Places to eat in Scarborough

We’ll get the ball rolling with one of our absolute favourites here in Scarborough. Clark’s Restaurant is as stylish as it is delicious, and that’s saying something. This bistro-style, AA Rosette restaurant on Queen Street offers excellent eating right the way throughout the day. The menu is made up of small plates and a handful of exquisite mains. The native Scarborough lobster is one particularly popular option, but don’t let that sway your decision; everything will be delicious. Factoring the high-end eating, the quality with which it’s presented, and the contemporary yet cosy decor, the prices are much more than reasonable. As if that wasn’t enough, Clark’s Restaurant is just a five-minute walk from our Scarborough South Bay hotel.

Making our way just outside Scarborough to the pretty village of Scalby, The Plough is a tastefully decorated country pub with a kitchen that cooks up ‘proper’ homemade Yorkshire food. The belly pork and crackling is an absolute delight, but better still is the Sunday roast. Make the pilgrimage to The Plough to sample the Glaves of Brompton beef, as well as the Stepney Hill roast pork, not to mention the best Yorkshire puddings in the business, and gravy so good you could raise a glass to toast it's tastiness – not saying we have, just that you could.

Alternatively, you could make your way a little further past The Plough, to The Foulsyke Bistro. It is, essentially, a lovely country home which has been turned into a restaurant, and a good one at that, so much so, we’d advise booking a table to avoid disappointment. Pay a visit and you’ll see what all the fuss is about, Keith in the kitchen cooks up a storm, while Diane is the perfect host. The scallops with black pudding is an absolute revelation, while the steaks are some of the best in Scarborough. When the sun’s out the garden is absolutely perfect for some al fresco dining, while in the winter it’s lovely and cosy, perfect for an evening’s dinner away from the cold.

If you’re looking for somewhere to grab a meal before a trip to the Open Air Theatre – one of our highlights of the Scarborough entertainment scene – then a top recommendation would be Jeremy’s on the edge of Peasholm Park. The restaurant itself is lovely, if a little small. The food is of the highest quality, even if it lacks quantity. And while it’s not the cheapest eatery in the world, this isn’t the kind of place you’d visit every day. So, if you’re celebrating a special occasion, or you just want to splash out a little, then book a table and tuck into an evening of unforgettable food.

Moving on, from refined fine dining to some of the biggest, thickest, most beautiful burgers in Yorkshire. The Cow Shed is a cathedral for carnivores. We probably don’t even need to tell you where to find it, simply sniff out the glorious aroma coming from grills – behemoth burgers, panko chicken, and buffalo fries that’ll bring tears to your eyes. For the nose deaf among you, The Cow Shed is on St Thomas Street, opposite the YMCA Theatre. The burgers are outrageously good, especially for the price. It’s not very often we’d say you need to book a table for a burger bar, but be warned this place gets busy, so to avoid disappointment call in advance.

Before we round up our restaurant recommendations, we have a couple of must-mention eateries for when you’re craving something specific. Gianni’s is undoubtedly the best Italian in Scarborough. It’s one of the longest-established restaurants in town and has an excellent reputation for serving authentic, delicious Italian food, including a calzone the size of a small child. If you’re craving seafood, Café Fish is an exceptional restaurant near the train station. The food’s cooked and plated beautifully. You simply have to try the chowder, it’s out of this world. Last of all, if you’re on the hunt for a curry house, Scarborough Tandoori is hands down the best Indian restaurant in town. The service is stellar, portions are delicious, and the flavour’s big.

Time for the chippies. If you didn’t get a portion of fish and chips during a visit to Scarborough, did you even visit Scarborough? It is almost impossible to pick the best chip shop in the area, so instead we have a collective trio of choices. First up is the Lifeboat Fishbar on Eastborough, just a stone’s throw from the pier and Scarborough Beach, which you can read more about in our page dedicated to the best activities in Scarborough. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the best fish and chip shops never do. It just ticks all the right boxes – the location’s great, the prices are good, the portions hit the spot, the fish is battered to perfection, and the chips are delicious and crispy.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for somewhere closer to the town centre, or the train station, make your way to Mother Hubbard’s. The family-run restaurant on Westborough has been around for over 20 years with legions of Scarborians regularly visiting to munch their way through a mammoth portion of their award-winning fish and chips. It’s always pretty busy, however, the restaurant seats 150, so there shouldn’t be an issue getting a table.

The last chippy we’ll recommend is North Bay Fisheries, which you’ll find opposite Peasholm Park, a couple of doors down from Jeremy’s. We can’t remember visiting when there hasn’t been a queue. That’s how good the fish and chips are in these ends. If we’re going purely on quality of food and flavour, then you won’t find better than North Bay Fisheries. We’re not just talking about Scarborough; find us a better chippy in Yorkshire and we’d very much like to hear about it. You pay slightly more, but you definitely get your money’s worth.

Now for some more traditional cafés. Eat Me Cafe is hidden down a back street just off Westborough, just behind the Stephen Joseph Theatre. It’s our favourite brunch spot in town. The full English is phenomenal, the sloppy Joe is a messy mound of magnificent eating, and – oddly enough – they do a really good bowl of ramen. The café is industrial and stylish, without feeling cold, and the staff are super friendly.

A couple of honourable mentions to round things up, Relish is a wonderful café hidden down Waterhouse Lane. Hunt it down if you’re doing a bit of shopping in the town centre, you won’t be disappointed. Last of all, there’s East Coast Kitchen. It’s an American diner on Newborough with the meatiest eating this side of the Atlantic. The steaks are so large that you wouldn’t be shocked if you saw them on a food challenge. Size isn’t everything though, and East Coast certainly know a thing or two about flavour.