Consumer News
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Food Drink Devon
Posted on
25 Jun 2024
Let us introduce you to some of the best venues to eat in the glorious Devon outdoors… with river, coast or countryside views, or a flower-filled, child and dog friendly garden.
The summer is the perfect time to enjoy alfresco drinking and dining and we have put together a roundup of some of Devon’s best venues for soaking up the great outdoors.
The Shilstone Courtyard, Modbury
The beautiful cafe courtyard is the perfect spot for long summer afternoons and soon-to-be opening evenings. Enjoy delicious al fresco breakfasts and lunches from the cafe in natural booths created by wooden planters full of flowers and trees and herb planters which supply the cafe.
The courtyard is open with the cafe (Wed – Sun from 10:30 – 4pm), and will soon be hosting evening events with the wood-fired BBQ. Visit the website HERE.
Greendale Farm Shop, Sidmouth Road, Exeter
Fish and chips, a hearty evening meal or a quick cuppa? The Greendale Kitchen is open throughout the day with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a delicious, local-sourced menu – with many dishes using ingredients sourced from their shop, available to order until 9pm.
Take in the scenery and spectacular sunsets from the covered outdoor decking, with outdoor heaters ready for when the sun drops below Haldon hills. The Kitchen bar has a great summer drinks menu including favourite local ales, ciders and lagers on tap and by the bottle, plus spirits, soft drinks and cocktails. greendale.com/kitchen
Ivybridge Brewing Company Taproom, Glanvilles Mill, Ivybridge
Ivybridge Brewing Company trains and employs people with learning disabilities at their brewery and taproom next to the River Erme in the heart of Ivybridge. Their riverside terrace is the perfect place to relax with one of their award-winning beers, or one of the selection of drinks they have on offer.
Invited food vendors join at weekends and the outside space is also for events such as beer tastings. Remember that entry after 6.00pm is via the back door in Glanville’s Road. Check out their social media (@ivybridgebrewingco) to find out more or visit ivybridgebrewing.co.uk
The Terrace Bar, Darts Farm, Topsham
Overlooking the beautiful Exe Estuary, Darts Farm’s Terrace Bar is a beautiful spot to soak up the evening sun with friends with seasonal nibbles from The Farm Table, wood-fired pizzas, Pebblebed wines and local tipples.
During the daytime, the Terrace seating is open for Cow & Cacao Café customers for alfresco brunch, wood-fired pizza and sweet treats. For more info visit the website.
Mon – Wed 9am – 5:30pm / Thurs – Sat 9am – 5:30pm & Bar 5:30pm – 9pm
Sun 9:30am – 4pm.
The Venus Cafe, Broadsands (also at Bigbury-on-sea and now Teignmouth)
The most beautiful setting right by the beach looking out over the stunning Broadsands bay with 125 seats on two outside terraces. Delicious breakfasts, alfresco lunches and (starting 15 July) lazy suppers with a pint of Bay’s beer or a fresh bean coffee. Locally sourced food, handmade in Venus kitchens, including Devon-landed whole fish and grass-fed beefburgers. With the vista, palm and olive trees you could easily imagine you are in the South of France. Open daily 9am to 6pm through the summer months (until 8pm from 15th July – end of Aug). Plenty of parking in the Broadsands car park. Check out the menu here lovingthebeach.co.uk/food/. (L-R Broadsands & Teignmouth)
Copplestone Farm Shop, Copplestone
Their focus at Copplestone Sarm Shop is firmly local food and produce, with over 50 suppliers in Devon, they are proud to champion local businesses. You can savour all this lovely local produce on outdoor seating just outside the farm shop.
Enjoy cold drinks, locally roasted coffee, hot and cold foods from the deli counter, or locally baked sweet treats – or one of their award winning scotch eggs or Devon cream tea for two. Take a seat, enjoy the view and taste the quality of locally produced food. Visit their Facebook page here.
The Bucket & Spade Café, Shaldon
The Bucket & Spade Café at Coast View Holiday Park is a cherished spot for families, beachgoers and foodies alike with a truly spectacular view over the Jurassic coastline. The café’s recent renovation, featuring refreshed décor and stylish new seating on the sun deck, enhances its coastal vibe, fusing modern amenities with classic seaside appeal.
The refreshed menu still offers customer favourites, plus new tasty salads, fresh local fish and the chef’s special recipe burgers – not forgetting vegan and gluten-free options and indulgent cakes and treats… and back by popular demand, the epic Sunday Roast! Visit www.thebucketandspade.com
The Millbrook Inn, South Pool
Back for its third summer, the Millbrook Summer BBQ offers a lighter, casual alternative to the full á la carte dining offer, but still created in the classic Millbrook style. Click here for opening hours and BBQ schedule.
Using meat from their family farm, their homemade Fowlescombe beef burgers are a BBQ favourite and packed with flavour, and there’s a vegetarian option too. No bookings required. Mon to Sat from 12-5pm, and into the evenings if there is a late high tide. Enjoy a drink by the brook, or under the new awnings if it’s rainy. There’s locally crafted ale, local gin or a glass of something special.
The Old Warehouse, Kingsbridge
With not one but two sunny outdoor spaces, The Old Warehouse is the perfect spot for food and drink this summer. Pop in for a tempting pastry with a locally roasted coffee, a freshly cooked fry up, a light lunch in the sunshine, or book one of the covered booths in the rear garden for a delicious dinner with family – the award-winning The Old Warehouse is the place to go.
There’s a great range of locally made beers, cider, spirits and soft drinks, plus sparkling award-winning Moonhoney Mead is made on-site. Visit The Old Warehouse, call 01548 852500 or just pop in!
Salcombe Gin’s Boathouse Distillery Bar, Island Street, Salcombe
Tucked behind Salcombe Gin’s shop on Island Street, guests can enjoy a signature serve at Salcombe Gin’s Boathouse Distillery Bar whilst overlooking the Kingsbridge Estuary.
The bar is open Mon to Fri: 11am – 8pm, Saturday: 11am – 9pm and Sunday: 11am – 5pm.
The Castle Inn, Lydford
With character in abundance The Castle Inn is an award-winning 16th century Devonshire pub with rooms. The surprise is their large sun-trap established garden, full of colour in the summer, overlooking Lydford Castle just next door. Eat and drink year-round in heated stretch tent, with the full menu offered outside and a garden bar providing drinks on draught.
Just 200m from Lydford Gorge and surrounded by Dartmoor walks and cycle routes, there’s plenty for a full day out with the reward of feast in a beautiful alfresco setting. Visit the website.
Wild Thyme Deli & Kitchen, inside China Blue, Totnes.
Wild Thyme creates vibrant, seasonal dishes using only the best, fresh and local ingredients. They’ve recently replaced the old conservatory with a beautiful modern space, flooded with natural light which flows into the outside seating area through bifold doors. New decking, plants and herbs have created an area bursting with colour.
The chefs refresh the menu seasonally along with weekly specials and almost everything is homemade. As a busy venue, they operate on a walk-in only basis. Find out more here.
Alder Vineyard, Lewdown, Okehampton
Overlooking the Tors of Dartmoor sits Alder Vineyard just outside of Okehampton. Where they serve up scrummy cheese and charcuterie platters, homemade open sandwiches and fresh salads. Perfectly enjoyed on their sunkissed terrace with 180-degree views across the Devon countryside
Why not enjoy the ultimate alfresco experience with their new Sunset Vineyard Tour + Paella Evenings running throughout the summer. Learn more here.
The Black River Inn, Black Torrington
An award-winning, village pub and genuine hub of the local community, with a focus on good, local produce, The Black River Inn has one-of-a-kind, picturesque ‘hidden gem’ kind of beer garden, with a greenhouse serving the pub’s every-changing tapas menu and Sunday lunch.
Walk to the deck at end of garden for views that stretch for miles over farmland and countryside, or perch with a cold drink and small plate on one of the bistro tables out the front of the pub, among window boxes and overflowing hanging baskets. www.blackriverinn.co.uk
High Grange Devon, Dalwood, Axminster
Okay it’s not somewhere you can just drop in for lunch, but book a Feast Night and High Grange is all about alfresco dining! This award-winning fine-dining feast and catering venue, outdoor barbecue cookery school and wellbeing retreat is set in three acres of its own woodland.
Think outdoor dining on a beautiful communal oak table, as well as drinks at the woodland silo bar. It’s Fire School barbecue class offers guests the chance to spend a day in the woods with views of Devon hills, learning to cook on all manner of ceramic barbecues, fire pits and grills, as well as in a hole in the ground! highgrangedevon.com.
The Tarka Line Grill, Eggesford
A cafe with a difference which showcases a small menu of local produce cooked on plancha grills to eat in or takeaway. Situated in the old grain store for the railway, the cafe decking offers a great outside space. Enjoy your meal with a beer, soft drink or great coffee while watching hourly trains chug past. Even those who aren’t into trains, can’t help but watch the wonderful world of railways here. On the A377 near Eggesford.
Bearslake Inn, Dartmoor
Charming outdoor dining at the historic Bearslake Inn, nestled in the heart of Dartmoor. A picturesque pub garden, complete with a stream, offers the perfect setting for an alfresco meal. Whether savouring a gourmet dish by Head Chef, Dolton Lodge, or enjoying a casual drink under the canopy of the 13th-century thatched inn, you’ll find the ambiance both relaxing and invigorating. Take along your furry friends and soak up the stunning countryside views. And don’t forget Cocktail Hour and the Thirsty Thursday Prosecco offer! Find out more here.
Coldharbour Field Kitchen, Ottery St Mary
Just a short distance from Ottery town centre, the Field Kitchen has a large decking area with truly fabulous and far-reaching views across the Otter Valley… and is a hot spot for glorious Devon sunsets.
Delicious wood-fired dishes including pizza and tapas from the outdoor kitchen. Great choice of local beverages including cider, ales, wine and spirits. Live acoustic music sessions on the deck during the summer on specific weekend dates. 100% dog friendly (outside and in!) Visit the website here.
Outside, Bantham
Outside is a two-acre multi-use space in South Devon just inland from beautiful Bantham beach, a place to eat, skate, create and play. The kitchen is open Wednesday – Sunday all day, offering smaller bites to substantial brunch and lunch options, all of which can be enjoyed in their lovely outdoor seating area. Head cook, Joe, uses their homegrown veg as much as possible and trusted local producers for everything else and changes the menu regularly according to what’s available on the farm. The current holder of Food Drink Devon’s ‘Best Cafe’ Award. outside-devon.com
The Cary Arms & Spa, Babbacombe
Also known as the Inn on the Beach, the Cary Arms boasts the most amazing ocean vistas across Babbacombe Bay. Make the most of your al fresco dining experience with our Summer BBQs which takes place on the first and last Friday of the month until September. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they’re bringing you Spanish Tapas, while you can enjoy Sunday Sea and Sound with a delicious seafood lunch and some chillout live music? Cary Arms Hotel & Spa
The Duck at Yeoford, Crediton
A family owned and run pub that focuses on good food and creating a warm and welcoming family and dog friendly environment. The Duck is lucky to have a large garden with an enclosed play area, lots of outdoor seating including The Duck Shed which has lighting and heaters. Just a two minute walk from the train station, on the Exeter to Barnstaple line. theduckatyeoford.co.uk
Sir Walter Raleigh at East Budleigh
This community-owned pub, restaurant and cafe in East Devon has a pub garden with a Mediterranean theme, lovely in the sunshine, and displays artwork from people within the community. A new summer menu is coming soon along with updated bar snacks and a new pub platter! All will be available to enjoy in the pub garden. sirwalterraleigh.co.uk
The Glorious Oyster, Instow
Backing onto the sand dunes this spot has the vibe of a Caribbean rum shack with trestle tables in the sand, repurposed wooden fish boxes brimming with flowers, and live music on weekend evenings. Enjoy a glass of quality fizz or rosé and six oysters, or try their homemade fish finger sandwich made with breadcrumbs featuring hand-harvested seaweed. Lunchtime walkers or those out for an atmospheric alfresco meal can tuck into something more substantial, including a bucket of cider-steamed wild Appledore mussels or half a Bideford Bay lobster. 11am-5pm; thegloriousoyster.co.uk
Know of any more fantastic outdoor spaces to eat, drink and soak up a lovely view? Let us know on socials @fooddrinkdevon on all platforms.
