The Riverside Restaurant, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset; 01308 422011

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall once described this as “one of the finest fish restaurants in the southwest”. That doesn’t mean Michelin frills, however. Despite the riverside setting and sea views, the unpretentious dining room – decked out with wooden furniture and breezy seaside blues – isn’t going to win any beauty contests. But what matters here is the food, and that’s whatever the boats bring in, from local lobster, crab, oysters and mussels to mackerel, Lyme Bay dover sole, skate or bream. All of it is prepared with a restraint that ensures the fish is always the star. Simple seaside eating.

The Endeavour, 1 High Street, Staithes, North Yorks; 01947 840825

This postcard-ready Yorkshire fishing village has a direct line to the North Sea – and the Endeavour, an old house on the cobbled main street, takes full advantage. Brian Kay transforms the local trawl into the likes of smoked haddock brandade, halibut, ling and prawn stew, or turbot fillet with roast peppers and squid. Vegetables are sourced from nearby farms, and even the honey comes from the village beekeeper. Add candlelight and cosy upstairs bedrooms, and you could well end up staying longer than just a few hours.

Regatta, 171-173 High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, 01728 452011

The Regatta is perennially popular among the media folk who invade Aldeburgh in the summer, and vies with the nearby Lighthouse for the title of the town’s favourite restaurant. The dining room had a modern makeover earlier this year, but Robert Mabey’s well-judged cooking remains a celebration of the local catch, which is still sold by fishermen from huts on the beach. There might be Aldeburgh sprats, sole, oysters from nearby Orford, or fish soup withrouille. The menu is augmented by regular “gourmet evenings” and special events: this week, the focus is on local lobster.

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