The West Country Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in The West Country - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. Gidleigh Park

    $$$$

    One of England's foremost country-house hotels, Gidleigh Park occupies an enclave of landscaped gardens and streams, reached via a lengthy, winding country lane and private drive at the edge of Dartmoor. The pricey contemporary restaurant, directed by chef Chris Eden, has been showered with culinary awards, including two Michelin stars. You may see why when you dig into the steamed turbot served with squash, caviar, and seaweed, or aged fillet of beef cooked over coals, with smoked bone marrow, garlic, and spinach—two of the choices you might find on the three-course prix-fixe dinner menu (£125). There's also a "lounge menu," served in the lounges or on the terrace, which includes such starters as cheese soufflé and smoked salmon, and beef sirloin and gnocchi as main courses. The wine list is formidable, and the locally pumped spring water is like no other. If you're not up to a full meal, wholesome sandwiches are offered all day. You can also order a luxury picnic hamper (£125 for two) containing an array of cold meats, cheeses, bread, salad, sweet treats, and wine, which can be enjoyed at any time and anywhere in the house, within the grounds of Gidleigh Park, or further afield. Inside the long, half-timber building, built in 1928 in Tudor style, you'll find antiques in the public rooms and in the 24 luxurious guest rooms. Note, however, that the hotel and restaurant are currently closed on Sundays and Mondays.

    Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon, TQ13 8HH, England
    01647-432367

    Known For

    • Top-notch dining experience
    • Range of menu options
    • Excellent wine list

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
  • 2. Gurnard's Head

    $$$$

    This dining-focused pub with bright, homey furnishings and a relaxed ambience looks past green fields to the ocean beyond. The frequently changing fixed-price menus (£35 or £42) feature fresh, inventively prepared meat and seafood dishes; look for plaice and brown shrimps with capers in a samphire butter sauce or rump of beef with asparagus and polenta. Leave room for some enticing desserts. Eight smallish rooms provide guest accommodations. The inn sits near the curvy coast road 6 miles west of St. Ives.

    B3306, Treen, Cornwall, TR26 3DE, England
    01736-796928

    Known For

    • Unusual dishes alongside old English favorites
    • Cozy decor
    • Peaceful rural location

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 3. Locanda on the Weir

    $$$$

    Set in a sea-facing Georgian building on one of the West Country's most enchanting stretches of coast, this restaurant with rooms run by an Anglo-Italian husband-and-wife team offers modern reinventions of classic Italian dishes executed with consummate artistry and originality. The four-course set menu (£70; booking essential) might include such antipasti as beef carpaccio with ginger, toasted sesame, and caramelized tomato, which you might follow with risotto alla Milanese or rigatoni amatriciana, and such mains as cedar-smoked salmon or cherry wood-smoked lamb cutlets. The desserts are equally enticing, such as the raspberry sorbet and chocolate mousse. All dietary preferences are catered for, and there's a fine Italian wine list. The dining rooms are hung with flamboyant modern art, while upstairs, the four guest rooms display the same flair, combining a traditional style with modern design and restful hues.

    Porlock Weir, Somerset, TA24 8PB, England
    01643-863300

    Known For

    • High-quality Italian cuisine using local ingredients
    • Graceful surrroundings and serene sea views
    • Enthusiastic, friendly service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Jan. and Feb. No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 4. Number 7 Fish Bistro

    $$

    Seafood fans can indulge their passion at this unpretentious, convivial spot near the harbor; wood floors, colorful wall tiles, and an array of maritime knickknacks set the mood. Fresh, locally caught fish is brought to your table for inspection before being simply but imaginatively prepared. The extensive menu offers dishes ranging from humble—but abundant and beautifully cooked—fish-and-chips to lobster and crab grilled with garlic and brandy. There's a wine bar upstairs for a pre- or postprandial drink.

    7 Beacon Terr., Torquay, Torbay, TQ1 2BH, England
    01803-295055

    Known For

    • Freshest seafood in Torquay
    • Wine bar upstairs
    • Lively atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed 3 wks in Feb., 1st wk in Nov., Sun. in Oct.–June, and Mon. in Nov.–May. No lunch Sun.–Tues., Reservations essential
  • 5. Paul Ainsworth at No6

    $$$$

    Paul Ainsworth is gradually expanding his culinary presence in Padstow to rival that of Rick Stein, and for many foodies, Ainsworth offers the better experience. His innovative creations can best be sampled at this intimate bistro that was his original foothold in the town, where diners seated in a series of small, stylish rooms feast on ingeniously concocted dishes that make the most of local and seasonal produce. The four-course set-price menus (£135) for lunch and dinner might include scallop with acorn-fed ham and white wine velouté for starters, and for the main course, you might try the tallow aged beef fillet with short rib savarin and stuffed morels or wild turbot with mashed potato and onion gravy, as well as some astounding desserts. The atmosphere is warm and lively, with swift, amiable service.

    6 Middle St., Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AP, England
    01841-532093

    Known For

    • Exciting, creative cuisine
    • Friendly and approachable staff
    • Vivacious atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Mon., and mid-Jan.–early Feb.
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  • 6. Riverstation

    $$ | Harbourside | Coffee

    Occupying a former police station, this modern, clean-lined restaurant affords serene views over the passing swans and boats. Upstairs, the more formal restaurant serves delicately cooked dishes like pan-roasted hake with braised octopus and chorizo stew or spiced tomato lentils, polenta, and wild mushrooms, while the lip-smacking desserts include cherry parfait with marshmallow and macerated morello cherries or white chocolate mousse with berries. On the river level, the Pontoon bar has a more rough-and-ready menu that includes oysters, salads, and burgers, and with its terrace seating, it also makes a great spot for a weekend brunch, afternoon coffee, or evening drinks.

    The Grove, Bristol, Bristol, BS1 4RB, England
    0117-914–4434

    Known For

    • Warm, friendly environment
    • Soothing river views
    • Weekend brunches

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
  • 7. The Horn of Plenty

    $$

    The restaurant within this Georgian house has magnificent views across the wooded, rhododendron-filled Tamar Valley and a sophisticated menu featuring traditional British cuisine with French and Asian elements. A typical starter and main course might be seared scallops with cauliflower, cumin, and mango followed by Creedy Carver duck with baby leeks and Jerusalem artichokes, while desserts include warm rum baba with marinated pineapple, banana, and coconut. Alongside the three-course à la carte dinner menu (£60), there's a six-course tasting menu (£80), an à la carte "casual dining menu" available at lunchtime, and an "evening lounge menu." A converted coach house and the main house contain 16 sumptuously furnished guest rooms. It's 3 miles west of Tavistock.

    A390, Gulworthy, Devon, PL19 8JD, England
    01822-832528

    Known For

    • Sophisticated fine dining
    • Stunning views
    • Menus to suit all pockets

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Tues. and Wed. for non-hotel guests
  • 8. The Seafood Restaurant

    $$$

    Just steps away from where the boats unload their daily catches, Rick Stein's modern and airy flagship restaurant has built its reputation on the freshest fish and the highest culinary artistry in town. The menu includes everything from grilled Padstow lobster with herbs and stir-fried Singapore chili crab to meat and vegetarian dishes. Choose between sitting either formally at a table or on a stool at the Seafood Bar. Guests at one of Stein's hotels can also book a table on the panoramic rooftop terrace—and a stay in one of the sunny, individually designed guest rooms overlooking the harbor is an enticing option if you don't feel like moving very far after your meal.

    Riverside, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8BY, England
    01841-532700

    Known For

    • Top-quality, eclectic seafood dishes creatively prepared
    • Famous regional chef's flagship restaurant
    • Seafood Bar at the center of the action

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 9. 2 Fore Street

    $$ | Mediterranean

    Within view of Mousehole's tiny harbor, you can dine on some of the area's freshest seafood in this popular bistro. The seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired menu takes in everything from crab soup with rouille (a sauce with breadcrumbs and garlic) and Parmesan toast to crumbed lemon sole fillets with minted pea purée. Meat eaters and vegetarians are also well catered to with dishes like venison ragu and a crispy aubergine burger with Monterey Jack and Korean barbecue sauce. The bright, white-walled dining room has a fresh, modern feel, and there are tables in the sheltered courtyard garden. The restaurant also offers delicious breakfasts and and operates a deli around the corner (No.1 Millpool Deli/Store) for takeout fresh picnic ingredients, pastries, and coffees. Self-catering accommodation is available, too.

    2 Fore St., Mousehole, Cornwall, TR19 6QU, England
    01736-731164

    Known For

    • Panoramic eating in a bright, modern setting
    • Fresh and locally sourced dishes
    • Enclosed back garden
  • 10. Admiral Benbow

    $ | Coffee

    One of the town's most famous inns, the 17th-century Admiral Benbow was once a smugglers' pub—look for the figure of a smuggler on the roof, and (if it's not too busy) ask to see the tunnel used for contraband. There's a good selection of West Country ales, and in the family-friendly dining room, decorated to resemble a ship's officers' mess, you can enjoy pizzas, seafood, and steaks. Seafaring memorabilia, a brass cannon, model ships, and figureheads fill the place.

    46 Chapel St., Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 4AF, England
    01736-363448

    Known For

    • Great historic character
    • Cozy and relaxed vibes
    • Family-friendly atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.–Fri.
  • 11. Blas Burgerworks

    $

    This tiny backstreet burger joint consistently draws enthusiastic crowds for its delicious burgers made of pure Cornish beef or vegan and vegetarian ingredients. The lightly toasted buns are baked with sesame seeds (there are gluten-free alternatives), toppings include field mushrooms and wilted spinach, and the skin-on fries are hand-cut. Organic wines and local beers and ciders are also available. There's normally a line outside, but you can phone ahead with your order, and if the limited seating outside is occupied, carry your burgers to the nearby beach—just watch out for the marauding gulls.

    The Warren, St. Ives, Cornwall, TR26 2EA, England
    01736-797272

    Known For

    • Tasty burgers made of pure Cornish beef
    • Long lines (but you can call ahead with your order)
    • Carry-out you can take to nearby beach
  • 12. Boston Tea Party

    $ | Coffee

    Despite the name, this laid-back and vaguely eccentric place is quintessentially English and ideal for a relaxed lunch away from the nearby rigors of the Park Street shopping scene. Generous salads, soups, and burgers are available, as are all-day breakfasts and brunches. Find your table first, note the number, and order at the bar—you can sit in the terraced backyard or in the two airy rooms upstairs, a secluded spot for a cup of tea with orange and almond cake. The restaurant opens at 8 am (9 am on Sunday) and closes at 5 pm.

    75 Park St., Bristol, Bristol, BS1 5PF, England
    0117-403–9866

    Known For

    • Wholesome snacks and delicious cakes
    • Secluded garden perfect for lounging
    • Ethical food policy
  • 13. Box-E

    $$

    The finest of a slew of restaurants and cafés clustered in Bristol's trendy, newly developed Wapping Wharf harborside district, this compact venue might be squeezed into a shipping container, but punches way above what its diminutive dimensions might suggest. The seasonally changing menu is also on the small side, but every dish is startlingly original, and each is a winner. Smoked trout with Jersey Royal potatoes, buttermilk, and horseradish, for example, is an excellent start to such mains as rump of lamb, borlotti beans, and charred radicchio. Desserts are also fabulous, and you can watch it all taking shape in the open kitchen. Dishes on the seven-course taster menu (£50; request when booking) are unspecified—it may surprise but will not disappoint. The restaurant is steps away from the Floating Harbour and M Shed, and there are tables outside on the deck for warm days.

    Gas Ferry Steps, Wapping Wharf, Bristol, Bristol, BS1 6WP, England
    No phone

    Known For

    • Cutting-edge menus
    • Unusual (and very small) setting
    • Hipster clientele

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch Wed.
  • 14. Cork & Tile

    $$

    Here's a change from the usual food in Exeter: a Portuguese bistro in the heart of pedestrianized Gandy Street, offering an authentic menu of Iberian specialties. The extensive menu includes such traditional dishes as frango à brás (chicken with chopped potatoes and onions, sprinkled with olives and parsley), francesinha (a steak sandwich from Porto, with spicy sausage, ham, cheese, and a salty beer gravy), and polvo à lagareiro (confit garlic octopus with crushed new potatoes). There's an impressive choice of vegetarian alternatives, and among the numerous desserts, you'll find an assortment of dangerously delicious pastéis de nata (egg custard tarts), accompanied with coffee, liqueur, ice cream, or just served plain. The decor in the two bright, neat rooms features the cork and tiles of the restaurant's name, enhanced by modern Portuguese art. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

    15 Gandy St., Exeter, Devon, EX4 3LS, England
    01392-491649

    Known For

    • Authentic Portuguese dishes
    • Extensive menu
    • Egg custard tarts for dessert

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.
  • 15. Dartmoor Inn

    $$

    Locals and visitors alike make a beeline for this gastro-pub in a 16th-century building with a number of small dining spaces done in spare, contemporary country style. The elegantly presented dishes may include dry-aged moorland sirloin in a peppercorn sauce, beer-battered hake, or butternut squash risotto with salsa verde. Set-price menus are sometimes available, and there's a separate vegan and vegetarian menu. If you don't want to go the whole hog at lunchtime, wholesome sandwiches are also served every day but Sunday). Three spacious guest rooms make it possible to linger.

    Moorside, Lydford, Devon, EX20 4AY, England
    01822-820221

    Known For

    • Varied and interesting menu using quality local produce
    • Friendly and helpful staff
    • Tasty sandwich menu at lunchtime

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 16. Eat on the Green

    $ | Coffee

    Opposite the cathedral, this child-friendly tearoom and restaurant spread over two floors is ideal for lunch, coffee, or snacks while you're seeing the sights. You can also sample one of Devon's famous cream teas, served with jam, scones, and clotted cream, or show up earlier for eggs Benedict or a cooked English breakfast. For lunch, try the house salad (with lettuce, avocado, pickled shallots, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds), a "Devon fire burger," or just a sandwich. There's a good range of vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options, plus West Country beers and ciders. Tables are available outside in Cathedral Close in fine weather.

    2 Cathedral Close, Exeter, Devon, EX1 1EZ, England
    01392-276913

    Known For

    • One of the most cream teas in town
    • Range of gluten- and dairy-free options
    • Tables in Cathedral Close

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 17. Goodfellows

    $$

    This little restaurant near the cathedral adds a continental touch to quiet Wells. French and Mediterranean influences are at the forefront of the lunch and dinner menus, which showcase seafood dishes such as crayfish salad, tuna carpaccio, grilled sea bass with asparagus, and roast fillet of hake with couscous. Other choices include roast duck breast with stir-fried vegetables and Lebanese spiced minced lamb. Desserts intersperse French patisserie items (like choux bun with Chantilly cream) with such enticements as affogato and pistachio frangipane and strawberry tart. There are set-price lunch and dinner menus too, including a five-course seafood menu (£65).

    5 Sadler St., Wells, Somerset, BA5 2RR, England
    01749-673866

    Known For

    • Mediterranean-style dishes
    • Popular with fish aficionados
    • Tasty desserts

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Tues., and Thurs. No dinner Sun.
  • 18. Goram & Vincent

    $$ | Clifton

    For glorious views of Bristol's most iconic sight, this restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge can't be beaten. The menu is unapologetically carnivorous, specializing in steaks and smoked meats such as pastrami and ribs, though you can also enjoy spiced cauliflower steak, braised veal cheek, poached monkfish, and burgers. Sited inside the Avon Gorge Hotel and part of the Hotel du Vin group, it is named after the two legendary giants whose competition for the hand of the beautiful Avona led to the carving of the gorge. Enjoy pre- or post-prandial drinks on the broad outdoor terrace of the adjacent White Lion bar (also a lunch option for when the restaurant is closed).

    Sion Hill, Bristol, Bristol, BS8 4LD, England
    0117-403–0210

    Known For

    • Spectacular views
    • Steaks and smoked meats
    • Generous portions

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Sun.–Fri.
  • 19. Gylly Beach Café

    $$ | Coffee

    For views and location, this breezy beachside eatery with a crisp, modern interior and deck seating can't be beat. On the menu you'll find hearty breakfasts and a judicious balance of meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes for lunch and dinner, from salads, sandwiches, and burgers to smoked fish trio and pork belly ribs. There are barbecues in summer, and live music on Sunday evening.

    Cliff Rd., Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4PA, England
    01326-312884

    Known For

    • Amazing views
    • Family-friendly setting
    • Live music on Sunday night

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Mon. and Tues. Nov.–Easter
  • 20. Harris's Restaurant

    $$$

    Seafood is the main event in the two small, pink-toned rooms of this restaurant off Market Jew Street. The menu showcases whatever the boats bring, though crab Florentine, grilled on a bed of spinach with a cheese sauce, is usually available. Meat dishes might include noisettes of Cornish lamb with fennel puree and rosemary sauce in spring and summer or breast of guinea fowl or venison loin in winter. The restaurant is small—just six tables—and the semiformal style is intimate, elegant, and traditional.

    46 New St., Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 2LZ, England
    01736-364408

    Known For

    • Fresh, expertly prepared seafood
    • Refined and traditional ambience
    • Initimate setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Mon., and 3 wks Nov. and Feb. No lunch

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