Whitby is a fish town. Cod and haddock come off the local boats, smoked kippers come out of Fortune's smokehouse, and a dozen chip shops along the harbour compete for the best fish and chips in town. The Magpie Cafe on Pier Road is the celebrated benchmark; Trenchers on the west side and the Quayside on the east are reliable lower-queue alternatives.
For something other than fish, the Star Inn the Harbour at the foot of the Khyber Pass slope serves more ambitious modern British food using Yorkshire produce. Several solid bakeries on the west side sell hot pork pies and Yorkshire curd tart for picnic lunches on the beach.