Where to Eat in Tenby: A Local Guide

Tenby's dining scene is small but genuinely varied for a town its size, spread mostly through the old town's narrow streets between the harbour and Tudor Square. The common thread across almost every kitchen worth eating at is seafood landed locally, though the range beyond that runs from a genuine medieval dining room to an Asian-influenced noodle spot on the High Street.

For the history as much as the food

Plantagenet House, on Quay Hill just below the Tudor Merchant's House, occupies what its owners describe as the oldest building in Tenby, with parts dating to the 10th century and a dining room built around a genuine medieval Flemish chimney. It has run as a restaurant since 1975 and is best known locally for its Sunday lunches, but it now keeps a limited schedule, roughly Friday evening through Sunday, so check current days before planning a visit around it.

Seafood by the harbour

The Hope & Anchor, close to the harbour on St Julian's Street, runs a daily fresh-catch board alongside pub staples like bangers and mash and a beef and ale pie, and it has the kind of genuinely nautical atmosphere that comes from actually being used by working fishermen as well as visitors. It is one of the few Tenby restaurants confirmed to take table bookings through its own website rather than requiring a phone call or a walk-in.

The higher end

The Links Restaurant carries one of the strongest review scores of any restaurant in Tenby, built around seafood and modern British cooking; it is small, so treat it as a booking-ahead restaurant in season rather than a reliable walk-in. Billycan, a boutique bar, restaurant and small hotel inside a converted British Legion club, leans on locally sourced produce across a large menu and a notably long gin list, and suits an evening that starts with drinks as much as dinner.

Something other than British and Italian

Umi, on the High Street, is Tenby's clearest change of pace: an Asian-influenced menu built around gyoza, Asian-style fries and udon noodle dishes. Il Caminetto on Upper Frog Street is the town's best-known Italian address, strong on pizza and classic dishes, and is one of the highest-rated restaurants in Tenby by review volume.

Casual and pub options

Tap & Tân, the taproom and kitchen for Tenby Brewing Co in the Food Quarter off Upper Frog Street, does barbecue-style food with the brewery's own beer, a good casual option if you want a drop-in meal rather than a sit-down restaurant. The Coach & Horses on Upper Frog Street and the Baytree on Tudor Square are both reliable, unfussy options for a straightforward pub or all-day meal, and the Baytree in particular carries one of the highest review counts in town simply through volume and consistency.

The one thing to plan around

In July and August, walk-in tables at the more popular restaurants are reported to be genuinely difficult to get between about six and half past eight in the evening. If a specific restaurant matters to your trip, call ahead or check for an online booking option rather than assuming you can turn up. Several of Tenby's restaurants also trim their opening days outside the main summer season, so a venue that runs seven days a week in August may run a reduced schedule, Plantagenet House's Friday-to-Sunday pattern being the clearest example, by autumn.