“I didn’t recognise him”, the young girl behind the counter at Cromars tells me as she recalls serving Justin Bieber when the popstar descended on the popular fish and chip shop in St Andrews in October 2025.
But Bieber soon made himself known, singing the menu while waiting patiently for his cooked-from-fresh fish supper with a beer from Edinburgh-based brewery Innis & Gunn – now known as the ‘Bieber special’.
On my visit, I swapped my beer for a Coke and when I couldn’t decide between battered and breaded fish, the same lovely lass suggested half-and-half – reader I still can’t decide. They were both so good and the perfectly-cut chips – crispy, golden chunks of potato grown down the road in Ballingry – were rendered even better with a dip in the homemade tartare sauce.
It’s the kind of fish and chips we all crave when we’re by the seaside but rarely is it so good, hence Cromars has been named Best Fish and Chips in Scotland on more than one occasion.
But then in a town like St Andrews, you get the sense that mediocre would never do. Everything here is top class, which is what makes it a perfect autumn escape in my eyes.
© Sally CoffeyWhere William met Kate
With a prestige on par with Oxford and Cambridge – its university is the third oldest in the English-speaking world – St Andrews has a refined and (dare I say it, regal charm).
© Getty ImagesIt was while studying here in the early noughties that the Prince of Wales famously met Kate Middleton (now the Princess of Wales). In their first year, the pair lived in St Salvator’s Hall on the University Campus, and the university’s many discreet quadrangles and shaded gardens would have provided plenty of opportunity for courting away from prying eyes.
However, the couple were regularly spotted at the Northpoint Cafe on one of the town’s main thoroughfares, North Street. As I strolled by, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sign on the window that says: ‘Where Kate met Wills…(for coffee)’.
© Sally CoffeyHistory on every corner and a preppy atmosphere
Despite the couple having graduated more than two decades ago, St Andrews retains a royal-aligned atmosphere, helped by the fact it is undeniably attractive, with history on every corner.
Its cobbled streets wind past smart townhouses built of local sandstone and there are lots of secret wynds and alleyways connecting the different parts of the university whose Gothic churches and chapels date back to the 15th century. It’s like all the best bits of Edinburgh but far, far calmer. Along the town’s north shore there are not one but two major medieval ruins – St Andrews Castle and St Andrews Cathedral.
© Getty ImagesBut then, you could just spend your days pottering around the town, which has the right amount of shops, cafes and restaurants to keep you busy for a weekend escape.
Topping and Company Bookshop on Greyfriars Garden, where ladders lean against the wooden shelves, is a highlight and feels like a romanticised view of a Scottish bookstore.
© Sally CoffeyMeanwhile, Spoiled Life, just a few doors down, is a buzzy cafe and sustainable clothes and lifestyle shop and definitely the town’s coolest daytime hangout.
How to mix active days with laid-back nights
As a golf fan, it’s little wonder Bieber made his way to St Andrews; it’s known as the Home of Golf, with its Old Course considered to be the oldest in the world (though poor weather and a tournament meant Bieber had to make do with the Castle Course on his visit).
I snapped the obligatory photo by the legendary course before wandering down to West Sands, the sweeping beach where the opening scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed. There’s a cool beach bar here, Dook, as well as a Watersports outfit, Blown Away, which runs paddleboarding, kayaking and landyachting sessions from a little shack.
© Sally CoffeyThere’s also a sauna, run by the Wild Scottish Sauna company, but I took the short cab ride to Kingsbarns – the company’s flagship sauna – to see why it’s drawn everyone from Spiderman’s Tom Holland to Ewan McGregor.
Perched over a pristine sandy beach that feels private and local, it was easy to see why this is premier the wellness choice for many. There are beautiful views from the picture window inside the wood-fired sauna (which can be booked for private or social sessions), and when you’re ready, it’s just a short walk through the dunes to the shore for a refreshing dip. Afterwards I lay on one of the reclining beach chairs and read my book against a soothing soundscape of the sea kissing the sand, before warming up with the complimentary peppermint tea and bliss balls.
© Marc Millar Photography ,marc millar photographyBack in St Andrews, had it been a cold autumn day I would have been tempted to nip into the Jigger Inn by the Old Course for a cosy fireside drink, but as it was, the day was still mild, so I dressed for dinner and took my time strolling through town, past the gaggle of students hanging out at one of the town’s ice cream shops, for dinner at the Adamson.
This restaurant, which sources as much of its produce from the Fife area as it can, has earned its 2 AA Rosettes and then some. I dined on mushroom parfait followed by a risotto topped with locally-landed lobster, washed down with a berry, lemon and mint-infused Physician cocktail named for the restaurant’s neighbouring cocktail bar.
Feeling wind-swept, well-fed and cultured, I sank into my giant bed at the new Kithmore hotel that night. As I tried to decide what to do the next day, I was comforted by the knowledge that. whatever I chose, it would be quality: St Andrews doesn’t offer anything less.
How to book it: The Kithmore is a smart hotel, housed in a row of converted early Victorian townhouses and handily situated between the town centre and West Sands. There is an excellent bar/restaurant downstairs in Bennie’s. Rooms start at £250 for a double.
Sally was a guest of The Kithmore and Scotrail. All hotels and experiences have been independently reviewed by our expert writers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis, but this never affects our review process.
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