Coast, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire restaurant review

With its sweeping sea view, Coast surely has one of the finest dining room panoramas in Britain.

The purpose-built restaurant, located on Coppet Hall Beach in Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, is the sister restaurant of the luxurious Grove at Narberth and has Chef Will Holland at the helm.

I was a huge fan of Will’s cooking at his previous restaurant, La Becasse in Ludlow, where his fine dining won him a Michelin star at the age of 29.

Coast is a departure for him. The menu is ostensibly fish-focused and the food, whilst retaining some of the flourishes of fine dining, is more of a brasserie style.

My first Pimm’s (£7) of 2015 hit the mark whilst a Coast classic (£9) was a lovely take on a classic champagne cocktail. 

As we enjoyed the twilight sea view, we munched on a small portion of excellent whitebait (£6). Prettily presented in a paper cone, the snack-sized morsels were coated in a light batter and served with a piquant Marie-Rose sauce. 

Bread, tomato and granary varieties, was a little dense and not very crusty. In fact, it was less memorable than the whipped butter topped with charcoal and sea salt that it was served with.

For starters, I ordered the fish and shellfish bisque (£10). The generous bowlful had a huge taste of the sea but it gave way to an overly strong citrus aftertaste. 

Accompaniments were on the nail – dainty croutons covered in melted gruyere and a pokey rouille. 

Mrs G’s starter (£15) was a classic combination of fresh flavours. Caramelised scallops, a light Pembrokeshire potato mousse, potato crisps and vibrant green asparagus, peas and pea shoots all combined well. However, £15 seemed a bit pricey for six small scallops. 

For main, a crisp-skinned, tender fillet of Carmarthen Bay line-caught sea bass (£21) was served with punchy Mediterranean flavours – tomato twanged couscous, toasted pine nuts and pumpkin seeds, green olives, roasted cherry tomatoes and an olive and basil dressing. 

My dish was less complex in flavour but it was a lovely bit of comfort food – a meaty Milford Haven turbot fillet (£23) was served with creamy mash, tangy capers and soft confit fennel. Arguably, the fish was a little recessive against the strong flavours of the fennel and caper. 

Onto dessert and a wonderfully creamy white chocolate cheesecake (£10) with a crisp ginger biscuit base was accompanied by strawberries (fresh, pureed and jelly) with a clever background note of sweet basil running throughout the dish. 

My pudding was totally tropical – a slightly grainy coconut sponge slice (£10) was topped with fragrant passion fruit jelly and paired with soft cubes of mango, creamy coconut sorbet, a sticky passion fruit jam and toasted coconut slices. 

Our meal at Coast was delicious but not perfect. However, in combination with the excellent service and stunning sea view it meant we had a lovely night.

The Details:

Address - Coast Restaurant, Coppett Hall Beach, Saundersfoot, SA69 9AJ
Web - http://coastsaundersfoot.co.uk/
Telephone -  01834 810800