waters of the Solent. Its summer menu includes seafood BBQ.
7. Caffi Porthor, Pwllheli, Gwynedd
A real hidden gem as much for its location on North Wales’ glorious Llyn Peninsula as it is for the traditional but hearty menu. The cafe sits on a stretch of coast known as Whistling Sands – named for the sound made when you walk across the beach. Sit on the terrace, tuck into a toastie and be soothed by the calming waters of the bay.
8. Barricane Beach Cafe, Woolacombe, Devon
Nestled and sheltered on North Devon’s Barricane Beach, this small, rustic cafe serves freshly made baguettes, ciabattas and homemade cakes during the day. But, as the shadows lengthen, the menu takes an abrupt turn: from 5pm to 7pm, weather permitting, the cafe offers authentic Sri Lankan curries with all the trimmings, including lentil dahl, coconut sambol and poppadoms. The cafe doesn’t take reservations, so get there early if you want a good spot.
9. The Beach House Cafe, Edinburgh
Situated on Edinburgh’s promenade, here you’ll find simple, locally sourced food. Herbs, flowers, spinach and salads come from its small kitchen garden and breads are freshly baked daily. Particularly popular is Porty Smash: portobello mushrooms, smashed avo, thyme and garlic aioli, balsamic glaze and pine nuts (topped with an organic poached egg).
10. Snack Shack, Dungeness, Kent
Perched in what appear to be shipping containers on Dungeness’ shingle beach, this no-frills seafood eatery bases its menu on the day’s catch, served without ceremony through a hatch. Pitch up on one of the picnic benches and tuck into juicy scallops on flat bread or a fisherman’s roll filled with two super-fresh fish fillets.
11. Sea Shanty Cafe, Anglesey
The cafe enjoys a prime seafront position at the edge of a golden crescent of sand on Anglesey’s Trearddur Bay. Situated among spiky tufts of marram grass and with immediate access to the beach and the Welsh coast path, it’s an ideal stop for walkers and beachgoers. Hearty options include Whitby-breaded wholetail scampi, homemade chips and seafood tagliatelle. The cafe is dog-friendly – but let them know if you’re planning to bring your pooch.
12. Cafe Fish, Isle of Mull, Strathclyde
This seafood eatery overlooking the Sound of Mull sits on top of a former ferry office where boats would cross between Tobermory and Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Cafe Fish has its own boat so shellfish is landed daily while local boats haul in monkfish, Dover sole, cod and squid. Salad leaves, herbs and tomatoes are picked every day from Glengorm Gardens – a Victorian, walled market garden on the Glengorm estate on the north of the island.
13. Half Moon Bay Cafe, Heysham, Lancashire
Sitting on the edge of a sandy beach speckled with grass-capped dunes and surrounded by low cliffs, this Lancashire eatery delivers uncomplicated, home-cooked ‘barms’ – that’s rolls to those south of Watford Gap – filled with bacon, sausage, egg or cheese. All of which is complimented by a view of the bay (on a clear day you can see the Lake District fells) as well as SHIP, a stunning sculpture by artist Anna Gillespie designed to reflect the area’s maritime heritage.
14. Southsea Beach Cafe, Southsea, Hampshire
This Portsmouth pit stop is an independent bistro right on the water’s edge, with uninterrupted views of the Solent and the Isle of Wight. Start the day with a breakfast burrito filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, avocado and salsa. The cafe also operates a six-person sauna – for hire on the beachfront.
15. Bungalow Cafe, Roker, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Overlooking both the north and south piers of Roker Beach, this cosy cafe boasts a history spanning nearly 120 years. Known for its full English breakfast and rather indulgent milkshakes (think Kinder and Aero), the cafe’s large windows make it a perfect spot for dolphin watching (binoculars are available for hire, too).
16. Castaways Tea Shop, Seaton Sluice, Northumberland
Just a stone’s throw from the North Sea and looking out over Collywell Bay, this Northumberland coastal cafe, built in the Victorian era, was once an antique and curio shop (also named Castaways). It has a solid reputation for filling breakfasts, light lunches and an impressive selection of homemade goodies including carrot and pistachio cake.
17. The Hive Beach Cafe, Burton Bradstock, Dorset
This cafe’s wraparound patio offers views across Lyme Bay and Chesil Beach – so fiery evening sunsets can be enjoyed at every table. The cakes and biscuits are baked at the Hive’s bakery while the fish is sourced directly from the water rippling in front of you.
18. Wheeler’s Crab Shed, Steephill Cove, Isle of Wight
Hidden in a cove on the southern shores of the Isle of Wight, the ‘shed’ has a reputation for delicious pasties and mackerel ciabattas. Tuck in while you look at the fishing boats that brought the food to your plate. The sandy beach has plenty of rockpools to do a bit of amateur crabbing of your own.
19. Old Town Beach Cafe, Hunstanton, Norfolk
Resting on the beachfront at Old Hunstanton in Norfolk, the cafe offers everything from bacon butties to homemade vegetable red Thai curry. It’s also a place to stop for a frothy coffee, fresh scones and cakes after exploring Hunstanton’s sloping beach bookended part by dramatic red-and-white-striped cliffs.
20. Seafood Shack, Ullapool, Highlands and Islands
Serving freshly caught fish from the west coast of Scotland, this unpretentious trailer cafe is open daily from the beginning of April to the end of October. The menu changes daily due to serve what catch is in, insuring it remains as fresh as it gets. Seafood Shack has been known to serve tender lobster rolls and seared hand-dived scallops,
21 Chalet Cafe, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
A family-run beachside cafe with a fine view of Scarborough castle. After a sizeable pre breakfast, take a seat at one of the brightly coloured outdoor chairs and enjoy a sausage and egg sandwich, cooked to order. The cafe uses coffee beans that are freshly roasted in Whitby.
22. The Secret Beach Bar & Kitchen, Swansea
This wood-walled cafe on Swansea Bay’s beachfront offers a menu that mixes modern British cuisine and authentic Welsh dishes. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as a few curve balls – including mussel and cockle popcorn. For a grab-and-go snack, there’s a takeaway unit outside the cafe.
23. Cafe Mor, Angle, Pembrokeshire
A solar-powered mobile cafe anchored at the Old Point House inn on the Pembrokeshire Coast. The menu hinges on seaweed-inspired street food – from lobster rolls to crab baps and laverbread-laced burgers. Open during school holidays and bank holiday weekends, weather permitting.
24. Manning’s Seafood, Margate
This dinky seaside stall sits on Margate’s harbourfront, with a menu that features traditional fishy favourites such as cockles, whelks, mussels, oysters and jellied eels. For a more indulgent treat, options include dressed crab and a combination of oysters with Champagne.
25. Namaka, Stone Bay Beach, Broadstairs, Kent
The bright, tropical-themed artwork splashed on the walls of this east Kent cafe makes it a standout spot on the shoreline. There are plenty of healthy options including freshly made smoothies and acai bowls. To be enjoyed with unobstructed views of the expansive sandy beach and the gentle waves of the English Channel.
