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Experience all this area has to offer with a handpicked property from Premier Stays Fife.

 

Idyllic St Monans, a location that combines beauty, history and award-winning food, in the East Neuk of Fife.

 

St Monans Harbour, photo courtesy of Craig Millar @ 16 West End

I am in a Scottish fishing village which is so perfect it looks as if its construction has been overseen by a film production designer with an acute eye for detail. Old stone, whitewashed buildings crowd in along the curving quayside, and in places the road is strewn with seaweed from when the tide last came in. Because here in St Monans, in the East Neuk of Fife, the place where the land ends and the sea begins feels as if it’s negotiable.”

Jay Rayner, The Guardian

Dine overlooking the sea

 

For such a small place, St Monans offers more than its fair share of memorable eating experiences. In summer, book early to avoid disappointment. Scots travel from Edinburgh and Glasgow to enjoy the delights of just-caught seafood overlooking a twinkling sea. St Monans is as much a treat for your eyes and it is for your tastebuds, and shouldn’t be missed on your next trip. These quiet streets hide a fantastic food scene.

Down by the harbour, you will find East Pier Smokehouse. Protruding into the sea, with waves lapping either side, the roof terrace feels like you have stepped aboard a steady yacht moored just off the coast. Stepping inside this very laid back, but magical smokehouse on St Monans harbourside feels good for the soul.

Downstairs, whole seabass and whole lobster are charred to perfection on the owner’s wood-fired burner and served up with chips. Or gutsy fresh curries of haddock and mussels are served by the ladle-full. Guaranteed to chase away any chill in a Fife evening.

Perfect fine dining by the sea

 

At the other end of the village, leave the choppy harbour waves behind you and it’s like dropping anchor in a peaceful bay. Craig Millar @ 16 West End Restaurant is a haven of relaxation and rejuvenation perched on St Monans shore. The local chef here holds 2 AA rosettes. That’s alongside numerous notable awards from down the years. Claiming AA’s Seafood Restaurant of the Year and Restaurant of the Year for Scotland is no mean feat. Craig Millar’s food is a fitting tribute to his love for the local larder, from the sea to the plate.

Looking across lobster creels to Craig Millar @ 16 West End Restaurant in St Monans

The presentation of each course is delicate and light. Every dish is jam-packed with flavour and substance. Warm freshly baked bread and butter. An exceptional cocktail and wine list. It all adds to the long list of reasons why this place is one in a million seafood restaurants.

Combine each of these special elements and you get a flavour of what brings locals and visitors back to St Monans time and again, in and out of season.

Simona, Marius and all the team at Premier Stays Fife look forward to welcoming you on your next visit.

Find our other local area guides here.