Ilfracombe’s Top 5 Food & Drink Spots: A Tasty Tour
Alright, if you’re visiting Ilfracombe or happen to be local, like you, you are perhaps wondering about the best spots to grab some food and a drink, right? It’s almost like there are way too many options. Well, I am hoping this guide points you in the right direction, to be honest. This rundown of my five favorite food and drink places should set you on your way, so you can try some amazing dishes or a pint. Each one offers something just a little different, yet they’re all really brilliant in their own way. Let’s explore these spots, in fact! You know, these gems. Harbour views add so much to the dining experience.
1. The Quay Restaurant: Fresh Catches with a View
The Quay Restaurant, I reckon, stands out as a true emblem of Ilfracombe’s devotion to superb food, basically. Located, as it is, right on the harbor, this restaurant treats visitors to spectacular views along with absolutely wonderful, freshly caught seafood, right? So you are talking views and food. It’s often the views that steal your attention when you sit to eat. Still, the quality and freshness of the fish mean that this is absolutely somewhere for all the seafood lovers, very. You know, every dish on the seafood specials list gives a proper insight into what great, fresh seafood is supposed to taste like.
My favorite order tends to be the grilled seabass, like your basic grilled fish dish. You know, its light flavors are enhanced just a little bit with lemon and fresh herbs. The ambience inside The Quay is really just inviting and the decor is what you’d call coastal. The staff are normally rather happy to help out. All these things combined, in some respects, lead to a rather amazing dining experience, truly. So, whether it’s a candlelit dinner or a relaxed lunch you’re looking for, then The Quay arguably has you covered, very.
2. The Terrace Tapas Bar & Restaurant: Spanish Flavors by the Sea
Now, fancy something a bit more vibrant? The Terrace Tapas Bar & Restaurant gives you a taste of Spain, that is. So it happens to be based, surprisingly, in the middle of Ilfracombe, obviously. So it offers small plates that pack a real punch of taste. This place, at the end of the day, manages to nail that proper relaxed dining vibe which, as a matter of fact, is absolutely spot on if you prefer eating out, usually. I feel that their patatas bravas have something almost addictive about them and their seafood paella is absolutely amazing for sharing. You might be sharing that! What also separates The Terrace is that their choice of drinks are a cut above, I find. So there is a fantastic range of wines on offer which just so happen to ideally match any dish you end up choosing. Anyway, in fact, why stick to one dish? Select loads! At the end of the day, Spanish influence is strong.
There is something about the friendly feel of this place that makes it, seemingly, perfect for family meals. Or that big get together of friends that happens maybe twice per year, really? So that slightly rustic decor mixed with how great the food actually tastes just sets the place apart, clearly. A lot of happy faces!
3. Thomas Carr 1873: A Michelin Star Experience
Want to step things up a little bit, right? Well, for that absolutely ultimate, high-class treat, Thomas Carr 1873 just delivers, obviously! As Ilfracombe’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, this place promises a dining experience that goes above the normal fare, arguably. Based inside the old Victorian bath house, as it is, this venue adds just a little bit of a sense of grandeur to things, in fact, it’s just a little bit special. I am of the opinion that fine dining at it best has arrived! Carr’s cooking puts an absolutely elegant modern spin on some well loved seafood classics. Each dish really proves how Carr earned that Michelin star he possesses, I suppose. A tasting menu could be the direction to go.
There’s this artistic presentation, by the way, as they care just a bit about visual things, but also that just perfect service from the team there which takes your visit up just a level. All these things, for example, combine to leave a real memory on your dining taste buds, honestly. A very special place that’s just that bit more high end. Why not, literally?
4. The George & Dragon: Traditional Pub Fare with a Twist
Right, if you are searching for somewhere that’s like your basic proper, local British pub, as it were, then you can’t go far wrong choosing The George & Dragon, basically. With the comfy furnishings, so welcoming fires burning during the winter plus the draught ales they have there; everything is there for that essential English pub feel. This traditional pub grub that’s on offer isn’t like anything spectacular. The heart of a traditional pub could be said to be its history.
Anyway, though they do put a unique spin on it that I find rather good! Think of that basic fish and chips and then increase it ten-fold. All really top ingredients and the way that it is presented seems just great to me, very. Pub meals don’t tend to look that brilliant! At the end of the day, it gets a just bit busy with both the locals as well as some passing visitors, that’s for sure. All of this helps to inject a lively atmosphere. If you enjoy real pubs, seriously, you can’t go wrong. Just try this place! It really is a proper representation of this town’s welcoming heart.
5. Relish Bar & Bistro: Casual Dining with Coastal Charm
Alright, for a chilled spot that is brilliant for lunch, and also maybe a calm night-time setting for dining too, check out Relish Bar & Bistro. Just close to the harbor area, that location means there’s quite nice sea views. Also that location really lets you sample those sea breezes, as it were. A bistro? Not for me, obviously. At Relish, I usually find that they aim to provide those comfy dishes. The dishes use great ingredients, usually from around Devon. But that’s fine, okay! The menu does actually contain quite a lot of delicious seafood, as a matter of fact. So that just reflects the coastal area a little bit. They’re famous for their freshly made pizzas as well as their very meaty burgers, seriously.
In my eyes, taste Devon. Now, this one can sometimes have entertainment on which is basically provided by the town’s many musicians who do a pretty awesome job on all nights, arguably! So that really manages to build up what’s there already as being a relaxed atmosphere in that venue, so. If you are trying to locate an amazing venue to relax and enjoy amazing cuisine then it may be Relish that hits the spot! All-in-all a really brilliant place, in some respects.