Crab House Café

The Crab House Café is a little slice of seafood heaven on the Dorset coast, overlooking Chesil Beach and the owner's oyster farm. The beachcomber-vibe with its wooden shack setting only adds to its charm, and if you're lucky you'll have the weather on your side so you can sit outside and breathe in the sea air. The Portland oysters farmed in the beds below will delight fans of the bivalves, and can be eaten au naturel, or with pesto and parmesan, or bacon and cream. There are crabs too, of course, to crack into, but much more besides: mussels in garlic, lemon and thyme, say, or home-cured sea trout, and for main course, perhaps fillet of ling with Thai spring cabbage and broccoli curry with preserved lemon and coriander rice. The fish is landed in nearby Weymouth, Poole or Brixham, and the menu changes daily depending on the catch. Why aren't there more places like this in the UK?