Chase a swim in the sun-warmed sea with supper at these coastal restaurants made for post-dip feasting
Hive Beach Café, Bridport, Dorset
The seafood offering at this eatery on Hive Beach is off-the-deep-end delicious.
Fresh from a paddle in the nearby surf, those in the know hit Hive Beach Café to feast on doorstop crab sandwiches, fish and chips and daily pasta specials. Groups game to push the boat out can plump for the sprawling seafood platter, featuring a luscious assortment of whole West Bay lobster, crisp calamari, scallops, handpicked crab meat, smoked salmon, panko prawns, fries and a pick of dishes from the appetiser board.
Porthminster Beach Cafe, St Ives, Cornwall
Perched on the pale sands of Porthminster Beach, swimmers flock to the outdoor terrace of this prestigious restaurant to dine with the salty breeze brushing their skin.
Head chef Ben Prior and chef-owner Mick Smith craft vibrant dishes based on the bounty of produce at their fingertips. Expect the freshest seafood, foraged coastal ingredients and garden-grown herbs and veg. Menus are switched up regularly, but a typical Porthminster supper could include such beauties as hand-dived scallops, surf and turf or monkfish curry.
A sea swim in the pristine waters opposite the restaurant is a must. With Blue Flag accreditation, views across the bay towards Hayle and Godrevy Lighthouse, and generally calm waters, it makes for a blissful place to take a dip.
Catch at the Old Fish Market, Weymouth, Dorset
With a sweeping crescent of sand and shallow, sheltered waters, Weymouth Bay is about as inviting as sea swimming gets. Strike out for a refreshing dip in crystal-clear waters before swapping the Georgian seafront for the working harbour, where an equally enticing taste of the coast awaits.
Just a few flip-flop thwacks around the water, Catch at the Old Fish Market occupies a Grade II-listed former fish market on the quayside. Chef-patron Ben Champkin, who honed his skills at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume, puts local day-boat seafood front and centre, even naming the boats and skippers responsible for the day’s catch on the menu.
The team’s whole-fish approach and in-house dry-ageing programme make for thoughtful, low-waste cooking that wrings maximum flavour from the local bounty. After a saltwater swim, settle in for seafood with impressive tide-to-table provenance.
School House, Mothecombe, Devon
The secluded cove of Mothecombe Beach on the south Devon coast remains somewhat of an insider’s find for shallow, sheltered bathing. The beach and this crowd-pleasing restaurant, just a ten-minute stroll away, both sit within the Flete Estate.
Round off a dip with a trip to rustic-chic School House, which blurs the line between casual bites and refined dining – ideal when your hair is a little damp and your skin salt-tinged. The menu comprises small and large plates (sharing is encouraged, so don’t sit selfish eaters in the middle), as well as hand-stretched pizzas with bougie toppings. If you’ve finished swimming for the day, be sure to reward your laps with a cocktail or two. Hello, spicy picanté, lychee martini and watermelon sour.
Sandy Cove, Berrynarbor, north Devon
The sound of waves lapping the shore is a siren song at Sandy Cove. With turquoise water framed by dramatic cliffs and woodland, the scene could almost have been lifted from the Mediterranean – yet this secluded swimming spot is tucked away on the north Devon coast.
Hotel residents at Sandy Cove have private access to the beach via new steps that wind through ancient woodland and rock formations before emerging at the water’s edge. Take the plunge, dry off and head back up the cliff, where two very different dining experiences await.
The Cove Restaurant delivers a casual, family-friendly feed, where moules marinière rub shoulders with burgers, sandwiches and pizza. For a more elevated feast, three-AA-rosette The Seacliff serves a tasting menu with a side order of mesmerising views across the bay. To pique your palate, produce-led dishes include fermented hot-honey duck, mussel-stuffed sea bream and Roku sorbet with lime foam, coriander oil and coral tuile.
Enjoyed our 5 of the best spots for sea swims and supper? Check out our favourite surf hotels in the South West.
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