With its charming exterior that effortlessly draws you in, Little Fish Café has long been a beloved fixture on North Quay, serving mouth-watering dishes crafted from the freshest local produce.

Based in Douglas, the team at Little Fish Café are passionate about delivering not only exceptional food but also impeccable service. Their dedication has not gone unnoticed – this year they were named among the winners of the Manx Menu competition, an initiative organised by Love Manx that celebrates restaurants creating dishes using locally sourced ingredients.

Impressing the judges with an irresistible menu, Little Fish Café showcased both the skill of their team and their strong commitment to using locally sourced produce, shining a well-deserved spotlight on the Manx suppliers they work closely with.

Their spring menu celebrates the best of Isle of Man produce with a refined three-course offering. To start, a rich twice-baked cheddar soufflé made with Isle of Man Creamery cheese and cream is paired with pickled beetroot from Rye Hill Farm and a distinctive kipper-infused rarebit sauce.

The main course features pan-fried Port St Mary king scallops served alongside creamy potato dauphinoise, sweet parsnip and a smoked Manx bacon crumb for depth of flavour.

To finish, a comforting carrot custard tart showcases Rye Hill carrots blended with local dairy and eggs, accompanied by vanilla ice cream, sweet and salted walnuts and a drizzle of Manx honey for a perfectly balanced dessert.

Rea Griffiths, manager of Little Fish Café, said: ‘What we wanted to do was honour the rich history of the Isle of Man, where farmers often doubled as fishermen, and we wanted to intertwine the island’s agricultural and maritime traditions.

‘Each of our dishes celebrates things from the land and things from the sea, and it showcases the locally sourced ingredients, ranging from milk, cream and butter to the farm-grown vegetables from our farmer in Bride.

‘Then you’ve got the seafood, because we think the shellfish we have here is some of the best in the world, and we should do more to shout about it. It’s a real privilege to have these things on our doorstep.’

Living on an island means the weather can be unpredictable and relying on imports is not always dependable.

Little Fish Café believe it makes most sense to source their ingredients close to home, relying on local suppliers rather than connections that might involve importing produce from further afield.

Rea said: ‘The farmer comes to our door every Thursday, so we get to have a chat with him and speak about what’s growing, what’s not, what’s doing well and what’s in season.

‘The same with Barry from the fishmongers. He comes in and we chat about what he’s going to be catching and what he’s heading out on the boat for.’

The team at Little Fish Café believe the real strength of how they operate lies in their personal approach to working with suppliers, dealing directly with people rather than through answering machines and maintaining strong face-to-face relationships.

Little Fish Café is open six days a week, Monday to Saturday, with its ‘Spring Menu’ now available.