Fish and chips and Whitby seem to go together and there are plenty of small cafes serving fish and chips. We chose Monks Haven which is an attractive small place on Church Street, the cobbled street leading to the 199 steps. It is in one of the oldest buildings in Whitby and parts of it date back to the C12th.Tables have white tablecloths and seat either two or four people. A mirror on the back wall made the room look a lot bigger than it was.
The fish and chips was enormous and the fish was falling off the sides of the plate. It was delicious fish; really fresh and flaky. It must have been caught that morning. The batter was maybe a little thin but was crispy and not at all greasy. The chips were good and chunky and freshly cooked. I chose mushy peas which were good and mushy. Daughter had garden peas. It also came with bread and butter. We paid £7.50 and were struggling to finish. It wasn’t until afterwards that I looked more closely at the menu and realised you could have a smaller helping for £4.95.
We were too full to even consider a cake – a choice of chocolate, carrot, cappuccino, Victoria Sponge and lemon drizzle cake, all very reasonably priced at £1.95.
For those not wanting fish and chips, they also serve scampi, steak pie, vegetable lasagne and jacket potatoes. There is a range of sandwiches with a choice of bread including gluten free. This is good honest cooking with nothing pretentious to it. Prices are very competitive, especially considering those charged by some other cafes in Whitby. It is worth finding.
“Website”:http://www.baysider.com/Business/Monks_Haven_Cafe/Info/
