Crab House Café

Twenty-one years after opening, Crab House Café remains one of Dorset’s most compelling arguments for eating seafood close to its source.

Overlooking Chesil Beach, the restaurant works closely with local fishermen who bring in seafood from the surrounding waters, often on the very day it’s caught. Even after two decades, owner Nigel Bloxham and his kitchen team continue to refine longstanding favourites while developing new dishes inspired by the Dorset coast.

The menu celebrates the day’s finest catch through dishes such as turbot steak with hollandaise and marsh samphire, and lemon sole fillets stuffed with Open Air Dairy cheddar and Portland white crab meat. The restaurant’s namesake also features prominently and can be enjoyed as a whole Portland brown crab served with dressed salad and mayonnaise or spicy Chinese-style crab designed to crack and share.

The stars of the show, however, are the oysters. Grown at the cafe’s own offshore farm, they arrive fresh and plump. They are best enjoyed au naturel to let their distinctive character shine.

Pair your seafood with something from the extensive wine list, which includes bottles from nearby Furleigh Estate.