Having lived in East Devon for over a decade , I (Lauren) already had Sidmouth – full of independent businesses – firmly on my eating out radar.

The seaside town of Sidmouth

Nestled along the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sidmouth is a charming seaside town in East Devon known for its elegant Regency architecture, dramatic red cliffs, and relaxed pace of life. With its pebbled beach, scenic coastal walks like the South West Coast Path, and lush surroundings including the Sid Valley, it offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and historic charm. The town is full of excellent independent shops, restaurants and ice cream options, plus some great weekly food vans too.

A recent celebration dinner had to be at family-owned Myca’s Seafood and Grill, for their sensational seafood and shellfish. We’ve not heard or read a bad word about this place, a reputation well earned, I’d say in just 2 years of being open. They have also recently opened a sister restaurant called Roma’s serving Italian food, but that will have to wait for another day.

Why does it cost that much (s)quid?

We adore seafood and shellfish, and it has to be done right and yes – sadly for many, it’s a treat. But why you might ask? It’s not just restaurant pricing – there’s a lot behind the scenes. Much of our seafood is caught by small, sustainable fisheries, and a lot of the really good stuff actually gets snapped up for export. Add in the cost of keeping shellfish super fresh, post-Brexit red tape, and fewer hands to do the hard work, and prices start to climb. Then there’s rent and increasing wages and the like. So while it might seem expensive, you’re often paying for quality, care, and a truly special taste of the sea.

A treat for the senses – smells and the menu!

So, should you spend your hard-earned dough at Myca’s?

Well… you know that smell? You know the one…. when you walk into a restaurant, and it smells sooo good and you just know you’re in for a great meal. Like biting into an excellent roast potato at an eatery, and you know the chef knows what they are doing with your roast and more? Well, as we entered this perfectly sized, family-owned business on Sidmouth high street, we were enveloped in its garlic butter fumes. Seafood and garlic butter – oh yes!

The menu changes with the seasons, and their specials board changes as quick as the tide, thanks to Myca’s popularity both day and night. I was so sad to miss out on the tuna steak special that was on at lunch time – however there were more fish-tastic options on offer.

The rear of the menu has many species named and a short explanation so those who are not so confident can brush up their knowledge and make the right choice for them. Of course if you still aren’t sure, just ask and Myca’s staff will guide you – as I did when trying to decide! (I am a would-order-the-whole-menu, will-have-food-envy-of-fellow-diners kinda gal!

What did we eat?

So, what hooked us? Well starters included the prawn and scallops (Scallop, prawn, white wine, garlic butter, breadcrumbs), seafood salad (Marinated seafood mix of prawns, squid, mussels and cockles, topped with hand picked white crab meat) and the mussels (Cornish Mussels, white wine, garlic butter with bread).

All of us were very happy diving into our respective dishes, bubbling hot scallop and mussel shells full of their perfectly tender meat treasures, the salad a refreshing start.

For the main event, monkfish tails (grilled in garlic butter with tartare sauce & salad), fillet of sea trout (grilled in garlic butter, with salad & tartare sauce) and seafood linguine (white wine, cream, mussels, salmon and tiger prawns).

The sea trout was exactly as my husband had hoped – sea trout has a delicate, slightly sweet flavour with a subtle richness. It’s often compared to salmon, but less oily and lighter in taste and it’s not often you see it on menus. After asking earlier for advice on what I should have, I was delighted with my melt-in-the-mouth, yet meaty pair of monkfish tails grilled to perfection – it;s the steak of the sea so they say.

The boy was over the moon at his generous bowl of linguine – saucy, succulent shellfish, noises kept emerging as he ploughed his way through it!

Oh did I mention that there are unlimited fries, that you can nibble, crunch, dip and slather in the aforementioned garlic-drenched sauces? And not just any fries, the best skin-on fries we’ve possibly ever had, we actually complimented them on their chosen chips and were informed they have gone through many options to land with the ones we were devouring.

The ambience was a happy hustle and bustle with great service and very cool latino beach vibes background music.

We feel we spent our money well on fantastic produce, whilst supporting this local business and the producers and fisherman behind them. We’ll be swimming back!

Myca’s Seafood and Grill, 33 Fore St, Sidmouth EX10 8AQ

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