Sandy Cove Restaurants in North Devon

Was moved into a better room with a fantastic sea view. The hotel has a brilliant venue room, only problem it is down a very steep hill.

Stayed nearby so just visited for some beer, loved it and drinks not expensive, will definitely be back.

Went for a wedding. Amazing scenery, amazing rooms (worth the extra for sea view) 2 mins from 2 lovely seaside villages.

Went here for a (fabulous) wedding, and there's no doubt the Sandy Cove is a beautiful venue, the views are absolutely stunning. There are, however, some issues that I hope the hotel can take notice of... Our room with a view was quite small, and the inbuilt wardrobe opened from left over right rather than the expected right hand door opening first. There was no full length mirror in the room, which, for a hotel that sells itself as a wedding venue is pretty unforgivable. We hadn't booked a table for dinner, and when we asked to be added to an existing table with friends, this was only done after a bit of 'negotiation', and one member of staff doing their best to make things a bit tricky. Weirdly, there is just one menu at the breakfast service, which everyone has to share. The biggest issue is that they have one of those rolling toaster machines, which you have to wait for and burns one side of the bread. The full English was small.

We had an expectation for this hotel, but other than the view we left disappointed. The wrong breakfast arrived on the first morning, they did offer to change but I’m not good with waste so I did eat it and it was fine. Dinner in the evening was certainly over cooked and did not look appeasing to the eye and breakfast on the second morning I had to request to order our food and then request toast that hadn’t arrived. More attention to detail is required by the staff in this restaurant. The staff seemed to just be focusing on setting up for the next service and not paying attention to the guests who were there at that moment in time.

Excellent location and views for a meal out on the patio. The view over the bay is beautiful and the afternoon tea was delicious. Quite pricey for what you get but the location makes up for this. Good food, good service, a lovely afternoon.

We were looking forward to visiting and we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. Friendly staff, great location & views and all our meals were excellent. Thank you!

More like fawlty towers...but not in a good way! No way can this be 4☆ . The complaints we had were and have been addressed by management...would I return?... No. There are better hotels with attention to detail and staff who would not think it's acceptable to blatantly lie to customers.

If I could give 10 stars I would. I got married at Sandy Cove Hotel on 30/06/24 and it was perfect. The venue was simply perfect too. Around 55 guests stayed in the hotel the night before and the night of the wedding and everyone was happy with their rooms, that were each decorated so well and were really clean. Some also had the most exceptional views. They also accommodated 55 of us for food the evening before at realitively short notice, but Neil the resturant manager was really helpful in supporting me to arrange everything. The food was amazing too! However, the staff really stood out for me as every single staff member was so professional, friendly and couldn't do enough for you. Then the wedding venue itself.... well it blew me away. The view looking out onto the sea and dramatic cliffs is breath taking. The venue itself is also beautiful, well presented and well just perfect. So many guests commented how it was the most beautiful wedding venue that they have ever been to. Thank you so much Sandy Cove for helping us have the wedding of our dreams. I couldn't recommend this place more.

Orded crab sandwich all we got was a salad sandwich all most no crab at all. Not to happy as I took my daughter for lunch, who had came all the way up from Cornwall

WEDDING & STAY review.... Stunning hotel, outstanding views, extremely clean and perfect for our wedding. However, there's always room for improvement and here's some feedback.... We visited the venue & ate there quite a few times. We even took both parents to give the seal of approval. Dawn and her team are very professional and helpful. Debs on front desk is THE nicest person and frankly deserves an employee award everyday! We checked in the day before the big day and we had people joining us from all over the country..... 1. We asked for a key to be left at the front desk for 2 latecomers. One girl didn't arrive until 1am and couldn't find her key, no emergency number to call or anyone around to ask for help. She therefore slept in a random room that happened to be open. We did report this but nobody came back to us. 2. The male restaurant manager really needs to have better rapport with people and smile! 3. I had silk flowers outside that needed to come in if it rained. It started to rain in the evening so I panicked and mentioned it to the Manager who asked my groomsmen to bring them in.....hmmm. 4. As a business its easy to forget the people who's day it is and look at the bottom line. 180 weddings are booked to take place so far this year! For me, as a bride, my biggest feedback is the time you get the venue for. Nobody makes you feel rushed, however upon reflection the next day I felt like just a number which wasn’t a nice feeling...... Nobody is allowed into the venue until 10.30am on your wedding day and you &/your bridal party have to clear the venue of all decorations by midnight/00:30. When we gave the signal to the Manager she started bringing out all the empty boxes for us to pack it all up. This shocked our DJ.... and I literally had flashbacks to my child's birthday party at a hall recently. After quite a few drinks and a looong day, nobody (including the bridal party) wants to be doing that job! 5. The 'getting ready room' is new to the hotel and absolutely perfect for photos and preparing for the big day. Again, you pay to hire the room. Being let in from 7am and when you leave to go to your ceremony it has to be cleared of all belongings.....even if you're staying there. Thank you for all our wonderful memories Sandy Cove, we look forward to visiting as guests in the future 😀

Food was excellent with plenty of gluten free options. Dogs are allowed outside on the terrace and in the bar (although you don't get any views from the bar), service was great. Excellent value for money and Doombar on draft so the other half was very happy. Would highly recommend and will be back!

We got married at Sandy Cove in February 2024 and it was an absolutely exquisite day. From the beginning, Dawn and her team were wonderful helping plan the day down to the smallest details. On the day, Sammi and her team looked after us and I could not be happier. They took care of us so well, and it was the little things that stood out like how they had a separate plate of canapés for us put aside so we wouldn't miss out when we got back from taking photos. The wedding breakfast was delicious and my guests are still talking about it, there were excellent veg and vegan options too, which was very important to us. We want to thank all the staff at Sandy Cove for making our day so memorable and we will definitely be back to celebrate anniversaries!

Beautiful setting on the South West Coast Path with wonderful sea views. Very attentive staff

Our party of 12 celebrating mum’s 85th birthday were really looked after at The Cove. The food was excellent with large portions and everyone enjoyed their meals. The location is stunning so we were glad we’d booked early at 6pm so we could really appreciate the views. The young team were very professional and provided excellent service. Highly recommended.

10/10 service. Charlotte was really welcoming, smiley and chatty when we arrived, attentive throughout the evening, she made the effort to have a chat and show interest in customers. Breath of fresh air. It was a shame that we couldn’t tip over card as we really wanted to tip but didn’t have any cash. Give this girl a raise! She deserves it.

Booked a reservation for dinner. The venue is beautiful. Set in a backdrop with stunning views. Absolutely beautiful. The food was lovely. Portions were just right and everything was superb. The serving staff were absolutely fantastic. Was a bit hesitant with some of the reviews regarding service but the team last night (14/08) cannot be faulted. They were kind, friendly and attentive. Thanks so much for a lovely dinner.

Booked Afternoon Tea with prosecco as a birthday treat for my mum. Whilst waiting to be seated in the quiet restaurant the member of staff wasn't very welcoming, we were told if we wanted a drink we had to go to the bar before even asking if we had booked a table. Once seated we had to ask for our prosecco, the afternoon tea itself with lovely but no one came around to check if everything was ok. I asked for another pot of tea but no additional milk was provided to then find out I would be charged extra after already paying £70 for the afternoon tea. I don't normally write reviews but feel like they were being greedy. I have been to many Afternoon Teas at various hotels/restaurants in North Devon & have never once been charged extra for a tea bag & a little bit of water. When questioning the member of staff, she responded abruptly.

You can’t fault the view. However, the kitchen team need to learn how to not shout during service; “are we using waffles or actual gnocchi today?”. If you’re going to have an open kitchen in the dining area, it’s probably a good idea for chefs to not swear, sing and shout “bazinga!” “Hurrah!” in a quiet restaurant - alongside complaining and swearing about customers they had yesterday who noted the catch of the day had been the same as the day before. Staff were pleasant and attentive, but wearing tracksuits and with many tables left with food and drinks from previous customers, it left a bad taste. And finally, we booked specially to take the 3 for 2 offer…following all the instructions online and booking a table in advice. We were met with “the offer is only available if you put a note on the booking”…where was this in the booking process? T&Cs? The food was okay. The restaurant has all the ingredients to be amazing…but we can’t see that happening soon.

Everything about our visit was excellent, 3 courses and drinks for a family group of 5. Very attentive service and nothing was too much. The food could not be faulted and we left feeling stuffed, well looked after and determined to make sure we return. Don't hesitate to book this "GEM" of a restaurant, you won't have any regrets.

Visited on Saturday evening and chose this restaurant for its location. On arriving at the restaurant, met by a sullen waitress who clearly did not want to be there! Got seated then just forgot about until after about 15 minutes we got someone's attention to get a drink and menus. Ordered food, which was great, but apart from a cursory "is everything OK" over halfway through the meal, we were again completely left. After sitting with empty plates for a long time, we decided to not attempt to order coffees or pudding and fought very hard to finally get the bill!!! What great food, and location, but let down by terrible service!!! Why do management not care???

Woefully understaffed and undertrained, rude staff. After queuing 15 minutes at the bar, waiting 20 minutes the guests ordering after us get served their lunch. 10 minutes later when before mentioned guests have finished their lunch we enquire about our food. This will be checked we are told. Nothing happens. We enquire a second time and this time after 5 minutes a third waitress adresses us saying these things happen as no meals are the same. We counter that the we ordered the same meals, pizza. Then some explanation is made up which made no sense at all. No attempt to apologize for messing up the order. Poor quality food as well. Stay well away!

We booked a table for 4 two weeks previously and chose this restaurant because of its loction (beautiful sea view) and it could provide gluten free options. We arrived and although we were down as booked we felt the table had not been prepared and the member of staff had to swop settings on a table for six. Sadly she did not relocate the chair which was left to us to do. The length of time we had to wait for drinks, gluten free menu and our meal was unacceptable. The gf pizzas were OK but the bases were rather floury and either needed more rolling, cooking or topping. My husband's meal was lukewarm (it was pasta) and he was not impressed with the pasta -" tasted floury". They were obviously short of staff and that does need to be resolved quickly. I do appreciate it is a countrwide problem, but that is not an excuse and may result in fewer bookings. The restaurant itself was rather canteenish and could do with some thought regarding decor. It certainly could be made into a fabulous upmarket place to enjoy a cocktail and a mid range meal. Please bear in mind the hotel does have two restaurants and this review is about the pizza and burger restaurant.

We stumbled on this place during a walk and were very pleased we had. The Italian-based menu offers a wide choice and we both enjoyed the meals we had chosen. All the staff were very helpful and friendly, and it made no difference that we were non-residents. We enjoyed the food so much we returned on two further occasions during our holiday. The only fault we could make was that the drinks service was very slow, otherwise, a very enjoyable dining experience.

Stunning views in an attractive environment promised so much,however poor quality pizzas and an excruciatingly slow service, (we waited for over an our for our mains) left us feeling less than impressed. The garlic prawns were decent.

Staff were great, relaxed experience overlooking the gardens and sea. Menu is quite good, and food very tasty with wood fired pizza and calzone on offer as well as other good dishes. Portions are generous and they do offer food for a lighter appetite.

Booked this restaurant for Valentines, (13th evening) I looked at the menu online and nowhere did it say that there was a reduced menu. I was looking forward to prawn starter and lobster but instead had to choose from a reduced menu which I could have got at any pub. Next time please tell your customers in advance. You were quick to take card details in case of cancellation, so a menu change should be priority. On a positive note, the steak was cooked perfectly.

Having booked in advance we enjoyed a dinner here overlooking the cove. We had very good starters and main courses and found the menu was varied but not too large. All of the food was of a very high quality and portion size spot on. Service was very friendly and we never waited long for anything. Represented really good value for money too.

Evening meal at the Cove was a great experience. Beautiful setting and a lovely restaurant with vey knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff. We had the antipasti sharing platter and the special of buffalo wings in a fiery sauce for starters, both were delicious. Our mains consisted of mussels in a cider sauce, which was the best tasting mussels I’ve ever had! Also among our party we had the ragu, which was described as superb and amazingly rich. The chicken breast which again was described as gorgeous and a pizza, which I tried and loved. My only fault was that I could not give a tip via my card, the staff informed me that the owners instead ran a bonus scheme based on positive reviews? . I would have preferred the option to give gratuity which is done at many restaurants via card.

We had booked a table for 4 of us on bank holiday Monday. The views are breathtaking & the weather was superb. They have an app to help with covid restrictions where you can order on your phone which made things very easy. We did wait quite a long time for food but when it came it was very tasty and we thought it was great value for money especially sitting in this location! We felt really sorry for the staff and restaurant manger who seemed to be doing their utmost and some customers were being extremely rude.

It's hard to even find the words to express the sheer disappointment in the service we experienced today, and it's not the first time (we visited last year and had a terrible time but for the views sake we thought we would try again)3hours for 2 drinks and a main meal.Ok the app went down (apparently) and they say they were short staffed but this does not excuse the complete lack of management of the situation. No communication from the staff, no stock of wine, extremely long waits, prompting staff for the same thing several times before eventually getting what we asked for, manager arguing with other guests just trying to politely express their own let down in service. A complete shambles. Won't be returning again.

Had lunch on the terrace, the menu is great with lots of choice & the wood fired pizza was to die for. We had the cookie dough for dessert which was amazing. Sitting there felt just like being abroad! Prices were excellent considering the location and all staff were friendly and efficient & it felt like they couldn’t do enough to help.

Great location let down by standard of food and service. Many items missing off the menu which we didn’t know about until we tried to order them. Salad that came with the meals was incredibly oily and didn’t look fresh at all. Calzone burnt and lacking flavour. Service was very hit and miss, staff are in need of proper training.

Fantastic position with great views. Excellent food and good service. Good value meal considering the location. Was looking forward to the lobster unfortunately they hadn’t managed to get any on the day we were there

Booked in advance as non-residents for dinner in The Cove restaurant of the Sandy Cove hotel. It was our treat night as we were camping nearby. Sea views looking out from table were impressive despite the grim weather. We had cocktails, shared the vegetarian starter board - antipasti and local cheese - followed by mains of local Devon seafood chowder, mussels in cider and stone baked pizza. All great. Staff were all really friendly and helpful, both at dinner and sorting out our cab for us at the end of the night. We hope to be back when the sun shines to take advantage of the terrace.

Visited today and was wowed by the Amazing views from the lovely seating area. This is a lovely place to sit with the most stunning view. Ordering via the app was easy and the service was great. Food was gorgeous and reasonably priced. Good menu, would definitely recommend

Whilst visiting Devon we booked the Cove Restaurant for an evening meal. The food was of an excellent standard, we both said it was one of the best meals we've had in a very long time. It was so good we booked again. Staff were very friendly and attentive both evenings. I would highly recommend, you won't be disappointed, just a shame we do not live near.Date of stay: December 2020

Without taking away from the rest of the meal and the service, calamari is a fairly common dish and one we had eaten on countless occasions. Some dishes were memorably outstanding and some memorably bad. For both my wife and I to simultaneously comment, immediately after our first mouthful, that it was the best calamari we had ever tasted was extraordinary. Especially so, as we have travelled extensively across the globe and eaten at many fine dining establishments. Just so that it doesn’t appear to be ill deserved praise, the blend and texture of both the calamari and covering was incredible and literally melted in our mouths.We both had pasta dishes for our mains and the blend of flavours of both dishes were amazing. We hopelessly over ordered but the garlic pizza bread and sweet potato fries had to be sampled and we weren’t left disappointed.The drinks menu is extensive and reasonably priced.Both my wife and I are firm believers that service is every bit as important as the food in a restaurant. The staff were attentive and professional yet very natural and completely enhanced the experience.In our opinion most of this was down to the Restaurant manager, Ryan. He led the way in ensuring everything was to our satisfaction, but that level of service is only delivered by staff that truly enjoy what they are doing. To watch him manage two restaurants simultaneously without appearing to exert any effort was testament to his undoubted ability. It was a dining experience and the blend of food and service made it something really special.

This review is for The Cove restaurant, at the Sandy Cove Hotel. Food = decentView = outstandingService = appallingI rarely leave reviews but I have to in this case, because the wait staff truly let the place down. I’m a repeat local customer and I’m tired of having to remind the “3 bears” (3 bro waiters) to bring things we’ve asked for. Example: visited there for lunch, we were one of 3 tables in the whole place. Not exactly rushed off their feet. First bro, in his too tight skinny trousers and de rigeur brown pointy shoes takes our order (without writing it down), 2 sandwiches and a side of fries. Sandwiches appear no fries. Remind him and also ask for a glass of water. Watch as he runs to put in the order for the fries and the poor chef in the open kitchen scurries to make this happen ASAP. Fries arrive 8 mins later. Still no water. I remind him. Water finally arrives and he’s managed to be wearing much of it. We finish and decide we want something sweet. Bro #2, who’s trousers aren’t quite so painfully tight, of course wearing the hipster brown wingtips comes clipping over and we ask to see the dessert menu. He promptly forgets about us within seconds of leaving our table and instead stands talking to Bro #1 and fiddling with the computer at the “service” station. 6 minutes later we manage to catch is eye, a light bulb goes off in his head and he brings the dessert list. Enter Bro #3, making an appearance from somewhere as he hadn’t been present until this time. He asks if we need anything and he’s holding a pad. I feel a flicker of hope that we’ll order and it’ll be right... we eagerly place our orders, and add coffee requests. Bro #3’s trousers aren’t quite as hip as the 2 others but there’s still the case of the brown shoes. But I’m believing he’ll get this order right. 8 minutes later 2 of the 4 items ordered appear. Time ticks by. All 3 bros are now standing around the service station gabbing probably about where you buy these look alike outfits (estate agents wear the same, check it out, you’ll see. I think there must be a skinny trouser/brown shoes outlet in every town). 20 minutes later Bro #1 comes over to see how we enjoyed our meal. I let him know we’re missing half our dessert and the litany of other issues we had with a very simple lunch order, on what was a slow day in the restaurant (only 3 tables at the time). He blushes and apologises a lot. I feel bad for the bloke. But c’mon how hard is it to remember an order? And if you can’t remember it then write it down! It’s not hard. And guys... not all of you should be wearing skinny trousers. Just saying.

My boyfriend and I dined at the Seacliffe restaurant this evening and from start to end, the care of service and attention to detail by both Ryan and Nathan was fantastic. The menu was exciting, all the way through to a 3 type cheese board.We shall be returning when we are next in the area.

Extensive menu, well cooked food though service a bit slow. We had fish n chips which was excellent. We also enjoyed breakfast from their daily changing menu

Outside this hotel is amazing with coastal views to die for. A perfect spot to enjoy a drink in the large garden area which has uninterrupted views of the dramatic coastline.We would not though recommended the restaurant. We had booked over a month before but they had no record of our booking.Service was rushed - no offer of water, top 4 red wine options were unavailable and the house wine was shocking. Even the waiter joked you’d need a couple of glasses and then it would taste ok.None of this was helped by 2 large tables which may have well have been kids parties. They spoilt the atmosphere of everyone around us.Despite this the food was good - reasonably priced and tasty.Great for a drink on the terrace - but nothing else.

My husband and I were staying at a local B&B and popped over to the Sandy Cove for an evening meal on the Sunday night. We had a table by the window with lovely views out to sea, and the food was lovely - we had a sharing plate as a starter, pizza and a pud - and we can't fault the service. The waiting staff were all either wearing a mask or a face vizor, with appropriate social distancing between the tables - so we couldn't find anything to criticise about their Covid-19 precautions either.

The food was below par. The service horrible. This place charges high-end prices, but cutlery was stained, glasses had dishwasher powder on them and food was poor quality. Nothing was fresh. Don't even bother.

Went to this beautiful hotel following recommendation of friends as we were staying in the area. Sat out on the terrace overlooking the sea on a lovely sunny afternoon with a g & t! So relaxing!! Came back for meal the following night which was really good. Wonderful surroundings and extremely friendly staff - would highly recommend.

We booked and visited for dinner and seriously wished we had not !When booking it was not made clear which restaurant we were going to be in.On arrival the table was not ready.We were left over 20 minutes before the menu came.We had to chase to order drinks.Then we chased to order dinner.And we chased for the drinks to arrive.Starters arrived with one of them forgotten.Forgotten starter really had not been prepared and came much later.Main meals came, same again - one meal completely forgotten and one so badly burnt it was returned as inedible.The forgotten meal came 20 minutes later after everyone else had nearly finished their mains.We were offered deserts free due to the problems, yet unbelievably one was forgotten - you really could not make it up.When the forgotten desert arrived we were asked "did you order another . . . ?" we said it was forgotten.The waiting staff were apologetic.Fortunately, without asking they removed the items and did not charge for drinks.I wholeheartedly cannot recommend.Such a shame as we were looking forward to this evening.

I am saddened to report that my experience of dining at this hotel was very poor. The vue from the hotel is stunning and it's in such a beautiful location. Sadly our family dinning experience was no match for the view. We were stuck in a corridor near an exit sign, with no waiter attending for over 20 minutes to take a drinks order. This was followed by a catalogue of errors. There were four of us dining and every course was served at separate times due to the fact something had been forgotten by the kitchen or not ordered. We had to return one main dish as it was burned salmon and inedible. We had remind the waiter that we were waiting for other dishes to arrive on more than one occasion and there was no knowledge by the staff about the dishes they were serving. I ordered cheeses for dessert. When asking for the names of two of the blue cheeses, the staff were unable to help me. The whole meal was a disaster. The kitchen seems to be poorly managed and the waiting staff poorly trained. I have never had an experience like this one. The bill was halted by the restaurant but I would so much rather have enjoyed the food and the service. We will never return to eat here again and I would not recommend the restaurant.

My partner has been on about this place for ages, since we discovered both our departed mum's came down to the area frequently.Got to say that it was totally worth listening to her raving about it. The food and service was excellent, without being overbearing and the prices were more than reasonable. The fish I had was probably the best I'd had since visiting Malta 5 years ago.The dessert (baked cookie dough) was to die for. Portions were just the right size and I left feeling well satisfied but not over full.Oh, and our waitress was into astronomy as well so added bonus for me

Had booked for a table of 6 for bank holiday Monday lunch and wasn't disappointed.It was sunny so rather than sitting in the cove restaurant we sat outside and over the course of three hours enjoyed a delicious three course lunch. The highlight was definitely the best cookie dough dessert any of us had eaten.Will definitely be popping back for coffee and cookie dough.

Meal was good, vegan burger , fries , salad, they had run out of vegan cheese so several dishes were unavailable. My partner had spinach and ricotta tortillacce (sp?)Service was efficient and genuinely friendly, great view from the terrace,An enjoyable end to our trip, would reccomend.

The Service was below average we feel, we got to the restaurant and the table wasn’t ready and we had to ask twice for baby seats even though we had 2 understand 2’s We had starters which were nice, and the mains were equally nice aswel.But the staff took ages to offer beverages and even once ordered they took a long time to come even with the restaurant being empty. We did ask for the wine menu twice and it turned up after the starters had been served.Also the hand sanitiser on the table looked and felt more like water and after it had been moved around the table there was some very questionable white lumps in it.

We ate in several nights while staying at Sandy Cove hotel and we’re left with very mixed views so, while I don’t usually write ‘average’ reviews, a summary of our experience may help others:The main COVE restaurant offers a varied bistro style menu of hearty food and pizzas, so good for those of us who have big appetites after long coast path walks and for families with children.Positives are the comfortable and informal vibe, with outside tables when the weather suits and staff do their best even when the restaurant is busy. Less good are some average dishes (particularly starters) and variable service standards.SEACLIFF restaurant is aimed at more of a fine-dining customer and, while I expect kids are allowed to dine with parents, the atmosphere and menu are more conducive to the adult customer.Positives were some nicely prepared and well presented dishes (very good lamb and chicken) and courteous staff. On the downside, portion sizes are woefully small and my scallops were anorexic. Service here was also variable and we were left with a feeling of Seacliff trying to be something it isn’t (and probably can’t become).Both restaurants offer the same wine list, which was poor and we struggled to find anything passable at any price point - they really need a new wine supplier.Overall passable but lots of room to improve the offer in both dining areas.

We arrived at the Cove restaurant to be told that although we had booked a table over a week prior, there were no tables and that we should find a table in the bar area ourselves. We weren't given any instruction but eventually worked out we had to order our food and drink at the bar as there was no table service in the bar area. After ordering our food we were moved into the restaurant area as they were setting up a large table in the bar, and people had left, but disappointed, given we had booked a table, that our table wasn't reserved for us. When the food came, my wife enjoyed her pizza but I had the macaroni cheese which was the smallest amount of pasta I have ever seen in a main dish (I saw a child's version and the only difference was the lack of salad, the size of the macaroni cheese was the same). It was also just pasta in a bit ofplain bechamel sauce and melted mozzarella on top. There was no richness to the sauce or any cheddar in it.

We had a delicious three course meal at the Seacliff restaurant- the monkfish, seabass and panacotta were excellent. Great service from Nathan and Ryan!

When we arrived, the two people on Reception could hardly trouble themselves to say hello. No-one was initially there to greet us in the restaurant; when eventually someone appeared, she was unfortunately extremely unhelpful with a manner not suited to dealing with people! She told us we didn’t have a reservation (we did, I booked by phone on 03/08) and wasn’t keen to accommodate us. Despite the restaurant being totally empty and a table for three laid in the window area, she wouldn’t let us eat inside and said no tables were suitable for three by the window. (Ah, so that one is laid for show only I guess?!) We agreed to take a table outside.... thank goodness as it was much nicer than being indoors and the views are simply stunning.We had a mixture of the unhappy server and a very kind and helpful lady during our meal, so things definitely improved. The bar staff were also helpful, aside from one who was snappy towards my husband, to the point that the gentleman behind him also heard the tone and made a remark!Our food was very good although the portions were out of sync. My daughter’s main course was huge compared to mine as was her dessert.Had the problem with our booking not occurred and had we only had the helpful waitress, we’d have undoubtedly stayed longer and bought a bottle of fizz to celebrate our wedding anniversary that day. As it was, we were just keen to leave after eating and get back to a happier, friendlier place... where we had a lovely bottle!Our taxi driver and other local people we spoke to have all said it’s a great place, aside from a lot of the staff! Maybe some training would be useful?A rating of three is given for the breathtaking views and great food. It could be so much better with a stronger team of people.

We visited the Seacliff restaurant the fine dining experience for a very special birthday . It didn’t disappoint. Great food great staff especially Ryan who made sure we had a fantastic meal and some insight into the local area. Brilliant view too! Relaxed atmosphere.

The Sandy Cove hotel is a stunning setting in North Devon. Unfortunately on the day we visited it was raining so this spoilt the view a little but on a sunny day, I imagine it to be incredible.Still we looked forward to our lunch. Food was good, if not spectacular. Service was a bit chaotic though. Our initial order was taken by a man/the manager? who was friendly and professional enough but after the main courses, a young girl took over who was clearly out of her depth and needs some training.My wife, my 15 year old daughter and I all ordered from the lunch menu, while my younger children ordered 2 courses from the kids menu. Starters and mains were pleasant and tasty.When it came to desserts, we ordered 2 from the main menu and then the kids ordered their 2 (as part of the 2 courses they ordered). The young waitress brought our desserts out but these were not what we had ordered. Instead of listening to us, she insisted we were in the wrong. We certainly wouldn't have ordered the one dessert - because my daughter does not eat caramel. Anyway, she reluctantly returned it to the kitchen and brought a replacement, still adamant that she was correct. The chocolate brownie was average and could have done with some more ice cream, rather than the small portion that accompanied it. The cookie dough was tasty but portions a bit small for the price. Then came the bill and instead of allowing me to check it thoroughly (as we had ordered a number of items), the waitress hovered behind me with the card machine. I felt pressured, while trying to check the bill and despite it appearing to be a little high, I paid.Only once she had left, I realised that we had been overcharged. We had been charged for 4 desserts, despite 2 of them being part of the kids 2 courses for £11 menu. Now I'll never know if this was done deliberately because of the issue of the incorrect desserts or not. I had to go and see the manager and get this rectified, which they did do. I'd suggest some training for the staff and some customer service skills.

We visited for a cream tea, which was lovely. That's where it ended. Our tables had not been reserved and so we had to find a table ourselves and hope it had been cleaned. No track and trace details were asked for (they did not have the details from the initial reservation as they failed to recognise we had reserved). Staff constantly going in and out of the same door even though it was one way. They claim to be covid confident but they did not fill me with any confidence.

Good service, a varied menu including fish and chips and pizzas! Desserts to die for. Good service with pleasant serving staff

I want to preface this review by stating that I never EVER bother writing complaints and would never have anticipated that I would be writing negative feedback for what was anticipated to be a lovely dining experience at a high quality hotel/restaurant. This place looked beautiful from the exterior - well presented gardens, lush terrace area overlooking the bay, grounds well kept, etc... however this scenic haven very quickly disappeared to the back of our minds upon meeting whom I can only describe as the most antagonistic, confrontational, rude and overtly ignorant ‘manager’. We were anticipating a wait with COVID taking its toll. We were prepared to be patient. Immediately we could see things were busy and that they were possibly under staffed (if we had failed to notice this detail, it was further highlighted by Sandy Cove’s own answer to Victor Meldrew who condescendingly shouted at two of his waitressing staff directly in front of us - both of which looked terrified and ready to walk out. None of this their fault!) Victor was moody from the outset. Essentially shouted over us a series of 3 questions yet couldn’t be bothered to wait for my answers. Despite telling him I had a booking on the outdoor terrace, he pointed in the direction of the exit door and told us to ‘just sit down and come to the bar when you wanna order’. Okay, we thought, we will presume our table is ready waiting with menus.No.After politely reminding Victor that we had booked a table (for our 8 year anniversary celebration) he then huffed and puffed and took 10 minutes to begrudging drag a table onto the outdoor terrace and shortly after told us our spot was ready. Great. We walked down towards the beautiful views to find no menus. Nobody came to take our drinks order after 10 minutes of waiting (not that we would’ve known what to order as per lack of menus!) Eventually we decided to leave as we didn’t want this to spoil our occasion. I have worked in hospitality myself under inspiring, cool-headed, fantastic managers whom pride themselves on excellent customer service and keep smiling under pressure. Manners cost nothing! If you’re looking for hearty, home made deliciousness served with a warm welcome then look no further than The Pack o Cards restaurant in Combe Martin - truly, simply brilliant good old fashioned pub grub

Seacliff fine dining - pretending to be something it’s not My wife and I ate in the fine dining restaurant in late July. Having found the place and had drinks and nibbles one lunch time (which were great) we came back for dinner a couple of nights later. The location and venue are lovely (view is amazing) but as a fine dining experience it really lacked. Service wasn’t bad, but far from a fine dining experience. Some of the food was fantastic and some really below par. The scallop starter, in terms of flavour (bacon butter sauce was amazing) and presentation was 10/10 but 3 tiny queen scallops for £10 is a joke. These 3 tiny scallops were smaller much than 1 king scallop. Sorry, but as lovely as the dish was it was a rip off. Honestly never eaten tiny queen scallops in a restaurant like this. A really big issue was timing. Our main courses - my wife’s Salmon was so over cooked she had to return it - her meal was missing elements also and my main course (fish was lovely) was also missing vegetable elements listed on the menu, so I just had a plate of fish and sauce. Triple cooked chips were not great, crispy on the outside but very dry in the middle. A lot of work goes into thrice cooked chips but these ended up like oven chips. Service was incrediblyslow, which we were just about ok with but as my wife’s had to hers re-cooked I had finished my by the time my wife’s came back. As service was so slow we had to call our taxi and ask him to come 1/2 later and we still struggled to make it. 2 1/4 hours for 2 courses! I’ve had 7 course tasting menus in that time! Oh and we wanted 3 courses and ordered the cheese board to take away as we’d run into of time. 5 cheeses we ordered, from a selection of 6, only for the waitress to return to the table end explain that they had now sold out of 4 of the 5 cheeses we asked for (only 2 of the 6 on offer remained and we didn’t want goats cheese). So mixed, some really lovely elements and some barely average. Such a shame. Oh, I should say they didn’t charge for my wife’s main course and did apologise. As some elements were really good, I would give them a second chance (the venue and view such a pull) but not sure when we’ll be back in the area.

We have eaten here twice in 3 days as we absolutely loved it the first time. We ate in the new fine dining restaurant and were treated to exceptional service by Ryan and his colleague Nathan. Everything we ate and drank at the restaurant was just incredible. A lovely setting and the most perfect view ever!

This place has 2 superb restaurants and we ate in both of them. The Seacliff is there intimate fine dining restaurant which has a really lovely atmosphere, the menu is really creative and the food has great presentation and tastes. It was so lovely to be given an amuse bouche to start. The Cove restaurant has a wood fired pizza oven, we tried the Meat Inferno at lunch time and sat outside on the terrace to enjoy this. In the evening we both had the lobster Mac & cheese and the banana calzone, which was to die for!! We would definitely recommend.

The view is literally the only positive! I wish I’d never wasted my time or money! Extremely disappointing visit both service and food wise. We had rang to book a table 2 days prior however they did not have any knowledge of this! No apology and was rudely told we could sit outside if there was anywhere free.Food was extremely lack lustre and tiny portions. The size of the pizza was laughable and despite requesting not a lot of cheese on it, it was loaded in it. Kids chicken nuggets were the standard frozen junk for what you’d expect but for the price tag I felt they could’ve made more of an effort!!Husband and I ordered a beef pasta dish. Was served Luke warm and let’s just say it most definitely did NOT touch the sides. It was also very bland and tasted like beef served in bisto gravy.Kids meal was meant to come with a dessert was told there was a lengthy wait on this, we should’ve just left but our son was really looking forward to it and no kind of refund offered despite the £11 price tag.After waiting 20 mins we asked again how long it would be the chef was overheard saying ‘I can’t do it, it’ll be another 20 mins’. What a shambles! Also noticed no actual sanitising of the outdoor tables in between customers which is pretty disgusting in today’s climate. Also nobody adhering to any kind of social distancing and the toilets were filthy.The view however was lovely and the only reason I’ve given 2 stars.I would most DEFINITELY NOT recommend this place nor would I ever return, even for the view. Very sad as it could be lovely.

Great food, amazing garden with beautiful sea view and good service. The menu is varied. My partner had fish and chips and I had fresh mackerel, absolutely delicious. Would highly recommend.

The food was delicious, and loads of it!! Great service, lovely atmosphere and a brilliant wine menu to choose from.

6 of us had an excellent meal here on Tuesday lunchtime. The mussels were good as was the succulent chicken burger with cheese and bacon.

Visited for drinks only but would love to stay overnight as the accomodation was exquisite (we took a sneaky peak). The food looked amazing. We visited several times mainly to appreciate the stunning views over the harbor. Drinks were very reasonably priced compared to other local venues.

Always a friendly greeting, had an afternoon tea, highly recommended, stunning views, friendly staff, afternoon tea was delicious, going there for my special birthday 😊

Great location/setting - terrible service! Booked a specific timeslight for afternoon tea, needn't have bothered as it was very quiet. It was nearly 40 minutes before ANYTHING arrived at our table! Wouldn't recommend.

They have an AA 2 Rosette award for food. Menu is good and quite creative & presentation also good. There is a bit go a wait between courses but wouldn’t want this any other way with this standard of food. Staff good on the whole but a couple of young ones could do with a bit more training. Great views.

We ate every day in the restaurant during our holiday. Breakfast was lovely with plenty of variety, cereals , fresh fruit , pastries and toast and ready to help yourselves, hot breakfast was cooked fresh as you ordered it! Evening dinner was amazing! With varied menu to choose from again all cooked from scratch , portions were very large especially for al a Carte I expected small portions but no , they were very generous and delicious! Every evening we were given a free appetiser called a ‘mouthe douche’ it was gorgeous and every day a different flavour! Highly recommend the duck starter! Can’t wait to visit again,

Beautiful view sitting outside for lunch, decent food. Very long wait though and there was hardly anyone there. Would hate to imagine how long the wait is when it's full. We didn't mind as it was a sunny day and were happy sitting out on the decking.

We were staying at the Sandy Cove Hotel and used their restaurant for our evening meal. The staff lack something in terms of sophistication but make up for it with enthusiasm, being friendly and helpful throughout.I had the filet steak and chips while my colleagues tried the Pan-fried hake and the Grilled Sea Bass. The fish dishes were a bit over complicated in terms of the ingredients with so many flavours competing it ended up being distracting.The restaurant at the Sandy Cove Hotel is a fine option if you are nearby, however, I am not certain I would travel on long distance to eat there.

This restaurant has to have one of the best views of any restaurant in the UK. We had a window table & it was lovely to gaze at this stunning view. Food was amazing, great flavours and lovely presentation and a very creative menu. Staff were attentive and helpful. Decor is contemporary. Highly recommended.

I love coming to this hotel we were going to have afternoon tea had bar food instead very nice friendly staff well worth a visit you can stay here a lovely view chiling out well worth a visit x

The food was just mass churned out slop. Waiting staff were so so so so bad. One was asked whether he liked working here and he said “no it’s s^*t”. Just shocking. Go elsewhere.

We stayed at Sandy Cove for a Xmas get together as volunteers for a local dog charity called K9 Focus and had a great time .We arrived early and made full use of the fantastic facilities using the swimming pool, sauna & steam room before the meal. The room was dog friendly and even had our own private decking area to let our dog out. The food was of a high standard with a good choice and lots of it. Staff were friendly and very helpful especially Phil behind reception. We would definitely recommend a stay here and are looking to book another visit with amazing views of the fabulous North Devon coast.

The steak and wine were divine! Then Cheese to finish.Perfect. Service was good, friendly and knowledgable of the local produce on the menu. A nice touch.

lovely staff, lovely view, delicious food. we will be back very soon. the hotel is lovely and i have nothing else to say

What a lovely position overlooking the sea nice place to stop and have a drink food very nice the staff very helpful and friendly loved it went there a few times while we were on Holliday at watermouth cove nice place to walk to on a nice sunny day

The daily amuse bouche is the best of the entire experience. The pomp n ceremony does not match the food. Felt like a 5 star service with just 2 star food

Well what a surprise. Great looking hotel, the views will take your breath away. Slightly inexperienced staff, but were willing to help. Food was amazing, and for the price/quality balance, it's a hidden treasure in north Devon. Will definitely recommend to friends and family, looking forward to seeing this venue/restaurant grow with time. Will be back.

We had two breakfasts and two evening meal in this restaurant.

This is a lovely restaurant in a fantastic setting. The food is first class and inexpensive for it’s superb location. However we have had 4 meals here and more to come but we have stopped having an evening meal because we waited in an empty restaurant (it opened at 6pm we arrived at 6:15pm) for 1 hour for a steak to be cooked medium, it was delicious. I bought this to the attention of the duty manager as we had heard on previous visits that people where complaining about waiting times, his response was that everything is cooked to order, I pointed out that it only takes 8 minutes to cook a steak and he just shrugged his shoulders. I also brought to his attention that in the morning I was the third person to arrive for breakfast and it took them 1 hour and 5 minutes to cook a beautiful poached egg and very tasty poached haddock, something that would take about 10 minutes from start to finish. We paid £200 a night for this service and it’s not satisfactory. Breakfast begins with 2 or 3 members of staff standing around the entrance, none of them are allowed to take your order, they get your drink, no refills are done its back to the podium for them, you get your cereal and then the maitre de comes and takes your order, twice we ordered scrambled egg and got fried and once I ordered haddock and poached eggs ( yes plural as in there menu) and got 1 egg after 1 hour. Today we thought let’s go easy on them and just order the English breakfast “ how would you like your eggs” scrambled please, yes you guessed it they are fried. The staff are all lovely but lack any sort of training or management. I beg the owner to sit in his/her restaurant and have breakfast and see for yourself.

Had a table on the deck which they had clothed & they had candles in hurricane lamps on all the tables. Views are to die for , like being abroad & food was very good. Prices were very reasonable. This is highly recommended.

It was our 35th wedding anniversary and we were staying in the area so decided to have our celebration meal in the restaurant of the hotel. We arrived on time and was shown to our table. On being seated we were given menus but were not asked if we wanted any drinks. Eventually a waiter came over and we asked for the wine list. We chose our wine and ordered our food at the same time. We asked what the selection of vegetables was but the waiter said he didn't know. The food arrived minus the sauce which we eventually had to ask for. The sauce was brought to our table with the waiter saying "that's not my fault". We noticed that we did not have any steak knives so after struggling with ordinary knives I went in search of a waiter who I found talking behind the bar. On asking for the steak knives he brought them over to us with the comment "that was my fault". We finished the food which was ok but nothing special. On paying the bill we were not asked if everything had been ok. We were never looking to apportion blame so we didn't care who's fault it was. All in all what should have been a nice celebratory meal was quite unsatisfactory

We had an excellent meal here beginning with unusual and delicious cocktails. The food was served quickly and presented beautifully. Great wine list. Sarah is the perfect host. We will return.

Went here yesterday on a spur of the moment lunch. Beautiful location lovely food, will be back in the summer...😄😄😄

Ate here while we were staying at Sandy Cove Hotel, had a lunch before our journey home. It’s been tastefully refurbished, food is good & I would have given it a 5 if they hadn’t messed our order up but staff were friendly and apologetic. It is pub food but very nice although a little pricey.

I'll go back here again staff fantastic food fantastic views outstanding , I'll have to say one of the best places I've been in years , can't wait to go back . Like to thank all staff for a wonderful time see you all again soon

Enjoyed eating at the restaurant as part of our stay at the hotel. The menu options were excellent, quality fresh produce and beautifully presented....they also were delicious!!!! My daughter devoured all 3 courses which is simply amazing as I struggle to get her to eat anything!! Service was impeccable and would be a strong reason for returning!! Many thanks :)

Stayed in a very nice balcony room with blankets and binoculars provided to admire the fantastic view of the bay and sea beyond, we have a wonderful meal in the restaurant and after watched the fireworks from the balcony, perfect.

We have just got home from staying at Sandy Cove. We had the most amazing time. The view is priceless!! The bedrooms are spacious and very clean with a lovely bathroom. We loved how there was so much attention to detail with the baskets for your balcony with blankets to make it cosy as you sit and get lost in the view. We had great food and wine in the evening, all the staff where so helpful and would do anything to please and make your stay the best it could be. We have been to the hotel many times before and every time there is always something new or something refurbished. We fall in love every time we go.

Some unusual combinations that mostly work. Presentation was good but takes a while. At least you know it's fresh. There were a few complaints around the resterant that night mostly about the service & the order in which the food was served.

We were presented with a bottle of Prosecco with “this is complimentary, not sure why”. (This was due to bed looking like it had been slept in, in accepting this we apparently seem to wavered all rights to complain about a dirty room, we have sent photos to the owner, but not interested. The receptionists excuse for the dirty room was that it was the end of the season).

Wonderful food, great flavours and very well presented. We’ve eaten in a lot of Michelin starred restaurants and this isn’t far behind. The decor in the restaurant is modern and tasteful and there is a lovely relaxed atmosphere. There is a beautiful decked area at the front of the hotel and a terrace which I’m sure would be lovely in the summer. My favourite was the dessert amaretto semifreddo and my partner was so delighted that they served Peroni in the bar.

Couldn,t find fault with food or service. Excellent. Lots of choice. Very clean and tidy. Very impressed

I had the fillet steak which was cooked to perfection. As we had the dogs with us we had to sit outside so the menu was actually not as extensive as the indoor diners. Was'nt offered any napkins and nobody came to see if our dinner was ok. Felt as though because we were dining outside we were a bit forgotten about! Great meal though!

Este restaurante es magnífica, con vistas impresionantes al mar. El menú es genial, con mucha variedad y muy creativa. La comida era excelente y la presentación increíble. El personal era amable y profesional. La decoración es contemporánea y de muy buen gusto. Se puede recomendar.