This lovely pub in the village of Seamer, about a 10-minute drive away, serves modern British cuisine in a cosy and welcoming atmosphere; there’s even an open fire going in the cooler months. It’s a little more expensive than some local pubs, but the food is home-cooked and of a high standard. Traditional Sunday lunch is served between 12-4pm.

Main Street, Seamer, Scarborough YO12 4RF, England, (01723 862029)

Link to Copper Horse
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Situated between Cloughton and Staintondale just north of Scarborough, this traditional stone pub is highly regarded for its delicious home-cooked food and hand-pulled ales. The atmosphere is warm and cosy with a real open fire – and the steak pie and chips really takes some beating. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord is on tap – and is surely one of the finest pints around. Book in advance, especially on a weekend.

Newlands Rd, Cloughton, | YO13 0AR, Scarborough, England (01723 870744)
Link to Bryherstones Inn
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

A working forge from the 1700s to as recently as 1985, this beautiful country pub may be a little off the beaten track, but is well worth the journey. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the bar is in the original blacksmith’s workshop. Food is of a very high standard, made from fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, and the cask beers are very good. It’s not cheap – main courses range from £12 to £20 – but you get what you pay for.

Main Street Sawdon, Scarborough YO13 9DY England, (01723 859896)
Link to The Anvil Inn
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

It’s not what you’d call a gastropub, but if you’re into hearty, good value pub food, it’s great. A word of advice, though. Make sure you’re really hungry, because the portions are huge. A roast served on a platter-sized plate with around 8-10 different vegetables is the norm. It gets very busy, so booking is advisable.

Main St, Flixton, Scarborough YO11 3UB
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

A classic country pub serving generous portions of traditional, home-cooked food in a friendly and cosy atmosphere. It’s a family friendly pub, and the prices are very reasonable.

2 High St, Burniston, Scarborough (01723 871445)

Link to The Three Jolly Sailors
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Located in the village of Burniston, 15 minutes north of Scarborough, this lovely old country inn offers a roaring fire, a good selection of real ales and delicious, home-cooked food. The menu is traditional pub fayre – steak pie, gammon, steaks, fish etc – plus a great Sunday lunch. Portions are very generous, so make sure you’re hungry!

Coastal Rd, Burniston, Scarborough (01723 870230)
Link to The Oak Wheel
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

This 18th Century coaching inn, seven miles north of Scarborough, is hugely popular with hikers, horse riders and cyclists, as it’s located just off the old railway line between Scarborough and Whitby – now part of the Cleveland Way trail. The food and ales are good, there’s a lovely beer garden for the summer and a roaring fire for the winter. Heyburn Wyke beach, with its twin waterfall, is a 20-minute walk down through the woodland.

Nr Cloughton, Scarborough (01723 870202)

Link to Heyburn Wyke Inn
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

This one is on the list for the quality of its food – it really is superb – rather than the attitude of the landlord, who is Weaverthorpe’s answer to Basil Fawlty. Still, if you’re prepared to put up with his well-documented lack of social skills, you’ll be rewarded with some of the finest food in the region. It’s not cheap, but you could pay twice as much for far inferior food elsewhere.

Main Street, Weaverthorpe Y017 8EX, England, (01944 738204)
Link to Blue Bell Inn
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

If you’re out visiting Dalby Forest, Pickering or the North York Moors, you should drop into the Fox and Rabbit, close to the Hole of Horcum. It’s a lovely pub serving locally-sourced, home-cooked food and real ales – in cosy surroundings. The food is beautifully presented, there’s an open fire and are very reasonable, with most mains ranging from £11 to £14.

Whitby Rd, Lockton, nr Thornton-le-Dale (01751 460213)
Link to The Fox and Rabbit Inn
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

We’ve visited a few times on special occasions. As good as the food is, it’s the experience of dining in a Gothic country mansion that makes this place so special. Think oak-panelled dining room with an open fire, chandeliers, starched white tablecloths and silver candles.

Great care and attention is placed on perfect presentation and the finest quality ingredients; during the winter months, venison, pheasant and duck are sourced from the surrounding estates. Three courses with complimentary tea/coffee range from £27.50-£37.50.

Barmoor Lane Scalby, Scarborough YO13 0PB, England (01723 371190)
Link to Wrea Head
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

This popular Italian restaurant has enjoyed rave reviews since it opened in 2010. All the pasta is hand-made in the kitchen and they use fresh, local ingredients wherever possible. Scarborough Crab Ravioli seems to be a particular favourite. Pasta main courses range from £8 to £13; other mains from £13 to £23. It gets pretty busy, so we advise booking ahead.

36 North Marine Road, Scarborough YO12 7PE, England, (01723 506979)
Link to CoGoni’s
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Situated close to Peasholm Park on the North Bay, this small but stylish restaurant in a converted butchers and fishmongers (the tiled floor and walls are still there) really is something special. The eponymous head chef, Jeremy Hollingsworth, has returned to his hometown after a spell at London’s Dorchester and six years under Marco Pierre White. He was head chef at Quo Vadis when it was awarded a Michelin star, so it’s no surprise that the quality of his food is outstanding. Prices are, understandably, on the high side for Scarborough, but it’s a special place for a special occasion.

33 Victoria Park Avenue, Scarborough YO12 7TR, England, (01723 363871)
Link to Jeremys
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Very popular with the Stephen Joseph Theatre crowd, this Michelin Recommended restaurant has built a fantastic reputation for its first-rate, locally sourced cuisine. Chef Proprietor Rob Porter has returned to Scarborough after working in Michelin-starred restaurants and his early bird menu on Friday and Saturday evenings invites you to sample his impressive culinary skills at a very reasonable price.

138 Victoria Rd, Scarborough YO11 118L (01723 501801)
Link to The Green Room
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

A Yorkshire institution that’s been on its Queen St site for almost 40 years, this is arguably Scarborough’s finest restaurant. Tagged ‘the English temple of Italian cuisine’ by Italy’s influential La Stampa newspaper, Lanterna has received glowing reviews from most of the UK’s broadsheet newspapers for its Piedmont-inspired comfort food. Fish is a speciality, with chef Giorgio Alessio’s dishes regularly named among the top 50 in the UK. Expensive, yes. But you only live once.

33 Queen St, Scarborough YO11 1HQ (01723 363616)

Link to Lanterna Ristorante
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

This modern, industrial-style café opposite the Stephen Joseph Theatre serves an eclectic range of food from Japanese Ramen noodles and chilli jam chicken to gourmet burgers and Full English breakfasts. All of it is delicious. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it’s very popular, so make sure you get there early! Just a 10-minute walk from the Steeple and Belfry.

1 Hanover road, Scarborough England, 01723373256
Link to Eat me Cafe
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Don’t let the décor put you off; the Northern Italian cuisine at this unassuming restaurant is superb – and amazingly good value. Their standard 12” pizzas cost less than the smaller offerings served up in chain restaurants, but they’re in another league altogether. The salads and fresh pasta are wonderful, too. Fresh, simple, quality ingredients cooked with love and expertise. Pomodoro got a great write-up in the Yorkshire Post and it’s easy to see why. You’ll be going back for more. Most people do.

24/25 Newborough, Scarborough YO11 1~NA, England 01723 507336
Link to Pomodoro
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

There are three Thai restaurants in Scarborough. Saba on St Thomas St, which can be a bit hit-and-miss, Thai Manor on North Marine Rd, which is good, but could do with a makeover, and Thai Smile, which is wonderful. A good measure of a Thai restaurant is its Pad Thai noodles, and they’re delicious – as are most of the dishes. It’s a small restaurant, friendly restaurant serving quality food at very reasonable prices (there’s even Early Bird special from 4-6pm) so booking is recommended.

Queen Street | Eastborough, Scarborough, England (01723353481)
Link to Thai Smile
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Located on North Bay’s Marine Drive, with fantastic views across the castle headland and out to sea, Watermark Café serves great coffee, breakfasts and snacks. There’s also a good choice of cakes, with many gluten-free options. There’s a large outdoor dining area for the summer months and regular live music.

Royal Albert Drive, Scarborough YO12 7TY, England, 01723506506
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Taking its name from the eponymous Indian and Colonial Outfitters that once occupied this address, Greensmith & Thackwray serves hand-crafted coffee, loose leaf tea, artisan cakes, breakfast and light lunches in stylish, retro surroundings. Queen of the High Street, Mary Portas, has called it ‘a brilliant coffee shop’ and she should know.

30 St Nicholas St, Scarborough
Link to Greensmith & Thackwray
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

If the American diner/Man vs Food experience is your thing, you’ll love East Coast Kitchen. Everything is freshly-made on the premises – including the pastrami – and the ingredients are sourced locally. Portions are more than generous, as is to be expected, and if you’re feeling brave, you can always take on a food challenge. It’s not cheap, but it’s certainly cheerful.

34 Newborough, Scarborough (01723 377290)
Link to East Coast Kitchen
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

How do they do it for the money? It’s not fine dining – far from it – but if you’re looking for traditional roast dinners and lunches, with unlimited vegetables and sides, you won’t find better value. An all-you-can-eat breakfast or a three-roast carvery are well under £5, and although it’s slightly more for a roast on a Sunday and bank holiday, the kids eat free with every paying adult.

Some of the TripAdvisor reviews are negative, but in our view, it’s unfair to expect Champagne on a beer budget. We have two kids, so we eat there quite often. Not surprisingly, it’s a very popular spot.

Burniston Road, Scarborough YO13 0DA , England, 01723 503452
Link to Scalby Manor
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

If you want to enjoy a meal in peace, the Mayfield is a good option. This newly-renovated country pub has a children’s indoor play area (unsupervised) and the menu is family-friendly. There’s also a good carvery Tuesday to Sunday. It’s run by the same people who own the Copper Horse up the road, which is one of the area’s best pubs.

10-11 Main Street, Seamer, Seamer, Scarborough YO12 4RF, England, 01723 863160
Link to Mayfield Hotel
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

A Scarborough institution for 30 years. It’s loud, friendly and always packed to the rafters. Florios has been named one of the top 20 pizzerias in the UK by TripAdvisor, and it’s hard to argue with that. The pizzas are large and delicious, and there’s plenty of traditional Italian dishes if you don’t want pizza or pasta. Prices are very reasonable, especially during happy hour from 5-7pm. Make sure you book, though.

35 – 37 Aberdeen Walk, Scarborough YO11 1BD, England, 01723 351124
Link to Florios Pizeria Restaurant
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

If you’re looking for huge portions of the usual Tex-Mex, served in a fun and bustling atmosphere, don’t be put off by the exterior. The food is good, there’s plenty of choice and the prices are very reasonable – especially if you get the happy hour discount before 6pm.

South Cliff, Scarborough YO11 2AQ, England 01723 501764
Link to El Gringo’s
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

If you’ve got kids in tow and you don’t mind a bit of hustle and bustle, ASK is ideal. It’s in a great location, right on the harbour – with floor-to-ceiling glass to make the most of the view. There’s also al fresco dining for the summer. The food is what you expect from a popular Italian chain and can be quite pricey. So it’s a good idea to Google ‘ASK vouchers Scarborough’, as there is usually a discount available.

North Wharf, South Bay Sandside, Scarborough (01723 507575)
Link to ASK Italian
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

Located opposite ASK on the South Bay, this new addition to Scarborough’s thriving Italian restaurant scene is just what you’d expect from Pizza Express. Nice décor, tasty food and friendly service. Not the best pizzas in Scarborough – you’ll find those at Pomodoro and Florios – but it’s in a great location with a nice atmosphere. Again, Google ‘Pizza Express vouchers Scarborough’ before you go, as there’s usually a special offer.

11-12 Sandside, Scarborough (01723 375888)
Link to Pizza Express
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

14 York Place, Scarborough (01723 365083)

Scarborough has three Chinese restaurants – Kam Sang on North Marine Rd, the Red Dragon on Falsgrave Rd and the Oriental on York Place. The largest and most popular is Kam Sang, which polarises opinion among locals. In our experience, the food is very average, the service is hurried and the prices are too high.

The Red Dragon offers better value, with its all-you-can-eat menu, but again its reviews can be a little hit and miss. The best Chinese is the Oriental, a small restaurant which has occupied its York Place site for around 40 years – and very little has changed! The food and service are good and the prices very reasonable – especially the lunch menu. The homemade chips are great, too.

As is often the case, it’s cash only – no credit cards – so don’t get caught out.

Link to The Oriental, Scarborough News review
Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

There are plenty of Indian restaurants in Scarborough. As you’ll see on TripAdvisor, with a couple of exceptions, they’re all pretty good; most get a rating of 4.5/5.

Scarborough Tandoori on St Thomas St is probably the town’s largest and most popular Indian restaurant – and it is very good. However, head around the corner to Tikka Tikka on Castle Rd and you certainly won’t be disappointed. The food is delicious; the portion sizes are large; the service is friendly and efficient; and the prices are very reasonable.

Tikka Tikka
61-65 Castle Road, Scarborough YO11 1BH, England, 01723 377 573
Link to Tikka Tikka
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

Tandoori Nights
34-36 Castle Road, Scarborough YO11 1XE, England, 01723 377312
Link to Trip Advisor Reviews

Who does the best fish and chips in Scarborough? It’s the million-dollar question around here. North Bay Fisheries opposite Peasholm Park has people queuing out the door all year round for good reason – their fish and chips are perfect. As for dining in, the Harbour View Café on the West Pier serves up great food with an equally impressive view. Mother Hubbard’s on Westborough is probably the pick of the town centre fish restaurants. A bit further afield, Walkers Fish Restaurant in East Ayton is very good, if a little expensive, and Silk’s at the Croft in Newby is far from the tourist trail, but is a firm favourite among locals.

Of course, the famous Magpie Café in Whitby is well worth a visit if you’re out and about.

North Bay Fisheries:
Link to: TripAdvisor Reviews

Walkers Fish Restaurant:
Link to: Walkers Fish Restaurant
Link to: TripAdvisor Reviews

Mother Hubbard’s:
Link to: Mother Hubbards
Link to: TripAdvisor Reviews

Silk’s at the Croft:
Link to: Silk’s at the Croft
Link to: TripAdvisor Reviews

35-37 Valley Rd

A lovely real ale pub serving traditional hand-pulled ales and good, home-cooked food. There’s regular live music and an open fire for the winter months.

Link to TripAdvisor Reviews

51 Valley Rd

The Valley, a small real ale pub, is just around the corner on Valley Rd. It doesn’t serve food, but the cask beers and ciders are very good and there’s an outdoor seating area.

Link to TripAdvisor Reviews