The best restaurants in South Devon: 6 must-visit eateries

Coming here on holiday for a special occasion? Why not celebrate in style at one of the best restaurants in South Devon. The choice is extensive, with award-winning seafood restaurants, rustic gastro-pubs and stylish brasseries all offering delicious dishes that make the most of our region’s best produce.

Six of the best restaurants in South Devon:

Twenty_Seven by Jamie Rogers – Kingsbridge

Master Chef Professional finalist and winner of South West Chef of the Year, Jamie Rogers’ restaurant is a must-visit for avid foodies. Their ethos is quite simple – using fresh local produce, skilfully prepared and served in a relaxed vibrant environment. With a wonderful combination of flavours and dishes cooked to the highest standards, this eatery brings fine dining to the South West.

Jamie Rogers has perfectly crafted both a lunch and dinner menu which will be sure to please. The lunch menu is a selection from a four-course taster menu, designed to whet your appetite. Expect refined yet complex dishes, like the allium broth with coconut foam, leek powder, pattata, onion and parmesan loaf which marries interesting tastes and different textures.

Their àla carte dinner menu is a variety of favourite dishes done to perfection with a sophisticated twist.  Try the line caught hake accompanied by cockles, spring vegetables and finished with a light chicken and lemon verbena broth. If you are struggling to choose from incredible selection on the à la carte the menu, why not enjoy either a six or eight course set taster menu with matching drink experience.

Jamie Rogers has brought a touch of elegance and fine dining to the South West. Be sure to book online as they can only accept bookings and not walk-ins for their lunchtime menu as well as for their dinner menu on Sunday and Monday evenings.

Click here to view our holiday cottages in Kingsbridge, located near restaurant Twenty_Seven, for a foodie getaway.

The Seahorse – Dartmouth

Opened by celebrity chef Mitch Tonks in 2008, The Seahorse in Dartmouth is perhaps the best-known gourmet restaurant in South Devon. This multi-award winning restaurant’s focal point is that of simplicity and seafood at its best. Appreciate their expert preparation of whole Dover sole with rosemary, olive oil and lemon or share their monkfish platter, served with datterini tomato, lemon and olive oil which is one of their speciality dishes. Their charcoal-roasted fish are generally seasoned with just a few well-chosen herbs and a trickle of olive oil, accentuating the natural flavours – simplicity done exceptionally.

As the ingredients they use are mostly seasonal, locally and freshly sourced, the exact menu depends on availability, while the wine list is always extensive.

Tonks, who plays a leading role in the annual Dartmouth Food Festival, has even written a cookbook based on the Seahorse and its recipes. ‘The Seahorse Book: The Restaurant and its Recipes’ is available nationally, and signed copies are available in local bookshops and at the restaurant itself.

Few visitors to The Seahorse would dispute its status as one of the best restaurants in South Devon and indeed the whole of the South West. Click here to book a table online.

Our collection of Dart Marina apartments are located within a picturesque 10-15 minute walk from The Seahorse restaurant, along Dartmouth’s beautiful embankment, perfect for an indulgent luxury break in South Devon. View our full collection of Dartmouth holiday homes for your next foodie break.

The Millbrook Inn – South Pool

Serving delicious food in a friendly relaxed atmosphere, the Millbrook Inn is a renowned bar and restaurant in the pretty creek-side village of South Pool. Its longstanding reputation as one of the foremost eateries in South Devon has been upheld by the two new resident chefs – Dave Gobett and Iain Dawson. With a menu inspired by the bountiful local offering of fresh and varied produce, they have created their signature dishes to delight discerning pallets.

The Millbrook’s menu changes with the seasons, with a host of new dishes created each time. From pan-seared Halibut, sweetcorn velouté, charred baby corn, leeks and monks beard to braised short rib of beef, red cabbage and crushed new potatoes, there are taste combinations that will have you coming back for more.

As Devon County dining pub of the year, they are keen to keep up their reputation as a village pub as well as one of the best restaurants in South Devon. They stuck true to their roots where they keep three ale pumps that rotate their favourite local ales, together with a great selection of craft beer and lager. Their wine offering has been carefully selected to complement the dishes and suit all palates as well as budgets. Book online reservations here.

For a peaceful foodie break, view our South Pool holiday cottages located within walking distance to The Millbrook Inn.

Riverford Field Kitchen – Buckfastleigh

There’s something particularly enjoyable about tucking into a delicious meal while surrounded by the very fields that produced it. With their award winning ‘farm to fork’ fare, it’s one of the reasons why Riverford Field Kitchen, set in the beautiful surrounds of South Devon’s Buckfastleigh, has continued to be such a hit.

Dining at Riverford Field Kitchen is a very sociable affair, with customers being seated together around a single large table. Their unique approach to dining involves no starters or mains, but a set menu of six to eight dishes celebrating the seasonal produce in the surrounding fields and garden.

A fantastic combination of hot and cold seasonal salads, sublime vegetable dishes, grass reared meat and sustainable fish are plentiful, and there’s more than enough to go around. After the banquet of flavour, be tempted by their delectable puddings which will be sure to get taste buds tingling.

Why not work up an appetite by walking around Wash Farm before your meal? You can either book a guided tour (seasonal) or wander around the farm yourself, using a printable map and free audio guide created by founder Guy Watson. Book online reservations here.

View our Buckfastleigh holiday cottages, located near the Riverford Field Kitchen, and enjoy endless opportunities to enjoy delicious feasts!

The Angel – Dartmouth

Embark on a culinary adventure with bold cooking and tastes, crafted from seasonal ingredients. The Angel offers the opulence of fine dining in a relaxed and easy atmosphere. Perched on the south embankment in Dartmouth, this luxury waterside restaurant brings a taste of Devon to the menu. Working closely with local farmers and foragers, join them in a journey of unpretentious but delectable dining.

Head Chef Elly Wentworth is dedicated to exceptionally high standards by using local ingredients in the best possible way, maximising flavour and creating a unique dining experience. A successful runner up on BBC’s MasterChef the Professionals in 2016 and returning to the MasterChef kitchen in 2018 for The Professionals: Rematch, Elly Wentworth brings an uncomplicated but appetising flavours from Devon’s larder.

Experience the taste sensation of the ‘Best End of Dartmoor Shepherd Lamb’ dish, accompanied by wild garlic, smoked asparagus fritter, mint and lamb jus or perhaps the braised halibut with scallop mousseline, garden courgette, tomato and lettuce cream. Whatever the choice, you are sure to experience a unique twist on flavours and creations. Book online reservations here.

We have apartments located above The Angel restaurant in Dartmouth, so you really can’t get any closer to this indulgent eatery – the perfect excuse to treat yourself on holiday to mouth-watering food options!

dickandwills Waterside Brasserie and Bar – Salcombe

In one of South Devon’s finest waterside locations with dazzling views over estuary, dickandwills delivers not only a relaxed ambience but exquisite local produce crafted into sumptuous dishes.

dickandwills are focused on delivering high quality local produce, that has a worldwide reputation for its excellence. As you’d expect, their menu features local fresh fish and seafood, including Salcombe crab, Salcombe lobster and line caught Salcombe sea bass. While seafood may not be everyone’s preferred choice, they include dishes to cater to all tastes. There is the ‘meatier’ option of chargrilled West Country grass fed rump steak, or perhaps a vegetarian dish, like their portobello mushroom burger. Click here to take a look at their menu.

View our Salcombe Holiday Homes within walking distance to this fabulous restaurant, and enjoy feasting on delicious seafood lunches and hearty dinners.

If you’re looking for somewhere a little more casual for everyday dining, take a look at our feature on the best pubs in South Devon.

South Devon is a fantastic holiday destination for foodies, with popular pubs for everyday dining, sumptuous seafood restaurants and picturesque beachside café throughout the regions. Click here to read our food and drink pages to find out more.

With over 400 holiday homes throughout South Devon, Coast & Country Cottages have accommodation in the perfect location to enjoy the best foodie hot spots.

Click here to view our South Devon holiday homes