Devon is well known for its pretty seaside, rolling countryside and acres of idyllic farmlands, all of which give you access to some of the UK’s best local ingredients. It’s the perfect place to enjoy fine dining and exquisite restaurants, as well as little markets.
We’ve carefully curated a list of our favourites.
Best restaurants in South Devon
The Seahorse, Dartmouth
Overlooking the River Dart, The Seahorse is one of the best restaurants in South Devon. This lively restaurant offers a fantastic blend of Italian and local Devon seafood.
Some of the freshest sea fare is served on The Seahorse’s menu. The restaurant’s ever-changing selection ensures guests can enjoy the best local ingredients. Dishes include Dartmouth crab with fennel, pickled celery and mayonnaise, burrata from Puglia, aged beef rib roasted over the fire and monkfish with salsa verde.
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth
Lympstone Manor offers an exquisite fine dining experience in Devon, as well as offering excellent bottles from its own vineyard. Elegant interiors compliment the Georgian mansion where you can enjoy delicious modern British cuisine with pan-European influences.
There is a selection of tasting menus to try at the Michelin starred restaurant, as well as a vegetarian and vegan menu, an extensive wine list and an a la carte menu. Dishes include langoustine cannelloni with braised fennel and sauce vierge, and Brixham lobster with summer vegetables and lobster bisque.
Gidleigh Park, Chagford
This award winning restaurant offers spectacular views in the heart of Devon’s beautiful moors, in Chagford. Set in a luxury manor, guests can enjoy award winning menus, as well as afternoon tea and a fantastic selection of wines, with over 13,000 bottles available.
The menu features glorious ingredients sourced from local farms, with an air of creativity from the award-winning chef. Dishes include stuffed glazed chicken wing with confit egg yolk, sweetcorn, wild mushroom Boudin and truffle jus. There’s also aged fillet of beef cooked over coals and served with smoked bone marrow, garlic and spinach.
The Pig, Honiton
The Pig restaurant is housed in a beautiful panelled room, in an Elizabethan manor, in the secluded Otter Valley. Walled kitchen gardens and rolling local fields contribute delicious locally sourced ingredients to a simple but award-winning menu.
The Pig’s menus feature a 25 mile menu, made using only ingredients sourced within 25 miles of the property. This include lamb croquettes, venison tartare, Darts farm rib eye steak and hake fillet.
The Riverford Field Kitchen, Buckfastleigh
Dine in a unique way in one of South Devon’s best restaurants – The Riverford Field Kitchen. The set menu features dishes from the Riverford organic farm and is served on long tables as guests enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful, natural surroundings.
The menu changes depending on the season and what’s available from the onsite farm. It features freshly baked sourdough bread with rosemary butter, an edible bouquet with fresh cheese and cider vinegar and agretti with roast tomato sauce and pangrattata.
Best restaurants in North Devon
Thomas Carr at The Olive Room, Ilfracombe
Thomas Carr at The Olive room is perhaps North Devon’s best restaurant. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star for its fantastic menu, featuring fresh local seafood. The focus is on an unpretentious dining environment, with comfortable surroundings and excellent staff serving a menu full of fresh local ingredients. The menu changes depending on seasonality and freshness. Examples of the expertly presented dishes include hand dived scallops with cauliflower, curry and grape, and sea bream with saffron shellfish sauce and prawns. For lunch, guests can enjoy fennel cured salmon with apple smoked bream pate and a BLT featuring brill, bacon, lettuce