the crab hut in Weymouth and Portland

As locals we visited recently and have to say we were disappointed. The portion sizes are smaller than previous visits and my fish was uncooked and cold. Such a shame. We did mention it at the time and we were offered another meal or a dessert on the house (which I accepted) however, as my son was paying for the meal as a birthday treat I didn’t want to make a fuss. The food is very expensive however the drink prices are extortionate. £2:50 for a dash of coke. Come on! The service is excellent as per usual. I’m hoping this was a ‘one off’ & will visit again but there are other excellent fish restaurants in Weymouth that offer excellent quality too.

Lovely view. Friendly staff. Wonderful food. Plate presentation was lovely. Problem with one meal and promptly handled by staff with great service. Very good food on all levels. Recommend

We love this place but unfortunately this time the crab starter was disappointing, very small and the monkfish main was also not good value, monkfsh was rubbery and mainly bone. Service was excellent as always but feel a little bitter sweet as this was the best fish restaurant and although expensive was worth it but avoid these 2 dishes

We live in Weymouth and have tried all of the fish restaurants in the town. This in opinion is by far the best. Two tips - Do not pick your meal from the on line menu as you may be disappointed if that fish is not available on the day of your visit. BOOK online. as in the winter the indoor seating is often busy. Great restaurant.

We had a really lovely lunch here and would highly recommend it. The staff were all lovely and accommodating. Great atmosphere, good food and service. The crab was the winner for us!

The Crab House Cafe is a very special place to me and my family and its the oysters that really does it for us. They do au Natural which are very good, they do oysters flash cooked in the shell in pesto and parmesan which are excellent and they also do oysters in bacon and cream in the shell which are superb and are a major taste experience. My sons and i have a mix of a dozen each as a main course and when we are on that part of the feast there isnt a lot of talking going on, the main sounds coming from our table are ooohhh's and aaahhh's and just the sheer appreciation of beautifully cooked food in a perfect surrounding. Thank you Crab House, we'll be back.

Great place !! Amazing food and very friendly service. Good menu choices. Desert very delicious. I recomended and will return again.

Great fish & seafood in a relaxed atmosphere. Loved it. Staff were friendly & attentive, the food delicious. All 4 of us ate differently, including crab remoulade, the bisque which was superb & fish bhajis, very much enjoyed. 1 of us enjoyed the whole crab mains, 2x hake & 1x john dory & brill. Each of us were delighted with our meals & would definitely come back if near this way again.

Always tricky eating on one's own, but staff immediately made me feel at ease and found a well positioned table. Complimentary fresh baked bread and dip arrived and went well with the two starters I had chosen. The bisque was one of the best I have ever had with a great depth and complexity of flavour. Excellent (large!) glass of Sauvignon blanc ensured a very pleasant evening. And great sunset!!

I was a little worried after reading the mixed reviews on here but we had a fabulous dinner at the Crab House this week. As with others I couldn't get through by phone so booked a table online which worked fine. We sat in the heated marquee which was relaxed with a great view, but sheltered from the elements! Food was fantastic, we both had a half crab and shared the monkfish scampi to start. Only comment is that the padron peppers we ordered to nibble with drinks were undercooked and consequently incredibly spicy - mouth on fire territory. However that was the only niggle in an otherwise brilliant meal.

We hadn't booked a table so made sure we turned up early to see if we could get in - thankfully they had a table for us in their covered outside area. We had oysters to start which my boyfriend had never tried before, but now he likes. We saw other people ordering the crab to crack which looked fun although was quite noisy. My boyfriend ordered a small plate for his main as he wasn't that hungry and I ordered a main meal. The setting was nice and I wish we had booked a table so that we could have been there later when all the twinkling lights lit up the garden.

You will not be disappointed if you visit this restaurant. As someone who is a head chef and classically trained i research before intensively hoping that I’ll walk away feeling at least satisfied with my meal . This restaurant is probably one of a kind...

We had such high expectations after reading so many rave reviews that we were really surprised to be rather disappointed with our meal. The starters were fine - fish bahji and sardines. The sardines were excellent, but not sure about the baby red mullet that...

Wow what can we say.... attended on Saturday for a birthday lunch. Food, service location, and price just spot on !!! An absolute gem of a place ...we will definitely be back very soon ... thank you to all 😊

Best oysters I have ever tasted. Beautifully cooked hake with wild mushroom and garlic main course. Good wine, great service and relaxed atmosphere. Our table was next to the fish prep area which was behind glass. Was good to watch them prep the fish and...

Superb fish dishes. On this visit I chose the spicy Chinese crab and it was fantastic. The staff are always very polite, friendly and professional. If you’re a fish lover, this is the place! It’s amazing.

We were 7 people having dinner at Crabhouse last night. Amazing food - had scallops for starter and mussels (with chips) as main. Really great food and the waiters are so nice and friendly. Don’t think twice! Go there - now!

We were visiting from Australia, so have high expectations when it comes to seafood. It is always a joy to outside, overlooking the oyster beds while exploring local delicacies on the table. The sustainability and seasonal approach to presenting simple, local food to a high...

This is always our go to restaurant, whenever we visit Dorset. We've been going here for many years. The reason we keep returning is that we have always had the most fabulous meals. The menu is ever changing - with the most delicious options. We...

I treated myself to a solo lunch here. It is quite hard to get a table. It is also quite tricky to get to if you don't drive - you have to get a No.1 bus from central Weymouth and get off at Chesil Vista....

We originally booked an outside table, due to biblical rains the restaurant thoughtfully called us and had arranged for us to have a table in the marquee, which proved to be ideal. The restaurant has a lovely setting, the staff were very attentive from start...

We have eaten here quite a few times, we invited friends to join us last night. I have to say it was our best experience yet! It was very busy but the staff are all really good at what they do. I had the haddock...

Wow, what wonderful seafood! So fresh and so delicious and good value too. We had fabulous baked oysters, Crab remoulade, fish bhajis freshly cooked seabass/mullet combination, a pair of beautiful megrim sole and a wonderful king (spider) crab. Not all in one sitting you understand...

Lovely location by the side of the Fleet,in mid July we'd hoped for a warm evening but unfortunately it was blowing a gale and raining. However, under cover it was warm and welcoming, staff friendly and extremely efficient, food outstanding and service excellent. Fish lovers...

This is certainly where to go if all of your group love seafood. Not a lot of other things on the menu. However they do seafood excellently. My seafood bisque was one of the best I've ever had. Lots of oysters (their speciality) being served....

Well they use what is available and for a seafood aficionado it must be heaven. However they did serve an extraordinarily sized sea bass that really was quite special. Locally caught using non powered vessels. The chefs and their assistants must have worked hard between...

Wauw, zo'n organisatie! Ongelooflijk volle verwerking in een open keuken met annex. Lekkere verse producten! Krab, vis, schelpdieren, weekdieren... Super!...

We had a brilliant meal and served by friendly, efficient, staff. Lovely location. Not cheap, but we were happy with the cost , especially in comparison to others in the area.

Amazing Restaurant! Friendly staff. Great atmosphere ☺️ I had the fish salad it was so delicious! The chili Crab was tasty !! Highly recommend 😋 We all had a delicious food and amazing time😊 We will be back!

What a fabulous place! If wanted to go for a long time and it far exceeded my expectations. Wonderful food and lovely friendly staff. Truly a brilliant place to visit.

The Crab House Café offers very local sourcing of their produce, and this commitment to their food is show top to tail—rope grown oyster to plate. Oysters were new to me, and the Oysters here were fresh and tasty. This was served alongside bread with...

Well that was outstanding. Husband has just said he thinks he can’t remember a meal as good as that for some time. Highly recommend the baked oysters on the specials. Just wow

Always so good and just as good this time. Such friendly service and the food is just brilliant. Great chilled atmosphere and such a pleasure to go there.

We travelled from Wells in Somerset with good friends to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary on a lovely summer evening. Its been around 6 years since our last visit & I will not be making that mistake again. The place has been done up with a...

Thank you so much to Darren and the team for just being so awesome and providing us such “wow” food. If you have never stopped here before, then you are truly missing out! Thanks again and can’t wait to return! 😍

We visited here on the last night of our holiday and we were certainly rewarded with amazing food, views and service. We both had 3 courses along with an Oyster course and the food was fresh, tasted amazing. Cooked beautifully and the best hollandaise we...

We had lunch here on my birthday - again. Lovely fresh fish and friendly service. They grow their own oysters off the beach and sell their own gin produced there. The food is very good and the location great.

Appallingly slow service. All food ordered was from the fridge so no cooking required still it took 45 minutes for the starter arrive and a further 30 for cold crab. £34 for a very small crab and a handful of leaves is expensive. For that...

We visited for our anniversary and sat inside the tented section. Our dining preference is fish and seafood and everything we ordered was sublime. Our first courses of Monk Fish Pastrami, Crab Remoulade & Oysters with Pesto and Parmesan were exquisite and our main course...

Ordered different things and sharing in between my family members. The food were fresh and amazing taste. Even if my kids love them as well. Definitely will return again and highly recommend to anyone. Staffs are friendly and helpful as well.

Delicious seafood lunch in a great outdoor location. Loved the casual atmosphere combined with delicious, well presented food. Also they do have, when asked, options for those who don’t love seafood. Service amazing. Favorite dining venue of our 2 week UK visit.

Fresh. Tasty. Variety. Wonderful staff and service! We sat outside on what felt like the first real day of Spring being 22 degrees and sunny!

Absolutely love this restaurant and I really aren't a huge fan of fish!!! This was a return visit and I really can only recommend that you have to try it - produce is of the highest quality, and the chefs cook each piece of fish...

We come to Weymouth once a year and always book the Crab House (I've known it for years as the Crab Shack...) for our final night treat. Never fails. Some grumblers, some folk would complain if St Peter let them through the Pearly Gate? So...

A perfect night out, excellent service, excellent food and wine, would highly recommend, our fish was wonderful 👍

Never had a bad meal here. Staff are friendly and efficent and the food excellent. I recommend the hake and the cheeseboard was superb. We will definitely go again next time we are in Weymouth.

I can see why Rick Stein recommended this restaurant! Very friendly front of house team, and good atmosphere, the waiting staff are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the food and drinks. The king crab was excellent so was the skate, can’t recommend this enough...

We had an amazing lunch at the Crab House Cafe. The food was absolutely stunning, as was the wine. The staff were incredible, all positive, knowledgeable, and friendly.

After going to the opposition this delightful restaurant is an absolute gem. Food excellent, Staff very warm and welcoming and the decor very well maintained and tastefully done. No deposits involved. we arrived early and were shown to an excellent table for an Al la...

At Easter, my husband and I along with our 5 year old, spent a week in Weymouth. One day walking along the costal path we came across Crab Cafe, however it was not open. We were immediately impressed with the fact that the Cafe had...

Came here on recommendation and we weren’t disappointed. Super friendly and accommodating staff, relaxed atmosphere, delicious food and their own brew. Multi award winning and rightly so. Reserve in advance to be sure of a table. The menu, as you might expect, is entirely fish,...

Birthday meal, we were on holiday with our dog. Ushered to an anex heat put on and blankets provided. Food and service exceptional. We had 12 oysters that were sweet and meaty. Paired with a crisp white wine and served with complimentary delicious bread and...

Staying in Weymouth for a week we were keen to find a good fish restaurant. Our visit here proved to be a great choice. The fish was excellent, a great selection of wine and the service attentive and really friendly.

Disaster averted ! My internet booking didn't go through, so we turned up for an anniversary dinner to find we had no table...! After some fancy foot work by the maitre 'd he found us a great table so all was well. What followed was...

Visited on a whim and was seated in their sunny spacious courtyard. Bread and oil was bought to us as a free gesture, the bread was warm and lovely tasting. All waiters/waitresses that served us were professional and polite and one even offered us extra...

First visit this year and was as exceptional as always! First class food and just as good service from a team they retain year after year! Speaks volumes in itself! Amazing environment, food and drink! The best!

Fantastic seafood, tried oysters for the 1st time. Desserts were simply delicious and our kids loved smashing open the crab. Cosy setting with friendly and attentive staff. Lovely holiday treat.

We tried to pop in to this “café” for a couple of drinks on the way back from a lovely walk along the coast, with a view to seeing what it was like for future dinner plans. We were greeted by an especially pompous waiter...

This was our third visit here as it’s a bit of a drive but worth every minute of it. The seafood bisque was one of the nicest things I have ever tasted, the lemon sole stuffed with crab and cheddar was amazing and we couldn’t...

Great food we will be back and its dog friendly. The sea food was fresh and beautifully prepared , the staff were very friendly and competent.

Great place to eat. Stunning. Service, food, price. 10/10. My wife and I had a great 3 hours there yesterday 29th March. Fun cracking crab,

Never write reviews but this place is wonderful, so felt obliged We went (for dinner) two nights in a row the menu, food and experience was so good. The service is so friendly and efficient. The fresh mackerel was the best I've tasted. The baked...

This little restaurant is amazing, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day so we sat outside, staff were very welcoming and helpful, we started with a dozen beautiful portland oysters, so fresh and tasty, and the fish bahji which was really tasty, mains were...

Everything, from entering to leaving was perfect. The staff were very professional and helpful. The food was one of the best lunches we have had for a very long time. I would highly recommend a visit you won’t be disappointed. We will be back soon,...

A lovely, friendly place to learn how to get the most from a crab. The oysters were great, too. Also thanks to the team for quickly returning a key I dropped while at the restaurant!

Our first visit here on a recent weekend trip to Weymouth. Love finding an independent fish restaurant on our travels, and this place - found by chance - is up there with the best we've found on the south coast across the years. Fresh fish...

Warm welcome, great staff and superb lunch… I had the Monkfish which was perfectly cooked with crisp cabbage and potatoes

I've lost count of how many times we've been to the Crab House Cafe - it is very much our go-to place for special occasions. Every special occasion we can think of. Even some manufactured/invented special occasions. And it never disappoints. (OK, it did once,...

Second visit here and both times the food and service has been perfect. Bought a copy of the cookbook whilst we were there and I can’t wait to try the recipes.

Food and service very good, top end in price but worth the money. Until the weather warms up do not book the marquee, it is very cold and the heating is totally in adequate.

Great fresh fish and service. Had the scallops and the seafood bisque to start. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a great balance of flavours while the bisque was a warming delight on a cold winter's day. For the main course we had monkfish and...

Last went eight years ago and the standard was excellent. This time the food and service was average. Perhaps Portland oyster are always overly salty. Certainly compared to Irish, Breton or Essex oysters they were 'full of ozone'. Also, my partner had a bad oyster...

We visited as a group of 6 as a 60th Birthday, you won't find a finer sea food restaurant, must have the oysters !! Amazing menu and service.

This fabulous restaurant sits at the edge of the Fleet on the mainland side of the causeway to Portland, the approach road is a little rough in places, belying what lies ahead. - We had very high expectations of Crab House Cafe, based on all...

We had a great lunch which started with really delightful staff greeting us. It’s a rustic, quirky establishment so if you want fine dining with sophisticated decor this isn’t your place however it’s going with the times and the sea theme. The menu was all...

The sea food here is beyond amazing. Forget about where else you’ve been- this is outstanding. And also superb customer service. Absolutely fantastic

Excellent super-fresh fish beautifully cooked & presented, with an excellent bottle of Bacchus English wine - perfect! Seated close to kitchen and watched friendly efficient team work by all staff all evening.

A lovely rural Shack, loads of atmosphere, yards from the sea where their oysters, crab etc are farmed/caught. So so fresh! We had a wonderful meal of many many oysters followed by crab - I had an individual lesson on how to tackle my crab!...

We loved our experience here, the staff were so welcoming and helpful. I had the hake fillet which was absolutely delicious. We tried fish crackling for the first time, never seen that before on a menu, amazing! Wonderful ambience with tasty food, highly recommend!

Not without its faults but above the line for an excellent rating. Service a bit chaotic and no inside table which we had booked, was reserved for us although one was readily available. Four people, three courses, 100% empty plates speak for themselves although if...

I had a whole brown crab. It was totally delicious l. It was large so now I know why they put half a crab on the menu. I did eat it all. No desert though.

This was a truly memorable meal! The fish crackling was a revelation and the mussels were perhaps the best I've ever tasted. Friendly service and a nice location made this a great all round dining experience.

Charming laid back eatery with 5 star food. We were lucky enough to stumble upon this place after visiting Portland bill. Even luckier to get a table without booking ( or waiting).

The beachside location, the casual name and ambiance belies the fact that this is a very serious seafood restaurant. The menu is written daily, depending on what fish has been landed by the local day boats – although they do farm their own oysters, literally...

Ignore any first impressions from the approach through the outskirts of Weymouth, the right turn past the identikit seafront flats and building works, and feeling you’ve stumbled an a seafarer’s travellers encampment. Get there in plenty of time to bag a parking space and you’re...

From booking a table and being called to move us into the marquee as the temperature was falling to being seated on arrival and given a blanket the service was 10/10 then the food was absolutely perfect Pre starter I had the Oyster - my...

We were staying at Chesil vista holiday park, so had googled places to eat, we love seafood and found your place, didn’t pre book , we were told they didn’t have a table free to eat but could sit and have a drink with 45...

Make a reservation. Definitely worth it! Ours was an impromptu visit and so glad we did. Friendly, professional waiting staff. Superb natural oysters grown just metres away from the table. Complimentary bread, olive oil and balsamic dip. Rita had the scallops… beautiful! I opted for...

This was a fantastic lunch, we were lucky with the weather but there were many different areas to suit the weather. We had oysters that were amazing and for main pouting and whole plaice and it was really tasty. Atmosphere, service and food were outstanding...

We enjoyed an excellent dinner. One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Superb cooking, relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Helpful staff, nothing was too much trouble.

We were looking forward to having a nice & relaxing lunch as a delayed birthday celebration, but sadly this was totally ruined by staff jet-washing equipment nearby & in full sight. The waiters were friendly & welcoming. The good other than the deserts was really...

Absolutely incredible seafood, we were served lovely bread, even the gluten free bread was delicious, we then started with oysters (which were a real treat) and then had delicious main courses. I had the sole stuffed with crab and it was so nice, delicate and...

This was my wife's and my self 2nd visit to the Crab House, just as good as our 1st time, the food was excellent, although due to current staff shortages the service was rather slow, still this will not stop us returning on our next...

My 3rd time here and wrote a previous 5* review in 2016. The food is still exemplary, and the relaxing ambience and faultless service (service is attentive but not intrusive. Nor do they rush you). A dozen bacon and cream oysters to start, followed by...

The food was divine. Nothing to fault at all. The service was brilliant and all staff were so friendly and efficient. It’s not a cheap night out but definitely without a doubt worth every penny. Thank you, we’ll be back!

We traveled from the New Forest especially to eat here after hearing excellent reviews and were not disappointed. The choice and quality of seafood was excellent; the ale and wine to complement seafood quirky; the service, personal and attentive. This was my wife’s restaurant choice...

Visited for dinner on a beautiful Saturday evening. Lovely welcome, great service, good atmosphere, delicious oysters, whole crab and chips. Very happy, deserves 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘s

Been to the crab house a few times before and love visiting when in the region. The location is stunning overlooking the fleet lagoon, but the food today was Michelin star level. (It usually is in fairness) Gurnard tandoori curry skewers,oh my word .. the...

If you like a bit of d"DIY" theatre with your seafood, proceed immediately to the Crab House. My husband and I chose the whole "crack yourself" crab, which came with a bucket and hammers. We had to fight off our daughters (aged 12) who had...

Over the years we have been here several times. On a positive note the staff were amazing and efficient and the oysters superb. My starter of cockles was small and tasteless. They worked out at over£1 each. The mussels too were lacking taste and were...