Marine Hotel, Whitby

Oysters and champagne, cocktails and caviar on a Whitby promenade? Yes, but don’t be alarmed they also do fish pie, lemon sole, sea bream and the like, pepped up with more adventurous additions like seaweed butter, chorizo and wasabi.

We’re at the Marine on Marine Parade, a small, traditional hotel that’s been up-styled – all metro tiles, marble topped tables, copper bar stools and a grand piano. Just the right side of the wrong sort of bling.

We’ve enjoyed the cod with soft shell crab, the lobster thermidor (and how could they not offer fish and chips), but our returning fave is their crab linguine with chilli, garlic and parsley, a great big bowl of flavour and value . Wash it down with a glass or three of chilled Muscadet from their fine list of fish-friendly white wines and you’re made.