The UK’s best seaside towns for food and drink

If you want to enjoy the best food and drink on the UK's coast, Cornwall and Kent are the places to visit.

Although Cornwall's beach towns didn't do as well overall as resorts in other parts of the country in our annual survey of seaside towns, four Cornish towns – Falmouth, Looe, Padstow and St Ives – scored full marks for food and drink.

They were matched by Broadstairs, Deal, Folkestone and Whitstable on the Kent coast.

In total, an impressive 28 seaside towns – all across the country – got five out of five stars for food and drink. So wherever you live in the UK, you'll probably find a great foodie destination on your nearest bit of coast.

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The best seaside towns for food in South East England

Broadstairs

This old-fashioned seaside town, once a favourite of Charles Dickens, has Kent's best beaches – as well as the some of the best food on the South East coast. Independent restaurants look out over the fishing boats and sea views that once charmed Dickens. Broadstairs becomes busy in the summer (parking got just one out of five stars), but walk along the coast and you’ll find lots of smaller, secluded bays where you can enjoy a bit more peace and quiet.

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The best seaside towns for food in East England

Aldeburgh

A sign on one of the black-tarred fishing shacks on Aldeburgh beach says ‘anything fresher is still swimming!’ Receiving a full five stars for peace and quiet, this Suffolk fishing town still has the same qualities that attracted its most famous resident, composer Benjamin Britten. Its shingle beach means you don't get hordes of holidaymakers – but you do get the simple pleasures of eating fish and chips, fresh from the fryer, while perched on the sea wall. 

The best seaside towns for food in North East England

Tynemouth

One of only two towns to get both the full five stars for its beach – and five stars for its food and drink – the North East town of Tynemouth has it all. You'll find a ruined castle, three beautiful golden beaches, handsome terraces of Georgian and Victorian homes and some spectacular cliffs. Buy a seafood bowl from Riley’s Fish Shack on King Edward’s Bay and tuck in from a deckchair looking out over the beach.

The best seaside towns for food in Scotland

St Andrews

A quick stroll around the many cobbled streets and alleyways of St Andrews reveals why it got full marks for food and drink. Delicious aromas lure passers-by into some of Scotland's best bistros and ice-cream parlours. The two-mile stretch of West Sands is a great way to walk off a big meal. Or take a trek up to its ruined gothic cathedral – one of the town's many great tourist attractions.

The best seaside town for food in North West England

Lytham St Annes

Less than a 20-minute drive from Blackpool, Lytham St Annes is a jewel of the North West coast. Its two halves – the tranquil, village-like Lytham and the traditional seaside town that is St Annes – both have their culinary charms. The Italianate, redbrick Lytham Market Hall is home to ambitious, independent restaurants and cafés, while the seafront has more traditional establishments of the kind that comedian Les Dawson would have appreciated. A statue of the great man stands in the 'Peace and Happiness Garden' near the pier.

The best seaside towns for food in Wales

Tenby

Despite its popularity, Tenby always feels fun. Head there off-season, when it’s just as lovely, to wander down its Georgian lanes to the four family-friendly, sandy beaches (some of the highest rated in the survey) in relative peace. Elegant, pastel-coloured houses and a ruined castle complete the picture. Sandbar, a craft beer and street food restaurant run by Tenby Brewery Company, is a tasty lunch destination.

The best seaside towns for food in South West England

Sidmouth

'Sidmouth in Devon, you’re the town for me,’ declared John Betjeman in a 1962 poem. Several decades later, readers agreed with him wholeheartedly. Achieving the full five stars for scenery, seafront and accommodation – as well as food and drink – Sidmouth retains most of what pleased the poet and pleases us. It also now has award-winning restaurants, ice-cream parlours and pubs – which we can be sure Betjeman would have loved, too.

The UK’s best and worst seaside towns

Six towns in our survey received just one star for food and drink, and also scored poorly on most other measures.

Discover which towns these were – and find the best places for beaches, seafronts, scenery and more – in our guide to the UK’s best and worst seaside towns.

The results are based on our online survey of 8,952 experiences, from 3,872 Which? Connect panel members conducted in Jan-Mar 2025. The destination score is based on satisfaction with the location and likelihood to recommend. This year we didn't get enough responses to include any towns from Northern Ireland.