The 12 best places to go out in Ilfracombe

We visited The Olive Room on Thursday evening (April 2025) where we experienced the most amazing Sea Shanty Singers! Unique, fun and hugely entertaining. Superb food, tasty locally brewed beers, dog friendly and charming hosts. We will be back next Thursday for sure. Worth the drive from South Molton to Ilfracombe. Thank you for an awesome experience, B, L and T. From S. Molton, Devon.

The Olive Room is a nice little spot, you can easily miss it walking down Fore Street! We had a delicious vegetarian sharing platter here with wine – the chef was kind enough to make their sharing platter vegetarian by replacing a couple of items. It was a good amount of food too (but perhaps there could have been a bit more bread) and fairly priced. We'll be going again 👌🏻

Cozy place, good wine, beer list, great food and friendly staff. We loved pork and paprika goulash with rice.

We really enjoyed the feeling of this place, ! Very social with lots of ambiance and charm . They let us come in even tho it was very crowded and they knew we werent going to eat . Earlier they saw us looking and were very welcoming . My husband can't drink a lot because of his afib but I got a couple of glasses of wine and did not as specify the size of glass so ended up apparently having the medium size which was a bit more than I meant to spend , but I didn't mind because they were very nice and the music was out of this world -and free ! Plus a very tasty choice of wines .It's very small for a music venue which makes it cozy , but also means it's hard to order . I think they might have their regulars but we didn't feel excluded. I applaud what they are trying to do and wish them much luck.! We hope to make it to the sea shanty night on Thurs and are sad we missed the Sunday afternoon music . The live jazz was organic and sublime !

Best curry I've ever had. We went on a Thursday, which was the night that the Sea Shanty Choir sang. ABSOLUTELY AWESOME holiday experience 5 stars is not enough Thanks Sindy and Ian

Amazing food and highly recommended. New menu every week and many different local achohol brands to choose from. Sea shanty choir every Thursday which is amazing. Lots of fun and many laughs.

very very loud for surrounding houses. couldn’t even hear my own tv or sleep when i had to get up early for work the next day. need to be more considerate with the banging on the tables

A lovely lunch stop in the centre of Ilfracombe. Plenty to choose from on the menu, including vegetarian and vegan options. I had the crayfish spaghetti with home-made olive bread, which was delicious! Highly recommend.

Fantastic family-run restaurant with stunning traditional Italian dishes. My wife and I called in today whilst passing and we were not disappointed. Thank you, we will be returning!

Amazing Italian! A must visit when in Ilfracombe! Very welcoming restaurant with nice, friendly staff. The food and service is top notch! Highly recommend the tiramisu! Would definitely return.

A lovely, friendly Italian restaurant with delicious food. Staff were lovely and chatty. Reasonably priced too. Just think the restaurant itself needs a bit of a revamp but apart from that, I loved it all!

We had the most delicious food at this restaurant, served hot, well timed and with enthusiasm. The owners and staff were both welcoming and attentive. From start to finish 😗👌🏻 Highly recommend

Fantastic food, impeccable service and the cosiest atmosphere. My partner and I went for dinner this evening and I had the BEST mushroom linguine I have ever had, he had the chicken and bolognese and was very impressed. Would recommend to anyone in the area. Excellent value for money too, very reasonable price for starters, mains and drinks each.

A wonderful, family-run Italian restaurant! The decor is amazing – you immediately feel like you’re in Italy. The food is excellent, with fresh seafood and a wide variety of dishes – everything was absolutely delicious. The staff are lovely and very attentive, creating a warm, homely atmosphere. You can tell they truly love what they do. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic Italian flavors and hospitality!

Not a place I was bothered about visiting.... how wrong could I be? A beautiful picturesque holiday town. Nice little harbour and very clear sea's. Grab yourself a nice little boat trip while your there. Went on a lovely 2hr coastal trip on the yellow catamaran boat. Plenty of food places to eat. Call in and see the life boat while you're there. Very friendly staff and crewmen, had a laugh and nice chat with them. Don't forget to pop some money in their box... all in a good cause.

Went in October. Parked right at the harbour. Some clever bugger put a sticker on the parking meter saying "all day" but then it only dispensed one hour of parking. (The parking isn't cheap but takes card payments) We went and got a delicious Cornish ice cream (cherry) from the shop across the road and walked round to the quay side of the harbour. We came back a few days later but used the national trust car park some distance away (free) and walked through the residential area along the cliffs edge. Ilfracombe is only a tiny town but is packed full of shops, and lots of independent businesses which I love to see. Vintage, chocolate, artisanal stores, games and hobbies, etc.

Lovely little town in North Devon. Stunning views of the coastline and lot of coastal walking paths. It’s a lively and feel good place. There are trips to Lundy island from the harbour however pre booking might be necessary.

Absolutely stunning!! Everyone, both locals and tourist, were ever so friendly. There was a wonderful community feel! Lots to explore, wonderful food and glorious weather.

Lovely area to visit, shops for souvenirs, food and drinks and boat trips, gets very busy so although lots of parking, arrive in plenty of time to find it wait for a space. Car parking machine takes cards and reasonable considering the location. Lovely and quaint area to visit

Love wandering around here, am really impressed with the verity statue. Parking is a little more than I wanted to pay, however I was going on the Wildlife boat trip. Lots of spots where you can buy fishing bait, or book on one of the various boat trips

A beautiful place to visit with plenty of local cafés, ice cream shops and restaurants to enjoy. Convenient parking too!

Oh my gosh- what a find!!! The cutest, friendliest little tearoom in Devon!! It's a working mill, using the flour to make cakes!! Didn't catch the owners name but he was really friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. I managed to book online as the Facebook page said it does get very busy (it wasn't too busy when we arrived so walk-ins are definitely ok). The mill is working and has lots of info included to enjoy walking around. Huge choice of scones and cakes; we tried a variety of things Including fruit scones, cheese scones, chocolate cake and raspberry cakes (all made on site!). (My little boy gave the double chocolate cake 1000/10 so it's have been good!) Everything was fresh and delicious!! There's such a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by the sound of the water mill and lots of lovely wildlife. We were offered some puzzles and brain teaser games which the kids (And adults) enjoyed. We will most certainly be back!

I can't say enough good things about this place. The best scones I've had in the country, let alone in Devon & Cornwall. Fantastic cakes and sandwiches with flour from the mill. A delightful garden setting, and gentle warm service which makes you feel right at home. It's also always a joy to look round a mill and learn more about how wheat, our country's staple crop, is produced and processed. Seeing the benefits of doing it right really shows how wrong we've gone with commercial agriculture and food production.

What a gem of a little place this is. I came across this place searching for "best scones" and I can guarantee the reviews aren't a let down. The gentlemen (Presumably who runs the place) is a kind, attentive man who took our orders. They have 2 types of scones (plain and fruit) and few choices of cakes. The scones were freshly baked, served with clotted cream and jam and the price was so reasonable compared to other places. And so were the cakes that my kids tried. The mill (wasnt operational at that time due to no water - time of the season) was opened for us to have a walk around and there is a little gallery where a video is shown on how the grains are turned to wheat etc - very informative. It was quiet and peaceful place, where you can have your cake and eat it too (pardon the pun) - with a nice cup of tea.

Fantastic little place to sit for a delicious cream tea. Incredible scones, crunchy on the outside and perfectly pillowy inside; nice generous helping of cream and jam too and full sized pot of tea. We even took some scones away with us to enjoy at home. Nice option to take a walk through the old mill after as well. Definitely worth the visit.

Fantastic little place with friendly staff. We came here to have scones which are made of the flour from the mill so it has slight thicker texture. Beautiful building and garden.

Absolutely lovely! Delicious cake made with flour from the mill! Lovely people and a fantastic natural ambience. Can't wait to go again for another peaceful visit!

Fantastic Devonshire cream tea - the savoury scone with cream cheese and onion chutney is particularly lovely. It's definitely worth spending time looking around the mill/museum because it's very interesting

Lovely food. Nice pub friendly staff.

Great food and amazing views of the sea. Very friendly staff and great atmosphere and decor. Food is great and amazing selection of drinks.

Friendly staff, nice food, yet a lack of information on the website. The menu on offer at the moment is heavily reduced, they are currently not offering starters or desserts and a smaller selection of mains than advertised on the website. There was also no mention of a reduced menu when booking. A reduced menu is completely understandable due to staff shortages, however it would be nice to know beforehand. Other than that, very nice food.

They got skittles, darts and pool table, let’s go!

Great, child friendly pub. Nice staff and locals. Good food and relaxed but not your run of the mill menu. A little more than average. Recommend the Belgium waffle in maple syrup!

Really lovely burgers, the chicken burger came with two options- either grilled or fried breadcrumb. Came with onion rings and a decent portion of chips. Tasty though. Staff were friendly and pleasant, very attentive. Overall cost was slightly on the pricey side, but as we were visiting for the first time and possibly the last- worth it. The menu has a good variety also

Stopped at Hele beach for a quick lunch. Plenty of outdoor space in the sun at midday (open time) on a Friday. Chicken burger was very good, moist, big chicken breast. I was told the burger was also good. Only had soft drinks so can’t comment on alcohol. Area outside could be made to look a bit nicer, they were people putting up parasols and moving furniture around. About 9 outdoor wooden picnic benches and also some rattan style seats with tables. Inside and outside looked clean. Would return.

Small but very informative little museum. Very centered on ilfracombe's history. Reasonable entry fee. £5 adults, £4 concessions, £3 children.

Lovely little museum, with the normal eclectic mix of English treasures. I particularly enjoyed the radio 2nd world war interviews, the war photos and letters in the end room and the virtual train journey projected against the wall.

I popped in here just before closing time, essentially to ask if I could use their restrooms. The kind gentleman at the entrance was sympathetic and said that I could. On my way to find them (it) I passed a multitude of artefacts which seemed to have been crammed into every available corner of this interesting place. The place is a veritable treasure trove of things from the past. Such a pity that it was too late in the day to buy tickets and explore properly. It certainly seems worth a more extensive visit!

Tucked away by the Landmark Theatre it's well worth the search. It does cost adults a small fee to enter but the exhibits along with the knowledgeable staff are great. There are trails and searches for kids to keep them alert and entertained. Numerous rooms packed with beautifully displayed pieces amaze the young and bring back memories for the older generations. A great place to spend an hour or two, the Grankids loved it too. Thank you 😊

Popped in yesterday as it was gale force winds outside. The gift shop is right inside the door and my other half went browsing only to be very abruptly told he'd gone (over an invisible line) into the museum and would have to pay as it's not free entry. We knew it wasn't free and would have happily paid if she hadn't been so rude. Instead we walked straight out again. It was quite an upsetting experience as everywhere else we'd visited had given us such a warm welcome. Firstly, you might want a clear divide between the shop and museum, secondly you should think about how you talk to people.

Lovely little place, lots of things to read and look at. Worth going too if you're near by. The staff there was lovely

Brilliant little museum. Lots of interesting things in such a small space. We got there at 4:30 and they close at 5pm, the staff were ever so obliging by asking for a donation instead of charging us full price. Highly recommend!!! Wish we had more time to explore, until next time.

We were very lucky to get a late cancellation here and were really glad we did. Extremely warm welcome and awesome food - the octopus starter was one of the best dishes we’ve had for a while. Highly recommended!

We regularly visit north Devon and this was recommended to us. We will be passing on this recommendation to anyone that will listen (including you reading this). We had the fish sharing platter to start, all elements of this complimented each other beautifully. Followed by the fish tacos, again so many flavours so well balanced. The service was perfect, attentive without being pushy. This was one of the nicest restaurants we have ever eaten at and will visit again. Two things of note: 1) It is a relatively expensive night out. You are getting fine food for your money. 2) The reason why the service is perfect is that they don't ram the restaurant full. The plus side is that the ambience is a really relaxed environment. The negative, you MUST book.

Great restaurant serving fantastic seafood and also meat and veggie dishes. Brilliant service from Kate and the team. Not been since we were here 8 years ago but nothing has changed. Hope we get back before another 8 years!!

Outstanding welldone kate sarah and jess

Really impressed with my trip to Relish, fantastic menu with a great amount of choice, hard to narrow it down! Three brilliant courses and some lovely wine. Would recommend!

Warm and friendly atmosphere. Ordered the rack of lamb which was cooked to perfection. The pecan brownie was divine. This is our new favourite place to eat out 💖💖💖

you need to book to guarantee a table .The front of house are superb and are always attentive. They offer a warm friendly invitation to dine . The great wealth of local food of exmoor and local seafood available showcases the breadth and diversity of the menu they offer .The backroom team bring the whole experience of Exmoor and the Devon coast to the plate .I always feel it's a delight to eat in such a nice environment with locally sourced ingredients complemented with people who care about the food and experience

Travelling over 200 miles to North Devon was worth it just to experience the cream tea at Nelly May’s Parlour. After an underwhelming experience at Sandleighs Tea Room, we were so overjoyed at finding and experiencing this quaint little place. The decor is interesting, warm and cosy and all covid and hygiene measures are in place and enforced. The array of wonderful cakes are home made by Nelly Mays husband as well as the warm and freshly baked scones, clotted cream and jam. They also serve proper tea in proper China. Nelly May is friendly and good for a chat but also knows how to let you savour and enjoy the delights you’ve ordered, which no doubt will leave you speechless anyway. Even the bathroom is clean and well decorated with lovely hand wash and hand cream. They really have thought of everything! I urge you, make the effort to have cream tea at Nelly May’s Parlour. Don’t go anywhere else. You won’t be sorry!

Perfect friendly and homely. Beautiful breakfast. Great tea. Stephanie is really lovely and very informative. It’s like popping round to your aunts for breakfast but better.

Warm friendly staff. All home made cakes, breads and jams. Had the full cream tea which was great.

Olde Worlde characterful tea room, serving light lunches & wonderful cream teas. Lovely personal, friendly service, & presentation. Highly recommended

Best scone I've ever had! Gooseberry jam, clotted cream on warm ginger scone, to die for! Cakes are divine also

Lovely tea room with artisan breads, great food and really nice atmosphere and amazing cream tea, plus home made jams for sale, delicious!

Proper old-school tea house with doilies and fine china. Cream tea was excellent and the warm scones were gorgeous.

We visited S&P Fish Shop on Friday of last week. We had some lunch and had also ordered the Devon Dozen, and the Spectacular Seafood Platter to take back to our villa in Saunton Sands. I cannot recommend S&P Fish Shop highly enough. The staff are really friendly and welcoming, and the food....it was superb!! My parents said that the oysters were the best they have eaten outside of Boston, and the seafood platter was actually spectacular. Lunch was delicious and just what we needed after a 3 hour drive from Hampshire. If you love seafood and you get a chance to visit Ilfracombe then do not miss out on a visit to this place!!

The seafood platter for two was absolutely fantastic, plenty of food for me, my wife and our son. We all tried and enjoyed everything especially the crab and lobster. It was a cold and wet day when we visited and the small seating area only had two couples eating, so we're were sceptical about the good reviews we had seen. The food we saw looked good, so we decided to give it a go. It was the best decision we made! The food was fantastic and worth every penny!

Such an excellent find for delicious and fresh seafood! My husband and I were looking for a seafood restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. We saw this online and booked it and we weren't disappointed. It is only a small café, with limited tables, and outside only. It's right on the harbour side, which was a bit chilly on a cooler day in summer - so take/ wear layers. The staff were friendly and service was really good and fast. The shellfish supreme platter for 2 was amazing and a huge portion. I would absolutely recommend trying it and we'll definitely go back!

STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED!! We saw all the good comments on google so we went! But felt more like a tourist trap! Had the supreme seafood platter for two (£49.xx) and half dozen of Rock oyster (£16.xx) The half lobster and the crab was good. But apart from that the oyster wasnt great i guess just not at the right season. Its july when we went. But the most disappointing thing is the platter, on one side of the dish you could badly taste the (cleaning spray all over it, you literally felt like you are eating the detergent or sort which was extremely horrible); we reported to the lady there and we were the only customer there and the instant response we got was “we don’t know anything about it” while she was the only person there serving! So to conclude, we didn’t even get an apologise, and nothing were done! So we just left with half of the dish left! (Despite this is a family run business and we saw the owner just walking around) but still nothing were put in action, no feedback whatsoever) Strongly NOT recommend!

Busy place, we advise booking. We ordered some oysters and the S&P seafood sharing platter for 3 to 4 people, it was divine, we loved it and as we didn't manage to eat all we took the rest home..there was enough for another meal.. definitely good value for money.

A delicious lunch. All very fresh seafood and reasonably priced. Just wished they had an actual restaurant instead of the marquee as it was cold!

Stopped by here for some fresh peeled prawns, they were gorgeous!!! Weren’t sure how long they would keep for and unfortunately some went to waste, was such a BIG portion. I would definitely pop by again 🍤 🎣 🐟

As soon as we entered, the hostess was so friendly, informative and inviting, I'm really indecisive and she was really happy to advise me on what to have. The Hake was to die for! We ended up having 3 courses and coffee! We will definitely be back next time we're in Ilfracombe and would 100% recommend going here. It's not flashy or obvious compared to some of the other restaurants but so happy we found it 😊 😍

Outstanding food & hospitality second to none. Eating here & talking with Sharon was one of the highlights of our cycle trip along the north coast. Highly recommend!

Nice lady who help with my headache with paracetamol, good food would like bit more potatoes. Fish was fresh & stake with pepper sauce very nice -husbend of lady who own it studied sauces abroad so he is expert with it :)

Fabulous little find only bottle beer but good choice staff are amazing helpful and friendly dog friendly food is limited but freshly well cooked coped with my food allergies really worth a visit

Delightful food and service husband and wife team with family assisting

An absolute gem of a restaurant. Cosy, unpretentious, warm and inviting. Great service. The best of local produce cooked with skill. Delicious. A good wine list to go with the food. Thoroughly recommended. Thank you it was fabulous.

Brilliant meal and atmosphere. Stayed for a few drinks after the meal and had a good chat with the husband/chef and wife/hostess. They really made it a great night for us. I will be going back if I'm ever in the area.

Nice place for a quick drink , a few seats out. Very friendly dog friendly

I had a coffee from the bar area. It's very clean and modern. The staff were very busy but pleasant. The outside area could do with more tables and chairs outside. But the view from it is wonderful. Very close to the majestic North Devon Coast

Beer festival held on the green outside the landmark theatre We were able to use all the facilities such as coffee shop/cafe. Toilets which are always clean. Everything is on one level and easily accessible for wheel chair users. Also in corporates tourist information and theatre bookings.

Fantastic venue good theatre good food great staff

Great place for breakfast. holidaying at Combe Martin , we enjoyed the delightful bus journey to ilfracombe. Lovely walks around harbour & Promenade , bought some holiday essentials on High St , some great shops for hard to find items. breakfast at Landmark Theatre cafe , Staff friendly , helpful. Venue very clean. Breakfast wonderful , pint of Proper Job. Fantastic views out to Sea. Recommended.

Great setting on the North Devon coast. An unusual, unique theatre. It's always a thrill to go and see a variety of shows over the years. The Bar area could be a lot bigger to accommodate more oeople and the car parking is almost impossible when the theatre is full causing an anxious time riding around Ilfracombe trying to find somewhere to park. Crazy.

Called in for a cup of tea, friendly service but was given dirty cups. Cups came with clear hot water so the dirty rims were clearly visible. Not impressed

great part of the south west coastal path here. lovely little town of local businesses. there is a chip shop on the quay that sells gluten free fish & chips!! a major find in a sea side town for gluten free people!

The town is lovely, with beautiful views. Great foodie places too. Please be aware of the seagulls, we were enjoying a delicious, warm freshly baked pasty in the sunshine on a bench near the theatre. We kept our food mostly in the bag and held close to our chests. All of a sudden I had an almighty thump on my back and a flock of seagulls snatched my food. Fortunately I was only shocked and uninjured but left very shaken. We have seen people hurt by these menaces. In another seaside town one man was lucky not to lose his eye as he had an ice cream snatched, he was left with a very nasty cut on his face. Crazily the RSPB believe herring gulls to be in danger of extinction and the poor little things only attack humans because they are starving due to humans eating all the fish.

Lovely garden nice memorial.

The staff in here were incredibly helpful and gave us all the info we needed.

Ilfracombe tourist information is based inside the theatre building next to the beach which is in prime location. It is small but very helpful with leaflets for attractions in the area. They where able to tell us about beach walks for are dog as we were visiting Woolacombe beach up the coast. This place is very much a place to visit to be able to enjoy your time down here.

Friendly staff in well organised setting. GF carrot cake was marvellous with delicious coffee. Def go there again!

Fremington Quay and the Tunnels are just such an interesting place to visit. You will be surprised. However you do need to have a walking ability, not necessarily agile you can take it steady.