Filey

Take a twenty minute drive up the coast and you’ll arrive in Filey. This former Victorian resort features in Which’s list of the UK’s Top Ten Seaside Destinations and it has much to offer with scenic gardens and seafront rides that will appeal to young families. If you’d like to tuck into a portion of fish and chips here, local favourite Inghams sells what have been described as ‘the best fish and chips on the North Yorkshire coast’. In their shop on Belle Vue Street you can buy flaky cod in crispy batter or opt instead for haddock in your choice of saucei. These can be taken away to enjoy all fresco or eaten in the restaurant’s nautical-themed dining area.

Scarborough

Scarborough has been entertaining day trippers and holidaymakers since the 1700s. Nowadays, visitors to this vibrant town can spend time in the oriental-themed Peasholm Park, with its dragon boats and miniature railway, take a funicular up the cliff or catch a show at the Spa Theatre. If you’re looking for a sit down seafood restaurant, the popular Cafe Fish in York Place won a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award last year. Its starters include creamy seafood chowder accompanied by spicy fishcakes and a haddock kiev or homemade fish pate. You can then move on to your choice of fresh fish and shellfish sourced from the town’s own harbour, or try the award-winning plaice stuffed with lobster and prawns. A more informal dining experience can be found at The Seafood Social, which sells street food-style dishes like crunchy fish fillet chunks, ‘glorious grains’ scampi and salt and pepper popcorn shrimp. This shop and takeaway on Aberdeen Walk works in partnership with the Rainbow Trust to tackle homelessness. All of their prices are very reasonable but customers can choose to ‘pay it forward’ by adding a little extra to their bill.

Robin Hood’s Bay

Infamous for its 18th century smuggling trade, the picture-postcard village of Robin Hood’s Bay is nestled away on Yorkshire’s Heritage Coast. You can learn more about its fascinating past on a guided tour that will take you to some of the real locations used by the smugglers. Alternatively, head up through the narrow cobbled streets and you’ll find fish and chip restaurant The Fish Box, which offers panoramic sea views from its cliffside garden terrace. Here, you can choose from all of your favourites, including cod, haddock and Whitby wholetail scampi. These can be accompanied by baked beans, mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy.

Whitby

This seaside haunt has a past that’s steeped in Gothic legend. Bram Stoker was inspired to write his novel ‘Dracula’ while staying here and twice a year lovers of alternative music and fashion flock to the town for Whitby Goth Weekend. Pay a visit to Whitby’s charming Shambles and you’ll pass shops selling jet jewellery on your way to the famous 199 steps which ascend to St Mary’s Church and the atmospheric abbey ruins. If seafood is what brings you here, a trip to the Magpie Café is a must. This foodie favourite has won multiple awards and in busier periods a long queue stretches from its door and down the quay. The Magpie offers something to suit everyone with starters like crispy calamari cooked in the restaurant’s secret recipe batter or Whitby crab bisque. You can then enjoy a portion of the perfect fish and chips here, or try mains like braised monkfish and mussels in tomato and red wine sauce, served on pan haggerty with black pudding and bacon. Another excellent place to eat seafood in Whitby is the Marine Hotel & Restaurant. This has a raw bar for freshly shucked oysters or you can eat them hot in a tempura batter, dipped in Champagne aioli. Why not treat yourself to a luxurious seafood platter, which features dressed local crab, langoustines, oysters, prawns, crevettes, cured gravlax and mackerel pate along with toasted sourdough.

Sandsend

Three miles up the shore from Whitby, the picturesque village of Sandsend is said to have its own warmer microclimate. Spend a day here hunting for fossils and you can stop for lunch at Fish Cottage. This modern seafood restaurant resides in a characterful old stone building and serves beautifully-presented dishes made with the best of the local catch. This includes a trio of tasty tacos (fried fish, crispy king prawns and curried cauliflower), your choice of seasonal fish or dishes like a roast cod cassoulet with white bean and ‘nduja. These can be eaten in the restaurant’s cosy interior or out in the sun.

Staithes

The old fishing village of Staithes is known for its prettily-painted hillside cottages and its friendly locals. From its position by Staithes harbour, The Cod & Lobster offers wonderful sea views – in fact, it’s so close to the water’s edge that it has been flooded and damaged by the sea several times over the years. On the menu at this traditional pub you’ll find all kinds of seafood with starters like tempura oysters and crispy whitebait. You can then treat yourself to its signature dish ‘Cod and Lobster’, which is served with potato rosti, spinach and samphire, or try an Italian-American ‘Cioppino’ – a medley of seafood cooked in a thick, spicy tomato sauce.

Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Sitting right at the top of the North Yorkshire coast in Redcar and Cleveland, Saltburn-by-the-Sea is the perfect destination for those who love to spend time outdoors, whether surfing or walking the coastal paths. If all that activity leaves you feeling peckish, one of the town’s highlights is its Seaview restaurant, which appeared on BBC’s Remarkable Places To Eat with Fred Sirieix and Nadiya Hussain. Seaview sits close to the beach on the Lower Promenade and it has a light and spacious contemporary interior. The chefs here work with fresh seasonal ingredients to create imaginative seafood dishes that are both delicious and a joy to look at. Starters include a seared tuna loin with charred sweetcorn, mango salsa and avocado, or potted shrimp with melba toast. You can then choose from mains like stonebass with curried mussels, vegetables and seaherbs, or sample the Saltburn crab brioche, which features white and brown crab with crayfish tails and celeriac remoulade in a brioche roll topped with bitter leaves, pickled cucumber and Bloody Mary ketchup.

Images- https://www.fishboxwhitby.co.uk/gallery/, @thefishcottage, @seaviewrestaurant