by No holiday in Devon is complete without three classic meals: pub lunch, seaside fish and chips, and traditional cream tea. The county also boasts excellent food, with four Michelin-starred restaurants and a range of English country house hotels to choose from. There are also many unusual venues, including floating pontoons, field kitchens and beach shacks.
For more Devon inspiration, check out our guides to the city’s best hotels, pubs, cream teas, beaches and things to do.
Find a restaurant by area
South Devon
Riverford Field Kitchen, Buckfastleigh
Vegetables don’t get fresher, healthier or more local than this organic farm, famous for its box scheme across the country. Vibrantly colored produce, plucked from the earth less than 50 yards away, is made into lively meals shared between diners on long communal wooden tables in a purpose-built barn, wave-shaped at set times. The dishes are dictated by the morning’s harvest and are mostly vegetarian – think cauliflower with feta and whipped almonds, or roasted pear and parsnip salad – except for one meat or fish dish. The puddings could be mango pavlova or sticky toffee pudding.
Contact: park kitchen.riverford.co.uk
Reservations: Necessary
Prices: ££
Best table: Opposite the open plan kitchen so you can watch the action
Seahorse, Dartmouth
A long-standing member of the Devon restaurant scene, the Seahorse occupies a prime waterside location on Dartmouth pier. Run by Ben Tonks, son of celebrity chef Mitch, it focuses on seafood cooked over an open charcoal fire and has a strong Italian bent, with dishes including locally landed seafood pasta, grilled Sicilian red prawns and Tuscan lemon and ricotta tart. Fish is sourced locally, while other products such as baby artichokes and burrata are delivered from markets in Brittany and Puglia. The dining room has a romantic and cozy feel, with low lighting, an orange leather banquette with button support and shelves of wines, grappa and champagne on one wall.
Contact: seahorserestaurant.co.uk
Reservations: Necessary
Prices: ££
Beach House, Milford South
We dare you to find a more beautiful place to eat fish by the sea than this clapboard hut overlooking the monolithic arch of Thurlestone. Situated on the South West coastal path and a frisbee’s throw from South Milton Sands, this little country hut is a big draw for dog walkers, walkers and families, who come for seafood stew, steamed mussels, burgers and fish and chips – as well. baked cakes and endless varieties of ice cream. The food is inside on communal wooden tables, with picnic tables and sofas outside in the summer.
Contact: beachhousedevon.com
Reservations: Walk-ins and reservations during the day; reservations required for dinner
Prices: ££
Best table: The picnic table closest to the beach
Rockfish
Serving some of the best fish and chips in Devon, and awards to prove it, the chain of beach-style restaurants, run by Mitch Tonks, is located in pretty waterside locations across South Devon. Locally landed scallops, crab, Dover Sole and red mullet are on the menu, along with traditional oysters and fish and chips. Halibut and haddock are fished from sustainable stocks certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. There are restaurants in Brixham, Exmouth, Exeter Quayside, Dartmouth, Plymouth and Torquay, with more openings planned in Salcombe, Sidmouth and Topsham.
Contact: therockfish.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Best table: At the Brixham branch, on the terrace, overlooking the harbor and the town’s fish market
Oyster Shack, Bigbury
Don’t be put off by the garish decor in this prefab concrete building, located on the site of a former oyster farm; the freshness of their oysters is legendary. The meaty molluscs are cooked to perfection with a range of sauces and accompaniments, handpicked from the River Avon less than half a mile away. It is focused on fish, with other options including anchovies on toast, fish plates and mussels. The coastal kitsch decor isn’t for the style-conscious – think tanks and fishing nets hanging from the ceilings – but the atmosphere is fun, the staff are light-hearted and the value is excellent.
Contact: oystershack.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: £
Mid & North Devon
New Coast Kitchen, Croyde
At Croyde’s fanciest new restaurant, the focus is on upmarket brunches – granola bowls, superfood brunch salads, Reuben grilled cheese sandwiches – and dinners with a strong seafood bent, fitting the coastal setting – think Fowey scallops with butter wood, basil and basil. Gnocchi and brill landed in nearby Appledore. A geometric tiled bar, ink blue walls and tropical decor give it an urban vibe, and the staff are young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
Contact: newcoastkitchen.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended for dinner
Prices: ££
Masons Arms, Knowstone
The mealtime traffic outside this 13th-century thatched pub on the edge of Exmoor speaks volumes for the quality of the Michelin-starred food served inside. Beamed timber walls, open fires and white-washed stone walls give it plenty of old-school charm, with slanted floors and low doors adding an element of danger (padding is affixed to the top of door frames to cushion bumps). The restaurant is in a modern extension with a pseudo-classical fresco on the ceiling. Typical mains include roast guinea fowl with braised leg, potato and morels fondant, sea bass fillet with brown prawns and saffron potatoes, and for dessert, pineapple tart with rum and raisin ice cream.
Contact: masonsarmsdevon.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Farmers Arms, Woolfardisworthy
A short journey from the coastal village of Clovelly, the Farmers Arms builds its dishes around ingredients sourced by staff from local hedgerows and coastlines, and from its dedicated organic farm, run under a sustainable ‘no-till’ agroforestry system. The result? A truly innovative, original and ever-changing menu that combines style, substance and scruples. Dishes I had during my visit included a carrot and rose dog parfait, a riotously colored goat’s cheese salad, roasted sea bass with nasturtium, mussels and smoked trout, and for dessert, vanilla rice pudding with seabuckthorn, rum juniper and fig leaf sorbet. The décor is divine; the team, dynamic. If you only eat out once in Devon, make it here.
Contact: woolsery.com
Reservations: Recommended for dinner
Prices: ££
Exeter & English Riviera
The Elephant, Torquay
Torquay’s bucket and spade selection seems an unlikely location for a Michelin-starred restaurant, but Simon Hulstone’s trick at The Elephant is to keep things casual and low-key. Overlooking the harbour, this pretty Georgian terraced house serves the best food you could find on the English Riviera, with dishes including dry-aged beef fillet with beef fat carrots and oyster emulsion and roast monkfish with open salsify ravioli. All with the best views in town.
Contact: elephantrestaurant.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Jack In The Green, Carrigbeare
Traditional pub grub is given a modern twist at this roadside inn near Exeter, but dishes are still hearty, affordable and locally sourced. Try gin and treacle-cured salmon with wood soot, Carver Creedy five-spice glazed duck breast, Broadclyst loin of lamb with fondant potato and parsnip puree, or butter-poached cod with brown prawns. There is also a good value children’s menu, a good cocktail list and a Saturday brunch.
Contact: jackinthegreen.uk.com
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
West Devon
Schoolhouse, Mothecombe
The Beach House’s sister property, further up the Devon coast at South Milton Sands, has the same informal, lively and social atmosphere as The School House, with restaurant-style communal tables, jazz and reggae on the sound system, a sunny terrace open air and rustic décor that includes memorabilia from the restaurant’s days as a Victorian village school. There is an Italian influence on the menu, and the specialties are sourdough pizzas and burgers, and there are barbecues, DJ sets and live music in the summer. Mothecombe, one of the most beautiful sandy beaches in west Devon, and the South West Coast Path are a short walk away.
Contact: schoolhouse-devon.com
Reservations: It is not necessary
Prices: ££
Best table: All have views of the terrace through double height glass doors
How we choose
Each restaurant on this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighborhood favorites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to suit all types of travelers – and consider food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.
