The ‘village like’ town is brimming with independent restaurants and cafés plus traditional seafront eateries
18:14, 24 Aug 2025Updated 18:15, 24 Aug 2025
People enjoy a walk on the beach with St Anne’s Pier in the distance at South Promenade, Lytham St Annes
An idyllic seaside town that’s an hour’s drive away from Liverpool has been rated one of the best in the country for food and drink. Lytham St Annes was described as “a jewel of the North West coast” by consumer group Which?
The town was just one of 28 coastal resorts rated five stars for food and drink according to a Which? annual survey. Lytham St Annes was highlighted in a subsequent article as being one of the best.
Less than a 20-minute drive from Blackpool, Lytham St. Annes is also not far from Liverpool and is just one hour and nine minutes by car according to Google Maps.
Lytham St Annes is also accessible by train. It takes approximately two and a half hours from Liverpool Lime Street with a stop at Manchester Oxford Road and another in Preston.
Once you arrive, you can expect an array of “ambitious, independent restaurants and cafés” as well as more traditional seafront establishments, according to Which?.
Nearby, Lytham, is itself a quaint seaside town boasting everything you need for a quiet getaway with boutique cafes and top-rated restaurants, said ECHO reporter Christopher Megrath in July.
Lytham also boasts two of the country’s best chippies – Whelan’s and The Haven – declared so by The Times in its recent ‘best spots for seaside fish and chips’ list.
Lytham’s go-to restaurant, Lytham House, has an AA Rosette under its belt, with the brasserie boasting stunning interiors across two floors and a lively cocktail bar taking guests through the night.
As well as its food scene, there is a community atmosphere, peaceful beach, and picturesque park.
Plus, each year the town hosts Lytham Festival, with recent headliners including Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morrissette, and Kings of Leon.
Which? gave Lytham St. Annes an overall ‘destination score’ of 72% with a beach rating of three stars out of five.
Other top-rated towns for food and drink included Sidmouth in Southwest England, St Andrews in Scotland and Tenby in Wales.
The Which? worst-rated seaside town was Bognor Regis, which received just one star for its seafront, food and drink, tourist attractions, scenery, shopping, parking, peace and quiet and value for money.