Dolly's Cafe in North Devon

We booked here for breakfast before our trip home from a short break. Ignored when we went in, then after asking we were stuck on a table next to the toilet with 2 young children and a dog. Asked about gluten free options and explained this was an intolerance for my daughter not an allergy. Weren’t prepared to help or advise, very uninterested - just continued serving at the till and more or less told us everything could have gluten in. We sat back down and looked at each other and I said to my husband “I’m really not happy here” and he replied “nor am I”. We left and on the way out briefly explained why but were ignored. They didn’t even say bye. Went down the road and discovered Ali @ Adele’s Cafe who were super with us, very accommodating, friendly and great food. Night and day compared to this place.

Poor service waitress very stressed and rude got my order completely wrong asked for 1 cheese on toast 1 egg 1 bacon got 2 cheese on toast 2 eggs and salad had to ask for my husband toast where she replies yes it's coming quite sharply when I told her my order was wrong she said that's the way it comes because of this waitress will never go back again and we always went there never again

Went for tea and a cake. The fella who served us was friendly. Tea OK. Carrot cake was dry. Tables sticky . The place was untidy and unorganised. Final put off was when going to the toilet which was unclean, untidy and had water all over the floor. I looked at the menu out of curiosity and 2 eggs on toast was 7.95. I wouldn't have given them tuppence. Needs a good clean and tidy up . Can't comment on the food except the carrot cake. Will not be returning. Felt grubby on leaving and I'm from Brum.

Ordered takeaway coffee because my partner and kids were in the park opposite and thought it would be quick. I was wrong. Extremely slow. Rude staff asked me to move away from the counter. Where else was I supposed to wait? One staff member checked with another who the coffee cups were for and when they said Takeaway he said "oh as long as no one's waiting" and then they all ignored us even longer. But I was waiting and just because I didn't sit in - I had still paid. Coffees were also very expensive. The many plates of food I saw being prepared during my long wait looked horrible. Very cheap looking sausages and big plastic jugs of congealed beans

Went in for doorstep style bacon sandwich to takeaway only to get charge the extortionate amount of £6.95 for two dry slices of really cheap Lidl bread two slices of fatty bacon and a good helping of tourist tax so unless you have a good savings account and don't care about the quality of the food, I suggest not going here

Stopped in on a day trip today... lovely coffee and excellent service 👌 with a smile too 😃... definitely 5 Star in my book...

We just cannot visit Ilfracombe without popping into Dolly’s on the Promenade for our cream tea. Proper old school, unspoiled seaside cafe. Excellent service and very prompt. Good menu selection from a range of breakfast dishes to sandwiches, regular main meals and sweat treats. It is our go to place after the tide has come in at the Tunnel Beaches.

Lucky find on Main Street on a wet half term Great comfy seating inside and out Excellent quality food we had local crab sandwiches served with crisps and side salad in amazing thick brown fresh bread! Warm fruit scones with clotted cream and jam. Our children had ham and cheese sandwiches again in fresh soft brown bread so much filling was amazing they eat the lot! Quick service friendly staff so understanding with messy children.🫢

Kids meals were decent and staff friendly. Not sure how a Devon Cream tea with the flag outside, can consist of jam from Essex and cornish cream :) And yes I put the jam on first as a result. Worth heading into but they could get a bigger scone!

On a brisk autumns morning with dew still on the windows, the smell of the sea in the air was intoxicating, i then opened the door to become overwhelmed by multiple sensations, the warm cafe air trickled through my clothes to warm me up, the smell of bacon and coffee intertwined, delighted me. I then sat down and the lovely lady who served me smiled with glee as she took my order, patiently jotting down my long list of what I craved for breakfast that particular morning, ingredient after ingredient, thing after thing.. I waited, it seemed like time and space froze, in that very moment, the lady who took my order was bringing me my behemoth of a breakfast, then my mouth began to salivate as my eyes glistened as she laid down the plate on my table, “its here, at last” what only was 10 minutes felt like an eternity, I was craving this exotic breakfast for so long! And there it was, infront of me, ready to be devoured. A bacon sandwich. It was delicious. I shall venture here again, it was a tale I look forward to telling at Christmas! I love ilfracombe, I love you.

Went to Dolly’s for a Devon cream tea that was very nice. Dog friendly which is a bonus, staff all very welcoming & friendly Barry our dog got a sausage which he loved licking his lips.

Very nice cafe. Had fish& chips were outstanding . Staff were very friendly and happy to help. Excellent menu with so much choice. Well worth a visit give it a try

We had the Cornish pasties with chips and salad it was a huge portion but delicious,staff was lovley .Lovley atmosphere,and very clean.we will come again.

Fantastic cafe,service and food. 100% recommended to visit when in Ilfracombe...best cafe in town. Will definitely come again

Amazing coffee amazing staff best cafe from the whole trip We took our pug dollie and found out the cafe was named after 18year old dollie ❤️

Came across Dolly's on the parade, menu looked quite good and decided on a sandwich. Looked really good when they arrived but bread was at least a couple of days old (filling was good) but had to leave quite a bit of bread. Husband ordered chips to go with his but when they came they were hard as if not cooked enough so we're left as well, husband had cream tea which was fine as the cream and jam came in sealed pots (bought in externally) Sorry would not visit again as cost was £28 for a poor lunch.

Hospitality was Awesome could not find a fault in the quality and the quantity easy access for a wheelchair out front and inside

Super Breakfast! Two full English and a complimentary pot of sausage for the dog! Great friendly service and value for money breakfast!

We had such a friendly welcome, and were served quickly and efficiently, which with hungry kids is what you need. The menu is quite extensive for a small venue and cooked really well. My eldest loved the fried breakfast- it nearly defeated him. Two of us had jackets with tuna, which although a simply dish, were done perfectly - the potatoes were huge and incredibly fluffy. The kids enjoyed the chips and pasty they had only criticising the chicken bites

Brilliant friendly service, big portions, quality food The sandwiches are huggeee Great selection on the menu !

Good service, excellent food great value crab sandwich and both coffees and tea good. Graet place for lunch or tea break at the seafront

Brilliant food, lovely friendly staff, sensible prices, highly recommend as a lunch spot whilst sightseeing in Ilfracombe.

Really great breakfast,the choice is good and always cooked very well,there is always wonderful pots of Miles tea and delicious milkshakes.Their ice cream is really tasty,especially the choc chip! Service is as quick as they can be when they get busy,as food is freshly prepared but well worth any waiting.Martin,Kate,Sue,Fran and Millie are all waiting to welcome you,we would highly recommend.

Dolly's scores highly on both service and their choice of seating options, inside, outside pavement tables or across the road, closer to Wildersmouth Beach. And, watching the steady & efficient flow of refreshment I got the impression that nothing would phase the cheerful front of...

A lovely all day breakfast at a good price. Dolly's is a gem with friendly staff and is bright and airy. Cheers to Fran for making me laugh.

We enjoyed our meal here..but find the whole layout of the building wrong,the food prep,till,and ice cream bar all in the way of each other,getting a lot of people in the way of each other..how about taking the table away from the door and put...

A friend and I chose to have lunch here on a busy Saturday Bank Holiday weekend. The outdoor seating is directly across the street from the café, the Staff are extremely helpful and bring the food to you if you choose to eat outside. Fresh...

We were on holiday as a family and the area is amazing. We fancied a cooked breakfast out and decided on dolllys as we could sit outside in the sun with our dogs. Everything seemed perfect until we got our order, well most of it....

We were so impressed with Dolly's Cafe. The food was very good and the staff were spot on. It was a delight to eat there and thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Came here with our dog after a walk on the beach. Very friendly staff and food was good portions at a reasonable price. Made to feel welcome and they even give the dogs a sausage. Lovely cafe well worth a visit.

A brilliant dog friendly cafe. We’ve visited three mornings on the trot. Food, freshly cooked, hot and tasty. Good choice of menu.

Popped in with our two dogs on the off chance and were pleasantly surprised. Staff was friendly, polite and efficient. Food was good too.

A big 'Thank You' to the lovely staff of Dolly's. My friend and I turned up just before closing time and nothing was too much for them. We had a lovely Cream Tea with warm scones. We weren't rushed to finish. The ladies were so...

I’m not sure where all the negativity comes from in those that reviewed this place as bad! The staff were great and run like a well oiled wheel! It was a great experience and the food was good. The staff were friendly and I myself...

We stopped for breakfast here (no-where else was open) and it was a great decision. The staff were so friendly, the menu was good and the food tasty. The cakes looked great but we didn't taste test them. They do a great hot chocolate here!

We visited last week whist staying at the Imperial Hotel. We had a Devon cream tea and it was excellent. Staff friendly, quick to serve and we thought price very, very reasonable. if we were at the resort longer we would have visited again.

We live locally in Barnstaple and took dad to Ilfracombe for a few hours to see the sea on his 90th birthday today. He's not usually comfortable to eat out but after 2hrs in the sun and the sea breeze he was ready for a...

Lovely little cafe ,think family owned and run,friendly welcome fast service food lovely ,we went couple of times while on hols would definitely recommend dog friendly too

Good drinks, good food. Good service and friendly inviting staff. And of course dog friendly and a free sausage for your pet. Well done.

We called in for a coffee before going for a drive round the area. Then we returned mid afternoon for a meal. I have to use a small scooter to get about and asked if it was OK to bring it in to the cafe....

Sat outside in the sunshine over the road from the Cafe. Gluten Free Carrot Cake was very good, Gluten Free Millionaire’s Shortbread was bought in and fairly standard. Disappointing that there was no Gluten Free and Dairy Free Cake option. Washed down with peppermint tea...

My husband and I always use this wonderful cafe in Ilfracombe, a warm welcome awaits you from Martin, Sue and Fran and the rest of the staff. The food is very good value and cooked well, wonderful pots of tea and their cream teas are...

We are staying in Ilfracombe at the Imperial Hotel for a week,I have been to this cafe twice before,you get served quickly,lots of daily specials,cakes galore,really cheap too,I had the chefs special cheese and onion quiche,chips and salad,Chocolate milkshake,Woww tasted amazing all of it,my mum...

I found the staff especially the young woman Katie very pleasant and welcoming I enjoyed the crab sandwich and cream tfas while in Devon which is whats ots know for i would recommend dolly's cafe if your in ilfracombe 10 out of 10

I had an egg Mayo sandwich. Two very thick slices of white bread and much too much filling which put me off. I had to take over half of it out as it was impossible to eat being so thick. Because of the amount of...

We went there today and had lunch.Lovely staff.The food was amazing,very large portions.For six of us it was £59 and that was with drinks and extra drinks after the meal.They even gifted my daughter some lovely chocolate's as it was her 18th birthday.Would definitely go...

Looked good from the outside but be wary especially if you’re hungry….food was well overpriced, and of very poor quality- you’re better off at wetherspoons just down the street. Poorly run and not very clean. Especially with loads of really lovely places for food and...

Wow the Dolly's big breakfast is very filling. All freshly cooked. The doorstep toast was amazing with lashings of butter. Delicious.

My husband and I popped in here with our dog for a spot of lunch and a cream tea. Really friendly welcome, we were able to take the dog inside which was a real treat as it was a bit chilly. Super friendly staff and...

I love going to Dolly's. Lovely food. We had a crab sandwich with all the trimmings and a piece of cake with ice cream and I certainly didn't want anything else to eat for the rest of the day. I was lovely.

We went twice to Dolly's as our holiday apartment was a couple of doors away. First time for a cooked breakfast, the quality of the food wasn't great but you take your chances at cafes. The second time was a wet afternoon and I fancied...

Seaside caffs are judged for all the wrong reasons. We like the attitude that says "You are on holiday and I am going to help you enjoy it". That is what we got here. Fab people who work hard to make it all go around....

Although the food was ok, the coffee was vial This place is an over priced greasy spoon that offers cream teas They aren’t bothered about order of service - people that come in/ordered after me were served before me and all I had was a...

I've been here twice. Once years ago and vowed to not come here again. Due to other places in town being full, and needing some breakfast before work, I decided to try again....7 years later. I asked for scrambled egg and beans. I was served...

Surprised by previous reviews...the staff were helpful and friendly, food was traditional and very tasty and the price was fair. A traditional seaside cafe with a good view to people watch.

Lovely little seaside cafe with good views. It’s nothing glamorous however there was good service and the food is very fairly priced with decent sized portions.

First of all the staff are rude and very ignorant. Second of all we waited nearly an hour after we placed our order. Then on top of that they got our order wrong. We ordered 3 all day breakfasts 2 cokes and an Earl grey....

Rude staff. Iced coffee was not icy cold and the worst I’ve ever had. I asked for some extra ice and they said they didn’t have any. OMAG. Go anywhere else! AVOID.

3 visits there in a week’s stay, good VFM and in nice setting, friendly staff - when next back in the area will be back for another Full English + cuppa

Rude staff and poor service. Disappointing. I’d recommend going to one of the many other food places in Ilfracombe.

Loved the fresh, yummy doorstep bread that the butties were served on. You get a good size portion and the service was fast and friendly which was good appreciating how busy the place was. The place was clean and took card payment. They seemed to...

Our food was disappointing, including a gritty crab sandwich, Lidl table sauces and long life orange juice passed off as fresh. Overpriced food and could not believe they wanted £4.30 for a double cornet! Toilet cleaning products outside the toilets in the main cafe. Waitresses...

We came in for breakfast. Absolutely no COVID consideration. There were loads of staff and none had face masks on. The person who served us hadn’t washed their hands and they were visibly ditty. The food was of a really low standard vs the price...

Ordered the full English unsure what the sausages were made of, but certainly wasn’t pork, cheap and disgusting .The whole experience of sitting inside the cafe was like a scene from the film deliverance.

Quite possibly one of the oddest atmospheres I've experienced while going out for food. It looks lovely but our waitress seemed a bit out of it. She gave us 3 glasses for 9 people, cake forks to eat fry ups and jacket potatoes and looked...

ate a light lunch here and not one of the waiting staff or kitchen staff were wearing masks! Seeing as this is still the law I cannot believe it!!!

We went on a sunny day, enticed by the outside area, we sat at a table. Waitress came over and said, ' I'll come back to take your order' sat and waited a while then another waitress came over we told her we were waiting...

Popped in for some coffees to takeaway, 3 lattes, a cappuccino, Americano and cold coffee. The very pleasant lady asked what a cold coffee was, I explained how it was made and she said 'I can make you a coffee and let it go cold!'....

Always greeted by happy welcoming staff no matter how busy they are. Treat the dogs so well bringing them a bowl of water and free chopped up sausage. Food is great too

We came in just for drinks but I was not impressed. The drinks themselves were good however the way the tables and seating inside has been done it looks tatty, there were also numerous staff not following covid procedures and there appeared to be alot...

We stumbled upon the cafe and were greeted by lovely staff, welcomed us and the dog. He was given water and a sausage. There were lots of staff working, all so polite and friendly, service was super efficient and food was lovely.

Mini me and I visited Dolly's on a warm and sunny day in Ilfracombe. We knew that we would need lots of food to last us until lunchtime. Samantha is an amazing waitress, give her a promotion! Food was tasty and plentiful, thank you!. Luke...

I hate leaving negative feedback but if you are still talking about how terrible something was over a week later, you probably have to get that off your chest. We popped into Dolly's late afternoon midweek to get some lunch after a long drive. The...

Dolly's was a great pit-stop on our long walk. Covid secure with outdoor tables and a lovely view! Food and drinks were quick and tasty, thank you!

Was on holiday for half term with my family when we visited, i though the food was great i had a doorstop sandwich which was lovely. Will be returning when we are on holiday again next year.

Visited 1 week ago, on holiday, 4 adults, 2 toddlers. Quite busy and popular, staff really friendly. Table with Test & Trace sign/log in, sanitiser, at entrance. Had a short wait for an empty table which was then sanitised, staff all in masks, high chairs...

Sadly a very poor standard of drinks and food. Service fine but seriously - drinks were like muddy water and cakes bone dry.

We popped in for a cup of tea and breakfast, we had a window table with lots of space between us and the next table, the staff were friendly and efficient and the food really good value for money. We had toast and marmalade and...

We’d been looking for somewhere to have a sandwich and after being basically everywhere we stumbled across Dolly’s, it has an old fashioned look about it I didn’t want that to put me off. We were sat at a table and we’re NOT asked to...

Visited here and was appalled at the hygiene standards applied by on of the waitresses here. Everyone is required to wear a face mask and sanitise their hands due to current covid-19 outbreak. Waitress in question either had her mask hanging off 1 ear, hanging...

Also called Dolly’s Tea Rooms. Very basic and no thought as to the presentation of food. Someone else stated like 1970’s transport cafe couldn’t agree more. Ordered a tuna mayo sandwich the Tuna clearly just tipped out of the tin onto the bread. No sign...

A good example of the British seaside eaterie, right down to the plastic tablecloths! Seemed to be staffed mainly by teen-agers with varying degrees of customer service skills, but the woman in charge was doing a good job of supervision. Food was basic and typical...

This was our first trip to Ilfracombe and found this fantastic cafe which is super dog friendly. Staff are so very friendly and welcoming and treat dogs well (spoiling them with sausages). Would definitely recommend and return if ever this way.

Friendly staff and service, lovely warm scones and tea. Good value for money and a warm and welcome atmosphere.

Came in last week for a sandwich & a coffee. Staff running around absolutely manic to the point of tripping over each other. I don’t actually think the Covid guidelines have been read by management What I witnessed The same cloth being used for every table being cleaned The area side to the counter is used for dropping of dirty dishes and preparation of cakes & cream teas Bottles of sauces vinegar salt & pepper (these should all be Sachets) although I did witness the bottles being cleaned (with the same cloth that had just wiped crumbs onto the floor).Kitchen staff crossing into counter area wearing an outside jacket. The food was just average, apart from the brown lettuce and being drown in dressing I’m guessing to disguise the spoiling of lettuce and soggy crisps.And then the toilet .... no toilet roll holder so was expected to pick a roll up of the floor to use. Hand dryer not working, had to dry hands with blue roll outside of toilet area. And that poor man sat by the toilet with everyone going in and out of the toilet breathing on him .... well if I was him I would have actually walked out Go in at your own risk is all I can say.

Really friendly staff, incredible sausage sandwiches and the dog can also highly recommend the sausages as he was given one cut up for him

We went to Dolly’s after a lovely boat ride from the harbour.As we waited at the door entrance a lady came to us and showed us to a table. I placed an order for two cups of tea for my husband and I and a glass of lemonade for our daughter. A waitress brought them to our table. I found her to be unfriendly.After we’d drank our tea my daughter said there was a funny taste to the lemonade she looked at the sell by date to our surprise it was dated June 2020! I took the bottle over and I spoke to a man at the counter and explained to him and showed him the bottle of lemonade.He went over to the fridge and brought another one I told him my daughter didn’t want another.He didn’t apologise.I found the staff unfriendly and the cafe not up to standard. I wouldn’t return here.

We stopped here for a cream tea and cheesy chips snack, very well priced, service was welcoming and fast, overall top notch! Wish we stayed longer in Ilfracombe to try rest of the vast menu.

Indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly staff. Dog friendly, brought out some water and sliced sausage for them. Nice cream teas with Tiptree jam. Good location on sea front.

Really poor. Hygiene was awful. Chefs were handling food like chips with their bare hands. Tables were left dirty from previous customers. Menus felt sticky and dirty. Staff were not friendly or welcoming. Restaurant was too hot. Felt unsafe health wise so left before even ordering. Would never recommend this place.

We visited Dolly's for breakfast last year while on holiday and our boys didn't want to leave Ilfracombe this year without visiting again. Food good old fashioned cafe food, really lovely, friendly staff. The service was relaxed, but we were in no rush to move on, we were happy to sit and chat as a family and spend some time together without dodging the rain! The place was as clean as you would expect a cafe to be. They had hand sanitiser at the door and you couldn't go in unless there was a table free so I believe it is as safe as most places we have visited and frankly, it's just a bit of common sense really. We'll be visiting again next year for sure :o)

Popped in for breakfast while on holiday and really liked this little cafe, looked really clean and had lovely friendly staff, we all had the breakfast and it tasted great fresh ingredients and quality food and loved the thick toast with the melted butter and the lovely lady serving toast brought us some extra over while we was waiting for our lovely food to come. I loved the unique decor and we used the toilet which was also spotlessly clean. Staff was working really hard to accommodate all the diners and they all did it with a friendly smile and excellent customer service, would recommend this little seaside diamond well done to all the staff and the owners in doing everything they could to give everyone a great experience during these stressful times, looked like a really happy team working together good job to all

Didnt feel safe! Ordered cream tea to takeaway. No gloves. Half of them had masks. People gathering in the door way. Scones were out the freezer and rock hard!

Covid alert, do not visit if you want to stay safe! Visited yesterday, service very slow, coffee awful, chocolate milkshake curdled. Tables not overly clean, when customers left the table tops were wiped but plastic coated menus ( dirty looking and worn) were not. The toilets awful, even had a hand towel in there for hand drying!!! We had to ask for toilet paper. Approached a man, not wearing any apron, ppe etc and told him that the towel in the toilet is not acceptable during current circumstances and was told that he didn’t know why it was in there and that he had ordered new hand dryers ( the o e in there was broken)?! Explained their cleaning regimes but it was not very convincing. The least they could do is to provide disposable paper towels for hand drying.

This is a great traditional cafe that serves up great food at a really reasonable price given its location on the seafront. Thoroughly recommended.

Me and my partner walked passed dollys cafe and thought we would pop in for a quick coffee and cake. Firstly nobody acknowledged you on arrival. We then waited 10 minutes before anyone come over and took our order. While being in the cafe half hour we was asked 6 times by different members of staff if somebody had taken our order. It was like nobody had a clue what was going on. After finishing what we had ordered we went to get the bill again nobody acknowledged us. Staff was just walking past not asking if we needed any help. We was even asked what we ordered as they was unsure how much our bill was supposed to be. There was also very little hygiene given the recent circumstances. The only good thing was the food and drinks we couldnt fault them but need to work on customer service.

Very busy cafe. Plenty of choice on the menu. More a cheap and cheerful cafe although food was filling and plenty on the plate for the price. Staff wearing face coverings although did not observe any table cleaning.

We stopped here for some ice creams but after waiting for ten minutes inside the shop nobody had even acknowldeged us, staff were too busy chatting between themselves. None were wearing face coverings. One waitress saw a dirty table, cleared it, then picked up a cloth from another table and wiped it down. No sanitiser, no concern for cleanliness. We left straight away.

Great location, friendly staff but the food was disappointing and poor quality. My pasty wasn’t “traditional” in the slightest and was cold in the middle and my crisps were stale, the other meals weren’t that much better either.

This place is a gem. The staff are super friendly and helpful and the food is excellent value. Just one of those places with excellent customer service and great food! We go back again and again. Dog friendly too. In nice weather they put some chairs and tables out on the grass across the road which is nice and it was absolutely no bother for them to bring a bowl of water over for the dogs too!Thank you for doing a great job especially in these difficult circumstances! We do worry about you crossing that road though!!!!! You might need to get some hi-viz vests on!!