Doyle's Restaurant in North Devon

I have always enjoyed this restaurant, food and ambience, and indeed, the food on my last visit was up to the usual standard. But am I imagining it, or were the prices raised far more than I would have expected. Energy is expensive, I know that. But if prices go too high, and some prices on this menu were eye watering, there is a danger of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. And that would be a pity. Food 5 star, prices not so.

Great views over the gardens and sunset as you dine. Lovely menu, delicious food. Excellent service but a little slow - which was OK as we were in no rush to leave!

Absolutely delicious! We ended our 4 night stay at The Woolacombe Bay Hotel with evening dinner at the Doyle’s restaurant and it was exquisite! Terrine starter looked amazing and so vibrant and was super tasty and sauce with our chicken main course was simply to die for. Service was excellent also and everyone was so attentive. I would highly recommend booking evening meal at the Doyle’s restaurant whether you are staying at the The Woolacombe Bay Hotel or not. It is well worth it!

So good we ate here twice on our 5 day trip. Good old fashioned waiter/waitress service which made you feel special. Fautless service but at times the food delivery was slow. Best fine dining food we have had in ages in a relaxed unstuffy atmosphere. Dress up or casual, all are welcome. Good value and good quality.

Have visited this restaurant several times before so decided this would be the perfect place to celebrate my father-in-laws 70th birthday whilst we were in Woolacoombe and we were not disappointed. From the moment we arrived as a party of 9 we experienced the best service and food that I have had in a very long time. The staff were extremely attentive and the food melted in our mouths, leaving us wishing we could eat it all again. To top it off we had amazing sunset views across the bay as the sun went down. Thank you so much for making this family occasion so special. If you are looking for a very reasonably priced top quality restaurant then look no further, highly recommended.

Our dinner was very good. My husband had mackerel and I had steak which was done to perfection. The dining room's decor is so appropriate for this historic hotel. The room also has lovely views of the hotel grounds and sea beyond.

We visited Doyle’s Restaurant in the Woolacombe Bay Hotel this evening which is advertised as fine dining. The setting is very nice and welcoming, the staff from the moment we arrived attentive, friendly and quietly efficient. We ordered from a delightful menu giving very reasonable options, coupled with a varied wine list which would cover all tastes. We enjoyed a superb meal, each having different courses, all presented extremely well, delivered to the table by the waiting personnel who were confident that we were all having a great evening. The bonus here, is that it is value for money. Recommend a visit !

Staff were very attentive and nice. We felt the food was presented well but was far overpriced for the amount we got, definitely not somewhere to go if you’re starving hungry.

I want to point out before starting to eulogise about this place that I have no vested interest in Doyle's and know neither the staff or management. I was merely walking the South West Coast path and happened upon it by chance. The food that my partner and I ordered was exceptionally good. Pig cheek for me with polenta, crackling, spinach and a rhubarb/apple compote. Roast lamb and lamb shoulder confit with celeriac mash. Both were superbly thought out combinations that were superbly executed. We both had dark chocolate and pistachio tart for dessert. Wow, just wow! We had a bottle of the primitivo/ negroamaro blend to accompany our meal - a very good fruity red that I would recommend. The restaurant itself has an air of class and the choice of background music was subtly correct. Besides the meal, the outstanding factor of our culinary experience was the staff. Four people served us - each and every one was knowledgeable, polite, interacted well with us and made us feel as though our custom was really important to them. I absolutely implore you to visit Doyle's - it is the definition of 'hidden gem' and is light years ahead of anywhere else in Woolacombe.

Having visited Doyle's before booked a table in the window overlooking the bay and thoroughly enjoyed our recent meal. Previously ordering the steak, which was excellent, this time went for the fish and chips. This was no ordinary fish and chip meal as the presentation was outweighed by the quality of the food. The rose wine was different than the last visit but again was excellent.

The booking for this Tue evening dinner was made over the telephone and proved to be quick, easy and efficient. It is suggested that no matter when you are going that a reservation is made in advance both to ensure you get a table and that no other ‘large’ event is taking place or occurring at your chosen time. The restaurant is easy to find as it is part of the refurbished Woolacombe Bay Hotel. There is parking available directly outside. The exterior of this purpose built mid–Victorian (late 1880’s) hotel retains many parts of its original feature, including the semi-timbered, red-brick façade entrance way with its marble steps. These lead to an old fashioned revolving wooden door and into the hotel's high-ceilinged reception area complete with crystal chandeliers and charmingly traditional wood-paneled front desk with brass hand-bell. Once into the main restaurant there are Roman pillars, towering ceilings, chandeliers, views to Lundy Island from large gabled windows (at one end only) and a smart, grey colour scheme along with other period features (including renowned “quotes”) which appear to offer a fine dining experience. The restaurant staff were very informative, provided a high level of unfussy service and were happy to assist. The menu is not overly extensive but provided a good choice of food, which, not surprisingly, was to emphasise local meat and fresh fish from the Devon coast. Their wine menu (again not extensive) provided excellent local English sparkling and still wines. All starter and main dishes were cooked fresh to order and worth the wait as they gave good quality, were presented to a high standard (compliments to the chef on this), with decent portions being served and were value for money. Items of note from our chosen dishes included the starter of ‘Pan seared queen scallops’, the main of ‘pan fried plaice’ (Catch of the Day) and to finish the ‘Dark chocolate & pistachio tart’ I have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant and would use it again should we be in the area – well worth the effort taken and in a very pleasant setting.

Often hotel restaurants are disappointing and poor value for money but Doyle's at the Woolacombe Bay hotel is an exception. We had an exceptional dinner in attractive surroundings with first rate food and a good wine list. To top it all the bill was a pleasant surprise giving good value for money. What put the icing on the cake was the high level of unfussy service by all of the staff. Thank you to all concerned.

We had scallops, the daily fish option and a great steak - all the food was attractively presented and good value for the quality.

We enjoyed a dinner at Doyles to celebrate my birthday while we were staying in the self catering apartments of the Woolacombe Bay hotel. We had an excellent meal in a wonderful setting. We were lucky to be given the table in the window. We thought the food was exceptional and the staff were pleasant and welcoming. So nice to be served by cheerful staff. Would thoroughly recommend.

We ate at Doyle's Restaurant while staying at the Woolacombe Bay Hotel and enjoyed a great selection of top quality food at a reasonable price. The fish was fresh and beautifully cooked, the meats were perfect. Service was friendly and efficient, especially with Bex in charge and keen to make sure everyone was well looked after.

We ate here twice which staying at the Bay Hotel. Both times we had a very enjoyable meal with superb service. The ambience is very good with nice linen and cutlery which makes all the difference. The food was beautifully presented and not too expensive

Waiters were all very happy and jokey having a bit of banter about the food choices and wine Great food and probably a bit under priced for what we got Would recommend for a special occasion as a very grand room

Excellent Food, Great Service. Lovely view and the staff very helpful. Highly recommend. Compliments to the chef. Tried Scallops for the first time - absolutely excellent.

We stayed in the hotel and had breakfast three days running. Dinners are great for fish and the staff were really a delight! Enjoyed every minute

Excellent food brilliant staff beautiful ambience staff friendly and helpful and not that expensive with a extensive menu for children

Came here with family (my father was staying) for a meal. Good menu with a number of options. Food was great and waiting staff attentive. The views out of the window as the sun set were amazing.

This is the fine dining option at the beautifully refurbished Woolacombe Bay Hotel (I can't comment on the rooms, only the communal areas). The food is excellent and very good value from a Londoner's perspective. We were a group of 5 and enjoyed duck, fish, lamb, steak and a children's pasta: all excellent. The waiters, seem keen enough, but clearly haven't been told what to do. They didn't know to remove the wine glasses decorating the table after we'd ordered, or that champagne should be chilled (our first bottle was above room temperature (!) and was replaced, after about 5 minutes, by one just below room temperature - I suspect it had just been bunged in a freezer for 5 mins). They didn't know that steak should have a special knife, or that side plates should be removed when the main course is brought in, or that the credit card machine should be brought to the table at the end of the meal. They didn't pour our water for us, which would be usual at a fine dining restaurant. But all is forgiven. It was our daughter's birthday and we asked them to write "happy birthday" on a plate and put some candles we supplied on a small cake for dessert. They brought it in, three of them singing happy birthday (with a bit of encouragement from the keen woman who seemed to be in charge)! What great people! I think they'll be fine when they've cottoned on to what's expected of waiters.

Excellent menu and the food was very well presented and served by knowledgeable staff. Our meal was just perfect, from the presentation, to portion sizes, balance and flavour

Set in a beautiful and grand dining room the restaurant here is first class. The staff were lovely with just the right amount of attentiveness, and the food was sublime with excellent choices on the menu. Would heartily recommend if you want to go somewhere classy, eat good food and have a very enjoyable dining experience. Oh, and did I mention the staff? - Superb service! Thank you.

This is the main restaurant of the Woolacombe Bay Hotel, which is located on the corner junction of West Street and South Street. The hotel has its own car park.

We went there for dinner, it is a lovely room with a great view over to the beach.