Detour Pit Stop #15: Fish 'n' chips at The Magpie Cafe, Whitby
What better reward could there be after a day’s driving across the North York Moors than a plate of the finest fish ‘n’ chips the county has to offer?
Actually, make that the whole world. The Sunday Times’ AA Gill wrote about The Magpie Cafe: “This is, all things considered, without pretension but with utter self-confidence, still the best fish and chips in the world.”
Such is the reputation of this monochrome monument to seafood that queues stretch down the road, so book ahead. Then enjoy the views across the harbour as you tuck into the catch of the day.
The menu is extensive and you can push the boat out for Lindisfarne Oysters or Lobster Thermidore, but for us it’ll always be the cod and chips, deep fried in beef dripping the traditional Whitby Way.
The portions are generous so work up an appetite by taking the longer way to Whitby. There are so many great roads nearby but the A169 from Pickering is a Detour favourite. We’ve done this journey so many times in sports cars, family saloons and even a VW Camper and it never disappoints.
Undulating over the moors, with nary a tree to block the view, the moorland awash with purple and the spectre of the Fylingdales Pyramid on the horizon, it’s a feast of a drive.
And all the better with a fish and chip feast at the end of it.
Roadbook
Class: Cafe
Name: The Magpie Cafe
Route: 14 Pier Road, Whitby
Country: UK