Nelly May's Parlour in North Devon

Great old tea room. Well worth a visit

Top cream tea action. Recommended 👍🏻 Also great sandwich with lovely homemade bread... oh & top cake as well.

Travelling over 200 miles to North Devon was worth it just to experience the cream tea at Nelly May’s Parlour. After an underwhelming experience at Sandleighs Tea Room, we were so overjoyed at finding and experiencing this quaint little place. The decor is interesting, warm and cosy and all covid and hygiene measures are in place and enforced. The array of wonderful cakes are home made by Nelly Mays husband as well as the warm and freshly baked scones, clotted cream and jam. They also serve proper tea in proper China. Nelly May is friendly and good for a chat but also knows how to let you savour and enjoy the delights you’ve ordered, which no doubt will leave you speechless anyway. Even the bathroom is clean and well decorated with lovely hand wash and hand cream. They really have thought of everything! I urge you, make the effort to have cream tea at Nelly May’s Parlour. Don’t go anywhere else. You won’t be sorry!

Booked for a birthday, there were 7 of us. 2 gluten free and an egg allergy. On booking they went out of their way to accommodate us. Made special gluten free eggless cakes an quiche. GF scones and sandwiches. They clearly understand allergies. On top of that the food was excellent, service good and friendly. The atmosphere was great. Thank you for a special afternoon. I would highly recommend a visit

We had the most delicious breakfast here after reading reviews on trip advisor. We were not disappointed- thoroughly recommend.

We had booked an afternoon tea and when I requested no cheese a fresh vegan quiche was made for me .. which was delicious. Cakes amazing and even got boxes for left overs. Fantastic thanks

Had a truly wonderful afternoon tea here today with my Mum. Saw it on trip advisor so decided to book and wasn’t disappointed. The sourdough bread they make their sandwiches with is amazing and with everything homemade, it truly made a lovely afternoon even better. A ‘must go to’ for anyone visiting Ilfracombe!!

This was our 2nd visit for afternoon tea and it was as good as we remembered. Everything was freshly made and tasted so good.The owner was very helpful and happy to cater for any dietary requirements.Thank you for looking after us and we hope to return again soon.

Had a lovely homemade afternoon tea with my husband . The scones are by far the best in ilfracombe.This was our second visit and we will be returning.The service was excellent and the place is immaculate.

Very friendly service , The cream tea's are the best I've had , and the sandwiches were fantastic .

Drove 45 minutes from Bideford only to be turned away at the door because the dogs were wet. We read that Nelly May’s was ‘dog friendly’ - clearly not the case!! Very disappointed.

Excellent scones and cakes and very friendly staff well worth a visit if in the area

Called in for a quick lunch and this place was great. We were lucky to get in as we hadn't pre-booked. So booking is advised. The home made chutney and the sourdough bread are worth a visit on their own, but the lovely atmosphere and great service make this place.

Although a little walk from the harbour area, it was well worth it for this quaint tea rooms! Lovely food, great selection and price. Highly recommend booking.

A very understanding owner. Thank you. You would have had every right to be angry but showed compassion and pragmatism instead. A grateful parent!

We had a lovely cream tea at Nelly May's.The scones were out of this world. Perfect combination of moist and crumbly! Light and yet satisfying at the same time.Photo below shows the aftermath. Get yourself down there to see the whole show!

The service was excellent and we loved our afternoon tea. The quiche, cake and scones were fresh and wonderful. We were impressed too that the bread is all freshly made. It was a great experience of an English classic and would highly recommend if visiting Ilfracombe. It's a very quaint and traditional setting as well. Just lovely!

Lovely little cafe, with friendly staff and great food. All at a good price. Highly recommend, and best to reserve so not to be disappointed upon arrival.

Visited today and I was in heaven. Quaint little room (make sure you book). Scones that melted in your mouth, sourdough homemade to perfection, milkshakes and cokes floats. Just what holidays are made of. The service was attentive and the lady who served us was delightful. Shame its covid times, I could only see the smile in her eyes. Her husband made the sourdough from scratch and its the BEST I've ever tested. Thank you for fitting us in last minute.

A very pleasant tea room. Beautiful afternoon tea made with the freshest of ingredients. A lovely selection of fresh cakes to choose from, delicious quiche with crisp crumbly pastry, sandwiches made with fresh sour dough bread made in house and melt in your mouth scones with lashings of clotted cream. The owner was friendly and looked after us ensuring a wonderful experience. Will definitely visit when in the area again

Had a lovely experience on Wednesday 11th Aug. The afternoon tea was one of the best ones we have had. Freshly baked scones, sourdough sandwiches and home made quiche were all extremely tasty. Would highly recommend it.

My Daughter "Nelly May" was looking for a place to eat online and when "Nelly Mays Parlour" popped up it was a must.The 5 of us called in for an afternoon Tea and the whole experience from start to finish was excellent.My other Daughter is Celiac and was delighted at the gluten free options.Highly recommended......a little for sure.

What a delight! The cakes and scones are delicious and the whole place is wonderful. Lovely staff. Highly recommend!

We searched for where to get a good cream tea, and Nelly May's came up. A little out of the main Ilfracombe tourist area, but worth the 13 minute walk. Proper tea room with china cups. The scone was warm and fresh with a wonderful buttery taste. Excellent service and great atmosphere. We took some of the lemon and courgette cake home which was also delicious. I very much recommend Belly May's for a proper Devon cream tea.

Lovely quaint little tea room. Delicious scones and friendly service

If in Devon, a cream tea is a must! We were suprised to get a table for 4 of us booked so easily considering it was school holidays. The sandwiches were huge and of course the scones warm and crumbly. This place is nicely turned out and the lady servicing us was very efficient and they allowed us to stay a bit after they should have been closing. Good customer service and lovely food!

We visited as a group of 7 for breakfast. We were looked after with great care by the owner and the restaurant itself is steeped in history. The Eggs Benedict were done to perfection and everything was absolutely delicious. Wish we had the time to go back again!

Have ration before and always first class. Just had a take away cream tea for 3. Three plain scones, 3 mini pots of beautiful jam and 3 mini pots of gorgeous clotted cream. Honestly it was the best cream tea I’ve ever had at home. Absolutely beautiful. If you are near Ilfracombe then this is a must. You will not regret it. The chocolate cake is also exquisite!

Visited here as a vegan, food was very good and filling, lots of options. Found it on a list of places in North Devon on the visit Devon website, whilst on holiday staying in Woolacombe.

One of the best afternoon teas EVER! We took my sister and brother in law and mum and dad to celebrate our parents 60th wedding anniversary before another lockdown . Myself and the hubby go all over for afternoon tea and this was without a doubt one of the best ! Myself and my dad are gluten intolerant, they actually made us fresh bread on a days notice and it was AMAZING! The non coeliacs enjoyed theirs too! Great choice of cakes , scones were home made as too are all the cakes and the quiche was yummy ! The service was great , couldn’t be more thorough and the attention to the gluten free choice was great ! Orange and polenta cake !!!!! I’m actually making this myself now !!!Greatly recommend this lovely little place !

We had the most delicious cakes here - including ginger and parsnip with a lovely light texture and not too sweet - and then came back the next day for a cream tea, some of the best scones I've ever had. Beautifully presented as well. The cafe itself is very cosy and atmospheric, and the service excellent. The covid precautions are very good too. There is good ventilation, spacing between tables, the toilet was very clean and we even had our temperature taken. I felt very secure here from that point of view. This tea parlour is on the high street, but only a ten minute walk from the harbour, and it's in an interesting part of Ilfracombe.

Had the most beautiful hot baked fruit scone with blackberry jam and clotted cream. Presented on a 3 tier cake stand. Served with peppermint tea served in a single grey pot. With China cups and saucers. Truly a treat on a rainy afternoon

Best breakfast we've ever had. Lovely local produce, piping hot, wonderful service. The owner obviously takes great pride in her business and so she should, everything was wonderful. Thank you.

Fantastic breakfast. I had eggs royale....delicious smoked salmon and lovely local free range eggs, best I've ever had. My husband had the full English, again lovely local produce, sausages and bacon were so flavour some and beautifully cooked. The owner obviously takes great pride in her business and so she should, absolutely wonderful.....thank you.

This place is a gem!!!! We had a late cupper and cake as they were closing at 4pm. Well worth the find. Go find this place as you won't be disappointed.

Amazing breakfast, small quaint cafe. Breakfast piping hot, delicious and probably the best cooked breakfast I’ve had. Cakes looked to die for, but sadly no room.

Fantastic home made sourdough sandwiches and cream tea. Phoned to book for second visit remembered my wife and I, fantastic service and very friendly. Would definitely say it is the best cream tea in Ilfracombe

The scones at Nelly Mays live up to their reputation. They are the tastiest scones I've ever had - and I've tried a lot. We visited for lunch as well. We had pancakes (totally recommend it) and my partner had the roast beef, which he also enjoyed. Make sure you save room for the scones as they melt in your mouth! We went for fruit and both strawberry and blackcurrent jam. I'd also recommend the Devon fudge milkshake, it was incredible! There's only 5 tables inside so make sure you book! Also, it's worth mentioning that this had the most stringent covid19 precautions and we were very impressed with the measures they had in place!

Visiting Nelly May's was our absolute highlight of our short trip. I'm so glad I booked a table for breakfast, we were welcomed so lovingly and everything was so easy and lovely. The lady had a proper conversation with us and was so friendly, the full breakfast was an absolute bargain! and for what you get , it is perfect portion. the sourdough was delish, I wish I had time to go back to get some scones to takeaway but we ran out of time! Happy to have found this gem.

A visit to Nelly Mays for breakfast is totally recommended if you like top quality food cooked well and served with home made sour dough toast and home made jam or marmalade

We called in at Nelly May’s and was greeted by Stephanie the owner. We had the cream tea it was delicious. I can highly recommend it.There is also a choice of different cakes.

My wife and i visited Nelly May's recently and were more than satisfied. My wife is gluten free and there was a good selection of gluten free cakes. I chose the lemon cake, which was delicious. Customer service excellent and a very safe environment during these covid times. We highly recommend for a lovely lunch, light bite or delicious afternoon tea.

Still served in bone China very nice

What a gem of a place. Very welcoming and the woman running it was very on the ball with regard being Covid secure for which she deserves a medal. Very enjoyable food in a safe environment.

Beautiful afternoon in a quaint tea room, excellent warm homemade scones and incredible milkshakes with Stapleton's ice cream. Bliss.

Had to reserve and a slightly odd welcome at first with the temperature checks etc in these odd times but have to say had a pretty perfect breakfast in this traditional style cafe. Great sourdough.

Nelly mays didn’t disappoint. We booked for 9 and a baby and we where left blown away by the food and also the service we received. Everything was homemade including the jam and the bread was to die for! It’s so nice going to a family run establishment with quality ingredients. Friendly service and beautiful food. We can’t fault them at all!

Really well distances inside for the COVID era.Lovely food and very accommodating. Fresh sandwiches, jams, cakes and very well presented.The lady running the parlour was very nice and welcoming.Lots of people were turned away while we ate inside - highly recommend booking ahead!

Best afternoon tea ever. The service was excellent, the sourdough sandwiches were delicious and the scones were just amazing. Book ahead to avoid disappointment.

A responsible business in the COVID era, taking sensible precautions. The food was wonderful and freshly made/baked, my only complaint is that I didn't have room to order and try more. Service was spot on too.

We came here for a cooked breakfast and weren’t disappointed. My husband and son had the traditional English breakfast and said it was lovely and not greasy. I had the eggs benedict which were lovely. Although my only criticism was the egg wasn’t runny enough for me but was still delicious.The owner seemed to be adhering to Covid safety and we had our temperatures taken and our contact details were noted.

Had a wonderful lunch at Nelly May's, lonely atmosphere and food superb. We enjoyed the fresh prawn sandwich, freshly cooked sausages and pushed eggs and a tuna melt and all the food was delicious. Also enjoyed 2 freshly baked scones as part of a cream team which was exquisite and possibly the finest scones we have ever tasted! Enjoyed a lovely put of tea and 2 gorgeous strawberry milkshakes which were really tasty and used local I've cream. COVID arrangements also excellent and the decor was really pleasant. We will certainly aim to visit again in the future. Thanks for a great lunch!

Right from our initial communications to book a table, the customer service was fantastic. Lovely food, our party had a mixture of jacket potatoes, salad, omelette and sandwiches followed by homemade cakes and pavlova. It all tasted amazing. Would definitely recommend.

Took Covid guidelines very well Great service and wonderful breakfast. I loved the coffee and got two pots. Kids ate it all, which is a good sign. Highly recommended...They provided service with a smile, which is something usually missing nowadays..

The best cream tea in Ilfracombe!

Our family visited twice whilst on holiday in Ilfracombe, and our expectations were well and truly surpassed. The food is clearly fresh and homemade, and the menu is more original than the standard fare, so there are lots of interesting things to choose from! I tried pancake with a cheese, mushroom, spinach and onion filling, and it was delicious. The cream tea was also lovely, and everything was so well presented in a clean and pretty environment. We felt very welcomed and taken care of, highly recommended!

We went as a family of four and had a really lovely time. This is a quaint, old school tearoom but everything is on point such that it didn't feel too old fashioned or stuck in its ways. Fully COVID compliant and tables spotlessly clean. Everything we had, from the bread in the sandwiches to the scones, cakes and even the jam was made on site. Cakes and scones were to die for. Lovely strong tea served in dainty China cups. Lovely little place. Make sure you phone ahead to book your spot!

One of our Devon holiday highlights was visiting here! Wonderful service. Delicious food! Thank you!

Excellent food and lovely quaint interior. Scones and cakes are fabulous

After a long challenging coast walk from Coombe Martin to Ilfracombe,we deserved the treats on offer at Nelly Mays!. Pretty quiet in March so plenty of room to sit. Toasted sarnies ordered and coffee and tea served,we devoured the drinks and tasty food. Toasties were really tasty,good menu selection as well. We gave the sweet section a miss,but cakes looked lush!.

Having read the excellent reviews we visited on a rainy Saturday morning. Very quaint with an amazing choice of yummy looking cakes. We both chose the cream tea. Choice of plain, cherry or fruit scones, 3 types of homemade jam with lashings of clotted cream. Scones were warm & delicious. Definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Oh Boy, what a little gem of a place! We were passing through on the way home an Ilfracombe was looking a bit bedraggled and underwhelming but the Gods of good food let us discover Nelly Mays and by heck we had a fantastic lunch a scrummy delicious girt lush whopping big piece of ginger treacle sponge pudding with custard, it was to dies for and a very very very reasonable price. I wish I could remember the Lady's name but she was brilliant very friendly with truly great service and if she went on Bake Off or Best Home Cook she would win them hands down. Oh and the loaf of bread we bought was excellent as well. Ilfracombe your very lucky to have Nelly Mays!

Proper old-school tea house with doilies and fine china. Cream tea was excellent and the warm scones were gorgeous.

Excellent warm and welcoming tearoom. Delightful home made fare. Really friendly service by Suzanne and Vince. The gold standard for what a tearoom/cafe should be.

Beautiful traditional tearoom. Tea in china cups and saucers to suit the cottage setting. Quality home cooked meals and cakes and sandwiches all organic. True quality at a good price 👍😊

Great food. Loved the festive tea cosy 😊

Excellent food and service and very friendly staff can't be faulted

We ate here twice on a recent holiday. The tea room is beautiful, warm, cosy and very welcoming. The service was excellent.Would highly recommend the Christmas dinner finished off a cake from the fantastic selection. Scrumptious.

Great food, lovely atmosphere very friendly staff.

Fabulous & friendly place. Visited twice whilst on holiday in Ilfracombe and served perfect breakfast on both occasions. By the way, our Starter is alive and well and producing some tasty loaves! Thank you so much.

Huge warm freshly baked scones and huge portions of cream and jam-what’s not to love! Highly recommend.

Really feel that the effort put into the vegan menu (which is delicious) is so welcomed. I don't have to think about it or ask questions about ingredients, because they know how to cook vegan very well! Thoroughly recommend a visit

Passing over the threshold is like passing back in time to the tea rooms you remember as a child.Delicious warm scones with lashings of homemade jam and clotted cream.We visited twice in the week and each time it was great.

Wow! We went here on a cold October lunchtime. Son, husband and myself had cream tea. My daughter has full English breakfast, the bacon and bread was to die for. But the scones - they BLEW me away. I make scones and jam myself but this was a whole different level. I have never tasted better scones and the jams were fantastic. We had strawberry, goos berry and black current jam. I bought two jars of the black currant to bring home.

Hands down the best cream tea we have ever had, absolutely delicious!

Ilfracombe is a right dump but this place is a real gem of a find. When the waitress is passionate about what they do and go into detail of all their different jams then you know your taste buds will be alive!!!anandanyoudiscusses in great detail

Whenever I visit any town I always try to find the number one rated (on trip advisor)

Our second visit. Cream tea is a must. The scones are simply excellent. If you want a quality cream tea you won’t find better. Chocolate cake still superb. Recommended.

Perfect friendly and homely. Beautiful breakfast. Great tea. Stephanie is really lovely and very informative. It’s like popping round to your aunts for breakfast but better.

Very welcoming, stopped here after reading several 5 star reviews. Lovely home cooked food and all served in beautiful china. We could of spent all day there working are way through the menu. They even welcomed our little dog.

Have to say this is one of the best tearooms I have been too , the Victoria sponge is one of the best I have tasted , went back for breakfast the next day and the bacon sandwich is amazing , lovely friendly service too

This place is a delight along with the food. Found it last time I was on holiday in Ilfracombe and returned last week. The only disappointment was calling on Monday to find it closed! Visited twice more when it was open. The scones are definitely THE BEST, along with the home made jam. Will definitely revisit when in Ilfracombe again.

We had another very nice lunch not been in for a while but the standards just as high as ever and the sour dough bread is to die for. Thanks for the lovely friendly service.

The only place in ilfracombe where our plates are left clear! Amazing food, lovely atmosphere and lovely front of house! The cakes are just as good as my nanny made them, it's just to die for!!

Lovely little tea room in Ilfracombe,North Devon.

Excellent food. Excellent service. If your in Ilfracombe. Well worth a visit

May I say what an excellent place for lunch Excellent food. Excellent service friendly staff. If your visiting Ilfracombe. Visit Nelly Mays in Ilfracombe high Street. You will be pleased with your visit. I have been for lunch and can't fault anything.

I visited a few years ago and told my partner that he must go there.

A group of 4 of us late morning. 2x full English Breakfasts, 1x Eggs Royale, 1x Poached eggs on sour dough toast. 2 x Cream Teas.

Sweet little tearoom/cafe with lovely lady serving us. We all had afternoon tea and I was very impressed with the vegan option of homemade vegan cheese salad sandwiches, scone and chocolate cake!

Fantastic service staff are friendly and the food is very nice fantastic coffee

We found Nelly May's on a tourism website, in the top 10 cream teas in North Devon so had high expectations. We weren't disappointed and the cream tea and whole experience even surpassed our expectations. What a beautiful place with the most incredible, tasty food! Very personal friendly service. This is worth travelling from far and wide to visit! Thank you!

Absolutely wonderful!!best cream teas ever😋 Went back for lunch and didn’t disappoint....not to mention the delicious cakes,looking forward to coming back next year ....love this place

A traditional cream tea parlour. An array of freshly baked cakes and scones await you. Service was excellent and the setting creates just the right ambience to enjoy cake.

Definitely worth a visit. We visited twice for breakfast during our week on holiday. Wonderful attentive lady running front of house. Selection on offer is vast and well made. Great accommodating fussy teenagers and swapping items. She even remembered our son liked to add his own sauce to his sausage sandwich Tea is lovely and the sourdough is the best I’ve ever had and my poached eggs were amazing, lovely tasty bacon too. Husband loved the marmalade too. You’re not rushed and are always checked upon to see you have everything. Make sure you visit on your trip. Don’t miss out on exceptional food and service. Loved the knitted items in the front windows too.

This is one place that DEFINITELY lives up to the hype!

Wonderful selection, more like visiting family than going out to a restaurant. The lovely lady serving was very interested in hearing about everyone's holidays and could not do enough for the guests eating. Food was fantastic, best scone we have had in years and probably the tastiest quiche I have had since my Mum passed. Even the salad was good! No small portions, no fussy food just classic tearoom food done absolutely perfectly. Very reasonable price too for such huge portions of cake, serving as much local or homemade as possible including breads and jams made in their kitchen. A must-visit if you like a cream tea.

We just had lunch at Nelly May's Parlour... definitely worth a visit. The food hit the spot. Our lunch was delicious and the scones were hot and fresh out of the oven... simply delightful!

Second year of visiting this tea room and what a treat. It's a step back in time with great service and food that's made with love we had toasted soda bread sandwiches the bread is made on site very yummy so was the strawberry milkshake and cream tea probably the best scones I've ever eaten give this place a try you will love it.

Had a lovely cream tea in nelly mays ,we love it ,food is all cooked fresh to order ,fantastic