Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

The best food and drink to try on a day in the East Neuk

Here is a list of great food and drink spots to enjoy on a day out along the stunning Fife coastline.

The seafood platter at Dory Bistro and Gallery, Pittenweem. Image: Dory Bistro.
The seafood platter at Dory Bistro and Gallery, Pittenweem. Image: Dory Bistro.

The East Neuk of Fife is known for its picturesque walks and coastal views, but do you know what food and drink is on offer?

To help you plan your next visit to the East Neuk, I have put together a guide for the area’s best food and drink.

Will one of these spots become your new favourite?

Breakfast

8am to 11am

The Waves Café is perfect for quality, no-nonsense grub for breakfast.

Their most popular items are a bacon or scrambled egg roll. Have you ever had a scrambled egg roll before?

Waves Cafe interior, Anstruther.
Waves Cafe interior, Anstruther. Image: Scottish Fisheries Museum.

You’ll find them inside the Scottish Fisheries Museum, and they’re open from 10am – 4pm.

Address: Scottish Fisheries Museum Trust, St Ayles, Harbourhead, Anstruther KY10 3AB

Coffee and cake

11am to 12pm

If you’re still hungry, but it’s too early for lunch, the Clock Tower Café is an ideal place to visit for coffee and cake.

You can’t beat a scone, can you? And the fruit scones from this Pittenweem café are sizeable.

They also offer a range of homebakes, like traybakes and cakes.

A scone and a coffee from the Pittenweem café. Image: Clock Tower Café.

They also serve brunch and lunch.

Address: 15 High St, Pittenweem, Anstruther KY10 2LA

The Baern Café & Bakery is a must try spot for your coffee and cake fix in the East Neuk.

Friands and hot chocolate from Baern at Bowhouse. Image: Baern.

You can find them at Bowhouse, a bustling producer hub which hosts regular markets at the weekend.

Address: Bowhouse, East Neuk, St Monans, Anstruther KY10 2DB

Lunch

12pm to 3pm

For lunch on your day in the East Neuk, quaint café Bread and Butter is a great choice.

They serve delicious cakes, wraps, sausage rolls and small plates.

Address: 5 Rodger St, Cellardyke, Anstruther KY10 3DU

You just can’t visit the East Neuk without paying a visit to the Anstruther Fish Bar. 

This award-winning chippy is well-loved in the region, and rightly so.

Fish and chips from Anstruther Fish Bar.
A sizeable fish supper from the Anstruther Fish Bar.

It is my personal favourite chippy in the East Neuk too, serving perfectly battered haddock, fluffy-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside chips.

Plus, you can take a seat inside, or perch yourself on one of the benches overlooking the harbour while you enjoy your excellent supper.

Address: 42 – 44 Shore St, Anstruther KY10 3AQ

For a classy lunch on your day in the East Neuk, Dory Bistro and Gallery is well worth a visit.

The garden plate starter at Dory Bistro and Gallery.
The garden plate starter at Dory Bistro and Gallery. Image: Dory Bistro and Gallery Date; Unknown

There are dishes on offer like the Pittenweem crab bisque, and monkfish served with fire-roasted red pepper and smoky chilli sauce, roast potato wedges and wilted greens.

Or you could go for Cumbrae oysters, followed by the pan-fried fish of the day.

You could try the mackerel, which is a freshly landed fish caught just off the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth.

Address: 15 East Shore, Pittenweem, Anstruther, KY10 2NH

Snack

3pm to 6pm

Fans of all things sweet will need to try out Scoop when snack time rolls around.

The Instagrammable ice cream parlour serves a delicious Mr Whippy, as well as a range of other ice cream flavours and sweets.

A nostalgic Mr Whippy in Scoop, Anstruther.

They also serve milkshakes, bubble waffles and dog-friendly ice cream.

Again, it is ideally situated opposite the harbour. Why not grab yourself a cone and head for a walk along beside the water?

Address: 29 Shore St, Anstruther KY10 3AQ

Dinner

6pm to 8pm

For dinner on your trip to the East Neuk, you can’t go wrong with the drool-worthy food at Ox and Anchor in Anstruther.

They started up as a food truck but opened a restaurant last summer.

One of their most popular items is the Bad Mother Clucker burger.

Bad Mother Clucker chicken burger from Ox and Anchor, Anstruther. Image: Ox and Anchor.

It’s a buttermilk chicken burger, served with house buffalo hot sauce and slaw. Yum!

They also serve wings, hot dogs – or as they call them, “dugz” – loaded fries and more.

Address: 28 Shore St, Anstruther KY10 3AQ

Another East Neuk favourite is The Ship Inn in Elie.

There’s plenty of Scottish seafood on offer, including Cumbrae oysters, and local shellfish such as grilled Pittenweem lobster, served with garlic butter.

Cumbrae oysters, one of the many light bites available at The Ship Inn in Elie. Image: The Ship Inn.

It’s ideal for a date night or a special occasion as it’s a wee bit on the pricier side, but the gorgeous view out onto Elie Bay is worth it.

Address: The Toft, Elie, Fife KY9 1DT

Drinks

8pm till late

Local bar The Ship Tavern is ideal for bringing your day trying out East Neuk food and drink to a close.

They play live music, serve cocktails with a view of the harbour, plus you can dine out al fresco in the sunshine.

The elegant bar at The Ship Tavern, Anstruther. Image: Ship Tavern.

The cocktails are popular, and are made with hand-squeezed fruit juice.

Other drinks you can try include Reaper’s Rum from St Andrews, which many enjoy on the rocks, or with ginger ale or cola.

They also serve Selkirk’s Island wines, Cruzcampo Spanish lager and Neck Oil from Beavertown, to name just a few.

Address: 49 Shore St, Anstruther KY10 3AQ

There’s also the Dreel Tavern, an Anstruther pub and beer garden.

They have an extensive drinks menu, including some quirky cocktails, including the Keep it Dreel.

The Dreel Tavern on a sunny day in Anstruther in Scotland's East Neuk.
The Dreel Tavern on a sunny day in Anstruther in Scotland’s East Neuk. Image: Dreel Tavern.

This sweet drink combines Kahlúa, Absolut vanilla vodka, Frangelico liqueur, milk and cream.

But they also serve a classic margarita and espresso martini if you’re more of a creature of habit.

Address: 16 High St W, Anstruther KY10 3DL

Have any other East Neuk food and drink recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.

Conversation