10 Lyme Regis Restaurants and Cafes That’ll Leave You Hungry for Seconds

From Lyme’s seafood restaurants where the fish comes fresh from Lyme Bay, to innovative veggie wholesomeness that’ll impress your tastebuds, Lyme Regis restaurants and cafes are dynamic and delicious.

So for an authentic taste of coastal Dorset, book yourself a table at one of our favourite Lyme Regis places to eat listed below. We’ll meet you by the window seat.

All the Lyme Regis restaurants and cafes featured here are independently selected by our editor. Naturally, we try hard to be accurate but please always check before visiting because these are unusual times and things can change.

The Millside is a real foody gem, tucked away beside the quaint Town Mill in the creative heart of Lyme Regis. Expect some of Lyme’s freshest seafood on the menu, much of which is served with a twist to make each dish unique.

From innovations like the incredible Fruits de Mer platter and a Tuscan-inspired ‘Caccucino’, to traditional plates like the local fisherman’s stew packed with market day fish – it’s all sourced from Dorset suppliers (Beer Fisheries and The Wet Fish Shop) so eating here feels good for the planet, too.

To wash you meal down, the Millside restaurant offers local craft ales and  beers (from Lyme Brewery, which is just across the street) and wines from Lyme Lyme Bay Winery, as well as delicious local spirits.

If you’re not a fish fan, the menu also has locally-sourced meat dishes, and vegetarian and vegan options too: the meat comes from nearby Colyton Butchers and the fruit and vegetables from Trill Farm.

The details:

• Kid’s menu available
• Vegetarian and gluten-free options
• Dog-friendly
• Comprehensive wine list
• Main course price- £18.50- £29
• 1 Mill Lane, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3PU

Tuesday – Saturday
Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm
Dinner: 6pm – 9pm

Sunday
Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm

Pic Credit: The Millside

Robin Wylde is a brilliant new Lyme Regis restaurant from West Country born chef, Harriet Mansell (who competed in BBC2’s Great British Menu in 2020). The restaurant’s name a pseudonym for the rich, local countryside fare expertly served by Harriet and her team.

Robin Wylde started life as a successful pop-up restaurant in Lyme Regis, finding its permanent home in the town centre just before Covid struck. Since then, the restaurant has made waves in Lyme Regis and is recommended by locals.

At the heart of the restaurant’s allure is Harriet’s unique culinary style. Her dishes reflect the abundance of wild foods that grow along Dorset’s coastline, hedgerows and fields, and are served with an experimental flair. Eat here and you’re in for a dining experience, rather than simply a meal that fills your belly.

The Robin Wylde menu comes as a 9-course tasting experience, alongside an option for pairing your meal with West Country wines. And highlights include ‘beetroot tartatre, black tahini and rose’, ‘scallops with apple and wild herbs’, ‘crab tart’ and ‘venison loin with Ogleshield polenta and oyster mushrooms’.

The details:

The restaurant is open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday and Saturday lunch. Full menu lunch 12.30 – arrive and 12 onwards for aperitif(s). 3 course lunch 12.00 or 14.00. Dinner 18.30 – arrive 18.00 for aperitif(s).

• Vegetarian and gluten free options are available on request, although
• Robin Wylde does not offer a vegan menu
• Please specify any dietary requirements on booking

Dinner

Food menu £55
Wine pairing £45

Lunch

Full menu £55
3 course menu £25

Pic Credit: Robin Wylde

Say ‘hola’ to The Strawberry Tree – a Lyme Regis restaurant where you can savour ‘slow Spanish food’ in the form of delicious, authentic Spanish tapas and pinxtos (small tapas dishes).

Traditionally, tapas is served as an informal meal, without courses, that  guests share whilst connecting and chatting with one another. And it’s this idea, of bringing people together over good food and wine, that is the core vibe of The Strawberry Tree.

The restaurant’s founders, Ed and Giselle, are two Spanish food lovers; Giselle is a Gibraltarian, has spent much of her life living and cooking in Andalusia in southern Spain, coming from a line of chefs in her family. Ed lived in Madrid for around 15 years until 2012, when he moved to Dorset in the UK.

The sample menu is split into ‘de la huerta y mar’ (from the garden and sea) and ‘de la pastura’ (from the land) and includes ‘smoked cod and chive croquettes’, ‘chickpea fabada stew with smoked chorizo and morcilla’, ‘roasted leeks, romesco sauce and almonds’ and ‘roasted roots and beets with dukkah and honey’. Naturally, there is also a selection of Spanish wines and beers.

As well as sit-in dining, The Strawberry Tree also offers pop ups in venues around Dorset, Cook and Dine days where you learn to cook Spanish food and Tutored Tasting experiences.

The details:

• Picars (mini tapas served at the bar) cost £2 each and larger dishes cost £4- £10
• Vegetarian friendly and vegan options available
• Take away options also on offer

Pic Credit: The Strawberry Tree

The Courtyard Café is a quaint bistro café tucked away in the historic Town Mill of Lyme Regis. All the flour for The Courtyard Café’s bread, cakes and pastries comes from the Town Mill itself, which is an historic working water milll dating back to at least 1340.

Serving breakfast, brunch and light lunches, The Courtyard Café makes for a peaceful stop where you can refuel when you’re in this part of town and browse the local art on the walls.

Chef-founder and nutritionist, Laura, is committed to serving freshly prepared food with ingredients sourced locally and seasonally. The fresh fish comes from Lyme Bay (just under a mile away from your table) and the vegetables come from Laura’s garden and the local farms.

In addition to the food menu, the café offers freshly ground coffee, loose leaf teas, organic soft drinks and a selection of alcoholic beverages.

The details:

• Family friendly
• Dog friendly
• Vegetarian, gluten free and vegan options
• Open Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday 8.30am-2.30pm
• Mains cost between £5-£13

Pic Credit: Courtyard Cafe

Founded by Mark Hix MBE, an award-winning author and food writer and one of London’s post eminent restaurateurs, The Oyster and Fish House perches proudly above Lyme Regis, offering stunning views of The Cobb and the Jurassic Coast.

Once inside, you’ll enjoy some of the best local produce, sustainable fish and seafood caught off the Dorset coast, often from Lyme Bay itself. The menus are created by Mark and change twice daily, depending on what the fishermen have brought in.

You can also support local Lyme Bay fishermen as you dine by choosing the ‘by-catch’ option (a by-catch is a fish caught unintentionally whilst catching certain target species of sea life).

Expect local wine and beers, too, by local breweries and vineyards, including Lyme Bay and Castlewood. And for any curry enthusiasts, The Oyster and Fish House holds a fish curry night every Monday night, for £30 per a person.

The details:

• Gluten-free options
• Vegetarian menu available
• Open 7 days a week 12pm-10pm
• Mains cost between £12.95 – £25.00

Pic Credit: The Oyster and Fish House

Run by former River Cottage chef Dom Moldenhauer, Dom’s Table is an inventive rustic pop-up site open on Wednesday to Saturday nights.

The 4-course tasting menu is fixed and changes daily according to seasonality and what produce is availability on the day. Which means, you can enjoy honest and creative recipes by a chef who’s passionate about cooking in a sustainable and accessible manner.

Previous dishes have included pulled pork flatbread, green tomato salsa and black pudding; pan-fried sea bass, scallop, chard, cabbage, fennel and sea water sloe; and Town Mill churros, apples and miso honey.

The details:

• £34 pp for four courses (minimum)
• Caters for all dietary requirements but please mention them on booking
• Open Wednesday- Saturday, 6-11pm

Pic Credit: Dom’s Table

Not far from the beach on Bridge Street, family-run The Pilot Boat, offers a bright, modern dining experience in a Grade-II listed inn.

It’s recently been refurbished by the local brewery, Palmer’s Brewery, and is now a cool contemporary hangout for a night out or for a bite to each in the colourful restaurant or on the fabulous roof terrace.

Go there for locally-caught fish dishes, tasty pasta and fresh 12″ pizzas, and delicious grills – most of which is from local Dorset suppliers. You’ll also find an extensive drinks menu, including a wide range of cocktails to help your meals go down a treat.

The details:

• Vegetarian and vegan friendly
• Gluten free options
• Open Monday-Thursday and Sunday 9.00-21.00, Friday 11-22.00 and Saturday 9-22.00

Pic Credit: The Pilot Boat

If you’re searching for a hearty start to the day or a wholesome homemade organic picnic lunch, look no further than the Good Food Café and Deli, an independent family-run affair in the heart of Lyme Regis.

Step inside for hot cooked breakfasts and brunch, decadent cream teas, sticky pastries, homemade cakes, healthy smoothies, and organic homemade soups to eat in at a window seat.

Alongside the dine-in options, there’s also a deli selling freshly-baked pies (which come courtesy of West Country award-winners Chunk and Tom’s Pies), local quiches and tarts, freshly-made baguettes or sandwich packed with Lyme Bay crab or homemade hummus, and a selection of local cheeses.

Grab a selection and make for the beach.

The details:

• Open 7 days a week, 9.30 am – 4.30pm
• Vegetarian-friendly, vegan and gluten-free options available
• Can cater for dietary requirements when informed at the counter
• TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award 2020
• Breads and cakes from £1.50, breakfast (a bacon bap and coffee) for as little as £4.95, pasties for £6.95

Pic Credit: Love Lyme Regis/Good Food Cafe

A few steps from Lyme’s sandy beach, with views of the Cobb and Lyme Bay, you’ll find the Harbour Inn – a relaxed family-run pub where the food is great and the welcome genuine.

Run by Mark and his mother Sue, the Harbour Inn is a great spot to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat as the sun sinks over the sea. Expect freshly-cooked, homemade food from an experienced kitchen team who’ve been cooking at the Harbour Inn for over 10 years.

For lunch, the plates come piled high. From a range of filled baguettes and sandwiches to mains such as Lyme Bay hake and Harbour Inn fish pie. The dinner menu is just as good boasting Cornish mussels in white wine sauce, Lyme Bay mackerel in coriander tempura, slow-roasted shoulder of Dorset lamb or the vegetarian dish of the day.

The Harbour Inn also offers a kid’s menu and a traditional Sunday lunch between 12-2pm.

The details:

• Dog friendly
• Mains range from £7 to £17.20
• Offer gluten-free and dairy-free options on request
• Open 7 days a week, 11am-11pm with food served 12-2.30pm and 6-9pm

Pic Credit: Love Lyme Regis/The Harbour Inn

Turn up the heat with Lal Quilla – a Lyme Regis restaurant that brings the best of Indian, Asian and Balti cuisine to locals and visitors alike.

Centrally located in the town, with a friendly and attentive team ready to welcome you for the evening, Lal Quilla serves a variety of options loaded with ingredients and flavour. Including Tandoori, Balti, Jalfrize, Biranies and Bengal dishes.

La Quilla specials include Garlic Chilli Mosala with chicken or lamb, Shahi Badami (an almond cream dish), or marinated Lemon Chicken or Lamb, among others. There are also a wide selection of veggie dishes to choose from.

The restaurant itself is cosy, clean and comfortable should you want a table inside or you can order a take away and enjoy La Quilla’s flavours at home. If you do choose to dine, make sure you bring your own booze.

The details:

• Vegetarian and vegan options
• Open 7 days a week, 12 – 2pm and 6 -11pm
• Main dishes start at £7.95

Pic Credit: Trip Advisor