Description: No trip to the North York Moors is complete without a day in the beautiful sea side town of Whitby, and after a bracing stroll along the windswept Pier, we decided to bolt to the nearby Pier Inn for a drink and for lunch.
I think in my time I've visited all of the Whitby Pubs at one time or another but I reflected that it had been a while since we had visited the Pier. We usually eat at the rather upmarket Magpie Restaurant but given that we were a large party with mixed incomes and children too, we thought the Pier would be an easier option.
As it happened, the pub was very quiet indeed (heh, it was a Monday in November) meaning the little ones could let off steam without annoying anyone (something that would have been impossible in the closely set out tables in the Magpie.
The pub is starting to look a little tired with its furnishings but it is certainly clean enough and everyone was quite comfortable sitting there watching the world go past one of the busier Whitby streets.
Our server was very friendly and attentive and she made sure the mothers were happy in particular. I was also pleased to see a few local real ales behind the bar, and better pleased that they were well kept. As this is a large bar, there were 4-5 bitters on offer, and the two I sampled of local brews were perfectly acceptable.
Of course with our being beside the sea, lunch could be nothing other than fish and chips although the pub offers other standard pub fare. Our fish and chips was huge, but the place does offer a smaller portion if you don't want to be over faced. We enjoyed our meal and the fish was certainly very crispy and tasty, and quite a bit cheaper than that provided at the Magpie. I seem to recall our fish and chips was in the region of £7 which was a good deal.
To sum up, the Pier Inn is a good central location to stop by for a well kept beer or two. While I personally prefer the Magpie (as I usually have a fish salad rather than fish and chips) this is a good quality low cost alternative if you can't face the queues to the Magpie and just a few doors down from it on the harbour front.
Close