Fresh Northumberland Seafood At The Jolly Fisherman, Craster
The Jolly Fisherman in Craster is one of the most favoured pubs in Northumberland, by both visitors and locals alike. They are famous for their crab sandwiches, fresh seafood and the inviting atmosphere that awaits after a walk along the coast. Found in Craster right by the sea, it’s an ideal pub for lunch, dinner or just a drink with a view.
You might be visiting Craster to walk along to Dunstanburgh Castle and back, a popular easy walking route that many enjoy including families, or passing through as part of a much bigger coastal hike, or simply staying nearby for a Northumberland break. A visit to the Jolly Fisherman won’t disappoint whatever the reason for your visit to the area.
The Jolly Fisherman – Key Info
The Jolly Fisherman is a traditional British pub, with plenty of parking and different seating and dining options to suit your preference. There is an inside bar area which is typical of a traditional pub – cosy, with beamed ceilings and a fireplace for winter, a restaurant area, and an outside beer garden with spectacular views of the coast and Dunstanburgh Castle.
The bar area inside is dog friendly, and the whole pub is family friendly. The beer garden has plenty of tables, as well as some sheltered booth options with heaters, and upstairs there is a balcony with outside tables too.
It does get very busy as it’s so popular. If you don’t fancy braving the North East coastal weather, the restaurant itself also offers panoramic views. I’d really recommend requesting a window table if possible when you book.
They take bookings for both the bar and restaurant areas, so walk-ins are at your own risk and you’re likely to be disappointed, but the beer garden is walk-in only.
The Jolly Fisherman Menu
If there is one thing I enjoy it’s a good seafood menu, and the pubs and restaurants of Northumberland are some of the best there is, serving the catch of the day, freshly prepared close by. The Jolly Fisherman is no exception, and they’re famed in particular for their crab dishes including the salad, soup and sandwiches.
I was spoiled for choice on the menu, with lunch including sandwiches, burgers, pies, a varied selection of small plates, hearty land based meals, and of course an extensive ‘From the Sea’ section. As I was there for lunch I went for the Kipper Scotch Egg, followed by the Jolly Fishboard.
The scotch egg was delicious, served with salad and you could really taste the Craster kippers, that are smoked at the smokery right opposite the pub. I didn’t regret my choice at all, rather I could have had a few other dishes as well including the Lindisfarne oysters, the monkfish, or the Shetland mussels. The lunch menu also has a dedicated children’s menu too, and even if not everyone in your group is a fan of seafood there’s plenty of choice for them too. Vegetarians are also catered for.
I had the Jolly Fishboard as my main, which was a bit like a smaller seafood platter served with bread, and it included fresh crab, prawns, salmon, kipper pate, herring and salad. It was all so delicious, and although it might not seem like a big main it was so filling. Pile your bread high with each of the different seafood choices!
A few things to note, the dressed crab they offer are from my local seafood spot on the North Shields fish quay, a favourite of both my dad and grandad so I promise you they’re good! They also source their meat from Trotters Family Bakers in Seahouses.
See the full Jolly Fisherman Lunch Menu here.
The evening menu is very similar, just without the lunchtime sandwich options. If I were visiting for the evening I’d probably have gone for the oysters, followed by the king prawn kebab. There are also a selection of specials on the board too which might take your fancy depending on what the catch of the day was.
For our visit the specials included a prawn and smoked salmon cocktail to start, and Whitby scampi or pan seared seabass for mains. The Craster landed lobster also sounds unreal.
See the full Jolly Fisherman Dinner menu here.
Sundays are also catered for, but not at the expense of their signature seafood dishes, you can just opt to have either pork, lamb or beef roast dinner too. See the full Sunday menu here.
A Jolly Fisherman Experience
We were lucky to be given a table in the restaurant right by the window, and it’s impossible not to sit admiring the view right over the little harbour to the castle. The service was excellent and they are happy to make recommendations if you’d like them.
The restaurant was more formal but still casual, and it was quieter than the bar area which was heaving by the time we came out. A lot of people were being turned away.
On a sunny day you could easily spend hours sitting with a drink in the beer garden, maybe one of the locally sourced ales, gins or bottle of wine enjoying the view.
You can book your table on the Jolly Fisherman website here or via OpenTable.
Other posts you might like:
A walk from Craster village to Dunstanburgh Castle
Some of the best places to eat on the Northumberland Coast
The best Sunday lunches in the North East
Unique Shepherd Hut and Glamping Pod Stays in Northumberland