Alnwick, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“Fresh seafood platters with abundant crab” are a highlight at this early Victorian pub in a “lovely location with a terrific sea view”, which can be “almost too popular for a comfortable evening out” – “locally smoked kippers” are also a speciality. Part of a group owned by ex-rugby pro David Whitehead, along with Rosie’s Bar in Newcastle, the Woodmans Arms in Whickham and the recently acquired Yorebridge House Hotel in Yorkshire.

“A great location beside the harbour” helps drive feedback on this quayside fixture run by music festival caterers Martin & Ruth Charlton, who settled here a dozen years ago (they also run the nearby Fish Shack). Its overall ratings in our annual diners’ poll were good-to-average this year, with most reports saying it “caters well for seafood lovers”, with “excellent fresh ingredients” (including “delicious langoustines”) at “reasonable prices”.

An “excellent restaurant” whose “super-friendly welcome” is a prelude to ultra-fresh local shellfish and seafood (the “best we’ve had for years”, according to one reporter), particularly if you go for the “delicious” titular crustacean, which comes in various renditions. Conditions “can be noisy” and, for the odd visitor, the trip “didn’t live up to expectations” given the elevated price, but the majority verdict is that all aspects are “very well done”. The team run a sister venue, The Whittling House, which lies just to the south in Alnmouth, and there’s a younger Potted Lobster spin-off in the Welsh seaside resort of Abersoch, offering catch from the Llyn Peninsula.

2022 Review: FKA ‘Sea Salt’, this relative newbie on the growing local scene, in a “welcoming environment near Amble harbour”, is run by couple Julie Lunn-Bird (FOH) and Jonny Bird (who trained under Albert Roux). The “interesting” bistro-style menu often features fresh fish alongside the regular menu of burgers, steaks, salads etc.