Dittisham Restaurant Guide

“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).

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)”.