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✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
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Small, intimate outpost serving local seafood specialties such as crabs, lobsters & mussels.
Hours
| Tuesday | 12–2 PM, 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 12–2 PM, 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Thursday | 12–2 PM, 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Friday | 12–2:30 PM, 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Saturday | 12–2:30 PM, 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | Closed |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 38-40 Freeman St, Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1BA, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1328 710456
Website: http://www.wellscrabhouse.co.uk/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: resdiary.com
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Leigh
We visited Wells Crab House today for lunch — myself, Sarah and our daughter Izzi — and what an absolute gem of a place!
We hadn’t booked (rookie mistake, I know!) but unlike so many restaurants that make you feel you’ve committed some terrible crime, the team couldn’t have been more welcoming. They did everything they could to seat us, with genuine warmth and kindness.
I’d been craving proper fresh crab, and this lovely, clean, tidy and beautifully run restaurant delivered in style. The menu is bursting with seaside goodness — crab, lobster, fresh fish, platters and more. We went for the dressed crab, panko-crumbed prawns and a crab Thermidor.
Then came the drinks — and hats off to Kelly (the owner, I believe) who offered beer options with the same care usually reserved for fine wines: light, dark, local, shelf temperature or chilled. I opted for the local East Quay “Golden Buoy” (chilled) — absolutely spot on!
Now the food… the tomatoes were deep red, perfectly ripe and full of flavour (none of those fridge-cold imposters that ruin a good salad!). Every element — from the pickles to the beetroot — was delicious and perfectly balanced. The crab was beautifully prepared and packed with flavour, and the crab Thermidor topped with goats’ cheese and breadcrumbs was divine. The panko prawns were crisp, light and piping hot — perfection.
Izzi had a great choice from the children’s menu, which deserves a special mention. It was proper homemade food — no cheap frozen nonsense here! Her chicken goujons were freshly made, golden, crispy and real chicken breast through and through.
Every member of staff was friendly, attentive and clearly proud of what they do — and rightly so.
All in all, it was a superb meal from start to finish, in a lovely relaxed setting. We honestly can’t wait to go back.
… moreWe hadn’t booked (rookie mistake, I know!) but unlike so many restaurants that make you feel you’ve committed some terrible crime, the team couldn’t have been more welcoming. They did everything they could to seat us, with genuine warmth and kindness.
I’d been craving proper fresh crab, and this lovely, clean, tidy and beautifully run restaurant delivered in style. The menu is bursting with seaside goodness — crab, lobster, fresh fish, platters and more. We went for the dressed crab, panko-crumbed prawns and a crab Thermidor.
Then came the drinks — and hats off to Kelly (the owner, I believe) who offered beer options with the same care usually reserved for fine wines: light, dark, local, shelf temperature or chilled. I opted for the local East Quay “Golden Buoy” (chilled) — absolutely spot on!
Now the food… the tomatoes were deep red, perfectly ripe and full of flavour (none of those fridge-cold imposters that ruin a good salad!). Every element — from the pickles to the beetroot — was delicious and perfectly balanced. The crab was beautifully prepared and packed with flavour, and the crab Thermidor topped with goats’ cheese and breadcrumbs was divine. The panko prawns were crisp, light and piping hot — perfection.
Izzi had a great choice from the children’s menu, which deserves a special mention. It was proper homemade food — no cheap frozen nonsense here! Her chicken goujons were freshly made, golden, crispy and real chicken breast through and through.
Every member of staff was friendly, attentive and clearly proud of what they do — and rightly so.
All in all, it was a superb meal from start to finish, in a lovely relaxed setting. We honestly can’t wait to go back.
Jane Williams
If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. Marvellous food, prices very reasonable for what you get, great atmosphere, and the staff really know what they’re serving. Yes, you can take leftovers home (and we expect to get several more meals out of my platter)
… moreElizabeth
We recently ordered the rather expensive crab platter for two and, sadly, the entire experience was deeply disappointing. In my personal opinion, the seafood didn’t taste fresh at all – it seemed previously frozen – and the overall flavour was bland, cold and overwhelmingly salty. I was particularly concerned about the cockles, which tasted a bit off. Fingers crossed there are no after-effects, but the taste certainly didn’t inspire confidence.
We chose not to say anything to the staff at the time, as the restaurant was absolutely packed and we didn’t want to cause a scene. The tables are placed so close together that you can hear every single conversation around you, even when people are whispering intimate details. Not quite the atmosphere one expects when paying a premium.
Service-wise, we couldn’t help but notice the difference in how other customers were treated compared to us. We may look young, but that shouldn’t affect the level of service. The same head of staff asked each table before and after us whether it was their first visit and offered recommendations on starters and dishes. My partner and I received none of this, which left us feeling somewhat overlooked.
What makes the experience more baffling is the number of glowing reviews online. There were so many good reviews, which is exactly why we decided to visit. However, hardly any of them seem to mention the actual quality or taste of the seafood. Based on what we were served, I genuinely can’t understand the praise.
Given the restaurant’s location right by the sea, I personally feel it would make far more sense to work with local fisheries to provide genuinely fresh seafood. From the taste and texture, my strong impression was that much of it had been supplied frozen. And if frozen seafood is being served, it really needs proper seasoning or flavour to elevate it — but everything tasted extremely bland, very salty, cold and frankly quite appalling.
The smoked salmon on the platter was hard around the edges and cold, as though it had been plated far too early and left sitting while we were having our starters. The cockles tasted old to me, almost as though they’d been rinsed under tap water, drained and placed straight onto the platter. The shell-on crevettes were similarly bland, giving the impression of being briefly steamed or boiled, cooled under water and arranged without any seasoning. The platter itself did not honestly balance well, we had to order couple slices of sourdough bread with olive oil and butter to ease the saltiness.
We honestly wouldn’t have minded paying for an expensive meal if the quality matched the price, but nothing balanced well. The two dips provided didn’t complement the seafood, and while the baby salad potatoes were perfectly fine, they weren’t enough to save the platter.
For starters, we ordered four dishes: smoked eel, smoked trout, shell-on crevettes and pickled rollmop. The waitress suggested swapping one of the shell-on crevette dishes to avoid duplication, and we agreed. However, the change never happened. We didn’t mention it, as an earlier moment had already put us off: when she took our order, I walked to the toilet and overheard her clearly complaining about our table to other staff. We had only just arrived, had treated everyone politely – my partner is a chef and respects the industry – so we were genuinely taken aback.
Some may assume I’m overreacting or inexperienced, but that’s not the case. I’ve had plenty of fine dining experiences around the world with my family, and I grew up by the sea eating fresh seafood and understanding the difference in quality, texture and preparation.
All in all, the meal fell far below expectations, especially given the price, and it’s not somewhere we’d choose to return to.
… moreWe chose not to say anything to the staff at the time, as the restaurant was absolutely packed and we didn’t want to cause a scene. The tables are placed so close together that you can hear every single conversation around you, even when people are whispering intimate details. Not quite the atmosphere one expects when paying a premium.
Service-wise, we couldn’t help but notice the difference in how other customers were treated compared to us. We may look young, but that shouldn’t affect the level of service. The same head of staff asked each table before and after us whether it was their first visit and offered recommendations on starters and dishes. My partner and I received none of this, which left us feeling somewhat overlooked.
What makes the experience more baffling is the number of glowing reviews online. There were so many good reviews, which is exactly why we decided to visit. However, hardly any of them seem to mention the actual quality or taste of the seafood. Based on what we were served, I genuinely can’t understand the praise.
Given the restaurant’s location right by the sea, I personally feel it would make far more sense to work with local fisheries to provide genuinely fresh seafood. From the taste and texture, my strong impression was that much of it had been supplied frozen. And if frozen seafood is being served, it really needs proper seasoning or flavour to elevate it — but everything tasted extremely bland, very salty, cold and frankly quite appalling.
The smoked salmon on the platter was hard around the edges and cold, as though it had been plated far too early and left sitting while we were having our starters. The cockles tasted old to me, almost as though they’d been rinsed under tap water, drained and placed straight onto the platter. The shell-on crevettes were similarly bland, giving the impression of being briefly steamed or boiled, cooled under water and arranged without any seasoning. The platter itself did not honestly balance well, we had to order couple slices of sourdough bread with olive oil and butter to ease the saltiness.
We honestly wouldn’t have minded paying for an expensive meal if the quality matched the price, but nothing balanced well. The two dips provided didn’t complement the seafood, and while the baby salad potatoes were perfectly fine, they weren’t enough to save the platter.
For starters, we ordered four dishes: smoked eel, smoked trout, shell-on crevettes and pickled rollmop. The waitress suggested swapping one of the shell-on crevette dishes to avoid duplication, and we agreed. However, the change never happened. We didn’t mention it, as an earlier moment had already put us off: when she took our order, I walked to the toilet and overheard her clearly complaining about our table to other staff. We had only just arrived, had treated everyone politely – my partner is a chef and respects the industry – so we were genuinely taken aback.
Some may assume I’m overreacting or inexperienced, but that’s not the case. I’ve had plenty of fine dining experiences around the world with my family, and I grew up by the sea eating fresh seafood and understanding the difference in quality, texture and preparation.
All in all, the meal fell far below expectations, especially given the price, and it’s not somewhere we’d choose to return to.
george s
We came into HOOK for a quick lunch on a Saturday afternoon, and we were thoroughly impressed.
We ordered a Crab & Sweetcorn Chowder, and a Crab Platter for 1. The chowder was creamy, elegant, buttery, generally fabulous. The bread that we had alongside it was also delicious. The crab platter was extremely fresh, had a great variety- it was beautifully laid out, and came with a lovely homemade chilli sauce.
Even the cup of tea was great!
Overall, would 10000% recommend visiting whether it’s for a quick bite or a big platter! 10/10
… moreWe ordered a Crab & Sweetcorn Chowder, and a Crab Platter for 1. The chowder was creamy, elegant, buttery, generally fabulous. The bread that we had alongside it was also delicious. The crab platter was extremely fresh, had a great variety- it was beautifully laid out, and came with a lovely homemade chilli sauce.
Even the cup of tea was great!
Overall, would 10000% recommend visiting whether it’s for a quick bite or a big platter! 10/10
Miu W (miuxmiu)
We were running late for our lunch reservation due to bad traffic and they kindly held our table when we rang up to inform them. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated, and the service throughout our meal was top-notch – I can’t commend the staff enough for their friendly, professional service. The food was very tasty and great value too! We enjoyed the lobster platter for 1, the crab and lobster salad, and some oysters. Highly recommend.
… moreAnn Deane
We have been visiting this place since their opening 10 years ago and will make a detour any time to savour the fresh food. The food is always prepared and served with a little tweak to the norm and enhance the taste. The staff are so friendly and helpful and will always help you if you are not to sure of what to order.
They support the local industry, just have a taster of the local gin on offer (gyle and gimble wild coastal gin) with the excellent oysters.
Price wise, I find it very reasonable indeed. The fish is beautifully cooked, the halibut is exceptional, served on a bed of celeriac puree, kale and caper crumbs
… moreThey support the local industry, just have a taster of the local gin on offer (gyle and gimble wild coastal gin) with the excellent oysters.
Price wise, I find it very reasonable indeed. The fish is beautifully cooked, the halibut is exceptional, served on a bed of celeriac puree, kale and caper crumbs
Sing Yan, William Leung
I recently visited this seafood restaurant conveniently located near the car park, which made it very easy to access. The moment I stepped inside, I was welcomed with warm smiles and a friendly atmosphere. The décor is beautifully themed with a seaside feel, creating the perfect setting for enjoying fresh seafood.
The food was absolutely delightful—everything tasted fresh and well-prepared. The oysters and soft-shell crab were standouts, full of flavor and wonderfully presented. For my main dish, I had the mackerel, which was impressively large and cooked to perfection. My partner ordered the crab with salad, which was equally fresh and delicious.
Overall, this restaurant offers not only excellent food but also a welcoming environment and attentive service. A fantastic place for seafood lovers, and I would be happy to return again.
… moreThe food was absolutely delightful—everything tasted fresh and well-prepared. The oysters and soft-shell crab were standouts, full of flavor and wonderfully presented. For my main dish, I had the mackerel, which was impressively large and cooked to perfection. My partner ordered the crab with salad, which was equally fresh and delicious.
Overall, this restaurant offers not only excellent food but also a welcoming environment and attentive service. A fantastic place for seafood lovers, and I would be happy to return again.
Sophia Saint
The best food we have had this year! Incredible unique seafood dishes. Everything was just exquisite from the food, to the venue, to the front of house team who were friendly and so professional. I cannot recommend enough! Booking is key… its full for a reason. PS – Please get Monkfish Cheeks in Thai sauce on the main menu (beautiful dish).
… morePhilip Stewart
We had a fantastic time at Wells Crabs House – it was probably the best seafood either of us have had. Service was excellent and friendly – we are not experienced with eating fresh lobster but the staff were happy to give us pointers and advice. Booking is essential as we saw several walk-in parties get turned away. Prices were reasonable considering the quality, and the atmosphere was excellent. Highly recommended!
… moreThomas Tomlinson
Fantastic place. Highly recommended. Food was amazing. Service friendly and efficient. Just go here.
… more