Buckland Restaurant Guide

“Right by the beach with lovely sunset views across to Dartmoor” (particularly from the terrace), this is the place to “indulge yourself with a huge seafood platter of fresh crab and oysters”; these days it’s “no longer just a ‘shack’” as of yore (reflected in the prices, a perennial quibble), but is “now serving up a more sophisticated menu” spanning cocktails and roast lobster.

“A totally dependable Torquay fine dining stalwart, located within English Sparkling wine cork’s popping distance from the marina and practically next door to the very smart yacht club”. “It has held a Michelin Star for years, and deservedly so” say fans thanks to the “sophisticated and imaginative cooking beautifully served in a fine dining room”. “Suits both a special occasion dinner or a nice, and extremely good value, lunch be it for business or pleasure”.

“Quality fresh fish served beautifully and Champagne to chase it down is always a winner” at the Stacey family’s “quiet spot by the harbour”, whose “basic decor makes it even better” – it’s “a favourite in Torquay”, and many regulars agree it’s “better than many more well-known places in Cornwall”. There’s an equally unpretentious wine bar upstairs, with great views over Torbay.

2023 Review: Beautifully situated on Dartmoor, this rural pub was consistently well-reviewed this year for its hearty and enjoyable bistro-style menu (it’s not a pub grub kind of place). There are nine bedrooms, too, and – if you stay – there’s the additional option of a lighter early bird supper.

“What a remarkable find!” – “the freshest produce served in the most delicious and inventive ways” makes any meal at this canteen on the veg box operation’s south Devon farm “a very special occasion”. Established by Guy Singh-Watson 21 years ago, “the emphasis is on the fresh organic produce picked in the surrounding fields, possibly that same morning” – “every time you go there are more surprises, there’s more flavour, and more dishes that amaze meat-eaters and veggies alike”. (“I still miss the pre-Covid long tables with sharing bowls, and especially the pudding buffet” – but it’s “still very reasonably priced”).

“Fabulous and tasty sustainable local food” takes centre stage at this revamped boozer from ‘ethical publican’ Geetie Singh-Watson, one half of an organic food power-couple (husband Guy Singh-Watson founded veg box outfit Riverford). The “delicious and interesting dishes” on the menu follow her ‘Nine No-Bull Rules To Dine By’, focusing on supplier-led seasonal and organic ingredients. Top Menu Tip – “the no-waste cod’s head and cheeks”.

2023 Review: “We love the Rockfish chain” – and “Exmouth is our favourite”, say fans of Mitch Tonks’s West Country seafood group, which had eight branches as we went to press, with two more (Salcombe and Topsham) about to open, along with an online seafood market and a pioneering canned-fish operation. Despite being a multiple, it offers “top seafood, and the staff seem really passionate about the subject”.

With its “totally delicious food, well presented with attentive and friendly service”, this family-run bistro close to the harbour is “difficult to fault” – its attractively priced menu is designed around daily fish and seafood deliveries from Brixham, with plenty of alternatives for fishphobes.

The seven-course ‘celebration of seafood’ tasting menu is “a great experience” at this rather splendid restaurant-with-rooms – an early 18th-century coaching inn rescued from dereliction 15 years ago. Gidleigh-trained chef-patron Tom Williams-Hawkes is a fish specialist who also runs wet fish deli Salt at the front of the building. They also serve light lunches and afternoon teas.

“Such a great find on the embankment at Dartmouth”: Mitch Tonks’s “elegant”, Italian-inspired bistro flagship, latterly under head chef son Ben — and replete with new roof terrace for cocktails. “Just the sort of restaurant you want to find while on holiday but rarely do”, it attracts reams of praise for its “fantastic fish”, sourced from Brixham market a few miles away, while the attractive room exudes “a real buzz”.

Founded here in 2010, this is the original branch of Mitch Tonks’ burgeoning South West chain which is now up to eleven branches along the coast. It sits overlooking the River Dart and in summer there is seating outside on the South Embankment. The menu is led by the catch that morning in Brixham – your fish is cooked to order and served with new potatoes, a green salad or unlimited chips.

2022 Review: On the River Dart, this location has a fine culinary history, having been run by figures as diverse as Joyce Molyneux (one of the first women in the UK to receive a Michelin star) and TV chef John Burton-Race. It’s now under former MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Elly Wentworth, and fans “think it will settle down into a very good restaurant” indeed, with reports of some “very memorable” food (running from “stunning” Sunday roasts to a six-course tasting menu).

An “Exeter classic” that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year – this “hugely enjoyable” basement winebar/restaurant in the city centre is “a most reliable” option in the area for a catch-up with friends over a meal and a glass of wine. “There are two dining rooms, one is warm and has a buzz, the overspill is cooler and less characterful”, while in the summer the walled gardens make an ideal hideaway.

“Moved from a nearby location into the cliff-top space formerly occupied by Hamilton’s” – this relaunched venue “is a new ‘Top Gun for the retirees of Babbacombe”. Too few ratings so far for a rating, but such feedback as we have is promising, regarding its conventional but well-prepared cuisine which can be enjoyed up till Thursday with a prix-fixe deal (two courses for £30, three courses for £34 – at weekends the same dishes are ordered à la carte). Top Menu Tips – “Creedy Carver duck breast, and the accompanying blackberry purée and duck jus was enriching and affirming. Creamy, rich and heart-warming gratin potatoes, with assertive nutmeg. Beef cheek braised in Guinness, with bubble and squeak, topped with beef fat crumb was submissive, crumbly meat with intense umami flavors embracing the starch and vegetable crack-house addictiveness of bubble ’n’ squeak”.

2024 Review: “This really was a very pleasant surprise” – a “small but very lively” osteria, set in a former Lloyds bank, that draws its name and inspiration from the Emilia-Romagna region; the “interesting, daily changing menu” is chalked up on the old vault door, and revolves around a “selection of delicious small plates” (including a particularly “stunning” ‘offal of the day’ option).

A former MasterChef: The Professionals contestant, and winner of the ‘South-West Chef of the Year’ competition in 2024, overachieving head chef Harrison Brockington was just 20 when he helped to open this venture in 2019. “Independent, innovative and brilliant”, according to a visiting Londoner, it showcases dishes sourced or foraged from the fields, shoreline, rivers and hedgerows of Devon, and then played out via a £90 tasting menu (or ‘Half Tasting’ version at £60), as well as a two- or three-course set menu.

On Sandridge Barton wine estate overlooking the River Dart in the South Hams, taking over the venue that was Circa, this new restaurant from an experienced team promises bold European and Basque-style bistro cooking. Open only for lunch, with Friday and Saturday dinner following later in 2025.

“After a swim in the Shoalstone Lido, it’s a delight to eat at this seafood café on the coastal path looking out over the seawater pool” (with further views to the Bay of Torquay) and – as of 2022 – an even more dramatic rooftop terrace where they grill catch and bring it to the table. One regular fan feels it’s “got its mojo back of late”, saying “the menu had veered towards more ambitious dishes the tiny kitchen struggled to deliver, but it’s back doing what it does best – simple cooking of the freshest fish delivered straight from the Brixham Fish Auction (where the owner is a wholesaler)”.