The AA Pub Guide is widely regarded as the go-to source for the best pubs for food, drink and accommodation in the UK. The most recent edition of the guide has 32 pubs in Devon ranking among the country’s best.
The Pub Guide 2020 contains more than 2,000 countryside inns, welcoming taverns and foodie destinations, all selected by the AA’s expert inspectors. The guide gives a detailed description of each one, from opening times and parking to whether it’s dog-friendly and has a garden, to help readers find the perfect pub for them.
Many of the pubs included in the guide are well known for their culinary offerings. More than 250 of the pubs have been awarded AA Rosettes for the quality of their cuisine, while the best pubs for accommodation are highlighted by an AA Star.
Read more: 27 Devon pubs which are home to some of the county's best beer gardens
Here are the top 32 pubs in Devon according to The AA Pub Guide. They are listed in alphabetical order by location.
The Turtley Corn Mill, AVONWICK
The Turtley Corn Mill is set in six acres of grounds within the beautiful South Hams. Whether it’s a family meal, breakfast, Sunday lunch or a romantic dinner for two, its traditional menus, using locally sourced foods, real ales and great wines, make it the perfect place for eating out. Should you feel like staying the night in one of its luxurious en-suite bedrooms, bed and breakfast is available.
The Swan, BAMPTON
The Swan is a classic English country inn and the oldest pub in Bampton. It offers the very best dishes using seasonal, regional ingredients, peppered with top-notch customer service. The Swan has three contemporary yet cosy B&B rooms and it was named by the AA as the nation’s ‘Inn of the Year’ for 2019-20. It has won a string of other awards too.
The Cricket Inn, BEESANDS
The Cricket Inn first opened its doors in 1867 and it remains a popular pub at the heart of the seaside village of Beesands, between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. Its award-winning seafood-inspired menu and seven newly refurbished bed and breakfast rooms make it an inviting home away from home. Four-legged friends are just as welcome as two-legged ones.
The Lazy Toad (now The Agricultural Inn), BRAMPFORD SPEKE
This 18th century pub and restaurant oozes charm with exposed beams, open fires and pretty gardens. It’s located just a few minutes north of Exeter and is very much a locals’ pub but it also loves to see hikers, cyclists, dog walkers and people looking for their “escape to the country.” The inn was known as The Agricultural Inn up to 2007, when it became The Lazy Toad. However, it has now changed back to its original name.
Red Lion, CLOVELLY
The Red Lion is an 18th-century inn on the quay alongside the ancient harbour where Clovelly fishermen used to gather to swap tales of the one that got away. Each of its beautifully furnished hotel rooms boasts a sea view.
The New Inn, COLEFORD
The New Inn is a thatched, 13th-century, four-star B&B that’s 20 minutes from Exeter and 30 minutes from Dartmoor. It has great Westcountry food, award-winning cask ales… and a talking parrot called ‘Captain’ who has greeted guests for over 40 years.
Royal Castle Hotel, DARTMOUTH
The Royal Castle is an award-winning 17th-century hotel in the heart of Dartmouth with fantastic views over the River Dart. The pub and restaurant, part of St Austell Brewery, offers fresh seafood, revamped pub classics and more, with quality produce sourced from local suppliers.
The Nobody Inn, DODDISCOMBSLEIGH
This is an award-winning, 16th-century country inn just seven miles from Exeter, on the edge of Dartmoor. It serves delicious food, more than 200 different wines, 250 whiskies and lots of local cheeses. It has a pretty garden to enjoy in the summer and log fires in the winter. It’s proud to be “a little old school.”
The Puffing Billy, EXTON
The Puffing Billy, just 15 minutes from Exeter and five minutes from Exmouth, offers a dynamic, seasonal menu of locally sourced produce inside a cosy, recently revamped stylish interior. The menus change regularly and the specials board changes daily. On Sundays it offers a superb selection of roast dinners. The bar has an interesting range of soft drinks, regularly changing real ales, an extensive wine list and more than 100 spirits. Dogs are welcome in the bar, timber area of the restaurant, garden and outside – but not the main restaurant.
The Rock Inn, HAYTOR VALE
Nestling below the majestic Haytor Rocks, The Rock Inn has been offering travellers a warm welcome, good food and shelter since its foundations as a coaching inn in the mid-18th century. This family-owned traditional country inn prides itself on providing a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and service with a personal touch to ensure a memorable experience to both diners and hotel guests alike. It has long been renowned for the standard of its food.
Rising Sun, LYNMOUTH
The Rising Sun is a 14th-century thatched smugglers’ inn overlooking a tiny, picturesque harbour. Its renowned for its wonderful, locally-sourced food, friendly service and range of cosy accommodation with bags of character.
The Holt, HONITON
The Holt is a pub, restaurant and smokehouse in Honiton which offers locally-sourced ingredients, a warm atmosphere, attentive service, Otter beers and fine wines. It even offers bread-making courses.
The Duke of York, IDDESLEIGH
This 15th-century inn overlooking Dartmoor is a traditional pub serving great food and beer – you won’t find jukeboxes, pool tables, fruit machines or karaoke nights here. It uses locally-sourced and high-quality products and offers everyone a warm welcome with roaring log fires and very friendly staff. Children and pets are welcome and there is a beer garden to enjoy when the sun is shining. It has welcomed many music and TV celebrities over the years and it was here that author Michael Morpurgo got the inspiration to write War Horse, after talking to First World War veteran Wilfred Ellis in front of the fire.
The Grove Inn, KINGS NYMPTON
Since early 2003, The Grove Inn has been offering locals and visitors a real taste of Devon. From field to shore, The Grove Inn menu features dishes that are unique to its kitchen, with something for everyone. Most things are made from scratch so with a little notice it can cater for most dietary needs. It offers a great range of real ales, Devon ciders, an extensive list of quality wines and Champagne by the glass, and a collection of 65 single malts from around the world.
Bickley Mill Inn, KINGSKERSWELL
Located in an idyllic Devon valley, Bickley Mill Inn is a wonderful place to stay, dine or celebrate in style, with elegant rooms, friendly staff and superb food in a beautifully restored 13th-century mill. Whether treating someone to an excellent meal out, a romantic escape or mini break in Devon, it offers excellent hospitality in a cosy, tranquil setting.
The Masons Arms, KNOWSTONE
Mark and Sarah Dodson proudly run the thatched 13th-century inn and award-winning restaurant situated in the village of Knowstone on the edge of Exmoor. It’s cosy, comfortable and offers a warm welcome. The restaurant, which is one of just four in Devon with one Michelin star, serves exceptional local cuisine using only the finest ingredients presented with taste and style.
The Arundell Arms, LIFTON
The Arundell is a rural hotel with a brasserie style restaurant and cosy bar. Its location, reputation for fantastic food, and relaxed atmosphere have long attracted travellers, fishers, lovers of the countryside and those looking for a base to explore the region. Its focus is on local, seasonal and wild ingredients with the best of Devon and Cornish produce at its heart.
California Inn, MODBURY
This award-winning country pub and restaurant is situated in the middle of the South Hams and offers excellent food and atmosphere. It offers classic bar snacks and a modern British menu, and it has a garden.
The Ship Inn, NOSS MAYO
This waterside pub has been completely renovated with love and affection. Strong yet simple, spacious yet cosy, it feels like a “proper pub” – unfussy, uncomplicated but pleasingly functional. It offers good, fresh, homemade food, great local beers and interesting wines, while you’re surrounded by wooden floors, old furniture, log fires, bookcases and dozens of local pictures.
The Tower Inn, SLAPTON
The Tower Inn at Slapton is still recovering from a devastating fire in February 2021 not to mention the Covid-related closures from the year before. The pub was saved from burning to the ground, but not before the kitchen had been completely destroyed. Still without a kitchen, the pub has managed to get its outside barbecue area ready so it can offer its delicious charcuterie boards and fire cooked food.
The Millbrook Inn, SOUTH POOL
Hidden away in the heart of the South Hams, at the top of a tranquil tidal creek on the Salcombe Estuary, is The Millbrook Inn. It’s a haven for people who enjoy good food, great wine and a pint of local ale in front of the fire or by the brook.
The Tom Cobley Tavern, SPREYTON
The Tom Cobley Tavern is a family-run pub that prides itself on creating a warm and friendly atmosphere for both locals and newcomers. It offers traditional pub food, with a large vegetarian, vegan and gluten free food selection, and a wide range of real ales and ciders. Dogs are welcome on leads.
The Golden Lion, TIPTON ST JOHN
Hosts Francois and Michelle Teissier welcome customers with their extensive menu comprising the highest quality British, Mediterranean and rustic French cooking. With the Georgian seaside town of Sidmouth just three miles away, expect daily specials of the freshest fish and seafood with menu changes according to the season and what local produce is most readily available. The pub manages to retain a traditional pub feel with low wooden beams, stone interior walls and a blazing log fire, but also has charmingly eclectic decor.
Bridge Inn, TOPSHAM
William John Gibbings from Clyst St. George moved into the inn in 1897, and the family has been there ever since. The Bridge has a long history of promoting real ale and there are usually up to 10 available.
Cary Arms, TORQUAY
Cary Arms and Spa, in a stunning coastal spot in the Babbacombe area of Torquay, serves gastro food cooked simply. The watchwords in the kitchen are freshness and seasonality, underpinned by a deep-rooted respect for the surrounding waters and pastures. Its restaurant specials change daily, reflecting Devon coast and country in equal measure.
The Durant Arms, TOTNES
The Durant Arms, in Ashprington, three miles south of Totnes, is first and foremost a “proper village pub.” The family-run historic country inn, which has three en-suite guest bedrooms, serves a selection of real ales, ciders and wines, with hearty home-cooked food using fresh ingredients from local suppliers. Dogs are very welcome in the pub and sometimes outnumber people.
The White Hart Bar and Restaurant, TOTNES
The White Hart pub sits at the heart of the stunning 1,200-acre Dartington estate, nestled alongside the medieval Great Hall under the bowers of ancient trees. Choose a table in the grand feasting hall under a dramatic 60ft beamed ceiling, in the cosy snug area or out on the gorgeous Great Lawn terrace. In the summer it’s the perfect spot to sit outside with a pint and let the kids run around the lawn. It offers locally-sourced lunches and dinners full of flavour, freshly prepared by a dedicated team of chefs. It has a menu to delight all tastes.
Cridford Inn, TRUSHAM
The Cridford Inn is one of the oldest pubs in Devon, dating back to 825AD. The freehouse is family-run and its food uses the best locally-sourced ingredients prepared in the kitchen by a team of passionate, talented chefs.
The Rugglestone Inn, WIDECOMBE IN THE MOOR
The Rugglestone Inn is a unique, unspoilt Dartmoor inn in the village of Widecombe in the Moor. Originally a cottage, the grade II listed building was converted to an inn back in 1832 and named after a local stone. It is surrounded by peaceful moorland, adjacent to a pretty stream and just a few minutes walk from the centre of the village. Its home-cooked menu of locally-sourced produce is extensive and offers a broad range for all tastes. The bar is well stocked with real ales, farm cider and a comprehensive wine list. Dogs must be kept on a lead.
The Digger's Rest, WOODBURY SALTERTON
The Digger's Rest is a traditional thatched village pub with a beer garden, in the middle of the pretty south Devon village of Woodbury Salterton, just four miles from Junction 30 of the M5. Formerly a cider house, this 500-year-old building with its massive walls, beams and a real log fire has a really cosy feel. It’s particularly proud of its food, which is freshly prepared and locally sourced. It’s family-friendly, including the four-legged members.
Rose and Crown, YEALMPTON
The dining experience is at the heart of the Rose and Crown, and is a main attraction for its customers. The chefs mix traditional pub food with contemporary cuisine. The menu is accompanied by daily changing specials and a carefully selected wine list, perfect for a special meal or relaxing lunch. The walled garden is a suntrap that’s ideal for eating al fresco and savouring drinks as the sun goes down.
Jack in the Green Inn, ROCKBEARE
May 2022 marks the beginning of this pub’s 30th year as a Devon dining institution. It can be whatever you want it to be – somewhere for relaxed everyday dining or a venue for a special occasion. The menus vary from a la carte to traditional pub food and light lunches.
