Crediton, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This ancient thatched pub next to the village church is “loved by the locals, adored by foodies, enjoyed by everyone!” – “lots of love and hard work have gone into making it so special”, and “the food keeps pushing the boundaries of flavour and imagination”, most of it sourced like the beer and cider from local suppliers and small-holdings.

An “Exeter classic” that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year – this “hugely enjoyable” basement winebar/restaurant in the city centre is “a most reliable” option in the area for a catch-up with friends over a meal and a glass of wine. “There are two dining rooms, one is warm and has a buzz, the overspill is cooler and less characterful”, while in the summer the walled gardens make an ideal hideaway.

The seven-course ‘celebration of seafood’ tasting menu is “a great experience” at this rather splendid restaurant-with-rooms – an early 18th-century coaching inn rescued from dereliction 15 years ago. Gidleigh-trained chef-patron Tom Williams-Hawkes is a fish specialist who also runs wet fish deli Salt at the front of the building. They also serve light lunches and afternoon teas.

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!”.

“What a relief… the departure of Chris Eden in late 2024 doesn’t seem to have rocked the boat” according to reports on this famous culinary destination, which seems finally to have regained a more impressive culinary stride in recent years. As one regular notes, “Michelin must have thought so, too in continuing in 2025 the (deserved) one star award after the appointment of Ian Webber [in February 2025] as the new chef – who fortuitously trained at Gidleigh in the Michael Caines days – and who the hotel knew would be a set of very capable hands”. Down a narrow lane on the edge of Dartmoor, you turn a corner to suddenly find yourself in this “gorgeous” ‘Tudorbethan’ mansion in scenic grounds by the moor. “It’s a thoroughly professional but relaxed operation” with service that’s “friendly and attentive without being overdone” and whose “imaginative and assured cooking matches the surroundings”. And, you don’t have to indulge in tedious tasting menus either with the menu format here being a good ol’ fashioned three course à la carte, be it at lunch for £75 per person; or dinner for £135 per person.

2024 Review: “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”.