The TV chef, who originates from Malton and grew up on the Castle Howard estate, revealed that when visiting Whitby (one of Britain’s best coastal towns), “you have to” tuck into a portion of the classic seaside cuisine at none other than Magpie Cafe.
Within the last year, the popular foodie spot has been named one of the UK’s best seaside restaurants by The Good Food Guide as well as one of the country’s top places for fish and chips by Delicious magazine.
What did James Martin say about Magpie Cafe in Whitby?
When joining Jenni Falconer on the latest episode of Routes, the travel-focused podcast from LNER, James was asked to recommend his three top places for people to visit in Yorkshire.
Alongside Petergate and the Shambles, situated in York, the 53-year-old, who hosts his own Saturday Morning ITV cooking show, gave a shoutout to Whitby.
He revealed: “You have to have fish and chips, I think at the Magpie. You’ve got to have a large haddock, right?
“A large haddock, mushy peas, you have your lemon, your tartar sauce, you have your Sarson’s vinegar and you have your salt.”
James added: “…You sit there and the wind’s blowing and howling a gale, you sit there and you open up this pot of gold and there’s just this smell and as the steam comes up, it hits your nose.
“But as that steam hits your nose… then you’re in nirvana, heaven, you’re in the pinnacle of fish and chips.”
On its website, Magpie Cafe shares about its history: “The Magpie Cafe is housed in a distinctive black and white building overlooking the harbour in the historic port of Whitby.
“The dining room commands excellent views of the harbour, Abbey and St. Mary’s Church.
“The Magpie Cafe has a long association with fishing and the shipping industry.
“It was built in 1750 as a Merchant’s House and during its history was owned by a member of the Scoresby whaling family and was for a time the pilotage where the pilots would wait for orders to bring vessels into the harbour.”
Aside from the classic fish and chips, just some of the other main menu options currently available include: Magpie fishcake coated in crispy batter on mushy peas with tartare sauce and wedge of lemon, king prawn tails in garlic butter served with a warm ciabatta roll, and calamari, deep fried in crispy batter, served with a spicy dipping sauce.
Currently on Tripadvisor, the fish and chips restaurant has a staggering 6,520 “excellent” reviews.
A customer who visited in December commented: “What can I say. Fantastic fish and chips ……probably the best in the UK.
“Catered for a group of 13 of us would advise you book , we did and it was a seamless experience.
“Waitress was fun , engaging and helped with a couple of menu questions.
“But let’s talk the food. Wide range of tantalising fish dishes, so had the fish and chips regular , you’ll need an appetite of a Polar bear to tackle the large!. Mushy peas fab with tea and some buttered bread. Perfect on a cold Sunday afternoon.
“Great value, great food , fabulous vibrant environment with engaging staff.”
A second person wrote: “One of the best restaurants we have ever been to, the food was magnificent, huge menu and HUGE portions. Our server Val and all of her colleagues were magnificent. Cannot praise this restaurant highly enough.”
A third impressed guest put: “Quite simply The Best Fish, Chips and mushy peas I have ever had in my life. The staff were incredibly efficient and very pleasant. Absolutely exceptional.”
Have you been to Whitby for a chippy lately? Let us know your favourite foodie spots in the coastal town.