CAFE ONBOARD in Torridge

Fantastic service and food is excellent and great value for money. Wide variety of food fr meals to snacks... come shine or rain as various places to sit , whatever the weather..

Food is great ,tasty and very reasonably priced. Sitting on board you can watch the mullet swimming by, all the different sea birds feed,cormorants,egrets, storks,oyster catchers, geese, absolutely brilliant to watch We go most weekends and look forward to our next visit. Anete and Bob are great hosts.

What a Hidden gem right up our ally !!! we love quirky places. service was fast too . we sat inside and timed it just right as it poured down . nice cheap food fry up a fiver cup of tea £1.50 perfect prices . thank you so much for making us so welcome . filled us up nicely for our walk to Appledoor on the coast path .

I hate to say this as I love this cafe as a spot it's great and the decor is amazing but the food is way below par. Have a coffee and enjoy the atmosphere and the surroundings but don't expect the food to be very good.

It was such a friendly place to visit, we had food and drinks, would highly recommended it to everyone , will definitely go aboard this boat again

Popped in here mid-afternoon yesterday on a rainy Saturday. We were visiting Bideford from Bristol, and what a surprise this cafe was. So quirky & retro - loved the old Angela Lansbury musical on the TV. Ordered some coffee, a hotdog, and a toasted egg bap - all delicious. Owners and waiter very friendly. The whole experience was fun, and memorable. It's an absolute gem. An eccentric one off. The boat café is also licensed, and I bet there's a rockin' good night to be had there too. Really loved it. 🤩

We parked in the riverside carpark,and then saw the Cafe. We had no idea of what to expect, but decided to give it a go. We otdered the Chinese basket, and had only a short time to wait for our freshly cooked meal It was delicious, and we both decided that the chips were the best we had ever tasted. We spoke to the lady owner,who said that they cooked thing to order..We had lovely views of the river and of East the Water. We shall definitely call again.

We heard about this fabulous cafe through a family member who had found it. It is not hugely advertised that it is there but once stumbled upon, we don't now go anywhere else!! It has a lovely outside space for those lovely sunny days. Great for relaxing, looking at the stunning views of the river and surrounding countryside. If it's a colder, wetter day, the inside area has a fabulous retro feel to it. A fire in the centre of the cabin and an old musical film on the screen, makes it feel warm and inviting and you can stay there for hours without realising! It is nice that ithe inside is kept as a quieter area for those that just want to sit and chill. There is plenty of outside space (some under cover) for larger groups. The food is very good value for money, tasty and good portions. You must try the hot dogs, they are the best ever!! The husband and wife team are very welcoming and accommodating. An absolute hidden gem and on top of all that... very dog friendly!

If there’s one thing you can’t fault the manageress of it’s living her truth. We arrived with a couple of friends on a wet and stormy day with our sleeping newborns, having spotted the cafe sign during our walk. And wow what a welcome! We walked inside and found we were the only people onboard and smiled hello to the lady behind the bar. We were met with a very unhappy lady who made absolutely zero effort in hiding her distaste for our arrival. We sheepishly ordered drinks and a portion of “gormet chips” for one of our friends. We enjoyed the retro decor and views out of the windows onto the river, whilst also taking note of the handwritten sign “no screaming kids” and thanked all the Gods that our babies were asleep. Whilst avoiding making eye contact with the angry lady at the bar and making sure to keep our voices low, we enjoyed cosying up to warm up next to the fire and finish our drinks as quickly as possible. I’d love to say we’ll visit again but I’m not sure I’m that brave!

Ramp to walk onto deck. Lovely view of bideford. Clean and tidy. One way system inside. Open deck for outside sitting. Beautiful interior decorations. Friendly staff. Good price of food. Coffee was a machine operated and a bit watery which could be improved. Food came out in good time and good portion size to be fulfilled but not stuffed. We both had a lovely fry up.

I was reminded how much I love this cafe when I visited for the first time in years recently. I had a cheese toasty, that was delicious, and a glass of wine. I like to sit indoors and enjoy the quirky decor, thriving pot plants, and vintage films on the TV. I like how it is requested by the owners that inside is a quiet are...no noisy phones or families. This is definitely my first choice of cafe in the area. Unique, unpretentious, relaxed ambience and genuine friendly staff.

Recently moved to area and have the family down including an 18 month old. Perfect location for a pit stop mid walk, good value Beer and snacks. Plenty of things to attract attention of little ones... Will become a regular stopping place, even without the "Little One"

Stopped by for brunch this morning, absolutely fabulous, great prices and great food, could fault nothing, will be back next time we up in the motorhome, licenced so glass of wine with breakfast!!

Love this place. We called here for lunch, having previously only had drinks and cake. The food is excellent, nicely presented and a great price. Love sitting on the top deck as it makes me fee as ifl I am on a river cruise.

A little confusing about ordering The deck was very dirty with used cups all over the place , tables weren’t cleaned and the whole deck was in need of a sweep and mop. Food was good and was served fairly quickly. Good value. Just needs a tidy up to be more inviting.

A great location with views over the river. A lovely cup of tea and a delicious hotdog and cheese toasties at a great price 😊

this is a great place to eat/drink on river on a hot day but its not very disable friendly but friendly staff

I was with a friend who knew thy accepted dogs. We were greeted warmly and the dog had treats. Nice choice of food. Nice prices. Dogs were given treats and treated wonderfully. Lovely burger and the bread is particularly good. Very friendly staff ,good food...

Always receive a warm and friendly welcome, and it’s the only time my dog walks fast when she realises we’re headed to the Café. Warm and toasty in winter and love watching the birds on the mud flats when sitting out on deck on fine...

Quirky atmospheric place to stop and have a drink and something to eat.Lovely views of the river and fabulously warm inside thanks to the wood burner.Dogs are welcome which is nice to see.Food was very tasty.Thank you Captain.

This cafe was a chance find, but a good one. It is 'housed' on board a ship moored near the mouth of the estuary. But the interior is a work of art in its own right. It was just before Christmas, and they appeared to...

We enjoyed a extremely nice light lunch in an interesting setting with really welcoming service at a busy time. We were able to park almost next to the barge and hope to return again soon. It may not be easy to access with a mobility...

It’s a nice place sit and reasonably priced but our cake were 3 days past the sell by date. Will try again one day mainly for the views over the Torridge.

Called in for breakfast. Lovely choice available. Ordered food and didn’t have to wait long for it to be brought to the table. It was one of the best breakfasts we have had for a longtime. The service was excellent and the owner was very...

Always receive a friendly welcome and a delicious cup of tea and my dog is so excited when she realises we’re calling in. Doggy heaven with lots of fuss and biscuit treats. I particularly look forward to watching the birds on the mudflats, what better...

Known about this for a long time but this year was the first time we have been on board. Its a great cafe, great prices and a good experience. We only had coffee and a cake but the meals seem very nice and we will...

I spotted this online and was not disappointed. Gorgeous place, very lovely barge on the canal. Easily accessible from the carpark, a nice little stroll down the canal. Very tastefully decorated interior, very comfortable. Surprisingly didn't feel like we were on a boat, no motion!...

A lovely find in Bideford is this cafe onboard a boat. Food was tasty and arrived quickly. Perfect place to take children. Very good value. Friendly staff.

Always a fun place to visit and if you want a sunny drink after midday in Bideford, it's the only place that is open all afternoon. Food and drink are reasonably priced but it's the fun atmosphere of the place on a boat which we...

Parked almost right next door. Had excellent lunch time fare. Got on bus to Tapely House stop and walked back the 2 miles with ms mutley to the barge on a wonderful summers afternoon. Fantastic little trip with great food.

We only stumbled upon this fantastic boat as we were about to walk to Appledore and what a cool place. Very friendly and great retro decor. A real good experience and lots of grub and the biggest variety of slush puppies I've ever seen! Food...

Lovely little cafe on board a boat. Cheap food and drinks. Very quirky, with outside seating overlooking the estuary.

This barge is on the water, it has a ramp onto it, and has loads of things to look at. The breakfast was fantastic and a very good price. We went up onto the deck ,but it does have steps to get to, you can...

nice warm welcome after a long walk. good choice od f food available. Unusual décor but it works. would like to re visit on a warm day and sit on the outside deck.

We have visited Bideford many times over the years but have never come across this quirky little jewel before, probably because we have never parked that far down the car park- what a mistake! Warm and welcoming, good reasonably priced food and a great choice...

Had a meander through Devon on our way home from Cornwall, decided to park up and walk the dog for a bit. Stumbled upon this fabulous boat ! Dog friendly, they accept cards it's cheap, cheerful and the owners are wonderful ! Thoroughly enjoyed my...

Always have a coffee sitting out on the boat every time we visit Bideford. I do tend to walk along the Tarka Trail to Bideford. It’s a superb location, it’s licensed so coffee and a brandy is always a good shout, great cafe.

This cafe, aboard a converted boat, has great indoor/outdoor spaces where appetising food (quickly & expertly cooked) is served with a smile. The bar has decent ales/ciders as well as a good range of soft drinks & beverages at great prices. The decor is quirky...

Just been for the first time. Sat inside warmed by log burner. Very friendly lady running it, dogs welcome. We just had drinks, very reasonable prices. Recommend a visit. you

Went here for a family party and the atmosphere was great. Good choice at the bar, good munch food (hot & cold) and the onboard log burner was fabulously heating the place. Jukebox (free) had plenty of choice so all ages could enjoy a dance...

I love this eccentric, family and dog friendly, boat cafe which I try to visit whenever I am in Bideford. The couple who run this amazing place are as lovely and quirky as their surroundings. There is always an old film playing and arcade games,...

friendly, comfortable and cost effective. We stumbled on this gem while passing through Bideford - and so pleased we did! If you want conversation and reasonably priced food while sat by a wood burning stove on a cold Winter day, then this is the place...

We went ONBOARD, on 28th Dec., with a friend who lives nearby and uses it quite often. I had cod goujons, chips, peas and onion rings - seriously well cooked and enjoyable, The other two had burgers of some sort - plates all cleared. We...

Very quirky cafe offering snacks, drinks and coffee and tea. We had baked potatoes with cheese and beans - not bad. Interesting old adverts and old black and white films are showing all the time on the tv. I would imagine it’s nicer in the...

It is a great venue and really good food served in a timeless old fashioned way. in a basket, think chicken in a basket! But.....And this a serious but it is filthy, I have regularly popped in since it opened and each time something else...

Great place to eat with quirky by the bucket load. Brilliant atmosphere with loads of memorabilia. Lovely food, especially the proper chunky chips. Big choice on the menu. Great choice of beer. Really great value. All topped off with sitting on a ship looking out over the river. Dog and child friendly too. Brilliant place. Highly recommended and completely unpretentious.

Travelling around Bideford on a bright sunny day and found this quirky little place. It has a lovely view over the river and remarkably quiet with the park behind you just by the carpark. Easy access with seating inside and out. Not poncey or expensive just good honest reasonable priced food and a cuppa for a pound, so can’t be bad. Will certainly be be putting this on my ‘coffee stops ‘whilst out on the bike.

Came here for breakfast before the bike show in May after recommendation from a friend. Not sure why! It was great that we could bring our dog in - kept firmly on a short lead unlike other dogs who were roaming around freely. Atmosphere was spoiled by some badly behaved children climbing the furniture and throwing things - poor parenting by the mother, not down to the owners. My poor review is for the fact that our breakfasts were served on paper plates! Apart from not being eco friendly, it didn't help that the grease made these plates soggy. Took an age for my husband to be able to place our order as no where does it say whether to go to the bar or they come to the table and he had just as much trouble trying to pay - couldn't find any one. Sadly won't be returning.

Whilst in Bideford recently we decided to re visit the cafe onboard at the quayside.we called in to have a coffee break and we met Annette who owns the cafe with her husband and they are very nice and welcoming people.There is inside seating and outside seating on 2 levels where you can relax an enjoy the river torrid get views whilst having a coffee or light snack.It is a wonderful situation and well worth the visit.Small observation is that the outside of the boat needs a bit of sprucing up but am sure the owners are aware of this and will rectify in due course but this does not detract from the quirkiness of the cafe.Annette has a Jude box which has a portfolio of artists records from the past such as elvis Presley etc should you feel the need to reflect.would highly recommend a visit if visiting bideford.Also the cafe prices are very reasonable and dogs are welcome.

Popped in with my daughter as feeling peckish one afternoon, great selection of food, tasty chicken curry but would have been nice to have been served with rice, had side order of chips, pleasant enough but whole place a tad tired looking and toilet facilities were smelly and dirty, not worth a second visit.

Have eaten here a few times and have never been disappointed. Cheese toastie.. great, fish finger sandwich.. great, cheese ploughman’s... good...I would have liked a dash more pickle... That being said I can’t fault this place for value, yes it’s not fancy but simple well cooked grub at a great price and sometimes that’s just what you want.

Mum lives in Bideford, we live in Yorkshire. Cafe Onboard is a first port of call when we arrive for a visit. Food is always tasty, freshly prepared and reasonably priced and we've always been made to feel welcome by the lady who has taken our order - even our little dog has been royally treated with biscuits! We've sat inside if the weather is set against us, and out on deck in the sunshine taking in the river views. Thoroughly recommended. Oh, and if Truffle, our dog, started barking incessantly when we were inside, we'd move outside without having to be asked :-)

Having only ever had the ice creams from the Cafe On The Barge it’d be unfair to make a full assessment on the quality of food. Every time we’ve been in to get one the staff have been friendly - the price for a 99 with a flake is exactly that, 99p, so much cheaper than the Hockings van at the other end of the car park and the taste isn’t too far different. The only negative experience I’ve had is when I went in to try and swap a ten pound note for change to use the car park so my wife, children and I could play before our ice cream. It was begrudgingly given over after comments they would not have anything left to give their regular customers if they came to ask for change as well. Understandably a small business won’t have a large float(excuse the boat pun) but to comment and single out the occasional user from a regular customer seemed a bit odd.

First time here despite having lived here for years ! Took family with us who were visiting from up country. Wonderful, friendly staff, sat up on deck overlooking the Torridge. Food arrived presented beautifully, was fresh tasty and a real bargain at less that £20 for four of us including drinks. Loved it and shall be back :)

Went there with the children and the dog, had a slushy, some good food and a bargain ice cream, beautiful relaxing setting and very friendly owners, they made sure my dog got a treat as well, love it.

FABULOUS staff, LOVELY food. Cheap. friendly, and fun. Always smiley. Often busy. Dogs are SUPER welcome - sometimes moreso than actual paying customers!! ha ha! Your kids need to be controlled - there are limited staff, this is a licensed premises, and run by a small, and busy family who have their own lives going on around your dinner. It is not a playground, however, my daughter has always been welcomed and shown affection and absolute kindness.

Rude. We were so excited to have chips on the boat. When the chips came out the baby cried to eat them before they were cool, within two minutes the male owner came and said “you’ll have to take that screaming kiddie out.” Pointing to an outside room he said “this isn’t working for me.” So I had to get up humiliated and carry two plates of food, push the pushchair and get the bigger two to move through a large line of people to an outside seat. I felt about an inch tall Not family friendly

Richard walked from Westward Ho! to Bideford and back via the coastal path, which takes you through the large car park close on the estuary of the River Torridge where he saw this moored boat, ‘Café Onboard’ with a warning upon boarding that they do not do ‘quick’.

When we spotted this at the far end of the carpark we thought it'd be a novelty place to have a spot of lunch. We were right! Tide was out and the boat was nestled into the mudbank but what a quirky cafe!

What a fun venue at the far end of Bideford Park. Took 90 year old for her Birthday lunch and we all loved it. Choice of places to sit, inside or out. Menu varied, good basics, excellent BLT.

We accidentally found the place when visiting the park at Bideford & getting caught in the rain. Yes its quirky but brilliant. Very cheap too. We were quite happy sat at the window looking through the binoculars then I saw they had a Gene Kelly movie on, happy. I saw others eating; Simple but clean food. When finished we went up on deck which is also covered over.

We recently came to Devon for a Holliday and on the second to

First time visit on board, though been past many times. What a great place, definitely be revisiting!!

Had a fab time. Great experience and staff. Definately going back to reach top score on the pinball machine. Will certainly spread the word.

Quirky, sitting having a drink here is a joy very reasonable prices a 99 ice cream is actually still only 99p. The food taste good and is good value for money and the people are very friendly nothing to much trouble.

Wanted to take my niece out for breakfast on her 16th so decided to go to the boat on the quay. Friendly welcoming staff and on a beautiful day like today being sat out on deck is blissful, will definately be back again

El ambiente a bordo de este gran café Amarrado a orillas del río Torridge en Bideford inmediatamente acogedor y peculiar. La comida es excelente, preparado por el propietario y su pareja a bordo de hija que no podía haber sido más amable. Estábamos buscando un sitio para comer mientras desde paseos nuestra 2 años Cavalier King Charles Spaniel y noté ''Dogs Bienvenido a bordo", lo cual es refrescante: Rosie (nuestro perro) sábado tranquilamente bajo la mesa mientras comíamos. Dentro de la cafetería/restaurante está impecablemente limpio, decorado y excentricidad 1960 / 70 música juega alegremente en el fondo. Fuimos a finales de febrero y me imagino que debe ser glorioso en el verano. Yo creo que podíamos pasar todo el día explorando esta barcaza fabulosamente decoradas. ¡volveremos! !

Very friendly and welcoming. A unique and quirky place I will be visiting again (even if the tide is out).

Amarrado en el río en el extremo del parque, este barco es peculiar y divertido. Perros bienvenido a bordo, y gran variedad de bocadillos sabrosos. Una película sobre "50" era la cultura juvenil en la Loop permanente en el bar. Lugar perfecto para pasar una tarde. Excelente té, (incluyendo descafeinado) y hacen una buena variedad de cervezas y sidras, que cuestan un poco más, pero el entorno es bastante única.

Hoy fue mi primera visita aquí. Fue simplemente geniales. Este es mi lugar favorito, visitaré regularmente.

Encontramos este fantástico barco cuando visiten el parque buena selección de bebidas calientes y frías, con una gran variedad de cervezas sidras y vinos. En una tarde soleada era agradable para sentarse y mirar el agua a los niños les encantó. No comer comida había parado, pero estamos planeando regresar y comer el menú tiene mucho para ofrecer a muy buenos precios.

Visited with the mrs for breakfast. Would have been nice to have a choice of a full English but their breakfast baps were huge and really tasty. Nice to sit on deck and look over the river. The interior was really quirky and retro British. My Mrs had a nice long chat in a common language she shared with the owners wife. A really interesting option in Bideford!

Just found this quirky cafe. Only called for a drink on this occasion but will be back if only for breakfast baps...great value for money.

We were happy to stumble accross this boat when visiting the local park. It has a nice seating area outside overlooking the water and boats and distant hills. There is a great choice of drinks available (beer, wine, soft drinks and hot drinks) we were also suprised they served food. Will definately go back and have a drink and relax on this boat again

Quirky, interesting interior packed with retro slot machines and vintage "stuff". Loads to look at and talk about. Good service, food and river views. Will definitely revisit.

Friendly staff, great views of the River Torridge. We only had a snack but I have to say that the food and coffee was plentiful but average. With lots of cafes in Bideford to choose from I'm not sure that the great location of Cafe Onboard will be enough to lure me back.

This is a cafe on a boat. The main cabin is quirky and filled with all sorts of treasures - table football, old fashioned coin operated games, musical instruments on the wall and a pinball machine. Worth a visit just to play on it. A wide range of food from breakfasts to full meals and everything in between. The bacon butties were generous - three rashers and free ketchup. Prices were keen and the views across the estuary are great. There are open deck areas and covered areas to sit out too. A fantastic discovery.

Been coming to Bideford for several years, discovered the barge this year. So impressed with the food on our first visit went back 3 more times before we left! Quality food, well cooked and presented, very friendly and helpful staff in a unique setting. On our next visit we won't be eating anywhere else!

Definitely an alternative venue. Stunning views and a great idea for a cafe. Shame that the kitchen was closed and very little on offer.

Good food, Nice to sit out on deck whilst the tide is coming in, Our food was just what we wanted Fish & chips sitting out on deck eating with our fingers was great, oh and a mug of tea. This could become our breakfast place now the Caravan has gone from the link road.

A beautiful setting, with friendly staff and freshly made food. It was very busy on the first day we visited, so were warned there would be a wait for food. No problem, we had our drinks and sat looking at the unique view of the Torridge, chatting and relaxing until our food arrived hot and fresh and yummy. The lovely lady there gave our dog a treat too, so nice that the dog is welcome. If you want fast food, go to Macdonalds, if you want a great atmosphere, friendly service and somewhere to sit and relax I thoroughly recommend this place :) Kids love their slushies and ice creams too.

First visit to this unusual cafe/bistro, Big breakfast is exactly that, nice coffee and friendly service,Will see you again soon thankyou

Recently came here for breakfast with friends. Lovely quirky little cafe, full of retro toys to entertain the children,staff are really friendly, the food was really Nice and very good value for money. Will be returning soon!

Go here quite often for a beer or coffee in the daytime, lovely setting on the river. Nice to sit on the deck when the weather permits, though it's a little higgledy piggildy furniture wise. I know Bob the owner is constantly work on the boat to improve it so I reserve my opion untill he's finished or I could die first as it iss a massive project.

Four of us went to Bideford specifically to see the Richard Long exhibition at Burton Gallery. Wondering where to eat for lunch I looked on Tripadvisor for a dog friendly place. We were right on the quay anyway so went to this place which is on a barge moored alongside.Initially we were disappointed in seeing the menu which was a 'greasy spoon' type menu. However I ordered the all-day breakfast whilst the others ordered toasted sandwiches. Ok it wasn't the greatest lunch but it was a place where I would go again. The owner bent over backwards to please and for that reason alone I will revisit next time I am in Bideford.

Stopped for coffee sat on deck in the sun top deck a little bit basic but spotlessly clean. Ended up having fantastic bacon sandwiches again staff could not do enough to help from bringing food and drink out ( its self service) to helping with steps. A real find unfortunately tide out but still nice highly recomended thanks