Puffing Billy in Torridge

Provided lovely food and the staff were friendly and efficient. There is plenty of parking as it is in an old railway siding.

Lovely cafe, great choice and good and beautifully cooked and presented. We’ve eaten here several times and never been disappointed. Great cake too!

Lovely little cafe, nice location with plenty of seating inside and out. The prices are reasonable and the cakes very nice . Staff friendly

This was a lovely find. We sat outside and had a fish finger sandwich, avacado and feta salad and a kids chicken nuggets meal - all were fresh and tasty as well as good portion size. The staff were friendly an service quick although was busy. Great little spot if near Torrington or for a pit stop when using Tarka trail.

Excellent cafe to be enjoyed. The atmosphere of an old railway station is still very present and adds to the lovely experience and food at this cafe. Food was good quality and tasted delicious.

We loved this place Great food and portions Lovely coffee- really good coffee Service brilliant and great with our dog And on top of all this you can literally walk out and onto the Tarka trail

Great place to sit outside under large parasols. We had breakfast there and I would go as far to say it was the best breakfast I have had anywhere. Freshly cooked, coffee tastes good and Staff are all nice and friendly. Excellent and recommended.

A really nice atmosphere and a good choice of food and friendly staff, dog friendly as well. If we are ever in this area again we will be paying another visit.

Excellent menu, lovely pub with a good menu and specials available. All the food was well presented and well cooked. This pub is popular so it’s advisable to book. Has a nice outdoor seating area. Staff are very friendly

Visited Sunday about 11:30. Bit breezy so with 83 year old wanted somewhere inside is we stood by the “wait to be seated” sign and waited and waited. 4 free tables, one had reservation for a pm so we’d be out in plenty of time. Still waiting, staff walking by but no acknowledgment, no “someone will be with you in a moment”. After feeling invisible, we left. We’re not regular visitors but we won’t be back. We wouldn’t mind waiting but being ignored was just rude

Lovely little authentic cafe. Great food with tempting menu. You can sit inside or out. Loved it. Came back for cake and coffee.

Absolutely amazing Sunday roast dinner and a bargain for £12.50. I had the nut roast which was a huge slice. Really delicious

Nicely converted station building. Great value and friendly staff. I ordered sausage and Bacon bap nicely cooked sausage crispy bacan lightly toasted bap just enough to stop the bap making the bacon cold. My wife had coffee walnut cake really tasted homemade ( know because it was so big she couldn’t finish it I had to help tuff job but someone had to do it) MUST DO stop on the Tarka Trail cycle path, cycle hire right next door

We had a lovely cream tea for two here. Our first time here, such a quirky cafe, really yummy menu, unfortunately we found it on the last day of our holiday, definitely would of gone back there. Staff were really friendly, especially the young blonde lady who gave us directions to the Tarka trial. Would definitely recommend if your in the area.

Called in here with friends for a cup of tea. However, we saw the cakes on display and couldn't leave without trying one each! 3 opted for the bakewell tart and everyone raved about it saying it was the lightest sponge topping they'd ever had and it was also very almondy. I had the chocolate fudge cake and I was in chocolate heaven. We will be returning.

Fabulous spot for breakfast. Delicious and fresh food. Very smiley service and good amount of seating inside and out.

Lovely breakfast before our cycle ride along the Tarka Trail. Amazing carrot cake with our afternoon tea on our return. It was busy but we didn't wait long. Staff really nice. Will return very soon. Thank you

Went for a Saturday walk alongside the river on the old rolle canal, got back and fancied an all day breakfast at the puffing billy. It was lovely, hot freshly cooked, and very prompt. The ingredients were tasty, the eggs to die for. Served by polite staff. Plenty on my plate to fully satisfy my belly !!!

What an amazing experience. Went for Friday Night Supper Club, waited for 2 months to get in. Incredible food and service. Will definitely come again. Love how local seasonal food is the star! Well done Claire, Jade, and the team. A little gem on the Tarka Trail

Ordered a breakfast for £12. 95 and sorry to say it was terrible. The two sausages were over cooked and almost black. The scrambled eggs were dry and rubbery. The half tomato was rock hard and the mushrooms were swimming in fatty oil. Never again.

Great food in a lovely location on the edge of the Tarka trail. We came twice in a week and enjoyed their breakfasts with delicious eggs alongside good quality bacon and sausages

This cafe is a little gem. The food and drinks are of a high standard. Nice place to relax after a walk on the Tarka Trail.

Everything about this breakfast is top class. The sausages, the bacon, the beautiful dark yellow yolks of the eggs, hash browns, mushrooms , beans all cooked to wonderful yummy perfection. And it’s on offer all day

Called in whist cycling along the Tarka trail for a quick break today. Lovely cranberry teacake with lovely soft butter. Coffee and tea. Brownie with icecream, a tasty berry smoothie and milkshake made with icecream and milk which wasn't cold which was a shame. Victoria sandwich cake dry so dissapointing as I love cake. Plenty of seating outside either under cover or tables in the sun. Parking and bike racks. Pleasant staff. Order inside and it is brought to your table. Would call in again.

Will start by saying the food was lovely. However the service was not good at all. After spending £30 on breakfast I asked for more sachets of sauce since 3 wasn’t enough. The server was really rude about it and told me I was being excessive, when I asked again for more sauce when breakfast arrived at the table she said no I wasn’t allowed anymore. Really strange and rude, she begrudgingly gave me more but ultimately when you’re paying a tenner each for a cooked breakfast having enough condiments doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

This place is a real gem. Run by true professionals with the help of brilliant, smiling staff. Nothing too much trouble and the food delicious on nice hot plates. We will definetely be returning. An excellent pit stop for anybody cycling the Tarka trail. Daniel

Lovely lunch sat outside under new patio area. Very busy but efficient, friendly service and lovely food. Come here often and it never disappoints.

Visited for Sunday lunch today and was totally Impressed. It seems to be under new ownership. A great Sunday roast at a reasonable price with a special mention for the roast potatoes. Nice range of beers now on offer and my favourite Passion Shoot drink...

Sunday roast tasty and generous. Dog friendly. Lovely old building. Staff very pleasant. Would recommend and definitely go back.

We enjoyed lovely roast dinners and an all day breakfast today. The owner and waiting staff are always very friendly and we would recommend it. We can't wait to go there again. Thank you.

Arrived 45 minutes before closing time to be told only coffee available. No cakes, even though they were on display! Amazing service.........

We have visited the Billy on many occasions for either just drinks or meals, but today was our first Sunday roast..... absolutely loved it. Definitely recommend.

This place has a very stylish, simple atmosphere. The tables are well spaced out so all diners have their privacy- also great for social distancing times. I loved it and will definitely return. There was more than one vegan option on the menu- hurrah! The...

Lovely place to meet family. Brilliant being able to bring the dog along too. Delicious fish and chips, pulled pork macaroni cheese and beef stew consumed today - and doggy bags taken home for later. Rocky road cookies were also delicious later on today :-)

A sunny Saturday morning in September and I decided to go to one of my favourite places for breakfast. The Tarka breakfast with scrambled egg today and just like every other visit this year, it was spot on. Friendly and efficient service in a relaxed...

The venue and the setting are gorgeous. Sitting outside in the sun on a warm summers day with a beautiful view was the highlight of the visit. The milkshakes are hardly a milkshake. It’s just flavoured milk that’s been put in a blender. The scones...

we visited on a very busy sunny day early August, the cafe was very busy but the staff had time to find a table for my wife and myself and 3 dogs, Its so nice to praise an establishment that is dog friendly, especially as...

Such a lovely cosy, welcoming spot just outside of Great Torrington. Can’t rave about the breakfast enough, it was fantastic and they even made our son a plate of scrambled eggs & baked beans that wasn’t on the menu. The breakfast was so good that...

Parking was sufficient and we found a spot easily, sat outside (plenty of seating) and had the Billy Burger and Fish Finger sandwich in the sun with ginger beer and a passion shoot shake. Portion sizes were perfect, as were the fluffy on the inside...

The cafe was very easy to find and the waitresses were lovely and the food was good. The seating wasn’t very good we were sat very close together. the toilets weren’t that good either.

Cannot recommend The Puffing Billy enough, from the food, friendly staff, friendly owners it is just the place to visit fir a perfect rest stop on the Tarka Trail. We visit twice a week and EVERY time both food and welcome is outstanding. Love the...

Visited here after a long walk on the Tarka Trail. Plenty of parking outside and they are dog friendly. Quick and friendly service, clean, lots of tables and a nice atmosphere. The menu offers lots of variety from all days breakfasts, lighter snacks and bigger...

My wife and I called in here today for a spot of lunch and as first time visitors, we were very impressed. My wife had the ham and egg and chips, which was a very generous portion and I had the Billy Burger, and again...

We stopped here as we were staying locally and went for a wander on the Tarka Trail. There was a table of 4 of us with a toddler and they were very accommodating. Food was delicious - the homemade chips are amazing! Would definitely recommend...

PERFECTION AND COMFORT The Puffing Billy Cafe at Great Torrington North Devon is simply superb! I visited en route to Dartmoor and was greeted with such a “genuine” warm welcome, both personally, and physically as I sat next to a roaring log fire on my...

This was a great lunch. Swift, professional and friendly service. Really lovely roast. Roast beef was local and delicious, and the nut loaf was layered (nuts, seeds and pulses) and very tasty. Good selection of veg (including the treat of cauliflower cheese). Fantastic value and...

All we had was good coffees, and a scone to share (it was big), but it was an amazingly good one. Standards and quality of service kept up, even on the smallest of orders, thank you .. !

Stopped here for lunch with my cycling friends whilst doing cycle route 27. Great food, friendly serve and interest place to stop

We booked an inside table (no bookings needed for outside). Parked onsite. Our meal was hot, tasty and well cooked, the waitress polite and efficient. Catered for one diner who has wheat/dairy/nut allergies. The dog had a pre-restaurant walk then a snooze. Everyone happy.

Me and my partner have stopped off here twice in a matter of days for some much needed refreshment and we were glad we did. The first time we went for a full day bike ride on the tarka trail and at the end treated...

Went to rosemoor for the day and found the catering to be poor / non existent. Saw this place on way back and stopped in. Good food and organisation with varied menu and quality food.

Great place reasonable prices. Varied menu and lovely staff one female staff member in particular who knew all about gluten free options. Highly recommend

We had a lovely lunch and a nice walk on the Tarka Trail. Plenty of seating inside and outside. All day breakfast is highly recommended. Dog friendly with water available and the staff are helpful, friendly and very welcoming.

The food is just amazing, it's wholesome, fresh, and tastes perfect. The services is great and the staff are so helpful, even when under pressure. Definatly a place not to be missed

Really lovely choice on the menu and great service. Food was delicious and good portion sizes. Will be returning again.

We have visited few times and had an excellent vegetarian breakfast but the best meal we had was lunch a couple of weeks ago. My husband had the halloumi burger and I had the sourdough baguette with beetroot falafel. I'm trying to find time to...

Super convenient restaurant/cafe about 14 miles south of Barnstaple on the Tarka trail. It was originally the station and has been repurposed, with many of the original features retained, giving it a lot of charm. The food was good quality, of generous portions and fairly...

We went for lunch as a stop on the tarka trail. Great location. Good food for the family including young kids. Nice staff who cleaned tables down quickly and properly between customers.

We visited the cafe at the station for coffee prior to walking along the Tarka Trail to Bideford. Free car parking and good service. Covid awareness. Great walk with several interesting information boards.

Wonderful cream tea for 2, very friendly and helpful staff that also catered for our dogs. Definitely recommend - thank you 😊

Best afternoon tea I have ever had and the staff were excellent too. I booked it the day previous and the manager could not have been more helpful

We stopped here for lunch whilst cycling on the Tarka trail. Lots of space and covid restrictions being complied with. Delicious cake and coffee. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Popped in for a break while walking the Tarka trail. Very friendly and well spaced seating outside. Staff all over COVID compliance. Everything cleaned down after use and ensuring details taken for ‘track and trace’. Had deluxe hot chocolate with a cake and it was...

It had been a while since I'd frequented the Puffing Billy in the quaint town of Great Torrington. However, I was thrilled that the level of service, smiley staff, and exceptional coffee is very much still the order of the day, even with COVID measures...

Lovely warm welcome, good food log fire, shelter from the rain until it passed, then a lovely stroll along the Tarka line

We had a great lunch here today in a very ‘COVID’ safe cafe despite its busyness. The menu was very good and the lunch choices were plentiful. Very good value for money & friendly staff offered a warm welcome

Visited our favourite little cafe after its refurbishment and pleased to say it’s still as good as it was before. Brilliant location on the Tarka Trail so always good if out for a bike ride or dog walk. Staff are friendly and nothing is too...

After a lovely walk along the canal lunch was great. My special of the day was chicken pie, prepared by hand by the chef, with perfect light pastry. Equally good was the veggie burger, the service was warm and welcoming, we were perfectly at home.

A welcome pit stop after our fabulous cycle rise from Puffing Billy to Fremington Quay. Fabulous coffee and crummy cake.

Converted Victorian railway station serving coffees, snacks and lunches. Great place to stop for refreshments with an engine and rolling stock still in situ on the platform to add to the delightful ambience and authenticity. We had a really lovely latte whilst sat in the...

We stopped here for a quick drink when cycling along the Tarka trail. Basic facilities but friendly staff and super clean.

Whilst on our ride from Barnstaple to Sheepwash we stopped here for a drink and a bite to eat. Once seeing that a hot drink and a pasty were on offer at such a good price we both plumped for this and very delightful it was too. Well worth a visit.

Stopped here whilst cycling the Tarka Trail, food was delicious, lots of space to sit outside to maintain social distancing. Would recommend stopping here if you’re out on your bike.

We stopped here for a cuppa and of course were unable to resist the menu. We had a really good quality sandwich with big thick sliced of ham and some fab sweet potato fries and some cheesy fries. The coffee was good and the service was with a smile. We would certainly recommend and go there again.Covid friendly - Orders are taken and brought to a serving hatch where the customer collects the dishes from. When finished the customer takes the used containers to a table/bins. Tables are cleaned after each customer has finished

Set in a lovely location on the Tarka trail, suitable for walkers, cyclists and a good parking place for cars. Conversion of the station buildings gives it a delightful quirkiness. Small but good choice on the menu, would defined recommend the breakfast. Good choice for veggies and vegans. Coffee very tasty. On our regular go toos at the end of a doggie walk, dog friendly indoors and in the lovely garden. Friendly staff too. Warning closed 14/9/20 to 15/10/20 for a refurb

popped in for food and drinks, very good cause for money all local produce. Friendly staff, all out a great experience, would highly recommend 👌

Visited here intending to stop for some lunch whilst cycling the Tarka Trail in August.Our first impression was very good, the outdoor area is nice, it's a really cool little place. Unfortunately, the second impression is the biblical plague of wasps that clearly like it there too.It simply wasn't possible to enjoy any of the food or drinks on offer without being swarmed by them immediately, as the inside seating was closed. We witnessed multiple people being swarmed while trying to eat, to the point that many had to leave the premises to finish their food.We weren't willing to risk sitting down for anything substantial, so grabbed some little bits to take away, including some excellent home made cookies. It was disappointing, as the food looked and smelled excellent.I've given 3 stars, even though our experience was more a 2, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there are some recent reviews that I feel are harsh, especially regarding the pricing which is perfectly reasonable. Secondly I expect that without the wasps this place would be great, and I plan to visit again when they're less likely to be around.

Walked up the Tarka Trail from our camp site, was really looking forward to our stop here. Spent most of the time avoiding wasps while queuing up to order. We decided not to eat there due to the wasps and get takeaway only to be told it was a 20+ min wait for a sausage sandwich. So we ended up leaving with a couple of muffins.

Looking forward to stopping here for lunch as a reward for our long bike ride, and boy were we disappointed. Wasps everywhere, which they blame the council for, come on guys your land, sort it out! To top it off the food was awful. Me and my partner had cream teas... the scone was lovely but it certainly was not clotted cream, I don't think it was even cream, it was yellow and looked and tasted more like butter. My kids meals (which were adults) were no better, the burger was something I'd expect from Macdonalds (I never been to A Macdonalds so that should tell you something) My daughter had a Bacon Butty and there was more fat on it than Bacon. Cheap.The toilets..... Fowl. Id rather go in a Bush.Won't return again, will plan to ride to another stop for lunch going forward.

We stopped here as the turning point on a Tarka Trail cycle from Barnstaple.Outside seating only, which is ordinarily not a problem but they have a major wasp problem. Wasps swarming constantly around your table whilst you're trying to enjoy food and drink is a massive issue for me. Sadly, despite being a commercial operation they seem to think that it's not their problem to address the matter by calling in an expert to rid the source of the problem. Rather, they keenly take customer money, knowing that a great number of those customers are walkers and cyclists in transit and the chances of repeat business are slim anyway. Utter financial greed.I won't dwell too much on the food, but needless to say that too was rather unimpressive (cream teas, cooked breakfast and bacon sandwich).I recommend that anyone else on the Tarka Trail picks an alternative location to stop for food/drinks

Good food good service friendly staff plenty of parking great location. Idea for a stop for lunch right next to the tarker trail

As a local we like to walk our dogs along the Tarka trail which often leads to a coffee or maybe even lunch at the puffin billy - over the last year one member of staff in particular has been very officious and rude and today was no exception. During these trying times you would think the goal would be to be customer friendly in order to maintain their business but maybe with the footfall of the dog walkers, cyclists and general passers by they dont feel the need to give good customer service, which is such a shame as in our opinion this one member of staff is letting the rest of the cafe down big time! This morning was my husbands first experience of her attitude but definitely not mine! Which is more akin to being on an army barracks as she barks at people rather than making it an enjoyable experience to be repeated. My husband came back to the table and said we wont be going again due to her barking at him! I would like to add that the food and the other staff are fine. Im not sure what capacity this lady is working there, but maybe she needs a bit more training in customer service and empathy? Very disappointing as we like to support local businesses especially at the moment.

Cafe wasn’t too bad and the fact that you have to sit outside due to Covid is not a problem at all. The problem is the fact that they have an awe full issue with wasps. They are everywhere. When I enquired about it they said council does not want to do anything. Last time I checked it is responsibility of the business to have appropriate pest control measures in place and they should not be relying on publicly funded services.No matter how good or bad the food is the entire experience was so bad I will never come to this place again.

£9 for a 500ml bottle of Doombar beer and a tuna-mayonnaise sandwich with a few crisps. Oh, and due to Covid you can only sit outside.

Stopped by for takeaway coffees, a bacon sandwich and a cheese and chutney one. All done with appropriate procedures in place. Excellent all round. Fresh bread had just been delivered, the bacon was of a good quality & the cheese and chutney was very tasty. Washed down with great coffee, we couldn't fault it. Well done PN team.

Afternoon tea very disappointing Counter staff unwellcoming and officious and not customer user friendly. Hostile

Great lunch stop whilst cycling on the Tarka Trail - good, tasty menu choices with some nice alternatives to sandwiches as well (we chose a huge salad & tasty pulled pork tacos). Very popular place so queue time to order was 10 mins but very well organised with one way system, lots of outdoor seating etc...

Crap service with rude staff and stale food and didn't feel welcome and will not turn back again and don't recommend

Really good COVID rules in place. Perfect location for lunch on the Tarka Trail and food was alright too. I had jackfruit tacos which I’d recommend for the non-meaties.

We hired bikes to enjoy a section of the Tarka Trail and Puffing Billy was the point we planned to have lunch at and then turn back. Plenty of space to lock our bikes up outside the station safely. Followed the signs and queued outside. The menu is put up outside the cafe on the door so as you can chose your food before entering the premises. As you enter the cafe there is a box you can fill your details in on should you need to be 'tracked and traced' during the C19 pandemic. Ordering the food felt safe and was easy to do. A one way system has been introduced within the premises with plenty of room to stay out of each others way. The garden furniture was well spaced out and a delight to sit on and watch the birds in the trees nearby. We had a variety of kids meal, adult salads and toasties- all were good quality and tasty. The poor member of staff bringing the food to the outside area seemed rather stressed out though and like everything was all too much for him! We did visit the toilet which was clean and well signposted with how to distance from each other.

Nice setting. In a disused train station. Friendly and accommodating staff. Good varied choice of drink, and more filling things like milkshakes and smoothies

This cafe was at the mid point of our bike ride and we were looking forward to a nice cup of tea, we queued in the one way system for 10 minuets and when we got to the front it appeared there was another queue forming outside, someone asked which queue they should stand in and the man behind the counter said "outside" then told me and the rest of our queue that we were in the wrong place and could we join the end of the other queue. I said that wasn't very fair as we had already queued and then I was told "if you don't like it you can jog on", and "we don't like rude customer so jog on". It was unbelievably rude and completely uncalled for. I was taken aback and asked who was in charge, the man said he was the manager and again told me to "jog on" much to the amusement of the other guy who was serving. We then left along with another family who were equally shocked. We did get a lovely cream tea in Instow by which time I just about forgot about this horrible experience.

Popped in for my second visit in 2 weeks after a walk on the Tarka Trail. Takeaway latte and cream tea, friendly staff and quick service. The cream tea was boxed up with napkins and wooden knives. Freshly baked scones were delicious. You can also have a bacon butty, toasted teacake or a cake (I had a blueberry muffin last week which was lovely). Open from 10a.m during the Covid pandemic from Wednesday to Sunday. The side window to order from is on the 'track' side of the platform with the 2 metre rule. Well worth a rest after your walk/cycle.

Delicious take away fish and chips. Such a treat to have a take away meal in these difficult days. Generous portions of beautifully fresh cooked fish chips and curry sauce. Pre ordered and paid for and ready bang on time. Would thoroughly recommend.

Very friendly restaurant on the Tarka trail. All the food is cooked to order. Delicious food at a reasonable price.

During our recent stay in North Devon we cycled all of the Tarka trail popping into the Puffing Billy on two occasions. The food was excellent served by friendly and helpful staff.

Called late afternoon on a Sunday. Had one nut roast and one normal. I think we hit it a bit late as only carrots and roasties left. Will try earlier next time. The food was good.

Nice restaurant with friendly staff. The menu offers a “pub grub” style food and is done to a high standard. They are also working hard to provide vegetarian, vegan and specific allergy free options to cater for as many people as possible.

Fabulous cafe with great value lunches and a brilliant place to start your walks or cycle trips along the Tarka trail , all the staff love dogs and even have small dog towels on hand for a rainy day

Another chance to try a varied and home made selection of mains, the puds were good and a truly fantastic selection of cakes, all home made. I usually visit on a Monday so good for a post weekend business.