St Annes Music Festival – Hydrating and Eating for dancing energy
August Bank Holiday sees the return of the ever-popular St Annes Music Festival in Ashton Gardens, if you need to rest those dancing feet and lubricate the singing voice, here’s your guide of where to try.
In addition to the stalls in the park, there’s the beautiful Ashton Gardens Pavilion Café offering food, drink and the all-important ice creams. This traditional park building is fully licensed too and doesn’t even involve leaving the park. Across the road on St George’s Road, the Jai Lounge tempts you with Indian Street food with a twist, which you can wash down with anything from a coffee to a cocktail.
Turn the corner into Garden Street and St Annes Fine Foods has a range of fabulous sandwiches, pies, crumbly pastry sausage rolls (remember to dust yourself down after eating) and more.
*stop press NOW an addional offering at Scarlett & Jacks, bakery/takeaway
The Square
Continuing along Garden Street takes you to the Square, where you can take a culinary trip from the train station to the pier, cross the road and head back along the other side, The Town House offering great value pub grub and drinks.
No Filter Coffee house and Bistro has homemade gastro style American / English fusion and, as the name suggests, speciality coffees, with a range of sweet treats.and a ‘mecca’ for local vegans/vegatarian
Followed by our local Starbucks.
The outdoor seating is courtesy of Allegria, adding to their indoor tables. This family friendly restaurant has authentic Italian meals and drinks with a cocktail bar (and live music) upstairs
Next door is Bakes and Cakes, perfect if you want to grab and go bakery items, there are some tables for a quick break but they do get busy, especially the ones in the sun.
Lord Derby on the corner is Greene King pub, with app ordering to save you queuing at the bar.
Head down to St Anne’s Pier
Anyone for the legendary footlong éclair at the Pier Café? Need we say more?
New to the pier in 2025 is the Spud Hut ….you’d never guess that they serve jacket potatoes from the name.
Next to the pier is a great place to grab an ice cream…or two…or…
Back to the Square
As you cross by the traffic lights if you look up the right, you’ll spot Seafarers – perfect for picking up a chippy to be by the seaside.
First up is the Pier Inn, a friendly, family run micro-pub in Lytham St Annes, serving real ales, ice-cold lagers and a wide selection of wines.
Pop into The Office, but not for work, just to enjoy their food and drinks.
The Fresh café offers a warm welcome, especially from Wilf the dog, coffee, cake and much more (stop press, now moved premises to Orchard Road)
Further along is Number Fifteen or ‘Fifteens’ who appear in the Good Beer Guide 2025. It’s a real ale paradise, doggie friendly, all the sport on tv, live bands every Saturday and a Quiz night every Sunday.
Café Nero is just before the corner, before you cross the road to find Tastysnax with all day breakfasts among their tasty snacks.
It’s worth the effort of going up the crescent to get to Beurre Patisserie, founded by Raf Perussi, a celebrated finalist on Channel 4’s ‘Bake Off: The Professionals’….these sweet treats are the stuff that dreams are made of!
Hang a right onto St Andrew’s Road South
New to St Anne’s in Spring 2025 is Eat The Italian Way – Italian style sandwiches, Pizzetta, Pasta and Coffee, complete with a Vespa with an Amalfi Coast background.
Fancy a taste of Greece? Then look no further than Greek Flame. Traditional Greek Taverna with cuisine, including weekly specials, and a large selection of Greek Drinks at affordable prices.
(Take note of the Hop Shoppe Craft bottle shop and Bar opposite, we’ll head down Wood Street shortly)
Keg and Cask offers outdoor Seating in the heart of St Annes, while you enjoy their quality Real Ale, lager, wines and spirits.
Experience the best of both authentic Thai and Japanese food at Isara. Chef Ton has shaken things up with a brand-new menu that promises to blow your taste buds away.
More tastes of Asia are on offer at Blue Sky Thai, an authentic Thai restaurant in serving traditional and modern, flavourful fresh Thai food. All freshly made and can be tailored to your taste and spice tolerance.
We can’t be a seaside resort without a traditional chippy – St Annes Fish Restaurant has us covered.
Across the road and heading back, brings us to Eastern Bay, where you can take away the finest Indian cuisine.
Take a left onto Wood Street
Where you can be transported to Spain with a trip to Dip, Drizzle, Drink, a Tapas Bar & Deli offering Pintxos, Tapas and Sangria or take a taste of the Med home from their Deli.
It’s worth popping left onto Orchard Road, where through the carpark, you’ll find the hidden gem that is Tiggis. One of the oldest restaurants in the town, which has served so many residents and visitors modern and traditional Italian food over the years.
Just on the corner as you return to Wood Street, you’ll spot Le Patio with a range of Mediterranean food and a great selection of drinks, some of which can be taken on the sunny patio
A few doors down Indian delicacies and on offer at Imli, with Bangladeshi authentic cuisine.
Take a trip across the road from the end of Wood Street and you’ll see Homebird, where brews and cakes can be found in the café at the back – if you can make it beyond their tempting homeware.
Back onto Wood Street, on the other side of the road, you’ll be greeted by Fifty Four, offering beautiful small plates with a European influence.
On the corner of Wood Street and Orchard Road you’ll find Bistro St Annes, with so many options for lunch and more.
Orchard Road
Along Orchard Road is also Spicy Waves where you can indulge yourself with mouthwatering flavours of South Asia and as an added bonus you can take your own drinks
If a traditional café is more your style, then Orchard tearooms might be just what you’re looking for.
If you take a left down the back road of Back St Anne’s Road West, you’ll find a pie lovers dream in Powell Pastries.
Back to Wood Street
Continuing the trip along Wood Street, next up is our local Wetherspoons, The Trawl Boat,
Further on is the multi award-winning Zen restaurant, with an extensive range of both Thai and Chinese dishes.
Wood Street Coffee, does what it says on the tin, with hot and cold drinks and some delicious fresh bakes.
The corner of Wood Street and Park Road is the home of Black Sheep Tearoom, but there’s so much more than tea on the menu.
Park Road
A few doors up Park Road you can take away a taste of Turkey from Anatolia. Then you reach the Ducks Nuts, with its vibrant cocktails, beers and tapas style dishes.
Across the road is Gabriella’s, a pretty in pink café, with some lovely food.
As you head back towards Wood Street you’ll see the double front bay windows of Anton’s, a traditional English café which also offers a range of fabulous Thai dishes.
Just further on is Zekos takeaway, for those fancying a pizza.
Glansin is the new kid on the block, promising coffee and afternoon tea experiences.
Completing Wood Street
Mirrie Dancer is a sunny café with an equally sunny team, ready to tempt you with fresh scones and cakes.
Then we’re back at the Hop Shoppe, on the corner of St Andrew’s Road South. This craft beer shop and bar has featured in many micropub reviews.
St Andrew’s Road South back to The Crescent and heading up (right)
Just over the top of the railway bridge you’ll find The Blessing House, a Chinese noodle bar and restaurant.
Once you reach the traffic lights with the church take a right onto St David’s Road South
St David’s Road South
The back road of Back North Crescent hides The Coven Curiosities a quirky tearoom with a witchy difference.
You can also eat around the world, a delicious Indian takeaway from Gemmas, some Chinese food from Blue Moon or a pizza from Cousins.
Take a left to St Alban’s Road
Along this road is a foody gem, with Olivers café and restaurant serving locally sourced delicacies and amazing pizzas from their pizza oven.
Across the road is Gigli’s, a bistro supplied by the adjoining butchers. Sit in the bistro and enjoy some food or grab a pie from the butchers counter – the choice is yours.
Kimberley’s is a must for those with a sweet tooth, an array of tempting desserts.
There’s Teddio’s Butty shop, where you can pick up a sandwich to eat on the move.
If you’re in the mood for a takeaway, you might fancy a Turkish Delight like a kebab, or a Chinese from Tak Mings.
At the end of the road you’ll be greeted by the sight of The Victoria pub (The Vic). Once under threat of closure, the locals rallied round to save this favourite pub.
A little out of town if Alexandria Drive
This is home to The Haven chippy, which has rave reviews in the press and online. Grab some chips and head to a bench on the prom for a true English seaside experience.
Small but perfectly formed is Un Momento, where you can sample the real taste of Italian food within a friendly atmosphere.
We do like to be beside the seaside
Many of our fabulous hotels on the promenade and Clifton Drive have bars and restaurants which are open to non-residents. Several have outdoor seating, so you can relish our sea views while enjoy a drink or meal.
If you fancy the traditional fish and chips by the seaside, then aptly named The View located on the promenade, between the pier and the RNLI is ready for you to enjoy them indoors or outside on a bench by the beach.
Take a step back in time in the old train Carriages cafe, by the YMCA swimming pool or grab an ice cream and go for a stroll. In the swimming pool (when open) is the Ocean Cafe
But, if it’s views that you’re looking for then Anatolia Seaview really is worth the stroll along the prom. With floor to ceiling windows looking out over the beach, it probably has the best views in town. Voted in the top 10% of restaurants on Tripdadvisor, this Mediterranean and Turkish never disappoints.
Spoilt for choice?
You may just have to create a list of places to try and work your way through it!
Written by our fabulous friends at STEP
N.B: It will be refined over the next few weeks, when we will provide a map, a price guide and sample menu items. So bear with