Devon, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

A meal “never fails to please” – “there’s always something delicious and different on the menu” – at this small spa-hotel in a Georgian manor house on a hillside in north Devon. The long-term contribution of Richie Herkes is key to its success – he joined as head chef in 2003, assumed the dual role of general manager eight years later, and is behind the “great menu (with particularly good fish)” – which is notably good value for cooking of this quality, at £55.50 for 3 courses. Top Tip – “don’t skip canapes before a meal in the lounge with a log fire in winter”.

“Just wow! This is vegetables supreme” – eating in the canteen at the organic veg box operation’s farm guarantees a “variety and intensity of flavours that’s a feast for both the eyes and palate”. “The last time I came to Riverford I thought it had lost its mojo – but on this occasion its mojo has returned!” – “Covid means you no longer share large bowls of food on long tables and the dessert buffet is no more, so it’s more like a traditional restaurant – but you’re here for the interesting salads and veg, freshly harvested from the farm”. Top Tip – “in the summer, eating on the terrace with the smells from the surrounding hen garden is a delight”.

2022 Review: “A lovely estuary view” accompanies a visit to this 400-year-old pub right on the water at this scenic fishing village – “a great find” to the uninitiated with a “very good” traditional pub menu.