Neil's Restaurant in East Devon

Probably the best Fish restaurant in Sidmouth. The moment we entered the restaurant and received a warm welcome from the front of house staff we knew we were in for a treat. From the starters through to the excellent main courses (Whole Plaice and Fillet of Hake) the food was sublime. The quality of Neils food preparation and cooking was sublime. I met Neil afterwards to thank him in person for the high quality evening he and his staff provided.

Really enjoyed our visit to Neil’s restaurant. Service was friendly and helpful particularly with the wine. The food was delicious and portions were generous. Would definitely visit again.

Absolutely delicious food. Beautifully cooked fish and delicious sauces. Really kind and thoughtful service as well.

Neil's is wonderful. We've been three times, now, and it's always a delight. The food is delicious and the staff are lovely. They even offer a half bottle of champagne 🍾 Do book ahead, as they're frequently booked up, understandably.

After reading reviews of restaurants in Sidmouth we decided that we had to eat here and are so glad we did. Neil’s is a small and cosy restaurant specialising in Seafood. The food was of very good quality, portions were of a decent size, service was very good and prices were fair. We enjoyed our meal so much that we ate there again during our stay. We will definitely go back when we are in the area again.

Great restaurant.Great food. Great service. The seamless demonstration of culinary excellence paired with excellent service. Made our first visit truly memorable. The service was delightful,courteous,attentive very well timed and unobtrusive. The fixed pricing for two courses was amazing value. The Monkfish, Plaice and John Dory were sublime. Thanks to Neil the Chef/Owner (and true gentleman) for taking the time to ensure our special requirements were not only met but exceeded. Wont go into too much detail here, but let’s just say the words personal touch, gobsmacked, brilliant and amazing come to mind. Thanks again Neil it was an absolute pleasure meeting you. We will certainly be revisiting your discreet classy well priced establishment next time in Sidmouth. Ps Just gave a personal recommendation to some family who have literally arrived in Sidmouth today an hour ago.

It's a good sea food restaurant. The 1970s playlist reflected the clientele of the place. Having said that, it was fully booked on a Wednesday in the off season. Worth going to if you like seafood.

5* all round, me and wifey booked a table for our Anniversary meal and pre-ordered the Lobster, we were thrilled they managed to get it in for us, food was Amazing, Monkfish starter was so well cooked and tasty, Lobster was beautiful, service was brill, no hassle to eat and leave, felt very welcoming and was a lovely atmosphere, we were also lucky to see the carnival go past. All in all amazing.

Had to change our time at short notice as we were running late, and the restaurant was so accommodating, particularly nice on a Friday night! Food was delicious and service was so good - they even late us stay late as they were closing up so we could finish our food. Would absolutely recommend to anyone coming down to Sidmouth

Superb food of high quality..Good choice. Wonderful ambience in this lovely place with service to match. Easily the best in the area. The Lobster Thermador to die for..can't wait to return ..

Loved it.Excellent food and service.

Always a pleasure. Fantastic food and amazing service. We love it here and will be back. Thank you for another lovely evening xx

Had a lovely meal at Neil's on 10th August. Small restaurant but as a consequence very personal service for the friendly and responsive staff. Atmosphere was relaxed and appropriate. We had some lovely seafood dishes made from fish landed that day. Menu differs each day as fish and seafood is so fresh. Would advise booking as it was full on the day we visited. I had main meal scallops perfectly cooked and tasty.

Lovely Restaurant and fantastic food. Will definitely be returning.

The best fish I have tasted Staff and service excellent Best restaurant in Sidmouth Good and price good Very clean and thoroughly recommend

Very nice restaurant good basic seafood & great service

Excellent ambiance and quality of food, we had lobster, perfectly cooked, they supply aprons for those messy eaters! Table linen and quality glasses make this a lovely experience. Service impeccable, lovely venue not too many covers, make sure you book.

Great little seafood restaurant. Atmosphere greatly helped by significant local patronage as well a sprinkling of tourists. Food cooking perfectly and excellent service. Very reasonable prices to boot! Highly recommended

Great little seafood restaurant. Atmosphere greatly helped by significant local patronage as well a sprinkling of tourists. Food cooking perfectly and excellent service. Very reasonable prices to boot! Highly recommended

Fantastic . This fish restaurant is 5 star. Superb fish cookery and great staff.I never thought crab and mango would go well together but wow a taste sensation . Wish I lived closer . Essential to book in advance .

Local fish and seafood cooked unpretentiously but with great skill. Fabulous meal, friendly service, terrific value for money. And though the restaurant was full, it was not too noisy and conversation was possible without undue effort.

Went to Neil's yesterday for my wife's birthday treat. Arrived at 19.30 and our table was the only one still empty. (around 32 Covers) Pre-ordered Lobster (£15 supplement) which came with a Bib and all the necessary ironware. Wife had off the bone flatfish which was also excellent. Service, Food, Wine all faultless. SUPERB

Excellent fish restaurant, my only comment would be tables are a little close together, but it's a very small restaurant, the waitress kindly moved us to a larger table when a couple had gone.

Exceptional quality and fish cookery . Very good service .

Very good service, and excellent seafood. A little on the expensive side but the food was very good.

It’s a nice restaurant inside . I booked after reading good reviews. Starters mackerel and monkfish were nice though potato salad did taste shop bought. Mains lemon sole and skate were cooked nicely but stingy on veg and potatoes . Desserts were nice . On the whole I was a bit under whelmed with the main. It’s was like I would cook at home mid week though I would cook sea bassA little over priced for what it actually was not really a special occasion place.

Seafood lovers that's the place to go,food amazing,cooked to perfection, outstanding service (don't see it this days) clean and tidy , strongly recommend,well done everyone at Neil's

Excellent from start to finish, will definitely come back. Thank you

Absolutely faultless service food was delicious and well presented . Have eaten at the Seafood restaurant in Padstow and the Oyster club in Birmingham and neither offers the value for money that Neal's does if you want Fish expertly and simply cooked with delicious sauces then this is the place to visit if you can get a table

Just wow! I booked this restaurant as my husband adores fish and seafood, for part of his Fathers Day treat. Well he wasn’t disappointed!! So much so he had the prawn cocktail for dessert! He had 3 courses of top class food. King prawn 🍤 tails, Lobster 🦞 Thermidor before the cocktail! And loved every course! I am vegetarian but very well catered for. Griddled asparagus with parmesan. Then roasted butternut squash. 😋 The restaurant was full and buzzing. Lots of local people who obviously go often. As we left people were coming in for the second sitting. Amazing! We will be back! Fabulous staff. The young (French?) waitress was so helpful and friendly.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and thought the whole evening was superb. Food and service was absolutely fabulous. We definitely plan to visit again.

We discovered Neil's restaurant last year and came back to Sidmouth for a short stay specially in order to eat there again. We were not disappointed and enjoyed a superb 3 course meal. The restaurant is very well run and there was good variety in the fish dishes offered. We particularly enjoyed the crab and mango salad, such fresh crab. And then the hake with tomato, fennel and bean. All very tasty, great desserts too.

Visited for special occasion - celebrating friend's retirement from work. Nice range of choices for each course. Very tasty fish and accompaniments - impressed with the chef. Nicely served by friendly staff, although could have checked on us soon after we started eating rather than once finished, but not a big point. Some very good options; would be very happy to return and try more.

Having carefully reviewed restaurants in Sidmouth whilst visiting my Aunt - we chose Neil’s and they fully met our expectations. Anyone who appreciates great fish cookery should try this super restaurant and the service was certainly excellent 👍👍😊

We attempted to book online for the Friday evening but for some reason " the computer said no!" Fortunately I called the restaurant and secured a table for two. On arrival we were shown to our table and were supplied with the menu and wine list. We chose a local wine which was a very nice choice. Our food orders were taken in good time and starters of crab salad and smoked fish pankaces were excellent. We chose steak as our main course despite this being a seafood restaurant. The main courses were cooked to perfection and complimented with fresh vegetables and roasted potatoes. Deserts of rhubarb topped cheesecake and the cheeseboard with a nice measure of Port finished a superb meal. Service was very polite and unrushed. A very pleasant evening in a nicely appointed restaurant.

Perfectly cooked fresh fish served by a delightful waitress we had a meal to remember!

Small, excellent fish restaurant with lovely staff and well presented quality fish and shellfish dishes. Recommended.

A wonderful fishy experience. This delightful bijou restaurant serves fresh fish dishes very well indeed. Service was as charming as it was attentive. Recommended.

This is a small restaurant where the owner is the chef and personally does all the cooking. We chose fish options from the set price three course menu and they were simple, but beautifully prepared and presented. Excellent friendly service too.

Very good set price menu. Busy little restaurant on the edge of town - probably the best in town.

We generally visit Sidmouth once a year and no trip would be complete without a visit to the wonderful Neil's Restaurant. The food, service and atmosphere are all excellent. A set 3 course menu, we were really full but determined not to leave anything! I can recommend the crab & mango salad to start, followed by hake, then the chocolate & organge tart. Heavenly! Thank you.

Wonderful experience, great set menu. Service was superb. This restaurant is a real asset to the town.

Great food and friendly service

Had the 3 course set menu for £39. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Staff were friendly and helpful. A lovely evening out.

A wonderful experience. Totally lives up to its fine reputation. Great food and service. Rare these days. Can wait to return again this summer.

My husband and I had the most fantastic dinner. Food was absolutely delicious, all three courses. It is by far the best meal I've had in years. The meals were piping hot, beautifully presented and all the components of the meal went so well together. The service was also excellent. I'm quite a fussy eater and not that keen on fish but this restaurant has won me over!

Really good unpretentious delicious food with great service. So many restaurant experiences are over priced and disappointing these days, they should take a leaf out of this restaurant's book and serve local uncomplicated beautifully prepared food with unobtrusive friendly service. Well done, highly recommended

Neil's offer a three course meal at a very reasonable £39 and the menu gives a wide range of choices - several fish options as well as meat and vegetarian dishes. The food was beautifully presented and excellently cooked and the overall meal outstanding. A little staff training on customer service would make the experience even better.

Had an outstanding fish dinner. It was pure first meal there but we will be back soon

Absolutely brilliant, every course was beautifully cooked and presented, we all had different things and everything was delicious. Service was superb, both ladies waiting tables were polite, friendly and efficient,

We were very lucky to get the last walk-in table without a booking. The service was excellent, and the food was delicious. This is one of the best seafood restaurants I've been to. Can't wait to go back again. Thanks Neil!

We were lucky to get an early midweek slot on the day. Next available table was several days away. This restaurant is extremely popular in the area and I suggest you book early. This is a proper restaurant but the service is low key and informal. The food is excellent but when we visited it was a set 3 course menu only. It is tweaked each day though. We had monkfish tails and melon starters followed by John Dory fillet and whole Brixham sole. Both where excellent. Deserts where scrumy too. Bill was very reasonable considering 3 courses and quality of food and the service. I would definitely return if in area.

The best meal I have ever eaten Staff felt like family

Lovely place inside,staff efficient and friendly,good choice on menu and excellent standard. Wine reasonably priced too

Neil's is a wonderful small restaurant serving delicious fish and is everything we wanted on an evening out. The service is exceptional, the food perfectly cooked and the ambience is friendly and relaxed. We enjoyed mackerel and monkfish to start followed by tasty, perfectly prepared and presented John Dory and grilled lobster (the bib they gave me was useful if not very stylish!) This wasn't our first visit and we shall be returning soon.

We enjoyed a great meal. A bottle of cold water was waiting in an ice bucket. Table beautifully laid. A choice of about 6 different starter main courses and deserts. Everything we ate was served up wonderfully, and tasted as good as it looked.

Fabulous place for dinner. Food excellent. Staff brilliant. Would happily dine there again. You must book !!

A visit to Sidmouth is not complete if you do not dine at Neil's Restraunt. The quality of the seafood served, the friendlness of the staff and ambience I would describe as second to none,

A visit to Sidmouth would not be complete if you have not dined at Neil's Restaurant. One of the best restraunts I have had the privilege to dine at. Great quality food served in pleasant surroundings by very friendly staff.

Really want to like this place but the cooking is a bit average. E.g. the side of potatoes with each meal are deep fried roast potatoes. Very strange dish.

Fantastic food lovely atmosphere, staff excellent. Just wish it was nearer to my home. Recommende the John Dory.

… he excels! Superb sweet succulent scallops … perfectly balanced by their attendant bacon and mushroom. Spectacular lobster … with all the accompanying theatre. As a starter, Neil’s own smoked mackerel fillets are a delicate revelation if you are a fan of the brasher supermarket version. Definitely one to try. A bottle off the “local” Dart Valley Reserve makes an excellent accompaniment, but Neil’s wines by the glass also do the job well – we particularly enjoyed the Pecorino. And, in difficult times, Neil still manages to delight the palate without straining the wallet. Long may he reign! Here’s to the next time.

Absolutely first class in every aspect, a great night.

Busiest restaurant in Sidmouth and for good reason. The food never disappoints, but make sure you book a table.

Made our special evening even special. For a set 3 course meal. Plenty to choose from.

Lost count how many times we have visited Sidmouth, and one of the main reasons for going is down to Neil's Restaurant, which in itself says it all. Last week we only managed 3 visits trying to go through the menu, spoilt for choice. We have never been disappointed with any course ever. In fact quite the opposite. The food is freshly cooked with some "gentle" exquisite sources, plenty of fresh vegetables and special deserts. The staff are great, efficient and friendly, its a great atmosphere. Super quality food at a sendible and reasonable price. One of the telling points is that they were full every night they were open, which is why we could only get in 3 times, luckily we had booked the 3 well in advance. Its an asset to Sidmouth, and you could well understand if estate agents put them as a local asset in the amenities of the particulars of property for sale, could increase the region's already high property prices, wish we lived near by.

Had an excellent meal this evening. It has maintained it's standards since our last visit in 2017. Congratulations to Neil and his staff.

The food here is good and the service was excellent, but it all felt rather staid and old fashioned. Very plain vegetables, wrapped tabs of butter with the bread, etc and quite an senior demographic.

So happy we have found that place! Absolutely delicious food! It's all so fresh and cooked to perfection. The owners and team are lovely. Our meal was a true highlight of our few days stay in Sidmouth. We are thinking we might come back just to this restaurant again. It will absolutely worth two hours drive. Thank you!

Fantastic food and service. A little gem! Updated 2023 Been back again several times. Always fantastic, staff are super friendly and food is simple but perfectly cooked. Will be going back next week!!

Lobster was great and service was superb!

Lovely small intimate restaurant, set menu great quality food lovely service nice in this day and age where everything is ordered via an app! Highly recommend but I would book

Better than expected from several recommendations, stunningly good sea food, excellent service. It was a brilliant meal for the last night of our holiday. Thank you

Classic fish restaurant. Superb!

Lovely food and service, although limited choice of wine and the atmosphere was rather lacking.

Absolutely outstanding, some of the best food I have ever had in my life and most certainly the best sea food I have ever had. 100% recommend eating here

Arrived at Neil's on a cold, wet Saturday night, our first visit to the restaurant & to Sidmouth. The restaurant was busy & continued to fill up during the 2 hours we were there. The decor is calm & comfortable. We were warmly greeted & seated , our wet coats taken away & we were given menus. A bottle of tap water was already waiting in an ice bucket at the table. So a very good start. The menu is a set 3 courses for £39.95 & as you'd expect from a fish restaurant, reflects local produce. We were asked what we'd like to drink & chose a well priced bottle of South African chenin blanc. This arrived swiftly & after tasting, proved to be ideal with our meal. I could have chosen any of the starters to enjoy, but went with tempura crevettes with soy & sesame dip. My husband had smoked mackerel with horseradish cream. A plate of sliced bread arrived, which was plain home baked white & tomato flavoured. I would have preferred not to have butter pats wrapped in foil, but I'm picky! The starters were delicious & enjoyed by us both. 0ur mains consisted of scallops with mushrooms & bacon for my husband & pan roasted John Dory with mussels & samphire for me. A dish of sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli & green beans & another of fried potatoes were brought to the table, to accompany our main courses. The mains were beautifully cooked & presented, especially my John Dory, which came away from the bone, with ease & tasted beautifully succulent. My husband's scallops were sweet & flavoursome too. Having cleared away our plates, & looked again at the menu, we chose our desserts, vanilla panacotta with rhubarb d ginger compote for me & rum & raisin icecream for him. My panacotta was beautifully set & the compote had a strong kick of ginger. Good strong double espresso coffee followed. Overall a fabulous meal, which without service was £107 for the two of us. Not expensive for the quality & service we received. We would definitely recommend Neil's, he is obviously a chef with skill who loves what he does!

Food extremely good, a relaxed atmosphere. Very well looked after by all staff. Highly recommend.

Great food, attentive staff and reasonable prices. We always enjoy going to Neil's.

Very nice restaurant to visit, serving staff are super friendly, food is very pleasing. We've been 4 or 5 times now and will not hesitate to return, enjoy!

Great food. Good service. Discovered too late to be able to schedule another meal out there just to get a full portion of the Christmas special bread pudding desert! Never mind, the excellent fish starters, will no doubt not disappoint.

Excellent seafood, found none better.

Lucky enough to get a last minute cancellation yesterday so treated my wife and I to Neil’s three course menu. Wow. Each course was perfectly served and delicious without exception. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough.

Delicious tasty food! Highly recommend 👌

Using local produce and locally caught fish, Neil's has a daily fixed price menu. We had Lemon sole, simple but perfectly cooked. There is always one vegetarian and one meat dish besides the 3 or 4 fish dishes. Staff are attentive and friendly.

Brilliant food, brilliant staff, lovely atmosphere. Best food we enjoyed all week.

We booked a table at this restaurant due to the good reviews. Unfortunately we never got to try the food as the restaurant itself was terrible. We were greeted by friendly staff who were unfortunately wearing face masks which is something I personally find very off-putting and unhygienic in a food setting due to staff repeatedly touching their faces to adjust their masks. The restaurant itself is very small with guests crammed in with little space between the tables. The atmosphere was very hot and airless despite having the small windows open, there was no air conditioning at all. The whole place seemed incredibly dated, from the decor to the terrible music that was playing. It felt more like an old people's home than a restaurant, looking around the youngest guests appeared to be in their mid 70's. Part of the restaurant experience for me is sitting in a nice environment and enjoying the lovely food, unfortunately the environment was so stifling and unpleasant that the thought of having to endure it for a couple of hours whilst eating food was untenable and my wife actually started to feel ill. Despite paying a £20 deposit we had to leave and never got to experience the food.

Lovely fish and friendly service.

We ate at Neil's when we were in Sidmouth a year or so ago, it was great then and I'm pleased to say it still is now. You'll need to book.

Delicious! 😋 great value for money. 3 courses for £39.99.🤩

Very pleasant experience. Nice service, well cooked and presented food. Reasonable prices. Three of us went. Three courses each plus wine about £142. Would happily return

Great fish restaurant friendly staff excellent food.

Another great meal at Neil’s, excellent seafood cooked to perfection. Relaxed atmosphere, and great service, certainly won't be long before we are back!

Fantastic meal in comfortable setting. You would not be disappointed.

Best Fish Restaurant in Devon if not the UK. Set Menu but lots of choice, generous helpings super quality all freshly cooked by Neil. Realxed atmosphere, helpful and friendly, great.

Bloody brilliant. Make sure to book in advance, and good luck fighting off the seagulls on your way in. Seems like every beast is after a bit of Neil's, if you know what I mean 😉😉

Gorgeous food and great service. A little compact inside, but overall a very pleasant dining experience.

Lovely little place at the top of town. Amazing fish dishes cooked to perfection. Will definitely go again next time I am back in Sidmouth.

Great service, attentive and polite. Iced water waiting at our table. Seafood and fish cooked to perfection. Lovely bottle of wine. Good company on the next table. My wife and I had a wonderful evening. Will recommend and return. Thank you

A great experience. Food and service superb. Go twice at least.