Eating out in Devon
To say that you’ll be spoilt for choice would be an understatement. From a cosy pub, as local as just a mile away – to the famous Gidleigh Park in the foothills of Dartmoor (rated by the Times as one of the top 100 places to eat and stay in the UK) ... and from the the quaintest of tea shops – to the opulence of Michael Caines, celebrity chef restaurant, Exeter. For starters you can eat out overlooking the sea... for your main course watch the world go by at a pace only we in Devon know best... and to finish take a long country walk in the woods or along a canal! The menus and the venues all within close range of Upton Lakes have something to whet every appetite.
Here are a few suggestions, which we will keep adding to over the coming months –
Keepers Cottage
This is one of our favourite local country pubs and restaurants! They have a wonderful menu of locally sourced food. A good range of both specials and what you would call normal pub food. You must try their Fillet Steak, it’s one of the best I have ever had! The staff are very friendly and helpful and there is a lovely relaxed atmosphere. This pub is both children and dog friendly. They also have a restaurant where you can order from a separate, more refined menu.
Merry Harriers
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Another country pub a short drive from Upton Lakes. The Merry Harriers have a lunch time menu serving bar meals including many pub favourites. They also have a separate evening bar and restaurant menu. A traditional pub with wines and real ales. You can either sit in the cosy bar area with an open fire in the winter for more atmosphere or dine in their restaurant area for a little more intimacy. They also have a lovely beer garden both in front of the pub and a larger garden to the rear.
Another favourite for children and dogs!
Value for money tip!
Highly recommended! - Steak night on a Thursday - 8oz Sirloin each and a bottle of wine - £20.00 per couple!
The Five Bells
Devon through & through! The Five Bells Inn at Clyst Hydon is located in the Devon countryside and is a delightful thatched 16th century building which was a farm until early in the last century. They serve traditional lunches and dinners in a cosy, atmospheric Inn, where you can be sure of a warm welcome. The extensive, well looked after gardens are colourful throughout the year, making a lovely setting for an outdoor meal.
The Jack in the Green
What a treat! Expect good local brews on tap and a crystal clear philosophy to serve only the best Devon produce. Both restaurant and pub, The Jack in the Green is Good Food Guide 'Devon Recommended'. Seasonality comes through in every dish.
As a restaurant in Devon, the Jack wants to serve food that is a million miles away from your average pub food but that is still priced affordably.
'Sophisticated simplicity' is probably a good description at this restaurant
Once inside, there are several, very distinct areas in which to dine and soak up the experience. In Winter, the wood burners at this Devon restaurant come alive to keep the cold out and the atmosphere in.
Menus are dictated solely by the seasons and they take enormous pride in using them as the basis to create some of the best fine dining Devon has to offer!
Value for money tip!
Try their taster menu which changes frequently - 6 courses for only £42.50!
Gidleigh Park
Devon's own Celebrity Chef! Gidleigh Park was voted "No 1 Restaurant" in the Sunday Times Top 100 British Restaurants! A local chap hailing from Exeter with a huge passion for fine cuisine and a determination to use the very best local produce from the West Country, Michael Caine and his talented team have held two Michelin stars at Gidleigh Park since 1999. Michael's cuisine is truly original and brilliant, a fact recognised not just by appreciative visitors to Gideigh Park but by guidebook editors and those within the industry who bestoy the highest awards and accolades. With his classical French training in some of the finest restaurants in the world, Michael has created a style that is uniquely his own, at once classic yet also highly innovative. Constantly evolving and developing and never failing to delight in the perfect execution. The wild game of Dartmoor, fish from the Devon coast and produce from Gidleigh Park’s own kitchen garden all form the basis for the exceptional dishes.
View their website
The Anchor Inn
For seafood lovers everywhere! This charming Inn, specialising in sea-food but offering a menu to suit all tastes is reputedly over 450 years old and was originally opened as a Seamen's Mission. At that time Brunel had not built the Atmospheric Railway, and the water used to go nearly up to Dawlish.
We are told the Anchor was a haven for seamen and smugglers and is still haunted by a friendly ghost and his dog. Sea-faring paraphernalia abounds, which combined with low beamed ceilings, atmospheric lighting and great food, makes for an unforgettable dining experience.
They also host live jazz and folk evenings several times weekly, and every Sunday they have an open mic and musician jam night.
Call them to check what’s on!
View their website
The Kings Head
An easy stroll from Upton Lakes The Kings Head in Cullompton has been wonderfully refurbished. Modern, fresh and roomy, think sanded pine and leather back chairs. Local and talented chefs Craig Pearson and Adam Bailey work wonders in the kitchen and have given the Kings Head a deserved reputation. Service is polite, warm and friendly and is enjoyed inside the restaurant or al fresco in the delightful Willow Garden to the rear, a sun trap in high summer.
China Orchid
Another one on the main High street, Cullompton.This Grade II listed building is situated in High Street in Cullompton with plenty of road side parking. China Orchids has three dining rooms with murrel painted walls and a relaxing bar where guests can enjoy their Chinese Beer or wine as well as the usual alcoholic beverages or soft drinks. Specialising in Cantonese, Peking & Szechuan Cuisine and with an extensive menu they can promise you a meal you will never forget.
