To make your stay a bit more fun, here are our food tips from the area near the Gallery Lodges, where we like to dine, including some gluten free options. Please do ask for further info.
Braunton top picks
The Riverside Café Pete’s favourite all round breakfast, lunch and evening café / restaurant. Very reliable chef and service with some really tasty food at a reasonable price. Lunch club sandwich and the black pudding sausage on the breakfast. Outside of the peak season this place does the most amazing restaurant style Sunday Lunch. Cater for Gluten Free. http://www.theriversidebraunton.co.uk/
First Class French Food although not cheap is on the corner in the centre of Braunton. It has rave reviews. http://lebistroducoin.co.uk/
Wild Thyme Café / Restaurant fun and trendy surf café for coffee, cakes, breakfast and lunch. Our favourite for atmosphere although can suffer from mothers & toddlers sometimes. Has gluten-free options, sometimes including GF scones. http://wildthymecafe.co.uk/
Squires Fish & Chips is a complete all rounder – filling, cheap and perfectly cooked Fish & Chips. BEST VALUE. At peak times you have to queue for the restaurant & Take Out. Try before 6pm at busy times of year. Can’t beat their chips they are perfect. The gluten-free among us should try Poached Cod. The chips are always fried separately too.
Siam Bistro if you like Thai try the take-out or eat in. Atmosphere in the restaurant can be a bit quiet at times but staff are nice and food is great. The mixed starter is recommended, best value and Pete’s favourite part of the meal. Will do gluten free if you ask (but check the soy sauce)
http://www.thesiambistro.co.uk/
Stoned Wood Fired Pizza http://www.stoned.org.uk/ Cool new venue with take-out or eat. Proper pizzas cooked in a wood fired oven right in front of your eyes. Mouth watering toppings, and seasonal menu. Not to be missed. Gluten free base and vegan cheese also available. The best coffee in Braunton. Offers online orders and local delivery. Next to Squires Fish & Chips.
SQ a new pub and restaurant in Braunton getting some good reviews. The live music on certain nights makes this a popular venue. http://sqdining.uk/bar/sq_bar_restaurant_braunton_devon.php
Tambapanni, Sri Lankan Food at Braunton. Our favourite food choice in 2017 returns for the 2018 season. Simply heaven. We eat here every week! Authentic Sri Lankan Food cooked with a passion. Served from their food van at Croyde and Braunton on certain days of the week (usually Friday and Saturday). It’s not the cheapest take out curry but I rate it among the best. Delicate flavours, meat, veg, gluten and dairy free and Vegan options. Heaven on a plate. Check out their facebook page for times and days. Don’t miss it. https://www.facebook.com/tambapannicurry/
As if one Sri Lankan Food option wasn’t enough here is another. Not quite as amazingly tasty, but close. If you get a sunny day with low winds sit and eat your curry on the beach and you could well be back at your favourite beach in Asia. Not in Braunton but top pick if you like authentic Sri Lankan food – Meat and Veg options. Barricane Beach Café, 20 min drive away at Woolacombe. Seasonal and weather dependent so do check on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Barricane-Beach-Woolacombe-163881457003060/
Breakfast
The top pick is a choice between The Riverside and Wild Thyme on the right and the left as you walk into Braunton. Both different to each other and both great for different reasons. Wild Thyme stands out for its juices and smoothies. Pete prefers The Riverside but then we really like the Fruit smoothies in Wild Thyme. As you walk further into Braunton there are more cafes, such as At One with more breakfast options so take your pick. As we said earlier, Stoned is our top pick for a morning coffee.
Blue Groove in Croyde and TheThatch Pub Croyde also do breakfasts if you fancy a drive. Another great coffee and cake stop is The Stores at Croyde next to the post office. https://www.thestorescroyde.co.uk/
Sunday Lunch
Out of season The Riverside do amazing Sunday Lunches (and we mean really amazing) but you have to be hungry.
The Williams Arms is pretty reliable but a bit more of a walk (so best to drive), on the other side of Braunton but does a popular Sunday Carvery. The Aggi Inn nearer the village centre also does a great reasonably piced home cooked pub style Sunday Carvery. There are many pubs in Braunton which all do food and beer but we’re yet to try. http://www.williamsarms.co.uk/.
http://www.theaggibraunton.co.uk/ also ok for Sunday Lunch, very reasonably priced.
Country Pubs & Georgeham.
If you want more of the country pub experience and some great food try the two pubs in Georgeham. A bit of a drive so best to call and book ahead, about 10 to 20 mins but well worth it for that cosy country pub vibe. The Kings Arms – http://kingsarmsgeorgeham.co.uk/ and The Rock Inn –http://therockinn.biz/.
Live Music
The Thatch at Croyde is popular place with live music. For a bit of younger atmosphere try The Thatch at Croyde which has a fun and lively young / surf atmosphere and reliable, but a little expensive, pub food. Live music is on most weekends which makes it a really good night out. This is one of those must see pubs being part of the surf culture so many regulars to the area head straight here for their first pint. Check out the facebook page for any live music.
https://www.facebook.com/thatch.croyde
Saunton Road Studios just 10 minutes walk up the Saunton Road toward Braunton also has live music. If you are a music fan this small, unusual venue may prove interesting. Check out what live music is on the website – http://sauntonroadstudios.co.uk/
SQ Bar in Braunton opposite Squires chippy has live music on certain nights. Check out the listings. http://sqdining.uk/bar/sq_bar_restaurant_braunton_devon.php
Sea Food Options
If you are by the sea and want to sample the sea food:
Sands On The Beach at Saunton Beach. This has gone up in the ratings recently. On the beach. Great food and lots of locally sourced sea food. A real one to visit and out of season they do some offers on lunches. One of the few restaurants on the beach. Pay by the hour car parking at the beach now makes this a realistic option for an evening or lunch. Interesting modern menu. Not cheap but location is good. Lobster is a key feature and steak along with other locally sourced fish. Its one of the few beach side restaurants. I am putting this one on my favourites list for sure. Great place for a coffee and a gaze at the sea. https://www.beachsidegrill.co.uk/
Cheaper cafe option below https://www.facebook.com/sauntonbreak/
Riverside restaurant always has a good fish option on the menue. SQ in Braunton has some sea food.
The only dedicated fish restaurant in the area I know of is Fat Belly Fred’s in Barnstaple (5 miles away) which receives good reviews. They really know their fish and get local fresh deliveries so you can be sure of the best catch of the day. The scallops are great. Gluten free options. http://fatbellyfreds.co.uk/.
Squires Fish and Chips is a must if you like your Fish and Chips.
Croyde Cafes
Blue Groove and The Stores in the centre of Croyde. Park at the village hall by the hour. Blue Groove does great meals and and now The Croyde Stores cafe is competing for your business with lovely cakes and light lunches.
Sandleigh National Trust café & Baggys Café are both at the start of the Baggy Headland near the National Trust Car Park. Nice headland walk and some good cake and coffee options. Great afternoon tea option too. Sandleigh always has a gluten free pasty, cake and scones.
Down End Cafe, on Down End near the Croyde Bay. Check out the surf and get a coffee. http://parkingcroyde.com/the-drop-in/
Other Braunton Restaurants / Pubs
http://www.sqdining.uk/ Modern restaurant & bar in the centre of Braunton. Not my cup of tea but some of our guests have enjoyed it and given some good feed back on this.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g551629-d2199832-Reviews-Ebrington_Arms-Braunton_Devon_England.html Pub at Knowle, gets good reviews.
Further Afield up to ¾ hr drive & Walks.
Harbour Deli Combe Martin my favourite breakfast. Great breakfast and coffee for a very reasonable price and a counter of superb home made cakes for afters. Then take a walk up to hangman and back. See maps in the Lodge. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g551660-d4178654-Reviews-Harbour_Deli-Combe_Martin_Exmoor_National_Park_England.html
Barricane Beach Café Woolacombe. This is perhaps one of my gems of the area if the weather is good. A bit of a drive but great authentic Sri Lankan food on the beach. Cheap and characterful. The menue is fixed and you sit on the beach to eat it but it is first class. Veggie or meat options. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g551703-d2665967-Reviews-Barricane_Beach_Cafe-Woolacombe_Devon_England.html
National Trust Café at Riversmeet at Lymouth. Great location and some nice food and a great walk up the river starting in the village. See maps in the Lodge.
Hunters Inn Headdon Valley. Pub / restaurant in a great location and a beautiful walk to the beach or up around the headland. See maps in Lodge. Narrow scenic roads to access, plenty of parking. Not the cheapest pub but great location.
Marwood gardens and Cafe. If you want to get away from it all, here is the place about 20 min drive, peaceful valley and gardens with an old fashioned cafe run by volunteers. Go on Sunday and have a bargain afternoon tea at the village hall in real old Devon ways served by the WI.
http://www.moransrestaurant.co.uk/ A great Thai restaurant at Westward Ho, a bit of a drive, very tasty, but I think it uses msg so do check this.