Surfside Fish Bar & Restaurant in Hartlepool - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

I had cod and chips takeway from here and honestly it was the best fish and chips I have ever had in my life. The cod was fresh, dense, firm, perfectly cooked, a light batter. The chips were nearly perfect. Not quite. they were slightly on the softer and greasier end of the spectrum from perfection, but they were almost perfect. Sitting on the beach, eating a very very very good fish and chips. A very good day. Oh also the woman on the counter called me pet. That's also good. No corporate nonsense.

Usually nice food although this visit has caused me and my partner to have food poisoning. Unfortunetly we will not return. Lovely staff though

Always busy , food is beautiful and tasty. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Visited recently. Husband waited outside with our two dogs and I went inside to get us coffees. There is a sign at the entrance stating "wait here for service" (or something like that). There's no-one at the counter getting served, so I nip past the sign to get a menu. After studying the menu and deciding, I go to the counter (where there's still no-one getting served) to be told - with a dismissive wave of the hand - to go back and wait at the sign. By then another customer was also waiting to be served. The other customer explained that the measures had been put in place during Covid and they had not reverted to their normal practices since. So she and I waited until finally the counter staff waved her over, and after she was served, waved me over. What a faff on! How not to make your customers feel welcome 🤬

This is a lovely place however customers sitting outside are not catered for as you have to wait to be served behind a barrier and people who wish to sit in take priority this is very poor service as surely every customer should be treated with the same courtesy outside I are made to feel unimportant and a burden

Friendly staff, efficient service, even though it was busy we were still served in a reasonable length of time. I had the three fish pie off the specials list which was delicious and I enjoyed it very much. My wife had the half lot cod and chips with mushy peas, bread and butter and a cup of tea for less than £10, which she enjoyed very much also. The portion size was very generous and she didn’t manage to eat all her chips but she said it was very nice. Lovely white thick cod fillet, golden chips and nice tasty peas. We would definitely recommend Surfside.

Been here a few times now. We like the Vista and the vibe so will certainly be back..

Good service and beautiful food .

Impromptu visit after seeing the silly queues elsewhere. Hidden little gem of a fish and chip shop right next to a bar as well. Cooked fresh to order and brilliant portion size - you won’t be still hungry afterwards! Option to dine in or take out and eat on the benches out the front. As everything is cooked to order late arrivals may be left disappointed if they sell out early. Fish batter was top notch not overly greasy and just the right amount of crunch for a lovely fresh tasting cod. Parking available - enter your registration if parking longer than 30 mins. If you’re visiting plan a visit for great fish and local banter.

Great scampi nice fishcake and chips.The staff was nice and friendly.would go there again

Fish not as big as I wanted but it was nice mushy peas a bit anaemic could done with more peas green added chips OK to .

Fabulous service, car park outside. We got the afternoon tea which is so tasty and great value. They do a kids tugboat full of food and treats with a drink too

I should of known when there wasn't a queue!!! £3.10 for a "large" chips takeaway - the chips were measured out in a cup the put in a "plastic" tray - there was about 12 chips. NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!!! - go to the 3 takeaways in the high street

Staff were very busy, we were seated & served quickly considering how busy they were.

Extremely disappointed by our last visit, staff were very rude and had a careless attitude made it very obvious that unless you are a local you will be treated very differently. Food was just ok, was not particularly busy but service was appalling was given milk and mugs but no tea, we even waited a bit after our food to arrive for them to bring the tea but nothing, only when we asked for the tea did they bring it and did not apologise at all. Would recommend if you are a local if not there are far friendlier and tastier options further down will not be returning back.

We had lunch at Surfside. I had Cod Chips mushy peas. My wife had a hot pennine and salad. It was wonderful.

Went here for the first time with friends we all had the fish n chip deal which came with tea or coffee, mushy peas, curry sauce or Gravy & bread & butter. The fish was thick & white inside a lovely crispy batter. We were lucky enough to sit outside as weather was good. There’s a good selection on the menu of other meals & an ice cream booth inside. Staff very friendly & polite. Toilets exceptionally clean. Overall a very nice place, will definitely be back.

Worst I have ever had. Spam fritter was absolutely soaked in fat. And if you like your chips in a clump and mushy this is the place to go, only went there Coz the proper chippy was busy(The Almighty Cod). Never ever again.

Lovely food and very helpful and kind staff

Our first visit here. Midweek lunch time. Locals enjoying their lunch, promising. Lovely staff, friendly. Food yummy. Good value for money. Sure we will be back

Busy so short wait for fish but that's better because it couldn't be any fresher, excellent.

The food was served tasty, freshly prepared & hot. Friendly staff & a nicely presented cafe. There is a loyalty card for free drinks when you've purchased the required number of drinks. You can sit outside when the weather is suitable. There are great views looking out over the bay. There is adequate parking around the cafe.

Nice shop on the coast. The staff is great and the food is impressive. Typical diner with delicious cakes. I've been here twice and both times were great

Great spot right on the beach front. We never had hot food so can't comment on that but the cakes are unbelievable. Will definitely go back to try a breakfast next time .

The piece of fish I have was absolutely tender and beautifully cooked. The stuff were friendly and attentive. The venue is clean and in good condition

Amazing fish and chips one of the best I have had in year, big chunky chips cooked just right. As for the fish very fresh large portions and the batter is lovely and crispy.

Watch out you can get a Parking Charge even though youve signed in on their counter, Surfside were not interested in helping. wont be visiting again that's for sure

Took the kids the beach as we were leaving they asked for fish and chips. Pulled into a car park that stated free parking for customers. Sat in the car while the Mrs went in with the kids. Two weeks later slapped with a £60/£100 fine. This is not a chip shop it's a front for some kind of scam to rip off their customers. Must make more money scamming the customers than they do selling food. Will never return here and friends and family will be warned. Good luck getting the £100 out of the 12 year old that wanted fish and chips

Stopped off for a coffee and cake after lovely walk with the Pup. Nice coffee and strawberry 🍓 tart yum yum 😋

Not dog friendly. Very rude staff

Always beautiful fish and chips here, staff are so lovely and friendly

Lovely as always! Surfside is one of our favourite places for lunch.

Watched my brother in law eating fish n chips. Looked delicious

The staff were very attentive, the service was very quick. They were helpful with car parking system.

Good seaside menu options with a touch of North Eastern traditional dishes. Cheerful and friendly staff. Working hard to successfully serve a busy customer volume. Absolutely delicious food and coffees served with no delay Will definitely return when I next come this way. Highly recommend

Went last year fijsh batter brilliant, went again few weeks ago, disappointed as batter very greasey, so made Fish not so nice.

Had the chips at this cafe. I've got to say I wouldn't feed them to my dog. Greasy, warm ups, like old toe nails. Disgusting

I wasn't much impressed of the quality of tables that they have outside. It's the first what person sees when visiting your Bar.

Lovely simple bacon sarnie nice friendly atmosphere quick service

Very small portions compared to other local fish and chip shops. Bread thick so not great to go with fish and chips. Food wasn't very warm.

Lovely food staff always so friendly

Had a short wait for a table. Good service and two lovely meals, one fish and chips and the other the burger of the week.

Chargeable car park!! Keep away as it's there to get you

Had lunch with my mum here, best fish and chips I've had for years, with sea view and great friendly service. Lots of outdoor seating for the warmer months too.

Delicious and fresh fish and chips. Will definitely be going back. Highly recommend

Stopped for coffee which was very nice we sat outside with our dog unfortunately the drains stank and there was lots of litter.

It's okay, nothing special. But service is great!

Surfside Fish Bar & Restaurant’s conduct towards its customers is completely unacceptable. Despite being a patron who spent a considerable amount at this establishment, I was subjected to an unjust parking fine due to their failure to inform me of the parking restrictions. This is a clear violation of ethical business practices. It is reprehensible that such businesses, fully aware that we were dining in our car, exploit their loyal customers for profit, causing undue distress during challenging times. I intend to ensure that my family, friends, and associates are made aware of this incident and avoid spending in this establishment. Their blatant disregard for their customers, is shameful.

Excellent fish and chips have been coming here for years. Nice view looking out at see as well dogs welcome if eating outside.

Fish was beautifully cooked cud ov had a few more chips but that's me being greedy I had the fish afternoon tea cudnt fault it

We went for the 1st time it was extremely busy ,the girl that served us was lovely very polite and helpful we probably wouldn't go back purely based on the fact she came over to take payment why we were eating so we were putting mouthful of food in our mouth while leaning over to pay ,we felt payment should be taken at time of order or the end not in middle of us eating it gave the feeling of lack of trust ,the toilets were a bit wiffy smelt of pee (this was ladies) other than that the food was gorgeous the coffee was very nice but we felt like crimals who were gonna do a runner lol the girl who served us was lovely though and the reason for 3 stars was based on the urgency to pay change it up pay on order or after food

Had a walnut and date scone it was very dry and tasted very salty overall very disappointing. However normally the food is great.

Popped in for a spot of breakfast and it was excellent all round, particularly the table service.

Not pet friendly for a coffee and cake. So we took a takeaway cake, but not much fun eating it walking in the cold. Nice cake. Unfortunately nowhere is in Seaton which is unbelievable really the amount of people who visit with dogs. Next door in the bar we finally found a place 😀 Dog friendly

Absolutely fabulous fish n chips and brilliant service! Highly recommended

Chowder was tasty and value for money. However, my wife's tuna, red onion, and salad sandwich was not. The tuna and red onion were spread thinly like jam, and some of the salad should have been in the bin. When mentioned to 2 members of staff, there was no apology, just "I'll let her know," whoever HER might be. The side order of chips was mainly bits. Overall NOT worth £24 (especially £9.50 sandwich). Next time we'll be walking past.

Great freshly fried, tasty fish and chips. Restaurant is sometimes quite busy but never had to wait long to get a table even on a weekend. Great view overlooking the sea ... Ist class

We had not been for awhile but everything from service to food was still top notch, must visit again but sooner this time.

These are the worst chips we have ever had, they were dark brown, very hard, tasteless and dry. I would have took them back but the queue was long. We just binned them

Slow service for expensive basic chips.

Lovely cafe, sit outside and hear the waves, or sit inside nice and warm, always greeted with a smile, very helpful.

Not the best I've been in small plates fish was poor

Chips to takeaway as had dog with us. Outside seating. Helpful staff.

Food was fantastic the staff where Absolutely brilliant first class

Best fish and chips in the area!!!

VILE!!!! Called on my way home from work and ordered a Half Lot to take away, the piece of fish was tiny (wouldnt of filled a toddler) overcooked and greasy with not much fish in and the chips and scraps were also extremely overcooked and dripping in grease. I know its a fish shop so I expect some grease but there is no need for the amount on it. I would say the oil needed cleaning and changing about 2 month ago!!!

Lovely cafe on Seaton Carew sea front. Has its own car park. Put your registration number in when you enter cafe. Cakes are gorgeous!

It was a much welcome stop off with great staff. Warm food on a cold day

A nice selection of cakes. Also has outdoor seating for smokers and dogs.

Food was lovely. Packed and busy, but that was on an unusually busy night for the area. Service was ok, but the waitress did make a few mistakes which were quickly corrected.

Coffee and cake and staff was great but sitting outside surrounded by hungry, noisy Starlings while trying to control my 11 month old Cocker Spaniel from chasing aforementioned birds was challenging.

Always great even when they are busy.

Best Fish and Chips in the area, nicely priced too

Good quality meals. Served hot and promptly.

Went the shop on front to takeaway our food. It was awful no wonder there wasn’t nobody in to be served when every other fish shop had queues out the door. Whoever was frying on Sunday afternoon 12-11-23 obviously haven’t a clue what they are doing. Our chips were all stuck together and were scrappy the fish had soggy batter and 5bey were all cold after a 5 minute car drive….they were disgusting and went in the best place for them…the bin. You’re not worth staying open. Or get staff who know how to fry correctly

Lovely cafe nice food friendly staff loads of parking

Delicious food and friendly staff.

This place is lovely went today with my family for my sisters birthday I carnt recommend it enough staff were great and friendly and our afternoon tea was great we will be definitely go back again x

Nice fish and chips and the salad was huge!

Level access suitable for manual and electric wheelchairs (I brought one of each!). Having entered my car reg on the tablet at the Please Wait Here sign, we were met with a friendly smile attached to a very courteous and welcoming member of staff. They carefully considered the needs of both wheelchair users and offered a choice of appropriate tables. The haddock, scampi, and (vegetarian) panini arrived quicker than expected, and all three were prepared perfectly. While eating, I had a look around to count the number of signs that reminded customers to enter their car registrations to qualify for free parking for the rest of the day - they are really hard to miss! So it looks like management have really made the effort to communicate this to customers to save getting caught out after the 30 min grace period. I made a round trip of 200 miles to pick up my Dad to take him here - he really enjoyed this day out, thanks all 😊

Came for lunch today. Food was lovely and freshly made. The staff were welcoming, friendly and attentive, a real credit to the place. Excellent service all round. Definitely be back.

Food OK not exceptional Service OK Location was convenient Atmosphere OK Outside eating plagued by starlings and dogs Lots of dogs ....

We came here yesterday lunch time to celebrate our friend Patricia’s birthday we booked in advance because there was 10 of us in our party the waitress was very welcoming and polite showed us to our seats the restaurant was very spacious and light with a lovely sea view we all ordered the Half lot fish n chips it came with a sauce of your choice I had curry you also had a slice of bread an butter and a pot of tea or coffee the waitress said if you need anymore hot water just ask which we did so we had a second cuppa the meal came to £9.50 we all paid £10 so we could give the waitress a £5 tip I really enjoyed my meal and I would definitely come again thank you surf side for having us 😊

Nice place to chill, next time I will try the hot food

So, parking fines have struck again. My husband was waiting for our daughter at a local bowling alley birthday party and had our dog in tow. Although not regulars, we have frequented Surfside on many occasions over the past few years. So he called in here, parked the car, noticed the “free parking” signs and walked around to the outdoor seating area to sit outside with the dog while he had a quick cuppa and scone. Not one member of staff mentioned the parking issues or pointed out the signs relating to this. All in all, 45mins outside with a snack. So imagine our horror tonight when I returned from a 12hr shift at the local hospital to find a £100/£60 fine waiting on the table? Obviously we can now see the poor reviews on this and am as disgusted as everyone else re this. We will NEVER frequent this place again and will encourage all family and friends to boycott. Made even worse that the owners are actually our neighbours, can’t believe that blatant highway robbery still exists in 2023.

Visited today with my mam and son. Staff couldn't be friendlier. Lovely atmosphere and beautiful food and cakes. Lovely view over the sea too. Worth a visit.

Good service lovely fish plenty of parking.

Excellent seaside restaurant. Cod and chips are fabulous! Kind, efficient staff. Highly recommended.

Fish was decent but portion size was tiny especially the chips considering they were 3 quid, disappointing really. Gravy was very watery

Nice place to stop off after, a walk in the sun, along Seaton/Hartlepool front. Very relaxed looking out across the sea, watching the Tall Ships earlier this year. Good for dogs too, plenty of them with no trouble.

Bit expensive, no pies, but very tasty. Great location.

Lovely fish and chips beside the sea front on a lovely day 3/9/23

Called on Fri Sept 1st,had the half lots which is a small portion of cod and chips with a choice of beans,mushy peas or curry,served in a small ramekin dish,also included a thick slice of bread and butter and a choice of tea or coffee ,cost £9.50,very good value,tasted lovely and hot ,very pleasant and helpful staff 😊

Always delicious cod and great service.

Clean and friendly service food was acceptable but a bit small

Friendly place with fish and chips seated and lounge area for just drinks and chat. Dog bowls with water outdoors at seating area.

First visit to this takeaway..Fish was very good chips were average..Not sure if I would return we sat outside on a table bench in an open space which felt very tired and in need of a makeover..Staff friendly enough ..Just feel the experience was just above average

Pricey for food but the quality was out of their world

The food is fab here and we’re hoping to visit again but on reading recent reviews about the parking charges I will not be going bach

I am writing this for my elderly 82 year old mam. She has been visiting this restaurant since my dad passed away 3 years ago. She hasn't a large appetite so can only manage a child's meal which she has always been allowed. Today however she was refused and told management had stopped adults getting child's meals. She ended up ordering a small amount of fish bites and a small chips which she couldn't finish. It cost her £12 which is alot for something she couldn't manage. She rang me upset saying she won't go again. It's sad as she loved it there before and she was tret well by the staff. Maybe this could be looked at or put a smaller appetite menu up. It's such a shame.