That is not even a 5- or 6- star restaurant, I would give them 7 stars if I could. That was the absolute best, most delicious, freshest seafood we had in a very long time. The ambiance was awesome, the service was excellent and super friendly. The food came out perfect and in the right time and in the right order. The quality and the taste of each dish was truly impressive - literally, perfect! I also personally like this kind of places - higher-end, great food, well trained and friendly service, but not uptight. We enjoyed a delicious meal and truly sophisticated dishes while feeling relaxed and having fun. All I can say is "thank you for the unforgettable experience"!!! read more

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Rated #1 in lonely planet. Great fish. Fantastic boxes and big cues. So must be good. Worth eating if a little bit pricy. They have inside dining which is even more crowded with big wait times. read more

We passed a few places in town offering fish & chip deals with one offering two fish & chips for £12.99. This place was just five minutes along the road. It overlooks a quiet harbour; the weak warmth of the sun was offset by the sea breeze. We mounted steep steps to queue on arrival, at about 6:30pm on a Wednesday, but it moved along fairly quickly. The restaurant is on at least two floors. It is an impressively big building from outside, but there's not a great deal of space between tables inside; I was impressed to see they accommodated a wheel-chaired customer arriving by lift on an upper floor where we four were seated. So, staff are real friendly but it's a hectically busy business so not too much time to chat casually. I imagine it must have its own type of mayhem at weekends. I guess staff have no difficulty sleeping when they get home. Food was good enough quality - 4 star - but way overpriced for what was on our plates - just about 2 star. Other reviews say they rely on reputation for pricing and as long as there's queues I imagine little will change. I got a codfish and chips as did my wife. I opted for the small one, she for the next one up at £17. Mine at £13 was twice the price of a local chippy here and the two I have in mind here are better quality and give more generous portions and unlike here also include mushy peas. We each got one large potato worth of chips. I sure felt ripped off and barely two stars for value. I got onion rings that were one star, pretty poor quality, as they were unpleasantly greasy, which was as disappointing as it was avoidable. Likewise for £17 my wife too felt more ripped off than me again her food portions were not generous. One of our two friends got crab and it tasted sweet, fresh, delicious but again top price; the other got the mean portioned £17 fish & chips adding mushy peas at £2. They'll be charging for salt and vinegar next. The desserts were delicious, really delicious. We found that there's enough in one for two to share. We had lemon meringue mess (£6.75) and our friends had a sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and a separate portion of ice cream at £6.75 each. One of our party got a soda water with lime cordial splash. The splash was 40p. That's taking the P, must put a bottle of lime cordial at £16. All in all it was £111. I added a generous tip despite being ripped off as those serving served us well. For this money I can get four fillet steak dinners in my local restaurant with ALL the trimmings. If there's a next time in this town we'll sure go elsewhere. read more

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Great food and atmosphere! Exceeded expectations and pleasant surprise. Please plan for parking during busy times.

I was properly miffed on a recent trip back to Whitby when they were closed to have the decorators in (I was very out of season, it's my own fault) after going on about how great this place is, and realised I had never reviewed the Magpie before! Considering it's such an institution, it's still epic value, and not just fish and chips- although I would argue that they are probably the best fish and chips I have ever had- with mushy peas, obviously. read more

We read a blog that recommended Magpie as the best and they were very busy. We were able to walk in and secure a table for two without reservations which seems to be fortuitous. The place is clean and has a great view and nice atmosphere so we were very expectant. We ordered a haddock and a cod to compare. In our travels around the UK these fish were the greasiest of all the restaurants from Bath to Ambleside. Worse, the grease seemed to have needed to be changed and the fish tasted scorched. I wound up removing the greasy batter and eating the fish itself with no batter. The chips were swimming in grease and we left them. We had another try at a local pub called the Dolphin across the street and the cod was done properly although nothing out of the ordinary. The locals seem to be in agreement that the Magpie is living off their reputation and we would agree. The blog said not to try Trenches but the locals recommended that. If you have to wait in line I think you would be better served at any of the other offerings. read more

I cried at the Magpie Cafe because I was overcome with all the beauty of Whitby: sights, tastes, sounds, and smells. The line starts forming before they open. They have gorgeous views of the harbor and the absolute best fish, chips, mashy peas, and sticky toffee pudding with custard! It's my favorite meal in England! And if you love their Whitby placemats like I do, they sell them down the street at the Magpie Kitchen shop! read more

Magpie Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

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Although the food is very tasty the prices are extremely expensive and the portion are not the biggest you can get better deals and cheaper bigger portions elsewhere read more

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Set right on the water in Whitby, the Magpie Cafe is one of the best places around to get seafood. This multi-floor restaurant is almost always packed with people, so wait times can be substantial if you arrive at a prime dining times. We got there at 3:30pm and walked right in. This is a big tourist restaurant and almost all of the tourists were from the UK according to the accents. I think we were the only Americans. The food took a long time to come, over 30 minutes. But when it finally arrived it was really good. We both had two types of grilled fish with chips and vegetables. We were very pleased with our meals. We have one word of warning for you. Don't set your GPS to the restaurant and try to drive there. There is no parking anywhere near the restaurant. Park at one of the lots and walk the ten minutes to the restaurant. They also have distant parking lots with a free shuttle to the dock area. read more

Ordered oysters on a half shell for appetizer; some rookie put the salt and ice too high on the platter upon which the oysters were placed around and as it melted, it flowed into them making them taste like seawater. Awful. To add insult to injury, the melted mess dribbled onto the table & when we asked for some napkins to help sop it up, the waiter made a petulant remark that "it wouldn't have happened if we hadn't moved the platter" as he was taking it away & sloshed more water all over the floor which he then had to mop up! (and was more angry in the process). We didn't touch the damn platter - and the waitstaff needs some training on how not to be rude. This is what happens when an establishment believes they are so wonderful they don't have to provide good manners or service. The Crab (white meat and "brown") stuffed shell entre was awful - a thin layer of white crab meat sprinkled over the paste of ground up crab organ meat that was too rich and pungent to eat. The fish and chips were the only decent entre we had. We won't be back. Lots of Hype - not much customer satisfaction. read more

Yum yum we are fish and chip aficionados and this place is awesome. We had small haddock and chips and it's a large portion! Excellent value. read more

Magpie Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

You haven't been to Whitby until you've feasted at the Magpie Cafe, its renowned for its freshly caught fish meals, but don't just stick to the fresh cod and haddock, try the Lindisfarne oysters, sheer heaven. We generally pig out here by having lunch and dinner. The service is very friendly, well they are Yorkshire folk after all. NB: Make sure you book first, it will save you a long wait outside on the steps. read more

Magpie Cafe - Their queues are just as famous as their cuisine! - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

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This place is a must visit if you find yourself in had Whitby! There is always a big queue, this time round I waited for about 30 minutes for a table for 4. The wait is usually less if there are just 2 people but it is worth the wait. There are lots of tables inside but service is still very fast and friendly. The food is so fresh and the choice is amazing. Also, genuinely one of the best cups of tea I have ever had! A word of warning, there are loads of stairs inside so this could make it difficult if you have a pushchair/wheelchair. Don't be put off by the queue! There is a takeaway option which is a good choice on a sunny day! read more

Magpie Cafe - Small fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

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What a horrible day outside, but what a great experience inside. It was rainy and really nasty. Long cue outside but we were hungry and had heard of this place as the top for fish and chips. Well, the cue didn't take long to get us in and the experience was to die for. I'm not that big on fish and chips so in my party (total of 4) I am the only one that had the mussels and chips. WOW. Delicious. They come in a rally huge pot with a garlic and cream sauce. We didn't have dessert because we just couldn't fit it but we were so happy with the plates, filling and big portions. If you are in Whitby do go in. You won't regret it. read more

Magpie Cafe - Mussels with chips. - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

Whitby has fish and chips shops everywhere you turn so it can be difficult choosing where you should spend your hard earned cash. Our local foodie contacts on Twitter all said that the Magpie was the best in town so we took their advice and ignored the rest. On a Monday night in June the restaurant was fairly busy but there were still "walk in" tables available. However, we decided to keep it old school and have a "carry out" fish supper. We joined the short, friendly queue at the shop next to the main restaurant and we were served within a couple of minutes: haddock for me, cod for B and a portion of chips to share. All cooked to order and served with a smile for under £12. My haddock was quite possibly the finest piece of fried fish I have had the pleasure of eating. A light crispy batter encased a fish that was fresh, flavoursome and fragrant. B was complementary about her cod as well (being a Yorkshire lass quality fish and chips is no big deal to her) and rated it as top notch. I'm already looking forward to a return visit to Whitby and another fishy feast at the Magpie Cafe. read more

Magpie Cafe - The best in town.... - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

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I have been to seafood restaurants many times before, but never have I had a meal quite as nice as the Magpie Café. The fish was perfect and so fresh you'd swear it had been caught then immediately thrown in the pan, the seasoning top-notch, and the drinks selection superb. Waiters and waitresses all polite and good, reasonably timed service. There is nothing I could fault about the restaurant. The queue is understandable when you consider the quality of food and service. read more

Magpie Cafe - The main course. - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

We had the cod fish & chips and enjoyed every morsel! The batter on the fish was flakey and crispy. I was so sad eating the last bite because I know we will probably never be back in Whitby and when was I going to have fish and chips this good, ever again? I thought about buying the restaurant cookbook but decided I'd never be able to replicate chippies this good. The fish was high quality, fresh and generous. The menu was super extensive with a giant selection of different types of fresh fish prepared in a zillion ways. We didn't have room for dessert but they looked great too! read more

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If I was not vegetarian thn 5 stars but there are veggie options. There are a few great fish and chips shops here..some have won awardsobviously fresh fish comes in with the fleet. The Magpie Cafe in Whitby is one of the most famous restaurants in England. Unlike other famous restaurants however the Magpie does noes deliver haute cuisine, instead it is famous for its fish and chips. Do not be put off at the length of the queues outside. Even if it is pouring down with rain, and it does quite frequently in Whitby, you can still guarantee that that there will be anything up to a hundred people that will have formed a queue outside waiting for the doors to open. Having quickly won over the locals and regular visitors to the town with its quality fish and chips, the final surge in popularity came when the famous food critic, Rick Stein announced that this place served the best fish and chips in Britain. People began flocking here from all over the country and indeed from other parts of the World too, and this placed the Magpie, within the market of fish and chips at least, into a league of its own. In many ways the Magpie has become a victim of its own success and other local traders are now complaining that the daily queues outside are obstructing their shop entrances and their trade is suffering. It is one of the town's most popular tourist attraction and serves as a magnet for visitors. It opens at 11.30. There will already a very long queue outside. It is like the TARDIS deceptively large inside. It is painted black and white, the colours of a magpie bird, from where I assume this place derived its name. The location is right on the edge of the harbour. It is not however apparent just how wonderful this location is, until you are inside the building, since the water is not visible from the front of the building. There are also views of St Mary's Church and the Abbey on the hillside above. The history of this building dates back to 1750 when it was originally a merchant's house. It became the Magpie Cafe in 1939. In between this time a prominent member of the Scoresby whaling family owned it for many years and it was also used a shipping office and a pilot's office. There is a ghost here, called Albert that puts in regular appearances. (From Harrowing's shipping office times). The menu is very seaside orientated and you will find little else other than fish and seafood.Haddock, Cod and Plaice available. It is also possible to request that the fish be poached or grilled rather than fried and served with or without batter. The magpie makes no secret in the fact that it uses lard to cook its products in and this is without doubt one of the main contributing factors to the rich taste. It is however possible to request that your food not be fried in lard and the menu does contain a small selection of dishes that would be suitable for vegetarians, but for non fish or seafood eaters this is somewhat limited. Kippers are here.. Lindisfarne Oysters.Seafood ChowderClams, Crevettes, Mussels, Crab,Anchovies, Salmon, Smoked Salmon, Scallop, Mop Herring and Prawns. Every possible kind of fish from 10 inch cod to crab and lobster thermidor. For veggies there is shepards pie, pasta dishes, mushroom stroganoff and dishes of the day plus olive and chiabatta starter. Locally sourced food is a strong theme here and the majority of the seafood that is served has been caught here in Whitby. The bread is also locally baked. The Magpie Cafe is licensed to sell alcohol and there is quite an extensive wine list.Tea arrives in a large pot that actually contains real tea leaves as opposed to teabags. read more

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Best fish and chips ever? I think so! When people heard we were coming to Whitby for the day they all said 'go to the Magpie Cafe!'. Our plan was to go for a massive walk first, then head there for some well earned noms, but instead we nipped to the takeaway bit as soon as it opened because we'd heard the queues get massive - by the time we'd walked all over Whitby and came past again, there was a queue halfway down the street so we did well : ) Light, crispy batter, tasty chunky chips and fresh fluffy fish - deeelish. read more

Magpie Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

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The best fish and chips I ever tasted. I almost always buy the takeaway as I do not want queue and wait for a long time, but it is worth to queue. Fresh cod and seafood, sweet and crisp English chips, Yorkshire size meal, home made dessert, nice service, happy staffs, reasonable price ,all of these will give you a blanched and perfect dinner. Once you come in this restaurant, you will come again and again and again. read more

I went to this cafe as a young boy and kept mentioning it to my wife - saying the fish and chips were the 'best'. We recently visited this (both of us in our 50's). First of al the Haddock and chips we had was very good, but the reputation the cafe has far exceeds the quality. Very good, but certainly eaten better in many places. Anyone travelling near Stirling in Scotland, must visit the Allanwater Cafe in Bridge of Allan - much better than the Magpie and even better than the UK National multi time winner Anstruther Fish Bar. read more

Whitby is such a lovely town, I was impressed by the fact there was a queue nearly outside every restaurants that served Fish & Chips and the town itself smells Fish & Chips apart for the top part on the hill near Whitby Abbey. Of course the longest queue was where my friend wanted to go: The Magpie Café, but he told me it was the one of the best Fish & Chips in the UK. We waited 40 minutes which wasn't that bad as it was pretty warm and sunny outside. I'm not sure I will have queue that much under the rain. The menu is mainly fish dishes (fried or grilled) but they also have vegetarian options. However my friend and I are not vegetarian so we both ordered a regular cod and chips each and we shared a side of mushy peas as the waiters told us the regular portion of fish was massive. The waitress didn't lie, the fish was very big, the batter was light, crispy and not greasy, and the fish inside was...WOW... white and flakey. It was by far the best fish and chips I had in my life, nothing compare to all the fish and chips I had in London, Brighton or Eastbourne. Fries and mushy peas were perfect too. Both plates were empty at the end. While we were eating, one of the table next to us became available, my friend and I were both impressed by the rapidity of the service, in less than 30 seconds three waiters had emptied and re-laid the table for new customers, by reading that you might think they pushed us out very quickly after the meal... but in reality it was totally the opposite, you didn't feel they were in the rush, they let you enjoy your meal and even digest at your table. read more

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The Magpie must be one of Whitby's most famous restaurants. Located on the main tourist strip of Whitby, alongside the harbour, it is instantly recognisable by the huge queue of people waiting for a table. Seafood expert Rick Stein has also dined here, and way extreemly impressed - high praise indeed as he is the God in all that is seafood cookery. Yes, the fish and chips are out of this world! So if you can face the queue then you must go for lunch one day! Fish and chips isn't complete without a slice of bread and butter and a cup of tea - but if you can manage without and want to forgo the queue then try the takeaway restaurant next door. read more

We have seen large queues before outside this restaurant and wondered what all the fuss was about standing outside and getting so cold! In Oct our family went to see and it was lovely and warm inside and very full. We were taken upstairs to a nice big table and given plenty of time to choose our food. It is maily a sea food/fish restaurant and our children had traditional fish and chips which were enormous and lovely chips. My husband chose a sea food pot and I a haddock and salmon gratin which was delicious. We mentioned it was his birthday and at the end the waitress got the whole restaurant to sing happy birthday and brought out a bun with a candle in, it was great. Can't wait to go back again! read more

This is the most popular place to eat in whitby, especially fish and chips. Its a black and white building opposite the harbour and if you visit on a weekend you will be stuck in a queue for anything upto an hour waiting for a table. They have now opened a takeaway next door where the queue will move quicker and the food is just as good, a little more expensive than the average fish and chip shop - but its worth it. Your food will be fresh and is served in a box, if you want fish and chips for dinner go here. read more

We went there twice, one for fish&schools another for the hot seafood pot. Both dishes are great but I have to recommend hot seafood pot to you. If you like seafood, you have to try this.;) read more

Magpie Cafe - Hot seafood pot - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

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We had dinner at Magpie last week during a nine-day hike in Yorkshire. Upon arrival in Whitby, we made the first available reservation online, which was 8:45, just before the restaurant was to close at 9:00. Unfortunately, even with use of GPS, we got lost while walking there. When we called the restaurant, the manager on duty was very nice and helpful in talking us through directions to the restaurant. Although we got there at 9:02, he told the staff to accommodate us. He greeted us warmly and directed us upstairs to enter the restaurant. That is where we encountered four female staff members who treated us more coldly than I've ever been treated in thousands of restaurants I've eaten at across the world, so much so that my nephew suggested we get our food to go. The staff clearly considered our late arrival an imposition, despite the manager directing them to serve us. All in all, it was a very unpleasant experience (the only one in two weeks in the UK). It is NEVER okay to treat customers as blatantly frosty as we were treated. The food and the atmosphere were okay, but service is a crucial part of one's dining experience, so I do not recommend this restaurant. read more

This Chippy is meant to be the Best in the Country, all I can say is that it's good, well presented, but the queues are huge and to be quite honest once we got our food it wasn't that special, It is good don't get me wrong, but as others have said, a lot of Hype. If you really want a good Chippy, go to Brixham in Devon, Looe in Cornwall, or Mr Chips in Newark.. If you are in Whitby.. go to the Magpie.. it's still worth a visit.. read more

Well over hyped ,they do good fish and chips but at a price and usually a huge queue. I also find that the oil they fry the fish and chips in has a strange aftertaste (only noticed during 2nd visit) There is a much better fish and chip shop in Whutby that all the locals use ,its a bit out of the way but much better value and alot nicer in my honest opinion. Silver street fisheries is the best chippy in Whitby. read more

these fish and chips are going to be hard to beat, the fish is perhaps the best tasting ever! the chips are nice as well, could have eaten more. had to queue up for about 20 mins but worth it !! read more

Magpie Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, NYK

Fish and chips at the Magpie Café was a perfect end to a long day of sight-seeing. Whitby has plenty of options for fish and chips, but only a few that offer gluten free. There was minimal wait on the Saturday evening when we were there in late November. Everyone ordered Cod and Chips except for the Haddock (haddock is so much more yummy) and Chips I ordered. Mine was in a gluten free batter that was amazingly light, crisp, and perfectly seasoned over very fresh and flakey fish. Apparently, it is that they fry their fish in lard rather than oil that makes for the incredible batter coating. The small size portion was quite sufficient, as I almost was unable to finish and had no room for dessert. The wait staff were quite friendly, helpful, and attentive. Can not wait for a return visit to Whitby and Magpie Café. read more

Great experience. We arrived on a rainy night, expecting a long line, but perhaps because of the weather only had to wait about 5 minutes to get in. The service was wonderful - the server was very friendly and funny and knew all the items on the menu well (giving very candid recommendations). The Slipway ale was good, and the cod and chips and haddock and chips were indeed excellent. Sticky toffee pudding was very good as well - ask for both custard and ice cream with it :) read more

Believe the hype! Absolute magic on a plate. The best fish and chips ever (not just coming from me, but from 5 others as well who have had way more experience!). Just for funsies we did a cod vs haddock taste test. Personally, I'm a haddock fan, but that's neither here nor there. Making a reservation is key - especially for a larger group. They also give you a nice little victoria sandwich cupcake complete with candle if it's your birthday. Tons of options for any diet or taste. Highly recommended if you are visiting the wonderful town of Whitby! read more

As Americans living in London on a roadtrip around England, we had to stop in Whitby and try the Magpie Cafe. All I can say is WOW. I've never seen more generous portions, more perfectly prepared fish-n-chips, and the absolute satisfaction of rolling out of there feeling like you should be put in hospital. I couldn't eat here every week, but I'm glad we tried it. Would heartily recommend! read more

I'm not a massive fish and chips fan but you've got to have them when you go to the seaside! I'd heard loads about this place (seemed like everyone I'd told I was going to Whitby recommended it) so I thought I'd go see what all the hype was about. The restaurant does look nice from the outside, but there was a very long queue and we wanted some time to explore Whitby in the afternoon, so we decided to go for the takeaway. The queue for that wasn't too bad - it was about half two so maybe we'd missed the rush, but we had our meals within fifteen minutes. We ate it sitting on the beach and I was so impressed - you could taste the freshness of the fish (as you should be able to in a fishing village) and it was cooked to perfection - not at all greasy, and still really hot. Although it had seemed quite expensive (I think it was about £8 for two portions) the fantastic quality and the size of the portions made it good value - we could have shared one and still been full. I'm sure the food in the restaurant's just as good, but I'd recommend getting a takeaway and eating it on the beach to save time and get the real seaside experience! read more

Believe the hype! Absolute magic on a plate. The best fish and chips ever (not just coming from me, but from 5 others as well who have had way more experience!). Just for funsies we did a cod vs haddock taste test. Personally, I'm a haddock fan, but that's neither here nor there. Making a reservation is key - especially for a larger group. They also give you a nice little victoria sandwich cupcake complete with candle if it's your birthday. Tons of options for any diet or taste. Highly recommended if you are visiting the wonderful town of Whitby! read more

Time and time again we return to the Magpie even though we live 100 miles away, and we have yet to be disappointed. As we like to sit on our own we sometimes have to wait longer in the queue than necessary, but if you lke to share you will be seated faster. Last time we went we only queued for 5 minutes and this was at 3.30 so maybe go later rather than sooner and your wait will not be as long. Situated over four floors this is not great for anyone with a problem with stairs! The tables are close together but not intrusive. The menu is so comprehensive that for a fish lover, well,it can take a while to make a choice. I personally think that it is great value for money, we have always found the staff to be helpful and friendly, also very patient when I cannot make my mind up! We like to try different things there, if you want a feast try a salad, I would not say that these are slimming though! Loads of different fishy treats, my special contained, lobster,crab,smoked salmon, poached salmon,tuna, mussels, cockles, prawns, langoustines, and other delights I have fogotten, plus a myriad of leaves,tomatoes,spring onions,coleslaw etc etc etc. Also please try the fish pie it is to die for! The mega fish and chips do literally hang off the plate and are more akin to a small whale than a fish. As everything is fried in lard they have that deep rich yet crisp taste ( I am now starting to drool!) Great proper chips light and fluffy but with a crisp outside. Alcohol is served and is not overpriced, tea, coffee and minerals, bear in mind the Tea is proper tea, leaves not bags. The staff do not rush you out even if they have a queue and you can linger and just enjoy. When eating here I have always felt that everyone seems very happy and pleasant, (customers and staff alike) Maybe it is the good old fashioned, English with full tums syndrome. An ecclectic mix of nationalities though, who all seem to say the same thing, Great! The Magpie also now have a take away so you can enjoy on the move! read more

I'm not sure if the Magpie Cafe is the most famous fish and chip place in Whitby, but by recommendation from quite a number of friends and colleagues it is the best. Going by my experience I wouldn't argue: it seems entirely possible. The haddock was huge (my companion had cod) and the chips were much more flavourful than any other chippie I have frequented. I wonder what type of potatoes they use? The teacakes were unremarkable but good, but it was the quality of the fish and potatoes that made the experience: unsurprisingly for a fishing port, the fish tastes fresh enough to have just that moment jumped out of the water. Mouthwateringly delicious, even in memory - I'm hungry right now - and not unreasonably expensive at takeaway prices. read more

Staying in Whiby for a few days went pass the Magpie it was Sunday and there was a queue so we came back Monday dinner time this time walked straight in, we had the small fish and chips, it does say they are Yorkshire portions, they are not wrong, the food was perfect. The fish is bought from the market just across the road. would certainly eat there again read more

Poor choice of vegetarian food and chips are not vegetarian. I was warned in advance but not impressed.