We’d tried, unsuccessfully, to get a table on a Sunday; we thought we might have more luck on a Monday and weren’t bothered when we ate, so we were open to any available slots. As it was, we got a late lunch booking at The Ship Inn, in Flamborough, the pleasant fishing village just north of Bridlington.
We later found out that they had kindly accommodated us beyond the regular cut-off for “lunches” – we were being shown to our table just before 3.45pm – as the evening menu kicks in after 4pm and the kitchen switches its focus to that. We admired the shipshape look of the place as soon as we walked in – the deep marine blue that dominates much of the exterior is mirrored inside.
Speaking of mirrors, there are some nice, round, brass-edged ones that give the appearance of portholes, plus some lamps that wouldn’t look out of place on a vessel, and lots of sea-inspired artwork on the walls in the restaurant. This is where we had chosen to eat (but the bar and outdoors area are also available to diners) and we took our time looking through the options on offer on the menu.
This part of the day sees “lunches”, “grazers”, “sandwiches” and “sides” as the headliners. Having read that the family running the pub come from generations of fisherfolk going back 400 years, specialising in crab and lobster catches off Flamborough Head, we felt it would be remiss not to exploit all this knowledge and tradition.
It led us to order the Chef’s Seafood Chowder (for me), billed as “a selection of today’s seafood, new potatoes, all in a smoky cream, white wine and saffron broth”; the “Flamborough half garlic butter lobster” caught the eye of my partner. The dishes duly arrived looking – and smelling – very appetising.
We tucked in and I had some lightly-toasted sourdough to mop up the chowder. It was delicious. The lobster – “that was landed just over there at North Landing”, came the explanation from the waitress – was accompanied by skin-on fries and a tossed, dressed salad.
Pleasantly full but not to bursting, we thought we should try one of The Ship’s desserts. My other half needed look no further than the sticky toffee pudding, his favourite while I was torn between a few of the tempting choices but in the end plumped for one of that day’s specials, a creamy, dreamy panna cotta served with little chunks of strawberry.
We had pleasant chats with the staff before, during and after our meal, learning how the place had been “packed” on many dates since The Ship Inn relaunched in its current guise, after being closed for 18 months; also about how much pride they have in using as much local produce as possible. The menu informs you: “In 2026 we opened this restaurant to celebrate Yorkshire’s exceptional farmers, fishermen and producers.
“Our aim is simple: to showcase the very best local ingredients through honest dishes, rooted in quality, traceability and provenance.” That’s what we felt we received, all served with a good helping of genuine warmth and friendliness from the crew, for whom nothing was too much trouble.