Crediton Restaurant Guide

“Such a good spot, always developing and always aware of customers’ needs and likes”, say fans of this thatched country pub, which landlady Binka Caven has restored in stages since bringing it back to life 10 years ago. The building was originally five Tudor-era cottages, knocked together into a pub during the 1800s.

“There‘s a dearth of good restaurants in Exeter, so Rendezvous stands out” – a “lovely little place tucked away downstairs” and fusing a “charming” and “calm” restaurant and wine bar. “High-quality locally sourced ingredients are cooked carefully and imaginatively” and abetted by an “interesting wine list with a good selection by the glass”.

“Good-quality food at reasonable prices”, including “brilliant local seafood”, is the attraction at this restored Georgian inn from locally born chef-patron Tom Williams-Hawkes (ex-Gordon Ramsay and Gidleigh Park) and his wife Amelia. In summer 2024 they rejigged the venue to operate as a café by day and a restaurant by night, with a new bar area.

Near the quayside of this beautiful Devon estuary town, a rustic bistro (“small, but that only adds to its charm”) which makes a “great place for a celebration dinner” based around “wonderful” locally sourced fish and shellfish. As of 2023, Jack Harvey, who learnt his craft alongside Marcus Wareing, is at the pass, having stepped in for former MasterChef: The Professionals finalist James Checkley.

It’s all change at this well-known Exeter pub and restaurant (handy for the M5) where, in April 2024, longtime owner Paul Parnell, who ran the venture with his wife Judy for over three decades, handed over the keys to young couple Craig & Miranda Griffin. Easing the transition, Craig was head chef under the former regime for several years (his wife serving as pub manager) so we’ve retained the venue’s rating despite the change of ownership. According to the new website, “pub grub classics are given a delicious kick up the backside”, and there’s also a £65 per person tasting menu.

2023 Review: Landlord James Garnham took over this lovely thatched pub in his boyhood village with his wife Charlie five years ago, building an excellent reputation for its food and hospitality. “We have now visited 3 times in as many weeks – which says it all!”.

Down a narrow lane on the edge of Dartmoor, this famous Shrangri-la of fine dining occupies a large ‘Tudorbethan’ manor in beautiful grounds that border the wildness of the moor itself. It’s a “beautiful venue” with plush lounges and a series of panelled dining rooms, with “an outstanding welcome on arrival” especially for an overnight stay, from staff who contribute hugely to “a thoroughly relaxed but very smooth-running operation from start to finish”. All reports this year rated the cuisine as very good or better, with lots of diners reporting a “wow experience of old-world style and service” (“I’m frankly gutted that it took me this long to get there”). So we’ve rated it on this basis, despite the June 2024 departure after our annual diners’ poll had concluded of chef Chris Eden.

“Located in a charming chocolate box north Devon village”, this “quintessential country pub” in a thirteenth-century cottage is “well worth the outing” by all accounts. Chef Mark Dodson, formerly of the famed Waterside Inn, is in charge of the seasonal food, which a couple of reports note is still “worthy of its Michelin star”. “If the cuisine isn’t wow wow in its originality, the whole package is what you want from a place like this”: an “all-round special experience” that spans everything from the “warm welcome” to the “fabric of the building itself” to “a great selection of dishes, all lovely”.

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.

Dan & Katie Goto’s “small” Japanese has “become an absolute must in a slowly improving Exeter scene” [or, a ‘go-to’ one might struggle not to say: Ed] since upping sticks from its former home in Plymouth three years ago. It’s still “unusual to have a small independent restaurant” in these parts, let alone one turning out top-quality sushi, sashimi, ramen and rice bowls in a room featuring Dan’s own anime-style paintings. Top Tip – it is “very popular with local residents and therefore booking is essential!”.

There are “lots of Barbour jackets and Hunter wellies on show” at this “upmarket” (albeit set in a barn) wood-fired restaurant in a “fantastic rural location” near Tiverton. If that posh sartorial prospect makes you want to run for the hills, one reporter who resisted flight “persevered and was rewarded with a decent brunch” (similarly stoic diners can also pick from light lunches, sourdough pizzas and dinners on Friday and Saturday nights).

“High levels are set in this restaurant in the grounds of Lympstone Manor” – Michael Caines’s sleek venue overlooks the outdoor heated pool of his glamorous hotel and provides a contemporary and laid-back alternative to the more formal style of the main property. Given the fixed-price nature of the menu, there are cheaper places for a burger, pasta or Caesar salad, but overall feedback suggests that it stacks up for a taste of affordable luxury.