Where to eat in Salcombe: the best restaurants, pubs and cafés

Beachside dining, exceptional seafood and delicate wine menus

Sitting pretty in South Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Salcombe is known for its waterside setting, sunkissed beaches and ever-present pleasure boats in the harbour. What’s more, wonderful eateries lie around every corner with many enjoying sparkling water views and impeccable seafood menus. 

Famous for fresh crab sandwiches and locally distilled gins, Salcombe is a foodie’s dream. To help narrow down your dining options, we’ve rounded up the best restaurants, bars and cafés to try while visiting this magical corner of the coast.

Crab Shed

Style: Restaurant
Price range: £££
Menu: Shellfish and seafood 
Website:  Click here

© Crab Shed via Instagram

With a terrace wrapping around Salcombe’s glistening waters, the Crab Shed is in almost every guide to dining in Devon. Making the most of its coastal setting, the terrace features bar seating so couples can sit side by side and soak up the view while perusing the menu. Specialising in freshly landed seafood dishes, the menu is brimming with whole lobster, dressed crab and pan-fried prawns. Pair your meal with a carefully chosen white wine or make it extra special by popping a bottle of champagne. 

If fish isn’t your thing, the Crab Shed also has delicious linguine and gnocchi dishes on the menu. Book ahead of your arrival and spend an afternoon surrounded by good food, great company and sublime views.

The Winking Prawn

Style: Café 
Price range: ££ 
Menu: Shellfish and seafood
Website:  Click here

© The Winking Prawn via Instagram

Not far from the buzz of the town is The Winking Prawn. Located on the edge of North Sands Beach, you may recognise this brightly-clad café as the sister business to The Cracking Crab in Polzeath. Renowned for its laid back atmosphere and freshly-landed fish dishes, this is not one to miss while in the area. Serving incredible locally caught seafood dishes, be sure to try the shell-on prawns and grilled mackerel salad for a light lunch before joining the sunbathers on the beach. Walk off full bellies with a journey back into town, weaving past pastel cottages and palm-lined streets. For the full route, read our South Devon walking guide. 

The Jetty

Style: Restaurant 
Price range: £££
Menu: Steak and seafood
Website:  Click here

© Salcombe Harbour Hotel via Instagram

Loved by locals and visitors alike, The Jetty is an outstanding estuary-view restaurant part of Salcombe’s Harbour Hotel. Having recently been awarded gold at the Devon Food and Drink awards, their food, service and setting are nothing short of exceptional. Whether it’s soaking up the rays on the terrace, tucking into afternoon tea with views over the passing boats or sampling oysters from their Crustacean Bar, there are plenty of tempting options for all-day dining here. If you have little ones in tow, their children’s menu is complete with mini fish and chips, macaroni cheese and sticky toffee pudding, making it an all-round favourite for family dining. 

Dick and Will’s

Style: Restaurant
Price range: £££
Menu: Burgers, steak and pasta     
Website:  Click here

Another superb waterside restaurant, Dick and Will’s is one of Salcombe’s finest. Their decked terrace provides an idyllic dining spot during warmer weather, with views over the estuary ever-present between the palm trees. Keeping things local, their menu is dictated by the seasons and the fisherman’s daily haul. Though it changes frequently, you can usually find zesty paella, classic fish and chips and veggie burgers on their menu. Also with an enviable drinks menu, it’s easy to begin the evening with trays of Salcombe gin fizz before rounding off your meal with espresso martinis.  

Sure to fully book, secure your reservation ahead of your trip to avoid disappointment. 

Salcombe Wine Bar

Style: Bar 
Price range: ££
Menu: Platters and antipasto 
Website:  Click here

Loved for its friendly service and eclectic interiors, this wine bar is the place to go for a drink and a light supper. Allowing you to sample the very best Devonshire wines and spirits, settle in for an evening of tastings, accompanied by a platter of cold meats and cheeses. Expert sommeliers are on hand to pair your drink of choice with fresh fruits and soft cheeses, so be sure to ask for their recommendations before ordering. 

The Salcombe Deli

Style: Takeaway
Price range: ££
Menu: Sandwiches, salads and pastries 
Website:  Click here

© The Salcombe Deli via Instagram

For those wishing to pick something up on the go, this sought-after deli is renowned for its fresh food and hot pastries. Usually found with a queue out the door, arrive early to not miss out. If you’re visiting in the summer months, opt for one of their iconic crab baguettes or swap the bread out for a salad if you’d prefer. Their sandwich menu is filled to the brim with delicious flavour combinations with our favourites including mozzarella, tomato and pesto, chicken and chorizo, and brie with fig chutney. With many of their ingredients for sale in their adjoining deli, create your very own picnic ready to take to the beach or back to your holiday home. 

Come winter, their hand-crimped pasties are enough to rival the town’s bakeries (they sometimes even have crab pasties on the menu too). And if that’s not enough to take your fancy, order a whipped cream hot chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth during those chilly walks. 

Victoria Inn

Style: Pub
Price range: ££
Menu: Sunday lunches, burgers and fish and chips 
Website:  Click here

© The Victoria Inn via Instagram

A guaranteed warm welcome always awaits at The Victoria Inn, a scenic pub set on the edge of the Kingsbridge Estuary. Owned by St Austell Brewery, the menu is great for family dining – and they welcome dogs too. Expect braised beef brisket, crab linguine and banana blossom phish and chips with their special menu changing daily too. Enjoying views over the incoming tides, raise glasses of crisp white wine in their beer garden or retreat indoors after dark, where the warmth of the fire and candlelit tables always promise a cosy ambience.  

The Ward Room

Style: Café 
Price range: ££
Menu: Breakfasts, sandwiches and salads
Website:  Click here

Sitting a stone’s throw from gentle tides, The Ward Room makes a great place to enjoy brunch in the sunshine. Their morning menu features poached eggs, bacon sandwiches and full breakfasts – all served alongside barista coffees and pressed juices. Their glass-fronted balcony overlooks the jetty, so you can while away the hours here as yachts sail past and little ones fish for crabs. Come lunchtime, tuck into freshly made crab sandwiches served with salty fries, ensuring a real taste of Salcombe life. 

Stay in Salcombe

Home to blissful estuary views and within easy reach of Salcombe’s best restaurants, Waterside is a wonderful riverside retreat. Sleeping up to eight guests, it welcomes families and groups of friends to relish an al fresco lifestyle with the addition of a glass-fronted balcony. What’s more, every guest receives a pass for the Salcombe Harbour Hotel’s spa facilities – so spend mornings in the pool before tucking into a seafood lunch at The Jetty. 

Staying with us soon? Get in touch with our Concierge team to book your favourite restaurants ahead of your trip to South Devon.

Image credits: Crab Shed, The Winking Prawn, The Jetty, Salcombe Deli and Victoria Inn all via Instagram. All other images are our own.