St Andrews, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“Outstanding” seafood and views to match are the enticing prospect at this upscale contemporary-Italian, which is “not what you’d expect in traditional St Andrews: a dramatic, modern glass box overlooking the sea (great for watching the fulmars come in to land on the cliffs)”. “Scotland seems, at last, to have discovered it has some of the best fresh seafood in the world and this restaurant cooks it simply and well”. Any downsides? “In high summer it’s the default choice of the Pebble Beach golfing fraternity, so can become both noisy and busy”. The Ristorante celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and is smartly run by a young owner from a prominent Scottish-Italian hospitality family, Stefano Pieraccini.

On the pretty harbour of this attractive town which overlooks the mouth of the Firth of Forth, the Smith family’s celebrated venture is arguably Scotland’s most famous chippie. The ‘Catch of the Day’ board highlights the day’s specials – almost all the fish is bought on the day served and hand-filleted by a local fish processing business, with haddock their best-seller.

2023 Review: “A lovely local restaurant with a high level of cookery” – Craig Millar’s bright coastal dining room provides “a good choice, especially fish at reasonable prices, plus beautiful sea views”. He follows a tasting menu format, offering 5-course and 6-course options.

2022 Review: “Fresh-as-you-like seafood, cooked perfectly with stunning views over Elie Bay – what more could you want?” – that’s the deal at this terrific shack “right on the harbour with a view of the glorious beach” run by Amy Elles of Great British Menu fame. Closed in winter.

Chef Roy Brett’s Ondine closed in Edinburgh last December after 16 years, to reopen in spring 2025 at this new five-star hotel overlooking the hallowed golfing turf of the Old Course. It opened rather late to attract reports in our annual diners’ poll, but in her July 2025 review, The Times’s Chitra Ramaswamy invested in “the most expensive lunch… in ages”. Oysters are the star turn here according to Chitra – “to sit in this fine room at teatime, with this view, eating oysters of this calibre at these outrageously good prices, is one of the best things you can do with your hard-earned cash in Scotland.” Other dishes on the “minimalist and French-leaning” menu were a mixed bag: “lemon sole meunière is a masterclass in fish cookery, the fish soft, fluffy and white as a cumulus cloud”, but some of the cooking “needs finessing” – in particular, both salt-baked beets with whipped crowdie and monkfish au poivre were “way too salty”.