When visiting Bridlington, you might do well to dine in Flamborough, a few miles outside.
I have often eaten well there, with The Seabirds Inn being a particular favourite.
The North Star Hotel also deserves a reputation for good food.
It is very traditional too and I recall it having a sweet trolley some years back.
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Seafood chowder with sourdough (Image: Darren Greenwood)
Now, a new arrival in Flamborough is The Ship Inn, which reopened in July, having been closed since October 2024.
Star Pubs invested £320,000 in a refurbishment and appointed a well-known Flamborough fishing family to run the venue, based in Post Office Street.
Sisters Hannah and April Emmerson, plus Hannah’s husband Tom Davison, operate a traditional family and dog-friendly pub, along with a seafood restaurant, aiming to showcase the best of local ingredients, specialising in crab and lobster.
The Ship Inn, Flamborough. Pictured are April and Hannah Picture by David Harrison. (Image: David Harrison) (Image: David Harrison)
Having reported on the sisters taking over the pub, it only seemed right to experience the food they were recruited to deliver.
It was a Monday in mid-September, the kids were back at school, but Bridlington was packed, with nowhere to park, which meant going there for lunch rather than an early tea.
Fortunately, we were able to park in the street just over the road and we entered a fairly empty pub part, but the restaurant area was doing nicely, with plenty of diners.
We were warmly welcomed and taken to a table amid pleasant and traditional surrounds, reflecting the heritage of the area.
We ordered drinks, with me ordering a pint of Hobgoblin God, dad having a pint of John Smith’s and mum half a pint of Murphy’s Stout.
They arrived quickly and were well kept.
The restaurant interior (Image: Darren Greenwood)
We ordered our food and I went for a seafood chowder (£13.95) and sourdough starter (£3.95).
Dad went for the pie of the day (£17.95) and mum went for half a lobster (£20).
Again, the service was friendly, being called “my lovely” several times, which is endearing, and the meals soon arrived.
The seafood chowder features a variety of that day’s seafood.
Seafood chowder with sourdough (Image: Darren Greenwood)
That day featured fish, prawns, mussels and new potatoes served in a smoky cream, white wine and saffron broth.
This made for a very pleasing and appetising meal, with a variety of flavours well-balancing each other.
You could taste the wine but it wasn’t overpowering.
There were nice chunks of fish in too and the broth was lovely and creamy.
The chowder also came with its own sourdough, so perhaps the sourdough starter wasn’t really necessary.
However, I did enjoy buttering the seaweed butter on the warm sourdough and either eating it as it was or dipping it in the chowder.
Now, if there was one complaint about the chowder, there was not enough of it.
It was all polished off and maybe the portion could have been larger.
Mum enjoyed her lobster, which came with fries and a little salad.
I had some too and it was good, though it’s hard to say much more as lobster is not something you have often.
How can you compare?
Hannah and April Emmerson with the plans for the revamp earlier this year. (Image: Pic supplied)
Come to think of it, I can’t remember when I last had it.
The fries were also good, and like the lobster, were soon polished off.
Dad’s pie was steak and ale and came with a choice of mash or chips (dad went for mash), seasonal vegetables (savoy cabbage and peas) and a jug of bone marrow gravy.
Dad said the pie was nice and meaty, but there was a bit too much pastry.
He enjoyed the vegetables, said the mash was lovely and smooth.
The gravy was also a treat, he added.
Dads's steak and ale pie (Image: Darren Greenwood)
Overall, it made for a pleasant main, he said, and that too was polished off.
We decided not to have dessert as we were planning to dine out again in the evening.
But if we had, there was a choice of all the traditional favourites, such as crumbles, sticky toffee pudding, lemon tart, cheesecake and a cheese board.
The Ship Inn has an enticing daytime menu, with an extensive range of seafood dishes like moules marinière, crab sliders, traditional fish and chips, as well as burgers, sandwiches, plus “graziers” like sardines, king prawns, oysters and chicken wings.
The evening menu is similarly seafood orientated, with additions like catch of the day, fish pie and a range of lobster dishes.
There remains, however, meaty meals like burgers, steaks, pork belly confit.
It too looks lovely.
Sunday lunch also looks good with the traditional roasts, a sharing board, a catch of the day mains and a variety of starters.
Children’s menus are also offered.
It was time to pay the bill and it came to a very reasonable £66.80.
The exterior of the Ship Inn (Image: Darren Greenwood)
We agreed we had enjoyed a lovely lunch in very pleasant surroundings, where the service was efficient, warm, and friendly.
The portions might not have been the largest, but the food was generally excellent and well-priced.
The Ship Inn is certainly well-recommended, and it certainly seems to be making waves.
Hannah, April and Tom can take pride in what they are doing and this is reflected on the reviews websites.
TripAdvisor awards 4.3 stars out of five, based on 442 reviews, ranking The Ship Inn fifth out of ten Flamborough restaurants.
Now, this does seem low so I suspect the rating perhaps includes reviews from the time of previous operators.
The more recent reviews are typically five star, with the latest awarding five stars and praising its “fabulous seafood.”
It added: “Been back to this pub/restaurant we have known since 1989. Always been a great pub, but the food tonight was exceptional, especially if you're a seafood lover. As a fishing village/area, we were sadly lacking in seafood choice, but not now, the food and choice was amazing.”
Google awards 4.4 stars, which again may be influenced by reviews from the time of the former operators.
North Landing at Flamborough (Image: Darren Greenwood)
Typically, recent reviews are five stars.
The most recent Google review said: “Excellent food and service. Very friendly and lovely atmosphere!”
So the consensus is that you won’t be disappointed with The Ship Inn.
Indeed, you won’t be disappointed with Flamborough.
After the meal, we headed to the North Landing and sat in the warm September sunshine admiring the view.
“It’s as good as Spain,” said my mum.
“It’s better,” replied a woman on the next seat.
Well, with such fine, locally sourced food in an area of scenic attractions, she could well be right!
Reviews are independent and food paid for by The Press
Fact file
The Ship Inn, Post Office St, Flamborough, Bridlington YO15 1JS
T: 01262 850454
Verdict:
Food: Delicious, mainly seafood-based but extensive choice.
Service: Warm, friendly and efficient
Ambience: Traditional
Value: Very good