Hastings Restaurants and Places to Eat in Hastings

Di Pola's

Also on George Street is Hastings’ iconic ice cream parlour – Di Pola's. The Italian owners make all their gelato on site, and regularly changing flavours include passionfruit; honeycomb; apple and ginger; sea salt caramel; and, our favourite, Oreo. It’s particularly milky ice cream, distinctively whippy and smooth in texture.

A. G. Hendy & Co.

Step back in time with a visit to food journalist and photographer Alastair Hendy’s Georgian shop and kitchen. He spent three years restoring the High Street building to its original state, and the result is so utterly convincing – symmetrical window displays, heavy dark wooden-panelled rooms, enamel factory lights and a front desk mahogany counter that hides the electric till – as to leave visitors spellbound. The dining room and outdoor courtyard is out the back, and to get there you have to walk through an irresistible shop stocked with vintage crockery, Denby teacups, rolling pins, Kilner jars and even enamel buckets. Food is simple sharing plates with a focus on (you guessed it) fresh fish landed by the local fleet – skate wing and capers; fish, crab and shellfish pot; and juicy brown shrimps with kohlrabi and tarragon. A word of warning: you can only eat lunch at the weekend here, with last orders at 4pm. aghendy.com

Penbuckles Deli

A charming little deli, with smart golden signage and an old-fashioned bay window piled high with artisan cheeses, wine, Trealy farm cured meats and Monmouth coffee. It’s a great place for a picnic lunch – try one of their hickory-smoked sausage rolls, or a Bombay potato bomb. There’s also a tasting room at the back that serves deli platters and craft ales for lunch. penbuckles.co.uk

The Crown

Another great Hastings Old Town spot, this time set away from the crowds on All Saints Street. It’s an independent pub, contemporary in style with local art on the walls and a dog-friendly attitude. It’s less “cosy fireside pint” and more “lively dining room”, with a sophisticated menu that makes the most of produce from over 20 local suppliers. thecrownhastings.co.uk

Rock-a-Nore Fisheries

This is a must-visit if you’re in The Stade area. Hungry humans and seagulls alike form a queue at this place, their beady eyes on the mounds of fresh cockles at the front of the shop. It’s a family business over 30 years old that specialises in smoked fish (especially salmon, kippers, conger eels and prawns) – in fact, the family smokes nearly 300kg of fish a week. If you’ve only space for one thing, let it be the hot-smoked salmon – it was invented by accident when, one Christmas, the sawdust that keeps fish cool during smoking caught fire… the punters loved it so much that it’s now made on purpose. rockanore.co.uk

Maggie’s – for fish and chips

This fish and chips café, set among the net shops, permanently sports a 'fully booked' sign at the bottom of its rickety stairs, and no wonder: the vast, pearly fish in its light batter escapes from the confines of its plate; the chips – crisp and floury, always double-fried – are some of the best we’ve tried. Cod and haddock comes from the fish market directly underneath it. We exit stuffed, our coats fragranced with frying and vinegar, happy as clams. (Fishmarket, Rock A Nore Rd, 01424 430205)

Two Bulls Steakhouse

Over at clever Two Bulls Steakhouse gelato from Di Polas' is served as part of the unabashedly calorific dessert offering. This former pub has become very close to locals’ hearts thanks to some very fine Irish steak – mine, a 28-day dry-aged Angus point end (aka ‘butcher’s secret’) is as good a piece of meat as we’ve had outside the spendy London steak temples at a fraction of the price. twobulls.co.uk

Best St Leonards on Sea restaurants and places to eat

Farmyard, St Leonards on Sea

There’s sustainability on the menu at this convivial restaurant, wine bar and wine shop set among the cafes, restaurants and boutique shops of Kings Road. Dishes are centred around local and seasonal produce such as Hastings hot smoked salmon with apple,celery and walnut salad with a blue cheese dressing, while the wine list features natural, biodynamic and low-intervention wines. Sister restaurant Boatyard (boatyardstleonards.com) located in the nearby indoor food and drink Heist Market specialises in locally landed seafood including barbecued gurnard served with curry sauce. farmyardwine.com

The Royal, St Leonards on Sea

With some olive-green Farrow and Ball paint, antique wall and pendant light fittings and artwork by locally based artist Deborah Bowness,The Royal has been transformed from a bog-standard boozer opposite St Leonards-on-Sea railway station into a stylish Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning gastropub. This slice of Shoreditch-by-Sea comes courtesy of James Hickson who has previously worked in top London restaurants St John, The Canton Arms and Moro. Expect a concise but eclectic menu of simple and delicious dishes such as a classic Provencal-style pistou soup or skate wing with chard, pine nuts and raisins. theroyalstleonards.co.uk

Galleria, St Leonards on Sea

Puglia-born chef Gianluca Tozzi nurtures a relationship with Hastings' fishing community to ensure he serves the best of the local catch at this simply decorated and intimate seafood bar. The concise, regularly changing menu offers excellent value. Start with a must order selection of Whitstable oysters followed by the likes of grilled Sussex squid with roasted peppers, capers and sour cream and smoked bacon-wrapped monkfish with bisque sauce. Wines, mostly from Italy, change seasonally in line with the menu. galleriabar.co.uk

St Clements, St Leonards on Sea

Tucked away on a side street close to the sea front, this smart yet unpretentious neighbourhood bistro has been serving up the best local seafood for nearly two decades. A meal here starts with complimentary, homemade soda bread, the perfect accompaniment to some grilled fresh fresh sardines simply dressed with fresh bay leaf, lemon, white wine and olive oil followed by line caught wild local sea bass fillet with fregola and shellfish bisque. stclementsrestaurant.co.uk

Where to stay in Hastings...

The Laindons

Doubles from £165 per night, check availability at booking.com

Hosts Sara and Jon greet guests with a tray of posh welcome snacks: homemade pitta chips, hummus, olives and a mini bottle of ice cold prosecco. But it’s more than nibbles that makes The Laindons a favourite B&B in Hastings. Location-wise, it’s ideal – right in the heart of the Old Town, with both the First In Last Out pub (which brews its own ales) and the Electric Palace arthouse cinema a stone’s throw away. The rest of the High Street is a jumble of vintage shops, delis and Georgian Grade II listed buildings, including The Laindons itself, which sits above a coffee bar, No. 23, also owned by Sara and Jon. That means good aromas filling the building every morning.

Rooms are Scandi coastal in design – greys, white and blues, influenced by the time Sara and Jon spent living in Sweden – and the beds are made from recycled wood, crafted by local carpenters. We loved the original fireplace in our room and giant crossword poster in the bathroom, designed around Hastings and its attractions. Extra personal touches include earplugs for those guests bothered by seagulls; a wicker basket full of treats on the landing (just pay for what you eat); and a converted loft that acts as a bar – help yourself to a chilled glass of local sparkling wine.

Breakfast is taken at the back of the house in a sort of suspended conservatory that overlooks the tufty East Hill nature park. The room is cheerily bright, being so flooded with sunlight, and perfectly matched to bedrooms: there are chunky wooden tables and squashy couches for post-breakfast lounging.

Food is elegant and delicious – toasted fruit bread is topped with ricotta, nectarine slithers and almonds; muesli is homemade and packed with coconut, caramelised bananas and lime zest; vibrant jams are made locally by Martha & Ed’s Kitchen; and pear and apple juice comes from Ringden Farm, less than 20 miles away. Don’t miss the coffee – Jon roasts it downstairs and, if you’re interested, he can tell you about the origin of that day’s bean.

Doubles from £165 per night, check availability at booking.com