The Lighthouse Pub & Restaurant — Beach Pub, Swakopmund
Despite the name, The Lighthouse Pub & Restaurant does not stand under Swakopmund's red-and-white lighthouse. After years of uncertainty over its original premises, it reopened in 2017 in the old Strand Café building at the Mole — the rocky breakwater on Main Beach — where it returned to its long-held role as the town's relaxed family seafront pub. It is operated by the Lighthouse Group, the local hospitality company Quinton Liebenberg founded in 1997, which also runs Jetty 1905 and Tiger Reef nearby.
The grilled Benguela calamari is the kitchen's standout — squid from the cold Atlantic, charred and tender, repeatedly singled out in Tripadvisor reviews. Around it sits a wide, deliberately unfussy menu: wood-fired pizzas, steaks and fillets, burgers and a handful of vegetarian plates. Pricing is the point of the place — most plates run roughly US$5–30, putting it among the most affordable sit-down tables on the seafront rather than the splurge ones.
The setting is the Mole itself: indoor and outdoor seating with daytime views over Main Beach and the Atlantic, an easy walk from Swakopmund's jetty. It is a walk-in, beer-and-calamari pub, not a white-tablecloth dining room — Tripadvisor scores it 3.7 across about 125 reviews (2026), the rating of a dependable local favourite rather than a destination kitchen.
The Verdict
The Lighthouse is what a seafront town should have: an honest, affordable pub where the calamari is the thing to order and the beach is the view. Treat it as a casual lunch or a cold-beer evening with the group, set your expectations to "family pub" rather than "fine dining," and it delivers exactly that.
Not for
Not for a milestone anniversary, a deal-closing dinner or anyone expecting tasting menus and a sommelier — for that in Swakopmund, book The Tug, built into a converted tugboat on the jetty, instead. The Lighthouse is loud, casual and walk-in by design, and the food is competent pub cooking, not refined plating.
Best Occasion: Great for Group Birthdays
Benguela calamari platters to share, cold Windhoek rounds and the Main Beach view make this an easy, low-pressure group birthday at the Mole — informal, affordable and unmistakably Swakopmund.
Best Occasion: Works for Team Dinners
Long tables, shared seafood and pizzas, and a relaxed seafront setting suit a casual team dinner where the bill stays sensible and nobody needs a jacket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Lighthouse Pub & Restaurant in Swakopmund?
It sits at the Mole on Main Beach, in the former Strand Café building, an easy walk from Swakopmund's historic jetty. Despite the name it is not located at the town's lighthouse; it reopened at this seafront spot in 2017 and is run by the Lighthouse Group. The phone number is +264 81 712 0409.
What should I order at The Lighthouse?
The grilled Benguela calamari is the signature and the most-praised dish in reviews — cold-Atlantic squid, charred and tender. Beyond it the menu is broad and casual: wood-fired pizzas, steaks and fillets, burgers and a few vegetarian options, paired with cold Windhoek and Tafel on tap. It is straightforward seafront pub cooking done reliably.
How expensive is The Lighthouse Pub & Restaurant?
It is one of the more affordable sit-down tables on the Swakopmund seafront. Most plates run roughly US$5–30, so a casual two-course meal with a drink stays modest by coastal-Namibia standards. It is positioned as a family pub on price, not as a special-occasion splurge — set expectations accordingly.
Do I need a reservation at The Lighthouse?
It is primarily a walk-in pub, and on a quiet weekday you can usually find a table without booking. For a weekend lunch, a group birthday or a sunny day on the Mole terrace, calling ahead on +264 81 712 0409 is sensible, as the outdoor seats with the Main Beach view fill first.