Recommendations for restaurants/things to do near Newton Abbot Devon

[Rainbowbrite82]

Hi,

Never been to Devon and I'd love some suggestions for the following please:

• Lovely restaurants that also have a good kids' menu (hard to find places that do decent quality kids' food!)
• Best places for traditional cream teas
• Good family days out (for kids aged 8 and 11)
• Best beaches
• Anything else you'd recommend!

Thank you!

Restaurants (we usually take picnics but):
Rockfish (various locations)

Family days out very close by:
Paignton Zoo
Canonteign Falls
Buckfastleigh Otter Sanctuary & Butterfly House
South Devon Railway
Pennywell Farm
Stover Country Park
House of Marbles
Miniature Pony Centre
Castle Drogo
Newton Abbot is also not far from Exeter, Torquay & Plymouth.

Beaches:
Paignton
Torquay
Dawlish

Other recommendations:
The Orange Elephant Ice Cream Parlour - amazing ice cream & outdoor play area

Can't help on the cream teas though.

These are fantastic @APurpleSquirrel - thank you!

Were on our last day hol in Dawlish. I'd really recommend woodlands family theme park (though take your own picnic as not many places were open for food). My 7 yr old had a great day on the water slides, tons of play areas, toboggan run etc. Its not vast, but it was a full day out.

Don’t bother with rockfish, Huge prices for very little. My in-laws hated it.

Coleton fishacre (national trust) is great with fabulous views.
Greenway (Agatha Christie’s former home) is also lovely.
Castle Drogo-
Totnes is a lovely town with a lot of independent shops and castle

From Newton Abbot I'd head to:

• The Woodland Cafe which is based at the Yurt Camp in Liverton.

• Home Cafe at Parke in Bovey Tracey (there are also other nice cafes in BT like Josie's, Cafe 3 Sixty and the cafe at the House of Marbles)

• Or head a bit further up into the moor and visit Ullacombe Farm Shop Cafe near Haytor (book first) and then walk on the moor

• Even further up that way, there are a couple of nice cafes in Widdecombe - Cafe on the Green a fave here, and the food at The Old Inn is decent pub grub.

In the opposite direction if you head down to Teignmouth you can get a little ferry across to Shaldon (or just drive) where there's The Clipper Cafe or Ode - true food, both lovely and kid friendly. You can then visit the beach at Ness Cove. You used to get a discount at Shaldon Zoo if you resented your ferry tickets but am not sure in recent years.

Try Angels Tea Rooms in Babbacombe for a cream tea they are amazing !Cockington Village near Torquay is also lovely and has tea rooms .

Stover Country Park is lovely 😊

The Pizza Cafe in Newton Abbot itself does evening meals and has a decent children’s menu, but might it might be a bit childish and the pizzas on the regular menu aren’t massive.
Just outside Newton Abbott, I’d recommend The Combe Cellars and The Linny.

Thank you all.

I've also just found online South Devon railway - looks like you can go on a train trip and visit an Buckfast Otter and butterfly farm - does anyone know if that's any good?

Pizza cafe in Newton abbot 😋😋
Teignmouth beach, nice playground on the seafront, small ferry across to shaldon from there is fun.

@Rainbowbrite82

Thank you all.

I've also just found online South Devon railway - looks like you can go on a train trip and visit an Buckfast Otter and butterfly farm - does anyone know if that's any good?

Yes, the South Devon Railway is on the same site as Buckfastleigh Otter Sanctuary & Butterfly House. The Otter Sanctuary is open atm but the Butterfly is closed unfortunately. The Railway is lovely - several small trains to ride on, play area & then the big trains go down to Totnes.

Thanks @APurpleSquirrel So -sorry to ask basic questions but the website isn't that clear - do you pay for the train and sanctuary together, get the train to the sanctuary then back again? How long is the journey?

Following for upcoming holiday!

Technically the railway & sanctuary are separate businesses but share a site. There is a car park which you can use for both. But there isn't a combined ticket for both places as far as I'm aware. So you'd need to book the sanctuary & railway separately.

Oh, I see @APurpleSquirrel The website isn't very clear!

@Rainbowbrite82

Thank you all.

I've also just found online South Devon railway - looks like you can go on a train trip and visit an Buckfast Otter and butterfly farm - does anyone know if that's any good?

Yes, the kids will like the otters. It's a nice place and well organised for visitors and families. Shame the butterfly bit is closed, but the otters are very sweet.

I'd recommend an afternoon in Totnes too. Nice little town, good cafes, cute little independent shops.

@APurpleSquirrel can I just ask why you said the the butterfly place is closed? It doesn't say anything about it not being open on the website?

This is the place isn't it ? ottersandbutterflies.co.uk/pages/species-to-see

Ahh maybe they've started opening it. I checked last week & it said the butterfly house was still closed but looks like that might have changed. If so, that's great - the butterflies are amazing!

Oh fab! Thanks @APurpleSquirrel - you and the other posters have been very helpful.