Devon's best restaurants for 2025

Including three brand new Exmouth openings

Devon has always been a haven for food-lovers, but 2025 promises to be the best year yet. We've gathered everything you need to know about the nine new restaurants opening their doors. From fine dining to pizza by the sea, join us as we uncover the latest additions to the region's spectacular food scene.

1. Primo in Salcombe

Where? Hannaford's Landing, Island Street, Salcombe, TQ8 8FE
Opening hours: Thursday and Friday: 5 until 9pm | Saturday: 5 until 10pm
Good to know: Walk-ins are welcome - no reservation required
Where to stay nearby: Our sea-view villa, Waterside

This artisan pizzeria opened in June 2024, bringing its incredible flavours and puchy red branding to Salcombe's Island Street.

Whether you choose the "artichoke and pesto" classic, the "Calebrese" with sweet red-drop peppers, or the "Salcombe crab special" with chili flakes and basil, there's something on the pizza menu for every taste.

Those keen for a tipple will love the drinks selection too. Our favourites are the Italicus Spritz, made with Rosolio di Bergamotto, prosecco and lemon, and the classic Old Fashioned which features Woodford Reserve and Angosturra bitters with orange.
 

2. The Octagon in Exmouth

© The Octagon

Where? The Esplanade, Exmouth, EX8 2AZ
Opening hours: Coffee and cake: Monday and Tuesday | Breakfast, lunch and dinner: Thursday to Saturday | Breakfast and lunch: Wednesday and Sunday
Good to know: As it’s located along the Exmouth seafront, parking can be limited during busy seasons, so plan ahead

The Octagon opened its doors in September 2024, offering both dine-in and takeaway options to foodies in south-east Devon. Thanks to the restaurant's seafront location, guests can look forward to beautiful ocean views while sipping chilled wine and waiting for a range of delicious starters to arrive.

Specific menu highlights include spiced lamb samosas with pickled vegetable salad, shakshuka with toasted focaccia, and chargrilled shell-on tiger prawns with a Thai dipping sauce and Asian-style slaw. For dessert, the warm chocolate brownie and a sticky toffee pudding are both perfect for this time of year.

3. Dine 27 in South Molton

Where? 79 South Street, South Molton, EX36 4AG
Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday
Good to know: It's busiest on weekends and last food orders are at 9pm

New to the South Molton food scene in July 2024, Dine 27 is a modern British restaurant offering fresh, locally sourced cuisine. The restaurant features a seasonal menu crafted by chefs Joe and Rowan. Sunday lunch highlights include: duck leg terrine with crispy seaweed and spiced plum for starter, and a filo parcel main served with roasted potatoes, glazed carrots and parsnips, cauliflower cheese, seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. 

The interiors are dark and cosy, the drinks menu has a good range of non-alcoholic options, and you can book online here.

4. Restaurant Kensington in Lynton

© Restaurant Kensington via Instagram

Where? 1 Castle Hill, Lynton, EX35 6JA
Opening hours: Sunday lunch is served between 12 and 4:30pm
Good to know: This restaurant isn't dog-friendly or suitable for children

Formerly known as The Old Bank, Restaurant Kensington has relocated to a larger venue. From its position in picture-perfect Lynton, it offers modern British cuisine with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients, and prides itself on being “elegantly styled without feeling pretentious.”

Championing Exmoor beef in a lot of dishes, it offers a variety of cuts, including fillet, ribeye, and rump, sourced from nearby Holdstone Farm. Think specials that change regularly: beef shin croquette with gochujang mayo, and prized cuts like chateaubriand, rump and porterhouse. Main menu favourites include Devon mussels, crab arancini and roasted celeriac, and Devon lamb cooked three ways. 

5. The Angel Bar and Kitchen in Totnes

Where? 50 High Street, Totnes, TQ9 5SQ
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
Good to know: Sunday lunch is served from 12 until 4pm

Located in the heart of Totnes, you'll find The Angel Bar and Kitchen - a new restaurant with a cosy atmosphere that's perfect for casual dining and evening drinks. It serves dishes that champion Devon’s fresh, local ingredients, with a menu featuring small plates, large plates, sharing dishes, and crowd-pleasers like their "nearly famous crispy crushed potatoes."

Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, guests can dine in comfort in the "secret" walled garden, or for in-house entertainment, look forward to regular live music and DJ nights. Reviews so far have praised the restaurant for its delicious food and cocktails, and friendly and knowledgeable staff. 

6. Creeping Thyme in Newton Abbot

© Creeping Thyme

Where? Seale Hayne, Newton Abbot, TQ12 6NQ
Opening hours: Dinner: from 6 until 8:45pm | Sunday lunch
Good to know: The restaurant is tucked away, so check your directions before you travel

Creeping Thyme is an award-winning restaurant, now located within the historic Seale Hayne site in Newton Abbot. Having moved away from its roots in Bovey Tracey in March, it's one of Devon's culinary hidden gems. Inside, the restaurant features exposed brick walls and wooden beams that add to the cosy dining experience, while the menu is home to some true show-stoppers. Think homemade gnocchi with blue cheese and tenderstem broccoli, or slow braised beef cheek with smoked creamed potato.

The restaurant has already won five awards in its nine months at the new venue, retaining an AA Rosette in culinary excellence and taking gold in the Devon Food and Drink Awards.

Only using the South West's best ingredients in every dish and drink, some of Creeping Thyme's favourite suppliers include seafood from Kingfisher in Brixham, coffee from Owens Organic in Plympton, and fresh vegetables from producers just down the road in Newton Abbot.

7. Crave in Exeter

© Crave via Instagram

Where? 38 Commercial Road, Exeter, EX2 4AE
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 9am until 11pm | Sunday: 9am until 10pm
Good to know: The restaurant is dog-friendly and accessible for wheelchair users

Bringing cocktails and candlelit dinners to Exeter's scenic Quayside, Crave offers a relaxed dining experience. Their all-day "surf and turf-style" menu features mostly meat and seafood dishes. You'll find a good mix of small plates to share with the table as pre-dinner snacks, plus vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menus. Specific dishes include: tacos with your choice of cauliflower, chicken, prawns or brisket, plus a butternut squash risotto, crispy mac and cheese balls, and charred flatbreads with garlic butter.

As well as the usual indoor seating, there's a covered terrace for year-round al fresco dining, and four-legged friends are welcome. There's level street access into the restaurant (opposite the foot bridge at Exeter Quayside), making it suitable for wheelchair users and guests with limited mobility. Plus, look forward to live music every Thursday from 7pm.

8. Heydays in Exmouth

Where? Unit 1 Sideshore, Queens Drive, Exmouth, EX8 2GD
Opening hours: Every day from 9am until 10pm
Good to know: Dogs and walk-ins are welcome

Brand new to Devon having only been open since 12th December, Heydays brings a fresh dining experience to Exmouth's seafront. It replaces Mickey's Beach Bar and Restaurant, previously owned by Michael Caines until October 2024.

Heydays offers an all-day menu seven days a week, featuring plenty of choice across snacks and starters, sandwiches, meat and fish, salads, and plant-based meals. The "Japanese whole bowl" is bursting with warm sushi rice, edamame beans, sweet potato and roasted nori, while the croque monsieur is served with sourdough, smoked ham, Dijon mustard, bechamel sauce and melted Gruyère cheese. 

For a real seaside experience, oyster-lovers can order half a dozen for £21. Choose to go au natural with a squeeze of lemon, mignonette with shallot and red wine vinegar, or Asian with fish sauce, palm sugar, chilli and coriander.

Brainchild of the team behind Rise Bakery, Heydays plans to open an artisanal bakery in spring 2025. We've heard talk of award-winning sourdough, handcrafted pastries, and Extract coffee, all available to take away.

9. Alleria in Exmouth

© Alleria via Instagram

Where? 9 High Street, Exmouth, EX8 1NN
Opening hours: Lunch and dinner: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday | Sunday lunch from 12 until 4pm
Good to know: The three-course seafood set menu is available each Wednesday and booking is essential

Alleria Pizza and Bistrot is a family-owned Italian restaurant that's been open since October 2024. It offers a variety of dishes, with bold and brilliant pizza toppings like fior di latte cheese, squid, and butternut squash.

Sure to be a hit in 2025, "Seafood Wednesday" is a ticketed event where "a special three course menu brings you the taste of Amalfi Coast". Priced at £45 per person, look forward to pan-fried scallops, salmon gravlax and anchovy gratin to start the evening. The main event features roasted hake and monkfish tail, as well as grilled Mediterranean squid with homemade chimichurri. No Italian feast is complete without tiramisu, but if you're hoping for something new, try the torta caprese: a neopolitan sponge cake with chocolate and almond.

Luxury holidays in Devon

Renowned for its farm-to-table ethos, Devon is home to Michelin-starred restaurants, artisanal producers, and world-class seafood. Make the most of your time here and book a holiday at one of our luxury properties for 2025. Whether you enjoy champagne and lobster from the sea-view terrace at Tamarisks, or plan a large group holiday at Clifftop, Beachfront, Avocet and Overcombe, unforgettable memories await. Plus, with a brand new restaurant now in Salcombe, find the perfect excuse for a luxury spa break at Waterside.

Left: Clifftop | Middle: Overcombe | Avocet

Image credits: © The Octagon (including main image) | © Creeping Thyme | © Crave via Instagram | © Restaurant Kensington via Instagram | © Alleria via Instagram | All other images are our own.