The Crusoe

The maxim ‘less is more’ is rarely so well applied as it is here. East Neuk’s bounteous local larder is showcased on a menu that changes up to twice a day; fresh fish is a highlight, and the specials are just that. This charming 17C village pub has a modish feel – sit in the cosy bar or vaulted dining room.

If you love harbourside views, then you'll be delighted by this attractively converted former pub along Fife's famous East Neuk. Most of the tables offer views of the water, while a small terrace is ideal for the summer. As you'd expect in this location, there's some seafood among the high-quality ingredients, which underpin refined, attractively presented dishes which are full of flavour. There's a choice of dishes on the fixed-price lunch menu, with two options for the main course on the dinner tasting menu.

Opposite the harbour in this little fishing village, you'll find a thoroughly charming restaurant where East Neuk produce is cooked with the care it deserves. Seafood dominates both the menu and the décor, with the restaurant walls doubling up as gallery space for plenty of aqua-based art. The blackboard is the place to look for fresh daily specials, like plump and juicy langoustines or hake with seaweed butter sauce. If you’re local to the area, this could quickly become a favourite haunt – you may even go home with some new artwork.

There's a modern, Nordic edge to this appealing seafood-centric restaurant on the edge of St Andrews. The cooking both reflects the owner’s global travels and proudly pushes Scottish produce to the fore (look out for the ubiquitous Arbroath smokies). A range of menus includes a fixed-price lunch and an evening tasting option, showing off a wider range of dishes. Either way, the signature smoked lobster is available for a supplement, and "Nana's banoffee" provides a sweet-toothed finish. If you can't get a table, the same team run the Dune cocktail bar and 'seafood shack' up the road.

A key feature of the Edinburgh dining scene for many years, Ondine has now made the move coastwards to the glorious St Andrews. Located inside the beautifully restored Seaton House hotel, its new location is befitting of the seafood-focused menu, with views over West Sands beach and close proximity to the East Neuk’s renowned fishing villages. Top produce from the area could include crab or lobster, with the dishes taking a classic approach to showing them off – look out for the likes of fish & shellfish soup and sole meunière.

The simple combination of great quality seafood and commanding bay views is a sure-fire winner at this smart restaurant housed in a striking glass cube. Perched over St Andrews Bay, locally landed seafood is very much at the heart of the menu, which has a subtle Italian slant. The kitchen team know not to mess around with super ingredients like day boat halibut, allowing the natural flavours to come to the fore. The friendly service is of a similarly high standard.

There’s been an inn of some kind on this site for well over 100 years, and its current incarnation is surely one of the most appealing. A fine restoration has left it with a chic bistro-style dining room at the front and a characterful, stone-walled bar to the rear – plus four bedrooms upstairs, ideal for exploring Fife’s beautiful East Neuk. Dishes executed with palpable care combine with warm, attentive service to ensure you’ll have a smile on your face – once you’ve made the tricky choice between the likes of asparagus panna cotta and Scrabster cod with curried bisque.