No holiday in Devon is complete without experiencing three classic meals: a pub lunch, seaside fish and chips and a traditional cream tea. Fine dining is also fantastic in the county, with four Michelin star restaurants and a range of English country house hotels to choose from. There are also plenty of quirky locations, including floating pontoons, field kitchens and beach huts.
For more Devon inspiration, check out our guides to the city’s best hotels, pubs, cream teas, beaches and things to do.
Search for a restaurant by region
South Devon
Riverford Field Kitchen, Buckfastleigh
Vegetables don’t get fresher, healthier or more local than on this organic farm, known for its national box system. Vibrantly colored produce, plucked from the earth less than 50 meters away, is made into hearty, home-cooked meals that are distributed at regular intervals to guests at long, wooden communal tables in a purpose-built, wave-shaped shed. The dishes are determined by the morning harvest and are mostly vegetarian – think cauliflower with whipped feta and almonds, or roasted pear and parsnip salad – with the exception of one meat or fish dish. Puddings can include mango pavlova or sticky toffee pudding.
Contact: fieldkitchen.riverford.co.uk
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££
Best table: Overlooking the open kitchen so you can watch the action
Seahorse, Dartmouth
The Seahorse has long been a member of Devon’s restaurant scene and has a prime waterfront location on Dartmouth’s quayside. Run by Ben Tonks, the son of celebrity chef Mitch, it focuses on seafood cooked over an open charcoal fire. It has a strong Italian slant, with dishes such as pasta with locally sourced seafood, grilled Sicilian red shrimp and a Tuscan ricotta and lemon tart. Fish is produced locally and other products, such as baby artichokes and burrata, are supplied from markets in Brittany and Puglia. The dining room has a romantic and cozy atmosphere, with dim lighting, an orange leather banquet with button backs and shelves of wines, grappa and champagne along one wall.
Contact: zeepaardjesrestaurant.nl
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££
The Beach House, South Milton
We challenge you to find a more idyllic place to eat fish by the sea than this wooden hut overlooking Thurlestone’s monolithic sea arch. Located on the South West Coastal Path and a Frisbee’s throw from South Milton Sands, this rustic little hut is a big draw for dog walkers, walkers and families, who come for seafood stews, steamed mussels, burgers and fish and chips – as well as for simply baked cakes and endless types of ice cream. Inside you can eat at communal wooden tables, and in summer there are picnic tables and benches outside.
Contact: beachhousedevon.com
Reservations: Walk-ins and reservations throughout the day; essential dinner reservations
Prices: ££
Best table: The picnic table closest to the beach
Redfish
Run by Mitch Tonks, this chain of beach hut-style restaurants serves some of the best fish and chips in Devon and has won awards. It is located in beautiful waterside locations in South Devon. Locally sourced scallops, crab, sole and red mullet are on the menu, along with oysters and traditional fish and chips. The hake 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 Hut, Bigbury
Don’t be put off by the ostentatious decor of this prefab concrete building, housed on the site of a former oyster farm; the freshness of their oysters is legendary. Hand-picked from the River Avon less than half a mile away, meaty molluscs cooked to perfection are served with a mouth-watering range of sauces and sides. It focuses on fish, with other options including anchovies on toast, fish platters and mussels. The kitsch seaside decor isn’t for the style conscious – think buoys and fishing nets strung from the ceiling – but the atmosphere is fun, the staff are light-hearted and the price is excellent.
Contact: oystershack.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: £
Central and North Devon
New Coastal Kitchen, Croyde
At Croyde’s coolest new restaurant, the emphasis is on luxury brunches – granola bowls, superfood brunch salads, grilled Reuben cheese sandwiches – and seafood-heavy dinners befitting the coastal location – think Fowey scallops with hazelnut butter, sea bass and basil gnocchi and brill landed in nearby Appledore. A geometrically tiled bar, ink blue walls and tropical decor give it an urban vibe, and the staff are young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
Contact: Nieuwkustkeuken.nl
Reservations: Recommended for dinner
Prices: ££
Mason’s Arms, Knowstone
The mealtime gridlock outside this 13th-century thatched pub on the edge of Exmoor speaks volumes for the quality of the Michelin-starred food served inside. Wood-beam walls, fireplaces and whitewashed stone walls give it plenty of old-world charm, with sloping floors and low doorways adding an element of danger (padding is tied to the top of the door frames to soften bumps). The restaurant is located in a modern extension with a pseudo-classical fresco on the ceiling. Typical main courses are roasted guinea fowl with stewed leg, potato fondant and morels, sea bass fillet with brown shrimp and saffron potatoes, and for dessert pineapple tart with rum and raisin ice cream.
Contact: Masonsarmsdevon.co.uk
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Farmers Arms, Worthy of Woolfardis
A short drive from the coastal town of Clovelly, the Farmers Arms builds its dishes from ingredients gathered by staff from local hedgerows and coastlines, and from the dedicated organic farm, which is run under a ‘no-till’ sustainable agroforestry system. The result? A truly innovative, original and ever-changing menu that combines style, substance and scruples. Dishes during my visit included carrot and dog rose parfait, an exuberantly colorful goat’s cheese salad, roasted sea bass with nasturtiums, mussels and smoked trout, and for dessert vanilla rice pudding with sea buckthorn, broom rum and fig leaf sorbet. The decor is divine; the staff, dynamic. If you only eat out once in Devon, make it here.
Contact: wolsery.com
Reservations: Recommended for dinner
Prices: ££
Exeter and the English Riviera
The elephant, Torquay
The bucket-and-spade resort of Torquay seems an unlikely setting for a Michelin-starred restaurant, but Simon Hulstone’s trick at The Elephant is to keep it informal and low-key. This lovely terraced Georgian house overlooks the harbor and serves some of the best food you’re likely to find on the English Riviera, with dishes like dry-aged beef tenderloin with beef tallow roots and oyster emulsion and roast monkfish with open salsify ravioli. All with the best views in the city.
Contact: elephantenrestaurant.nl
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Jack In The Green, Rock Bear
Traditional pub fare gets a contemporary twist at this roadside inn near Exeter, but the dishes remain hearty, affordable and locally sourced. Try gin and syrup cured salmon with wood sorrel, five-spice glazed Creedy Carver duck breast, Broadclyst lamb loin with fondant potato and parsnip puree, or butter poached cod with brown prawns. There is also an affordable menu for children, a good cocktail menu and a Saturday brunch.
Contact: jackinthegreen.uk.com
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
West Devon
Schoolhouse, Mothecombe
A sister property to The Beach House, further up the Devon coast at South Milton Sands, Schoolhouse shares the same informal, vibrant and convivial atmosphere, with refectory-style communal tables, jazz and reggae on the sound system, a sunny outdoor terrace and rustic decor with memorabilia from the restaurant’s time as a Victorian village school. The menu is inspired by Italy, with sourdough pizzas and burgers as specialties, and in summer there are barbecues, DJ sets and live music. Mothecombe, one of West Devon’s most beautiful sandy beaches, and the South West Coastal Path are a short walk away.
Contact: schoolhouse-devon.com
Reservations: Not required
Prices: ££
Best table: They all have views of the terrace through double-height glass doors
How we choose
Every restaurant on this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who’s dropped by to give you his insider’s perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighborhood favorites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to suit the tastes of every type of traveler – and our recommendations take the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price into account. We update this list regularly to stay informed of the latest openings and to provide current recommendations.