Devon is a county entrenched in beautiful countryside, dazzling coastlines and fantastic food. Devon has become a destination for dining, with many of the UK's well known chefs based in the county, from Simon Hulstone to Michael Caines. Here are The Good Food Guide's top picks for dining in Devon.
Technically assured, special-occasion cooking in fabulous surroundings
‘A top restaurant experience in an incredible setting,’ commented one fan after visiting this impressively proportioned, Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor house. Aclèaf – oak leaf in Anglo Saxon – is … Read more
‘A top restaurant experience in an incredible setting,’ commented one fan after visiting this impressively proportioned, Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor house. Aclèaf – oak leaf in Anglo Saxon – is the small, intimate premier dining room, an elegant space occupying a former minstrel’s gallery overlooking the majestic great hall. Here, well-spaced, linen-covered tables seem to mandate a sense of occasion, which is amply supplied by a brigade of ‘outstanding, knowledgeable and passionate staff’ and by chef Scott Paton’s ‘creative’ contemporary cooking.
His compact, seasonally driven dinner menus are inventive yet simple, cooked with assurance and technical know-how. From the moment the snacks and freshly baked breads arrive, it’s clear that concentrated thought has gone into every detail, with ‘lots of unique personal touches’ adding to the experience. The ‘inspirational’ four-course menu is perfect for taking in the whole experience, with tip-top supplies and bright, upstanding flavours evident in opening salvos ranging from goat’s cheese with brambles and pecans to a Middle Eastern-inspired combination of squab, dates and preserved lemon. Elsewhere, thoroughbred meats such as venison with prunes and beetroot or a whole-table speciality of Highland wagyu ‘au poivre’ with parsnip exemplify the style perfectly.
Savoury notes also appear in the final course (perhaps duck egg with exotic fruits and coconut), or you could round things off with a delicate confection of vanilla, bergamot and star anise. Wine matches offer pure class by the glass, and readers applaud the dedication that has gone into compiling an authoritative list with better-than-fair mark-ups.
Just off the quayside in Dartmouth is Luca Berardino's welcoming neighbourhood restaurant, 'a little jewel' in the estimation of one confirmed regular. There is a chef's table, but nobody will be expected to genuflect to a presidi… Read more
Just off the quayside in Dartmouth is Luca Berardino's welcoming neighbourhood restaurant, 'a little jewel' in the estimation of one confirmed regular. There is a chef's table, but nobody will be expected to genuflect to a presiding genius; instead, diners lap up the chance of getting a little closer to the engineering of hearty food, some of it prepared on a wood-fired barbecue. The orientation of the cooking is somewhere between Italy and France, with enterprising small plates the core of the operation. Expect anything from a high-powered assembly of beetroot, Saint Agur cheese and apple dressed in Gewürztraminer or Torbay scallops with lime and coconut to Jerusalem artichokes and goat's curd in truffled vinaigrette or slow-roasted cabbage and ajo blanco. When the plates get bigger, they come bearing the likes of Black Angus fillet with beef fat rösti, artichoke and spinach in classic red wine jus. At the close of business, consider sticky toffee pudding with Earl Grey sauce and ginger sorbet or an Italian mash-up of espresso-laced affogato, zabaglione and vanilla ice cream. Fully dressed Sunday roasts are an abidingly popular recourse for weekenders tired of loading the dishwasher. Everything on the rough-and-ready wine list is available by the glass (from £6), while bottles start at £24.
On the first floor of the Plymouth gin distillery, the walls cast in ancient stone, is Chris and James Tanner’s excellent value restaurant where on-the-ball staff keep everything motoring, from ordering to cocktail productio… Read more
On the first floor of the Plymouth gin distillery, the walls cast in ancient stone, is Chris and James Tanner’s excellent value restaurant where on-the-ball staff keep everything motoring, from ordering to cocktail production. Expect the likes of fillet of grilled mackerel with a ‘rather delicious’ Peruvian green sauce, pork belly with crisp crackling, ‘heavenly’ apple purée and ‘moreish’ creamy mash, and a perfect crème brûlée. Global wines come by the glass, carafe or bottle.
There are few better places to enjoy fresh fish in the South Hams than at this blue beach hut on the shingle seafront at Beesands. The Hutchings family have been running their fishing enterprise here for more than 40 years, and ar… Read more
There are few better places to enjoy fresh fish in the South Hams than at this blue beach hut on the shingle seafront at Beesands. The Hutchings family have been running their fishing enterprise here for more than 40 years, and are now in the business of serving up their catch to customers. Their weather-beaten shack is now a robust, rustic café/restaurant, which doles out whole Start Bay crabs and lobsters alongside specials such as scallop and monkfish Thai red curry. Book ahead – and BYOB. Those walking the South West Coast Path can stop for a stellar crab sandwich or fish and chips from the takeaway hatch.
Tim Bouget continues to expand the definition of what a modern-day eatery might be at his eco-friendly venue at Ness Cove, overlooking Lyme Bay near Teignmouth. If it takes some finding, persistence is rewarded by a menu of all-da… Read more
Tim Bouget continues to expand the definition of what a modern-day eatery might be at his eco-friendly venue at Ness Cove, overlooking Lyme Bay near Teignmouth. If it takes some finding, persistence is rewarded by a menu of all-day contemporary café food, with electronic pre-ordering a neat way of ensuring a smooth passage through – whether you're at a table or sitting in a waiting car.
In the summer months, the outdoor pizza oven is fired up for terrace feasting. Otherwise, the world is your oyster, kicking off with breakfast (perhaps a house-baked croissant, organic porridge or the ‘best bacon and egg roll ever’). Lunch and all-day menus run from fish-finger wraps to dukkah-spiced roast pumpkin and red onion broth, grilled Haldon fallow deer burgers and panko-crumbed Brixham plaice fillets with tartare sauce and salad in a soft tortilla. Alternatively, warm yourself up with a mug of curried English lentil dhal with kale, coconut milk and spices.
The sweet-treat brigade is also well served with carb fests including fruity flapjacks, sticky ginger cake, choc-chip cookies and the like. Drinking is usually interesting too: boozy hot chocolate, dirty chai, lavender lemonade, mocha milkshakes and so on.
*The Circa team have moved into their new home in Totnes. Watch for a new review coming soon*
The Sandridge Barton wine estate (Sharpham Vineyards, as was) has moved to the opposite side of the river Dart, and acquired a di… Read more
*The Circa team have moved into their new home in Totnes. Watch for a new review coming soon*
The Sandridge Barton wine estate (Sharpham Vineyards, as was) has moved to the opposite side of the river Dart, and acquired a distinctive lunchtime restaurant into the bargain. Circa is housed in the old stone-built milking parlour, reached via a crunchy gravel walk, the interior done out in weathered planking and light wood, with one end wall dominated by a mural of a group of cellists entertaining a bemused huddle of sheep. It could be the trigger for a picture-caption competition. The set-up is run with suave command by a young team who exude the kind of omniscience about the menu details that inspires confidence. The cooking is modern British eco-cuisine, all conscientious localism and careful waste management – so any leftover wine, spent coffee or sundry peelings and leavings may well find their way into your lunch. A small-plates carte is condensed at each service into a good-value menu du jour, comprising bread, an appetiser and three courses. Our visit deep into a washout spring restored our hopes that the fugitive sunshine might return. The oiled focaccia with mild aïoli made for slippery fingers, and was accompanied by a plate of mixed fermented and pickled veg, including charred hispi and diced rhubarb. Wild garlic dumplings with koji-laced potato foam and a single spear of beautiful asparagus provided a gentle but delicious transition to a piece of sea bass, its skin crisped and puffed, with creamily flavourful Cornish new potatoes and a section of barbecue-blackened leek. A joyous finale arrived in the form of a generous helping of Douglas spruce parfait, stuck with pine-nut brittle and white chocolate shards, helped along by verjus curd and gorse-flower Chantilly. Wines are entirely drawn from the estate (perhaps understandably), but the old-fashioned delicacy of many of the whites isn't much cop with the food. Try the Little Bee, a skin-contact Pinot Gris, more glowing-pink than oxidative orange, which has sufficient tannic heft and body, as well as delightfully complex berry fruit (£8.70 a glass).
One of those perfect, no-frills seafood spots you dream of finding in every fishing village but rarely do. Despite the name, this is a proper restaurant rather than a shed, while its haul of crabs is landed and boiled a stone's th… Read more
One of those perfect, no-frills seafood spots you dream of finding in every fishing village but rarely do. Despite the name, this is a proper restaurant rather than a shed, while its haul of crabs is landed and boiled a stone's throw from the quay. Other plus points include a good wine and beer list, local spirits, waterside terrace seating and far more variety than just whole crabs cracked and served cold or warm with garlic butter. Expect anything from fish and chips to bouillabaisse; crabs are also available ready-dressed for those who don't fancy getting messy.
Clare Lattin and Tom Hill, once of Ducksoup in Soho, have migrated to the sub-Dartmoor stretches of south Devon and pitched camp on the T-junction that more or less is Ashburton. It's a small room with an agreeable buzz and square… Read more
Clare Lattin and Tom Hill, once of Ducksoup in Soho, have migrated to the sub-Dartmoor stretches of south Devon and pitched camp on the T-junction that more or less is Ashburton. It's a small room with an agreeable buzz and square tables (some for sharing) supplemented by wicker stools at the counter and window that are probably best reserved for younger, more resilient backsides. Just add a thrifty, serenely industrious kitchen, plus a wine-store (for retail) half-hidden behind a curtain, and a frequently changing menu that works within its own modest capacities to produce contemporary, Italian-inflected small plates and mains. The special of the day on our lunch visit in the long linger of late winter involved chunks of sublime red-rare hanger steak in a mound of roasted Tropea onion with salted ricotta, capers and oregano. Others were scarfing up the broad-ribboned pappardelle with a ragù of ox cheek and black olives, as well as marinated gurnard in an aromatic livery of golden raisins, almonds and saffron. Appetisers are a little more prosaic (a couple of splots of white Gorgonzola with lightly pickled pear; shaved pickled fennel in oregano and chilli) but there is good charcuterie, and even the minimal choice of two desserts will provoke agonies of indecision. The dark chocolate mousse with ginger and oat crumb looked the business, but altogether flawless was our blood-orange and pistachio tart with crème fraîche. Only a select few of the wines emerge from behind the curtain onto the list, but they are enterprising and interesting Italian regional stars: a tobaccoey, Merlot-based Gambellara, perhaps, or a skin-contact Sicilian from Grecanico-Inzolia. Aperitifs run to a take on the Bellini earthed up with rhubarb juice.
On a quiet but central street behind the Theatre Royal, Fletcher Andrews' self-named restaurant has enlivened Plymouth's culinary scene virtually single-handed. Launched in 2018 after a stint with Anton Piotrowski (in his Treby Ar… Read more
On a quiet but central street behind the Theatre Royal, Fletcher Andrews' self-named restaurant has enlivened Plymouth's culinary scene virtually single-handed. Launched in 2018 after a stint with Anton Piotrowski (in his Treby Arms days), Fletcher's radiates youthful enthusiasm. An elegant front extension with well-spaced tables supplements the main dining room with its outsize light fittings and pale wood floor, while staff are on point. Food is in the modern British vein, underpinned by bright ideas and versatile technique. Diagonally sliced scallops come with layered baked celeriac and diced smoked eel, or there might be Devon crab with the assertive accompaniments of compressed apple, yuzu gel and candied walnut. Main dishes are complex but comprehensible – from a serving of brined brill, herb-crusted and served with kohlrabi fondant in shellfish bisque with mussels and sea-purslane to tandoori-glazed pink duck breast alongside a pastry cup of shredded leg confit (with a hint of Peking duck to it), a ball of sesame- and honey-laced pak choi and plum sauce. At dessert, variations on a cereal theme produced pear and popcorn jelly in a chocolate shell with buckwheat custard and grain ice cream, or there might bergamot parfait in Italian meringue with fennel pollen and raspberries. A short wine list makes up for what it lacks in amplitude with confidence-inspiring quality, from Cottonworth Classic Cuvée (a Hampshire sparkler) to Matetic Pinot Noir (from Chile's Casablanca Valley).
There is more to Totnes than twee teas and pub lunches if you scout around – although you need look no further than Gather, which takes its place near the bottom end of Fore Street in a room that's all light wood and voluble… Read more
There is more to Totnes than twee teas and pub lunches if you scout around – although you need look no further than Gather, which takes its place near the bottom end of Fore Street in a room that's all light wood and voluble welcome. Harrison Brockington can be seen through the kitchen hatch, hard at work producing impressively presented contemporary dishes of genuine flair. Menus founded on Devon foraging are a lure, especially in mushroom season, and the 'tasters' extend to a vegetable version that might embrace hedgerow tortellini in velouté or a wild spring vegetable tartlet topped with a poached egg and béarnaise sauce. The style is one of tenacious simplicity, but brought off with a high degree of polish – as in a cider broth of St Austell mussels with wild sea herbs. Main dishes bring satisfaction in the shape of locally farmed duck on a bed of petits pois à la française or gurnard in crab bisque with asparagus. A separate cheese course might pair Ragstone goat's cheese with a brioche-encased fig roll, ahead of something sweet – perhaps rhubarb vacherin in its own consommé with whipped Chantilly cream. A short wine list does its job.
* Chef Sam Lomas has announced that he is leaving to open his own restaurant (called Briar) in what was the old Osip premises in Bruton. Watch for more details.*
Devon is hardly short of idyllic locations, but each one makes an e… Read more
* Chef Sam Lomas has announced that he is leaving to open his own restaurant (called Briar) in what was the old Osip premises in Bruton. Watch for more details.*
Devon is hardly short of idyllic locations, but each one makes an eloquent case for itself. Here in the eastern reaches, amid the gentle rolling of the Coly valley, not far from Honiton, Glebe House enjoys a truly favoured spot. Occupying a sleek white building overseeing a 15-acre farmstead, the kitchen naturally draws on its own produce for much of the menu, but without making too much of a fanfare about it: 'it just happens,' a reporter comments, 'as it should in places like Devon, where there's space.' Hugo Guest and Sam Lomas have devised a style of cooking that deftly balances country-house seduction with the more vernacular tendency of domestic British cooking, all overlaid with a slight Italian accent, resulting in 'antipasti' that might encompass smoked ox heart with puntarelle and mustard and oaty 'porridge bread' with cultured butter. The fondness for Italian foodways mandates an intermediate pasta course at dinner (perhaps tagliarini with monkfish ragù) before the main business, which on our visit was an exemplary chicken and mushroom pie of hefty dimensions, its comfortingly rich filling encased in the kind of crunchy pastry that only a big country oven can achieve. Accompaniments were distinctly more metropolitan (confit potatoes, charred hispi) in a context that seems to have us yearning for simple greens. To finish, there could be Amalfi lemon tart with crème fraîche, or a sweetly beguiling rhubarb and cream choux bun with toffee sauce. Drinkers have Devon cider and organic lager as well as a short, zesty list of Old World wines.
Michael Caines' classy Regency-style flagship overlooking the Exe estuary
Lympstone is an august, largely Georgian manor house in shimmering crème fraîche, once the ancestral residence of the Anglo-German banking dynasty, the Barings. With the addition of landscaped grounds, shaded verandas… Read more
Lympstone is an august, largely Georgian manor house in shimmering crème fraîche, once the ancestral residence of the Anglo-German banking dynasty, the Barings. With the addition of landscaped grounds, shaded verandas and a turret, the place became a Regency cynosure, and its acquisition a decade ago by Michael Caines MBE has seen it glide seamlessly into the country-hotel genre, with extensive vineyards centred on sparkling wine production and woodland huts overlooking the Exe estuary. The tranquillity of the setting makes it a cinch for a summer visit, the old-school silver-ish service in chandeliered dining rooms helping create an atmosphere of refined civility.
Representing Caines in the kitchen is Jordan Denning, who executes the finely wrought culinary style with immaculate attention to detail. If dishes appear a little country-house delicate on the menu, they put any such impression to flight on the plate. Robust, emphatic flavours boom out from the confit of Loch Duart salmon in its own ponzu-laced consommé with wasabi yoghurt, honey and soy vinaigrette and dab of oscietra caviar. Roasted quail is piled onto a tartlet with smoked bacon and onion confit, underpinned by the throb of black truffle.
Main courses are classically founded, each meat with its intensely reduced jus (Madeira for the Creedy Carver chicken; lamb stock and thyme for Powderham new season's lamb), while braised turbot comes with a chive butter sauce, white asparagus, peas and morels for a supple balance of fresh and earthy notes. Jivara mousse with blood-orange sorbet (a classic combination of chocolate and citrus) doesn't have to wait for Christmas to come on stream, while the time-hallowed temperature contrast of ice cream meeting hot soufflé (both of pistachio) is the last word in sensuality.
The stunning wine list recognises no frontiers to its ambitious reach, at mark-ups that will do nothing at all to surprise you. Recommendations by the small glass (from £12.50) are not the most thrilling, but the prestige selection (made available via a gas-control system) offers a peep into the cellar's glorious hinterland.
The beaches of Saunton Sands, Croyde and Woolacombe make up what has become a surfers’ paradise on this stretch of the north Devon coast, and committed surfers are here year-round. However, the winding lanes and thatche… Read more
The beaches of Saunton Sands, Croyde and Woolacombe make up what has become a surfers’ paradise on this stretch of the north Devon coast, and committed surfers are here year-round. However, the winding lanes and thatched villages swell with holidaymakers in summer, often looking for something beyond pub grub – which the young team at New Coast Kitchen are more than happy to provide. The outside seating area is popular at lunch when a small-plates menu is offered, while the dark walls of this smart little restaurant abound with hanging greenery, big mirrors, spotlights and low-hanging industrial lamps. You’re at the seaside, so kick off with some Porthilly oysters, perhaps served with a delicate apple pickle and a dash of chilli oil or hot in tempura batter with a wasabi tartare sauce. There’s more seafood on the menu, including a superb scallop ceviche in its shell with a mild roquito pepper mayonnaise, sea vegetables and a refreshing tomato granita (a clever addition). Hake appears regularly (served with a mussel mousse and miso butter sauce when we visited), while wild sea bass is a treat whenever it's landed – perhaps partnered by Fowey scallops, herring roe and citrus-marinated fennel. In the mood for meat? Indulge in generously sliced saddle of lamb, served pink with a tender roast short rib alongside accompaniments of courgette and basil purée and baby turnip. At dessert, you might opt for the prettily presented vanilla cheesecake with lovely honey and lavender ice cream or chocolate ganache with poached cherries. An interesting, fairly priced wine list includes several organic and less familiar bottles including a Kardos Dry Furmint (from Hungary) and a Yamanashi Koshu sur lie (from Japan); there's also a selection of elegant cocktails.
A multi-purpose community hub and daytime pit stop rather than a proper restaurant, Outside comes complete with a couple of polytunnels, a growing patch, skate park, pottery studio and plenty of outdoor seating. The open-plan… Read more
A multi-purpose community hub and daytime pit stop rather than a proper restaurant, Outside comes complete with a couple of polytunnels, a growing patch, skate park, pottery studio and plenty of outdoor seating.The open-plan café-bar serves brunch and lunch (Wednesday-Sunday), offering a hotchpotch of global ideas based on local ingredients (some home-grown): expect anything from crispy polenta cakes or giant chickpeas and chard on toast to aloo tikki with farm greens and pea and cashew fritters (plus meat and fish specials).You can also drop in for a flat white and a pastel de nata – or dip into the minimal list of wines, beers and cocktails.
Seasonal dining in the bucolic surrounds of a north Devon farm
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and sharing its name with the 90-acre farm on which it sits, Daniel Lord and Toni Mctoal’s rural restaurant celebrates the seasonal harvest from local producers and the waters around… Read more
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and sharing its name with the 90-acre farm on which it sits, Daniel Lord and Toni Mctoal’s rural restaurant celebrates the seasonal harvest from local producers and the waters around north Devon. Set in a former milking parlour, the bijou 26-cover dining room and open-plan kitchen are run solely by the two young chefs, who take it in turns to work front of house during service – the level of detail shared at table during our visit was massively beneficial.
The menu changes seasonally, with summertime starters offering the likes of fat, perfectly caramelised Cornish scallops in a rich, 'deliciously crabby' bisque topped with smoked roe, fennel and tarragon or creamy goat’s cheese tortellini with chopped walnuts, chunks of beetroot and buttery spinach.
Main courses are also generous and great value for money. We enjoyed beautifully pink new-season's Herdwick lamb fillet with shredded shoulder and parsnip (confit and purée), fluffy fondant potatoes, fresh peas and luscious fennel-infused lamb jus, as well as a piece of skrei cod loin, expertly balanced with an earthy bean stew, plump Fowey mussels, sea vegetables, lovage, red dulce and ramson.
To finish, a squirl of Black Forest crémeux on a bed of glossy black cherry sorbet and chocolate 'soil', all dotted with sweet-and-sour black cherries was a joy. As for the wine list, it's a brief selection but it does offer flexible measures at reasonable prices.
A little out of Plymouth city centre, along the route to the international ferry terminals, this is the latest venture from David Jenkins and the team behind Rock Salt (now closed). It's a place that's determined to demonstrate it… Read more
A little out of Plymouth city centre, along the route to the international ferry terminals, this is the latest venture from David Jenkins and the team behind Rock Salt (now closed). It's a place that's determined to demonstrate its versatility, with an outdoor area as well as a warren of indoor spaces on different levels – plus regular music nights to add to the gaiety. Jake Hardington cooks a fairly mainstream brasserie menu, with filled bagels (a speciality), a good-value fixed-price lunch and a roster of pedigree Devon suppliers proudly credited on a wall-board. Presentations aim to be eye-catching – witness a broad earthenware dish of gently flavoured smoked mackerel pâté (looking like a bowl of creamy soup), dotted with diced pickled veg, hazelnuts and dill, accompanied by seeded stout and treacle bread. For main course, there could be duck confit with a pork and shrimp 'baozi' or Thai pork curry, but also appealingly tender Dartmoor lamb rump with pommes Anna, roasted asparagus and black garlic purée. Desserts will push most buttons with cheesecake, toffee pudding and the like: our hefty sundae-glass serving of raspberry trifle came topped with chunks of honeycomb, alongside a beautifully intense raspberry sorbet. The flair and finish of the cooking deserves much better wines than the short, perfunctory selection, but there are tempting cocktails too.
It's a restaurant that feels like a permanent pop-up, tucked into a parade of shops in an unsuspecting residential part of Exeter. The Taco Boys, as were, built the place from scratch, negotiated the COVID restrictions with admira… Read more
It's a restaurant that feels like a permanent pop-up, tucked into a parade of shops in an unsuspecting residential part of Exeter. The Taco Boys, as were, built the place from scratch, negotiated the COVID restrictions with admirable ingenuity, and still manage to put on a show that impresses readers for its innovative energy and labour-intensive commitment to the locavore ideal. Home-grown vegetables, home-cured meats and butter churned in-house form the backbone of the operation, and if the place exudes a feeling of impetuous youth only befitting a university city, who's complaining? The high stools took 10 years off us. The drill is four courses at lunch, six at dinner, and from the first offering of torn-up bread with pickles and sriracha, the engine shifts straight into gear. Your five-a-day is pure pleasure when it produces carrot mousse with kimchi and soy-blitzed seeds to start. Whipped dressings are favoured, such as the ricotta version that accompanies salmon tartare in smoked maple syrup, while mains tend to be meaty and substantial – perhaps a duo of seared chop and braised shoulder of Cornish lamb with salsa verde and puréed cauliflower. An insistent savoury edge stops the desserts from being all dairy indulgence, so expect foraged sumac in the white chocolate soufflé or puffed rice and whisky caramel offsetting the ice cream made from koji berries. Perhaps pop an elderberry wine-gum to see you on your way. The drinks flights (£25 at lunch, £45 evenings) are definitely worth signing up for: kombuchas, pét-nats and fortified oddballs are merely the half of it.
On the quayside at Dartmouth, this venerable venue has gone through a fair few evolutions since the late Joyce Molyneux presided over one of Devon's best-loved addresses. Under the aegis of the Holland Group, with the extravagantl… Read more
On the quayside at Dartmouth, this venerable venue has gone through a fair few evolutions since the late Joyce Molyneux presided over one of Devon's best-loved addresses. Under the aegis of the Holland Group, with the extravagantly talented Elly Wentworth at the kitchen helm, it looks set fair to become a notable destination once again. In a sparely designed room, with quality furniture, lushly linened tables and a rectangular crystal ceiling ornament that could best be described (through gritted teeth) as 'interesting', it still enjoys picture-window views over the busy Dart to the rising hillside cottages on the far bank. A tasting menu on Friday and Saturday evenings will be the main draw, but there was no lack of culinary energy on a bargain winter lunch menu. A cubic chunk of cured Loch Duart salmon is lightly cooked and served with a butter sauce of smoked cucumber, purple shiso leaves and pickled mustard seeds for a dazzling opener, before majestically flavoured Creedy Carver chicken breast is furnished with variations of both kinds of artichoke – poached baby globe and brown-buttered, puréed and crisped Jerusalems – all doused in a sauce piquante of immaculate stock with diced gherkin, onion and wine vinegar. Otherwise, there might be loin of fallow deer with glazed salsify, hazelnuts and cocoa nibs in red wine jus, or brill in mussel cream with charred leeks, fennel and caviar. Elly Wentworth's signature dessert, given a perfect 10 on Great British Menu in 2021, is a spectacular tribute to the inventor of the Uniform Penny Post, Sir Rowland Hill. Surmounting a sesame cake layered with chocolate marquise and banana bavarois is a flawless imprint of the Penny Black stamp, with a sesame-seed tuile and banana sorbet on the side – the banana elements rendered not in fairground-yellow but, rather bravely, in cement-grey. Service is entirely charming, and the wine list, while seemingly still at the developmental stage, has some excellent selections including a fine Sancerre Rouge and Charles Heidsieck, no less, as the house Champagne.
Along the narrows at the top end of Totnes, the Bull Inn is a flesh-coloured pub that has had the kind of makeover that makes over a million pounds look artfully like ten grand. Foliage entwines the rafters, potted plants loom in … Read more
Along the narrows at the top end of Totnes, the Bull Inn is a flesh-coloured pub that has had the kind of makeover that makes over a million pounds look artfully like ten grand. Foliage entwines the rafters, potted plants loom in the corners, the bar frontage is done in jade-green, and an air of dynamic, but not oppressive, hubbub prevails. Organic and ethical credentials pour forth from both the portable chalkboard menus and the drinks list, where cask ales, cloudy shrubs and ingenious cocktails are the main lures. An extensive roll call of substantial starters is cause for celebration, with both roasted late Jerusalem artichokes in green sauce, and grilled early asparagus spattered with garlic and hazelnuts, on offer at our spring visit. A trio of venison koftas in thin cumin-laced yoghurt, sumac onions and honey proved to be a delightful way in. Mains bring a shorter choice of enterprising veggie dishes, an old-school bistro bavette in creamy mushroom sauce, or a hunk of (very slightly overdone) monkfish in the kind of buttery curry sauce that could have seen service on a bag of chips. For dessert, a complicated cake of chocolate and olive-oil mousse on pistachio sponge, dressed with Cognac-poached pear, coffee syrup and mascarpone filled to capacity the tiny tea-plate it was served on. Otherwise, resist if you can the Basque cheesecake with Earl Grey prunes. Wines are a little less than thrilling, but there is a reasonable selection in three glass sizes.
Adventurous food in a bustling town-centre pub with rooms
Let's all get over the fact that it isn't geographically Cornish, but resident on a town-centre street in the west of Devon. This is a lively venue that manages an impressive balancing act between pub and restaurant, the more so s… Read more
Let's all get over the fact that it isn't geographically Cornish, but resident on a town-centre street in the west of Devon. This is a lively venue that manages an impressive balancing act between pub and restaurant, the more so since the extensive refurbishment it underwent back in 2022.
While the menu format rests on broad choice, as before, there is a distinctly more adventurous air to the nibbles, which now embrace buttermilk king prawns with smoked paprika mayonnaise or teriyaki chicken wings. The main menu continues to offer a broad range of options, with a mixture of traditional pub fare and modern classics. Expect ham hock Scotch egg with blue cheese and beer-pickled onions to open the show, ahead of roast cod with brown shrimp vinaigrette in béarnaise or a distinctly elegant butter-roasted breast of guinea fowl, served with Jerusalem artichokes, pearl barley and hazelnuts in sherry gravy.
Fifteen minutes seems a small investment of time to be rewarded with a mango soufflé, served with the full regalia of pineapple compôte, coconut sorbet and clotted cream or you could get instant satisfaction from a Yorkshire strawberry trifle in season. Fans also dote over the traditional Sunday lunch, which offers the likes of roast sirloin with sublime brisket to best end of Saddleback pork alongside maple-glazed pork belly. A user-friendly wine list is arranged by style, and the glasses come in all three sizes.
Family-run inn with a decent line in locally sourced food
The smartly renovated, bright-white exterior ensures you won’t miss this 16th-century hostelry as you head along the Okehampton to Tavistock road. Jay and Tess Barker-Jones revamped the oak-beamed and slate-floored property … Read more
The smartly renovated, bright-white exterior ensures you won’t miss this 16th-century hostelry as you head along the Okehampton to Tavistock road. Jay and Tess Barker-Jones revamped the oak-beamed and slate-floored property back in 2019, creating a homely vibe with eclectic furniture and natural tones throughout the warren of dining rooms – as well as the three spacious, shabby-chic bedrooms. As you would expect from a family-run, dog-friendly inn, service is warm and friendly – yet surprisingly polished.
Chef/co-owner Jay works hand in glove with local suppliers to create a daily menu of tried-and-tested ideas and flavoursome, crowd-pleasing dishes. Starters include rich, creamy whipped goat's cheese dotted between heritage beetroot, gingerbread and hazelnuts, and a delicate, fresh hand-picked Brixham crab salad with avocado and citrus fruits, decorated with substantial Parmesan crisps and pea shoots for a shot of colour. Generous main courses could feature flavour-packed spring lamb loin and braised shoulder with broad beans, feta and wild garlic, while local 'red' venison loin is paired with an intense haunch ragoût, kale, celeriac and red wine – a glorious plateful on a cold, winter's night.
The theme of classic food pairings continues with desserts such as a pitch-perfect warm chocolate brownie with orange caramel and honeycomb, complemented beautifully by a salted-caramel ice cream. Sunday lunch is a terrific tonic after a brisk walk on Dartmoor, whether you fancy dry-aged beef sirloin, a slab of pork belly or the pub's exemplary nut roast. An extensive drinks selection covers everything from local ales to classic cocktails, while the small but varied (and mostly Old World) wine list is both affordable and accessible.
With spectacular views of Dartmoor all around, this inn with rooms is hugely popular among hikers and dog walkers. The menu is entirely organic, with ingredients hailing from the owners’ Eversfield Organic Farm & Ma… Read more
With spectacular views of Dartmoor all around, this inn with rooms is hugely popular among hikers and dog walkers. The menu is entirely organic, with ingredients hailing from the owners’ Eversfield Organic Farm & Market Garden, as well as other artisan regional producers. This is a meat-lovers fantasy with an ox grill at the heart of the dining room: grass-fed, seriously aged Aberdeen Angus steaks are seared to order and served with mixed leaves from the farm, house dressing and triple-cooked chips infused with rosemary, thyme and garlic. To drink, local organic ales are offered alongside organic wines, cocktails and soft drinks.
Torquay's finest is barely more than a rope-throw from the Marina, a double-fronted, expansive space run with serene efficiency. Simon Hulstone oversees a long-established, venturesome kitchen that reliably brims with good ideas, … Read more
Torquay's finest is barely more than a rope-throw from the Marina, a double-fronted, expansive space run with serene efficiency. Simon Hulstone oversees a long-established, venturesome kitchen that reliably brims with good ideas, against a backbone of mainstay classic dishes that ensure the locals keep coming back. The base price shifted sharply upwards with the transition to a prix-fixe format, but there is no doubting the integrity and class of the cooking. A favoured pairing of gently poached scallop and savoury chicken wing in bone-marrow dressing with sea buckthorn is a masterful exercise in counterpointing flavours and textures. In its spring season, Wye Valley asparagus might be smartly accoutred with barbecued pineapple, a hash brown and macadamias, while the same imaginative energy is on dazzling display in a main dish of poached cod with pink grapefruit and carrot in a coconut curry sauce. That said, confirmed traditionalists will find nothing lacking in a serving of heritage pork with its glazed cheek and black pudding, alongside grelot onion and pearl barley. The voguish savoury approach to desserts sees apricot parfait served with toasted rice and chai foam or gariguette strawberries fragranced with bay leaf flan and peppered caramel. The wine offering doesn't change much with the passing years, other than for the initial offering headed 'seasonal wines we like', which are always worth a flutter – perhaps a Sardinian Vermentino or Rhône-style red from Cucugnan in the Aude.
'Agricultural fine dining' in an expansive family-run enterprise
Almost lost amid the tangle of east Devon villages, Darts Farm is rather more of a hive of activity than the nearby Exeter airport. It's a family-run enterprise (and then some), with a wellness spa, extensive farm shop, butch… Read more
Almost lost amid the tangle of east Devon villages, Darts Farm is rather more of a hive of activity than the nearby Exeter airport. It's a family-run enterprise (and then some), with a wellness spa, extensive farm shop, butcher and deli counters, vineyard, farm walk and bird hide, among other amenities. Alongside a maze of other eating possibilities, serving food in the very precincts where much of it is grown, there is also now the Farm Table for ‘agricultural fine dining’ – a very 21st-century style.
You might feel you are eating in a large hangar, but the quality of what the kitchen puts out tends to encourage people to get a little glammed-up for the occasion. The rattle call of ice-cubes being shaken is a sure lure to the bar, and a dedicated pizza chef always raises expectations, amply fulfilled with the arrival of grilled flatbread topped with pancetta, hot honey and garlic butter.
Nibbles are full of allure: burnt broad-bean pods sprinkled with chilli salt or crispy brawn bites with rhubarb and apple sauce might kick things off, ahead of a simple salad of sweetly delicious picked-this-morning beetroot, chicory and truffled Graceburn cheese – an array of incomparable ingredients. Fish dishes are forthrightly but sensitively handled, as when a hulking fillet of a sea bream is teamed with pickled cockles, tomatoes and jalapeños, all sauced with a thick ajo blanco.
Gold-standard meats range from a starter portion of grilled pigeon breast with lentils and redcurrants to Ruby Red steaks and Creedy Carver duck, the latter with grilled radicchio and pickled cherries in red wine. Portions tend to the hearty, meaning that two might easily share a whopping rhubarb sponge pudding topped with a gigantic clod of clotted cream, but if you are feeling a little delicate by now, consider gin and strawberry parfait with pink-peppercorn meringue. Special-occasion menus add to the offer, and there is an excellent range of drinking to contemplate, from fruity cocktails to a well-chosen list of wines at manageable prices (from £6 a glass).
Twenty-first century reboot of a historic village watering hole
It may date from the mid-17th century, but nowadays the Farmers Arms is every inch the 21st-century village pub. It was the initial inspiration for a far more substantial project that has become 'The Collective of Woolsery' from S… Read more
It may date from the mid-17th century, but nowadays the Farmers Arms is every inch the 21st-century village pub. It was the initial inspiration for a far more substantial project that has become 'The Collective of Woolsery' from San Francisco-based tech entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch.
The couple now own the local convenience store and post office, the fish and chip shop, and various rooms and cottages around Woolfardisworthy (to give the place its full name) – including the Grade II-listed Wulfheard Manor (opening as a hotel in 2025). In addition, their 150-acre farm provides the pub with rare-breed and heritage meats as well as just-harvested fruit and vegetables – hyper-seasonal produce that is beautifully realised in the hands of Ian Webber (Michael Caines’ former head chef at Gidleigh Park).
The bijou ‘farm menu’ could bring a moreish Curworthy Haytor cheese puff dotted with oxeye daisy petals and deep-red globules of sour cherry gel, ahead of Birch Farm pork fillet perched on a generous chunk of coppa bacon and offset by the earthiness of fermented grains, paprika, red cabbage and finely sliced pickled fennel.
Alternatively, you could look to the more traditional 'pub menu' for the likes of Honey Wood Haze cider-battered haddock, chips and minted peas, or an elevated monkfish and scallop fishcake with buttered leeks, poached Birch Farm egg and chips. Visually stunning desserts include a warm lemon geranium cake topped with raspberry jam and pistachio ice cream, served with a citrussy lemon verbena curd.
There’s also a terrace with a covered seating area and heated stone benches for all-weather dining. To drink, take your pick from locally brewed ales and seasonal cocktails, or select a bottle from the well-chosen wine list.
Appealing rustic eatery in a converted threshing barn
You can't deny the good vibes that emanate from this unassuming venue – a rural café-cum-restaurant housed in a converted threshing barn not far from Tiverton. That it is a consistent and very popular destination is n… Read more
You can't deny the good vibes that emanate from this unassuming venue – a rural café-cum-restaurant housed in a converted threshing barn not far from Tiverton. That it is a consistent and very popular destination is no surprise: ‘best local restaurant in Devon without hesitation,' sums up many readers' views. Part of the attraction is the magnificent view, combined with staff who are as helpful and pleasant as can be, and the fact that the place is admirably family-friendly. However, it’s the firm focus on good-value food in all its seasonal, sustainable and local glory that draws diners back.
A huge wood-fired oven is at the heart of the operation, dominating the busy open kitchen at one end of the long dining room, with imaginative, carefully made sourdough pizzas being the stars of the show. But there’s much more. Share a Turkish pide (boat-shaped flatbread) topped with spiced lamb and pickled red onion, or keep a ‘small plate’ of crab bruschetta with rhubarb, pink pickled shallots, fennel and olive-oil vinaigrette all to yourself.
Our late-spring lunch opened with a plate of excellent ‘organic cure’ bresaola enhanced by pecorino and a zingy apple, celery and walnut dressing. A generous fillet of wood-roasted sea bream followed, served atop a fabulous peperonata heady with olives, capers and garden herbs, while a baked honey crème brûlée rounded off proceedings.
The Lost Kitchen may suit leisurely lunches and celebratory evenings (it opens for dinner on Friday and Saturday), but it is just as welcoming to those stopping by for coffee and cake – although booking is advisable for this, too. To drink, there's Devon cider as well as a well-spread list of wines including plenty by the glass. But given that many will be driving, a lot of thought had gone into mocktails and classic soft drinks.
Snuggled away in a slip of a village on the southern edge of Exmoor, Mark and Sarah Dodson's thatched 13th-century inn is comfortingly remote. Inside, the low-ceilinged rooms emphasise the feeling of being enveloped, while the din… Read more
Snuggled away in a slip of a village on the southern edge of Exmoor, Mark and Sarah Dodson's thatched 13th-century inn is comfortingly remote. Inside, the low-ceilinged rooms emphasise the feeling of being enveloped, while the dining room (housed in an extension) offers views of the surrounding farmland.
Mark's menus deal in local materials treated sensitively, presented with more than a little contemporary dash. Dishes such as seared scallops with celeriac, apple and hazelnut dukkah or prosciutto-wrapped monkfish with oyster mushrooms, crushed new potatoes, orange and balsamic sauce belie the landlocked location, before we return to it in the form of Exmoor beef fillet and cheek with beetroot purée, field mushrooms and lardons in a hearty port jus. Alternatively, you might find some seasonal game in the shape of, say, loin of venison in juniper jus or partridge breast ‘en crépinette’ with burnt apple purée, Brussels sprouts and parsnip.
Farmhouse cheeses constitute a tour of the West Country's finest, or there might be something sweet such as mirabelle soufflé with honeycomb ice cream; otherwise, spoon your way through the four-strong 'taste of British desserts'. And if you decide to call in for the set lunch, you'll be treated to recipes from Mark's debut cookbook This Is Mine. A fairly priced wine list opens with bottles from £22.
The commitment to regionalism at the Old Library extends to Amy Mitchell and Joe Suttie themselves, 'locally grown chefs', as they put it. Facing Ashburton's town car park, their café-style venue features hand-crafted furni… Read more
The commitment to regionalism at the Old Library extends to Amy Mitchell and Joe Suttie themselves, 'locally grown chefs', as they put it. Facing Ashburton's town car park, their café-style venue features hand-crafted furniture clustered around a busy service counter, where the action motors through the day from fortifying full breakfasts (meat or veggie) and various filled croissants to lunches centred on the likes of 'house eggs' with roasted red peppers and squash or 'beet about the bush' (beetroot salad with quinoa, avocado, feta and rocket, plus optional chorizo). There are no bookings, it's simply a first come, first served set-up. A popular supper club (which is bookable) operates a couple of evenings each month: a typical seven-course menu (£65) might feature Thai crab bisque and an 'exotic' mushroom tart ahead of pan-fried hake fillet with celeriac, braised baby gem and chicken jus; then comes a pre-dessert (perhaps lemon sherbert mousse), before a hazelnut millefeuille rounds things off. A short list of mainly European wines fits the bill. Sign up for the email notifications.
Loyal regulars will have noted the post-lockdown change that has come over the Salutation, Topsham high street's Georgian finest. At the front is now the Salt Deli, a wet fish shop supporting the local boats, while the original di… Read more
Loyal regulars will have noted the post-lockdown change that has come over the Salutation, Topsham high street's Georgian finest. At the front is now the Salt Deli, a wet fish shop supporting the local boats, while the original dining room is now flanked by a glasshouse extension, with an open sun terrace to boot. The limited spaces have been resourcefully used, so that it doesn't feel at all cramped. Tom Williams-Hawkes has ceded control of the kitchen to Luke Heaver, with an apparent brief to offer a simpler menu that aims to cover all bases, from lunch snacks to compendious seafood platters, plus an early-bird prix-fixe supplementing the evening carte. Lyme Bay mackerel escabèche has been hailed by readers and was good at inspection, while mains might offer confit duck, pork tenderloin and shoulder with black pudding and mash, or a classy pairing of turbot and lobster with saffron potatoes in a froth of wasabi and coriander. A simple poached peach for late-summer dessert comes with coconut and a miraculously intense raspberry sorbet. A workable wine list needs a few more reds by the glass at less than 14% alcohol, but does feature both the Brut and Demi-Sec versions of Sussex's Nyetimber sparkler.
The Tonks family flagship is moored on the Dartmouth quayside, with co-owner Mitch's son Ben at the helm. It has always radiated a balmy sense of the Mediterranean, partly for the sunny good cheer with which the place is run, and … Read more
The Tonks family flagship is moored on the Dartmouth quayside, with co-owner Mitch's son Ben at the helm. It has always radiated a balmy sense of the Mediterranean, partly for the sunny good cheer with which the place is run, and partly for the orientation of the cooking. If the best preparations of the freshest fish are ever the simplest, the menus here offer an object-lesson in what is still a culinary discipline. Torbay scallops, charcoal-roasted and dressed with a lick of white port and garlic, are a favoured way to start. Wine performs its ancestral role in seasoning and enriching the dishes: fillet of cod is cooked in a paper packet, sauced with Lugana, and spiked with pepperoncini chillies, capers and basil, while Albariño is used as a curing medium for red mullet with pink peppercorns and grapes. A whomping £48 buys a whole Dover sole cooked on the bone, with nothing more complex than a meunière dressing. There are some steaks of beef or veal if you're not quite in the maritime mood, and desserts maintain the theme of elegant simplicity – perhaps salted honey ice cream dressed in Pedro Ximénez and sultanas or an almond tart with rum cream. An excellent Eurocentric wine list does justice to the food, with wines by the small glass from £6.75.
The Tytherleigh could be another whitewashed roadside inn, briefly glimpsed along the A358 as you hurtle towards the Dorset border. But halt. Within its 16th-century walls, there is plenty more going on than pub grub. In the kitch… Read more
The Tytherleigh could be another whitewashed roadside inn, briefly glimpsed along the A358 as you hurtle towards the Dorset border. But halt. Within its 16th-century walls, there is plenty more going on than pub grub. In the kitchen, there's a firm commitment to West Country supply lines, and the menus speak a language that big-city escapees would recognise. Start with miso-glazed king oyster mushroom with kohlrabi rémoulade, mushroom ketchup and cep soil, a fungal exploration full of umami wallop, or consider grilled and tartared mackerel with compressed apple and beer-vinegared beetroot. Dishes have the sturdiness of flavour to back up their smart looks: cod is rolled up and set beside roasted and puréed cauliflower with a bit of burnt lemon in cockle velouté. A daring ingenuity for combining sees crispy pork belly appear with smoked eel, along with caramelised onion and hispi cabbage. Those in the market for fish and chips or a steak will find themselves rather more royally served than they were expecting. Chips with the latter are, in the modern manner, truffle-oiled and tweaked with Parmesan. Finish with matcha and pistachio cake garnished with white chocolate Chantilly. Wines start at £22 for Italian house selections.
Driven by the humane principle that life is better when we are together, Wild Artichokes is a sure-fire success story. Samantha Miller and Jane Baxter's eccentrically located restaurant, among motor repair shops down a rubbly back… Read more
Driven by the humane principle that life is better when we are together, Wild Artichokes is a sure-fire success story. Samantha Miller and Jane Baxter's eccentrically located restaurant, among motor repair shops down a rubbly back alley in the intestines of Kingsbridge, runs to a 'shared table' format, encouraging sociable dining and the chance to discuss Jane's food with people you haven't yet met. Tables are loaded almost haphazardly with dishes in waves of starters plus a main course with accompaniments, punctuated by the intermezzo of a pasta dish – perhaps cuttlefish lasagne or an array of seafood with black cavatelli. The cooking has an appealingly domestic air, but one that almost belies the accomplished technique that underpins it. There are layers of resonance in the simplest offerings: whipped cod's roe, rabbit rillettes or a salad of mussels, saffron, potato and fennel. Italian foodways inform much of what is served, but not to the exclusion of, say, some crab and prawn empanadas. The meat main course might be a duck crown or veal chops with spinach, lemon and sage – all chaperoned to table by a bouquet of artichokes, broad beans and peas, potatoes sharpened with pecorino, and a smartly dressed green salad. Desserts are always a threesome: say, rhubarb and orange sundae, chocolate and ginger pudding with caramel custard, and pear and almond tart. A short wine list just about covers it, but more choices by the glass would be very much appreciated and not difficult to organise.
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