Local Restaurants

If like my wife and I, you like eating out, here are a selection of local restaurants at which we have eaten (at great cost to my wallet and waistline) and are happy to recommend.

Instow (1mile) - A small village where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet and go out to sea. A 2 minute drive or you can walk via the Tarka Trail (35 minutes) and if you have too much too eat or drink (or both) can catch the bus back which runs every 30 minutes until 11.10pm .

Boathouse - Tel. 01271 861292
Av. 3 course meal £20.00, bottle of wine from £10.00.
Calls it's self a seafood restaurant but caters for everyone. Excellent food and value for money and if you are lucky, a lovely view over the estuary. Need to book well in advance for the restaurant but no reservations are taken for the bar area, which some people say has a better atmosphere, can have to wait up to 45 minutes for a table when busy.

Wayfarer Inn - Tel. 01271 860342
Av. 3 course meal £20.00, bottle of wine from £9.75.
Lovely old pub feel to it with real fires in winter, great selection, good food and value for money. Dog friendly. Booking in advance recommended for weekends.

Decks - Tel. 01271 860671
Set menu from £21.45 plus A La Carte, a bottle of wine £12.95.
Located right on Instow seafront with fantastic views, (if you book ask for the upstairs window table, I have not eaten at a restaurant with a better view anywhere in the world, but must have upstairs window table).
Specialises in fine, fresh, local food. Holds an AA rosette, the food is a mix of the best English and French , with seafood being a speciality.

Fremington - A small village 1 mile to the east of Lower Yelland , 30 minute walk, 2 minutes in the car or bus (every 10 minutes during the day and 30 minutes in the evening until 23.10pm)

Han Court - Tel. 01271 373865
Set menu from £17.50, bottle of wine from £12.95
Excellent Chinese restaurant, what more can I say. Booking in advance recommended.

Graylings ( take away only)
Fish & Chips , lovely fish and chips, not to greasy

Barnstaple - Claimed to be the Oldest Royal charted Borough in England is now the biggest town in North Devon, there are too many restaurants to name them all, but here are a few of our favourites. 4.5miles to the east of the farm, 10 minutes by car, 15 minutes by bus (every 10 minutes during the day and 30 minutes in the evening until 23.00pm)

The Old Custom House - Tel.01271 859318

James draws on a wealth of experience in top restaurants in London and internationally to serve his modern European dishes. At his restaurant in an historic building on Barnstaple's Strand he offers an inexpensive tapas style lunch menu while his three course dinner menu provides an authentic fine dining experience.
Lunch – £8-12
Dinner – 2 courses £24.00, 3 courses £29.00
Wine – from £14.00 a bottle, 20 wines available by the glass from £3.75
e-mail: oldcustomhouse@tawview.com

Lilico's - Tel.01271 372933

A tapas bar, situated on the main square, which serves great Mediterranean style food, which is sourced locally where possible and is well priced especially the early evening deal (5.30pm-6.30pm) any 6 dishes and a bottle of house red or white wine for £30.00

Zena's - Tel.01271 378844
Av. 3 course meal £25.00, wine from £10.95.
Situated in the centre of town, serves a fusion of European and Caribbean cuisine made with fresh ingredients, in lovely surroundings. Very popular at lunchtime and due to popular demand now open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Honeymoon - Tel. 01271 329800
Av. 5 course £15.00 wine from £8.95 bottle.
We think it is the best of the 3 Chinese restaurants in Barnstaple, always good food at a reasonable price.

Jalapeno Peppers - Tel. 01271 328877
A great Mexican restaurant with a lovely, lively atmosphere.

Piccolo Italia - Tel.01271 372975
Av. 3 course meal £15.00, wine from £9.00 bottle.
Beautiful Italian food cooked with fresh local ingredients, the best pizzas in Barnstaple by a long way, advance booking recommended.

Pugsley's Piccolo Italia - Tel. 01271 372975

Situated opposite the river Taw with its beautiful views and sunsets Pugsley's Piccolo Italia is the perfect place for dining out whether it be an intimate meal for two or a birthday party we can accommodate all occasions. We supply a rustic traditional menu and strive to use the freshest ingredients and locally obtained produce, throw this in with our warm and friendly service & we create the perfect atmosphere for the most enjoyable dining experience.

Bideford - 4.5 miles west of the farm, 10 minutes by car, 15 minutes by bus (every 10 minutes during the day and 30 minutes in the evening until 23.00pm)
Nestling alongside the River Torridge, Bideford is a market town and a port, with an active fishing industry. Cargo ships call in to load and unload and the MS Oldenburg, which plies between Bideford and Lundy Island , is often to be seen tied up by the quayside. First mention in the history books of the Quay was in 1619 when there were beaches at the river's edge. As the ship-building trade boomed, the Quay was developed and there are still marker stones in the pavement as a testament to that reconstruction. Sir Walter Raleigh is believed to have brought his first cargo of tobacco to Bideford and the town soon became one of the largest tobacco trading centres of that period.
Again there are too many restaurants to mention them all, but our two favourite are:

Lathwells - Tel. 01237 476447
Av. 3 course meal £22.00, wine from £10.00 bottle.
Winner of the North Devon Restaurant 2007.
Delicious food, sourced locally, cooked with pride, what more can I say, except it is recommended to book a week in advance for Friday or Saturday night.

The Spice - Tel. 01237 471133
Av. 3 course meal £16.00, wine from £10.95 bottle.
They have 2 chefs one for Thai and one Indian, good food in nice surroundings.

There are many more lovely places to eat in North Devon and I feel we must mention the Maya Indian restaurant (01805 622445) in Torrington (9 miles inland, 25 minutes drive), we think it is the best Indian in North Devon by a long way. There is also the Hunters Inn at Newton Tracey (5 miles inland in the middle of nowhere), a lovely old fashion sort of pub, which serves great food. And last but not least the Westleigh Inn (3 miles to west, 5 minute drive.) another old fashion sort of pub, which serves great food and is dog friendly.