12 great places to eat at Fringe By The Sea
For street food favourites, seafood platters and coastal views, here are the best spots to grab a bite in between shows
Fringe By The Sea (Friday 31 July–Sunday 9 August) takes over the pretty seaside town of North Berwick with a community-grown festival that balances big names with more local talent. Extremely well-supported by the community, it’s worth turning up hungry; their Street Food Village features some of the best Scottish traders around. Planet G are some of the nicest folks in food and it shows on their plates: tasty, big flavours, always plant-based, you’ll come for the grub and stay for the chat. Dumpling Mama’s Cantonese-style potstickers are packed with flavour, while Truck Sri spices things up with Sri Lankan delights like kottu.
Keeping things local are Big Blu, a pizza van that’s a familiar sight at spots around the coast at weekends, where they sling simple, crisp pizza. Steampunk Coffee’s roasts will put the pep in your step; their year-round café is not far from the festival hub if you fancy a change of scene. New for this year is Còmhla By The Sea, a pop-up experience from a local team that specialises in supper clubs, events and collabs. They’ll offer a more leisurely three-course lunch/dinner, with a funky looking brunch at the weekend too.
If you want to explore the town before or after your show, there’s plenty of food and drink to divert you, especially if you like seafood. The Lobster Shack draws punters from far and wide for takeaway lobster, crab and the like, all daisy-fresh, and they’ve got some covered seating for when the weather refuses to play ball. The Rocketeer is also seafood-focused, with classic fish and chips available alongside half or whole local lobster. If you want to stretch your legs, Drift makes a great destination for stunning views over Canty Bay as well as substantial brunches, lunches and cakes. Herringbone is a good spot for a pint on the way back home or join the locals at traditional bars The Auld Hoose or The Ship Inn.