Tea by the Taw in North Devon

Food excellent service excellent

Favourite place to have lunch in Barnstaple. Generous portions, good food and lovely staff

A lovely cafe on the river Taw, with a warm welcome and delicious cakes. A great place for a natter and chill with plenty of outdoor seating for those sunny days.

Had the most delightful afternoon at Tea by the Taw in Barnstaple! The atmosphere and riverside location made it the perfect spot to relax and unwind. The selection of teas was fantastic, and the egg mayonnaise sandwich delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive, making the experience even more enjoyable. Whether you’re looking for a quiet place to read, catch up with friends, or simply enjoy a great cup of tea, this is a must-visit! Can’t wait to return!

Fantastic, cakes & food are amazing 😊

The best place to brunch in Barnstaple. Beautiful river view, comfortable outside seating, the cafe has a quirky vintage vibe and great selection on the menu. Breakfast, cakes, lunch, cream teas and fully licensed drinks menu. Something for everyone. We had a full breakfast which was excellent, wonderful coffee, and service 5*.

Great food. Great staff, lovely location. Breakfast was lovely, recommend the mini breakfast, the servers were friendly and helpful.

Having researched this place for cream teas, we made the hour round trip from Appledore and pre-booked for a party of 6. We arrived at 2.10pm to find there were no fruit scones left and no sausage rolls. After waiting a considerable amount of time for the menus, we had to ask for the menus, ordered drinks including 2 pots of tea only to then have to ask for milk. Cakes were massive and huge portions but surprised fresh cream wasn’t used. Savoury cream scones were delicious and the tea was lovely. Not the best service considering the place was not even half full. Disappointing visit for us

Whilst visited Barnstaple we found this gem for lunch. They managed to seat our family of 4 straight away. The service was superb and all the staff were friendly and helpful. The Brie and cranberry toastie was amazing! As was the onion chutney on the side. All our food was good and huge portions! We shared a cream tea after, which was also yummy. Highly recommend for lunch/afternoon tea.

Lovely sitting outside under the umbrella .Had a tasty sandwich and a brill coffee ☕.Staff so friendly.Sandwich so big that I shared mine and the kind lady bought out another plate .Highly recommend.

Cream tea with very nice scones. Less cream and jam and smaller scones than when we previously visited so we didnt feel it was such a special treat this time as just under £10 for 2 scones and tea each isn't cheap.

It was a pleasure to sit in a traditional tea room next to the River Taw. I had the half cream tea and there was more than enough to tickle the palette! I have never eaten such a soft scone, served with cream & strawberry jam accompanied with a pot of real tea. The staff were so friendly and welcoming and they made sure I had a table where my Assistance Dog had space to comfortably lie down. If you find yourself in Barnstaple you must try this gem out!

Attentive staff, gluten free option was really tasty. Closing the blinds really helped as was a bit hot in the sun where we were sat.. lovely atmosphere.

Nice cakes and fresh crab 🦀 😋 x

We visited for fathers day treat, my dad uses a mobility scooter and the staff arranged a perfect table for him. Lovely food great waitress and good atmosphere. I would recommend booking to avoid disappointment.

Great food, huge portions, and great service

This was a truly delightful place . It had a cosy feel of going round to your Aunt’s or Grandma’s for tea .The mis matched cups and saucers with proper teapots for servings .The food was absolutely wonderful .Staff very helpful and polite.They set the scene with a great choice of music to set the ambience ,This is a must if you are ever in the area .It was a fabulous start to our holiday .Well done keep up the good work .

11 of us visited for our Mum's birthday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Staff were so helpful and friendly. Definitely will be returning. Food was wonderful

Young staff member great, food was good and great location, thanks

Beautiful outside space amazing choice for vegetarian 👌

Excellent food all cooked fresh and delicious home made cakes. A must place to eat when in Barnstaple, staff very friendly and excellent service.

Excellent food and friendly service

12 of us popped in for a cuppa yesterday, having just arrived on the train from Torquay. We were made very welcome, the service was impeccable and I now have a loyalty card as I will definitely visit again.

Lovely tea room. Superb staff, excellent food. Very good value for money. Interesting display of tea pots all around the walls. I really cannot speak highly enough of this cafe as was demonstrated by the fact that it was full, even in early March ,so the locals love it as much as the visitors do. Bravissima!!

Best book a table if you want to go lunch time. I enjoyed some lunch with my family. Special of loaded hunters chicken chips. Staff very friendly. If full it will be noisy but that can't be helped. Too full for cake, but their cakes are very nice too!

Me and my mum visit nearly every week. A feel good place to eat. Lovely staff. The food is great and good-sized portions. From sandwiches to ham egg and chips, also lovely home made cakes.

Lovely cafe with a great vibe and friendly staff, and large tasty portion sizes! Interior is very wholesome, perfect lunch spot in the centre of town!

The number one cafe to impress your friends with a proper afternoon tea. We had a delicious cream tea. I had a Gluten Free scone which was delicious - warm and not dry like most GF food. Service was excellent as usual including a newbie started today who looked like she’d been there for ages, great job! Fab decor. Great location

Food good staff friendly good service

Recommended by a friend to visit but despite google telling us it was open, it was closed so worth checking

Absolutely fantastic! Beautifully presented festive high tea. Cannot fault anything. 100% recommend and cant to visit again soon.

Beautiful Christmas afternoon tea. Highly recommend but book well in advance!

Huge portions, presented well. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

We were both looking forward to visiting once we knew the cottage we are staying in was booked. It did not disappoint. The tea was of the highest order, and the scones and jam and cream were to die for. Best cream tea of the week by some distance against some stiff competition.

This amazing tea room provided my first ever dairy free afternoon tea. Along with five friends we booked the Xmas afternoon tea and could not have been better looked after. Every food item my friends had I also had dairy free. Thank you so much to all staff.

Quaint tea room, lovely food and outstanding service, waitresses make you so welcome and love the music

Lovely place, charming surroundings and good food. Attractive views of the river.

Lemon and blueberry cake recently was a dream.

We got told about this place by shop owner and my goodness it’s THE place to eat in Barnstable !! The staff, the location and the quality of the food is amazing. Doorstop sandwich is as described!! Not for the disconcerting. Ploughman’s is probably one of the best I’ve ever had. The other meals were also top class. If you like home made cakes…… this will not disappoint!! We will definitely be back as it’s sooooo good

Lovely tea room/cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor seating is in a quiet area with very reduced traffic, adjacent to the lovely river. Great selection of food starting from a breakfast range to full on cream teas.

2nd time, I have visited and will definitely return. Plenty to choose from on the menu and great service throughout. Food was well presented, generous portions, and very tasty.

It was my first time here, and was highly recommended by a few people we know. Our server Mel was so polite, and couldn’t have been better customer service. Highly recommend, and will be coming back again ☺️

Fabulous place to eat drunk and relax on the Taw ,today in October we sat in 24 degrees so beautiful! Great portions of delicious food 😋

Lovely quiant vibe, very friendly. Excellent lunch

On holiday in Devon from East Yorkshire and wanted to try a real Devonshire cream tea and wasn’t disappointed. 2 massive fruit scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream and a big pot of tea. Hopefully come back for some lunch before we go home.

A pretty place next to the river with lovely people serving lovely food

Yesterday my mum and I had afternoon tea at Tea on the Taw, it was amazing The food was delicious, all home made, the services was lovely very kind ladies and we would recommend We took lots home as there was so many wonderful delights Thank you 😊

Great cakes and coffees. Service excellent, my favourite place for a catch up with friends.

If you have not been here you must try it. We were last here 2019 bc (before covid). We have been looking forward to it since we booked our holiday. It did not disappoint. We had the vintage cream tea it was really fantastic. The staff are a credit to the restaurant and the place is a pleasure go to. We will certainty be going back.

Very popular place, nice food and location. Food not over priced.

Smashing lunch, during shopping afternoon! We sat outside, blowy but warm. Food and service brilliant.

Great place to come for lunch, food was very tasty and portions were incredibly generous, the table next to us had the largest coronation chicken sandwich I've ever seen. Be prepared!

Generous portions, and delicious sandwich. I opted not to have Doorstep bread, which was a good move as the filling was more than geenerous. Excellent fast service with a smile. Recommended

Great food and service, come here every year on holiday!

Went to Tea by the Taw for the first time today. It was brilliant. We both had a ploughmans which was huge and so tasty. Two slices of proper ham,( my husband had cheese), slice of homemade quiche, salad, coleslaw, pickled onions, pickle, thick slice of tasty fresh bread and a basket of the best chips. My only complaint was I was too full to finish it. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Loved the background music can't go wrong with a bit of Doris Day. Basically can't wait to go back. Would definitely take any of our visitors there. Thank you so much .

Came across this lovely place today when we needed light refreshments with shade for our dog. The staff were delightful, and my afternoon tea a lovely treat. Tea with tea leaves is something l haven't had in a long time! My cuppa hit the spot. My hubby only wanted lemonade, and he said it was delicious. I had a quick glance at the cakes and pies, which all looked homemade and delightful. If l should ever find myself here again, l would return, thank you.

Staff are very attentive and accommodating. The food was great - big portions, lots of choice, and it came out quickly. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely decor and delicious food and drink. People who work there were really nice suggest go for someone’s birthday like we did

The latte was not a latte. The oat milk was from a cow. The vegan menu was non-existent. Went next door instead 😬

Just fabulous! You won't leave feeling disappointed or hungry 🥰 amazing quality, value for money and choices, highly recommend

Excellent savoury afternoon tea, cheese scone, cream cheese and onion chutney. It was well worth the money and service was excellent

Lovely cream tea with some friends from abroad. Good value for money and tasty too boot.

What a little gem of a place, it has loads of outdoor seating and some inside too, we started outside but ended up indoors as the rain was about to come down, it's right next to the river so great location, the staff were lovely, very attentive and the food (oh my) was amazing, my Ploughmans lunch was huge, I couldn't eat it all, the wedge of cheese was enormous! Good range of options too, definitely go there if you are in Barnstaple

A great little gem in Barnstaple, staff were informative and attentive, I'll always recommend this business when in or visiting Barnstaple

Really good service, good choice of food. Excellent quality and fair value. Recommend this place. I had a meat ploughman's which was super and my wife had the prawn sandwich which also was excellent.

Dashed in to escape a rain storm while cycling the tarka trail. One of the best lunches we've ever had. When they say doorstep sandwiches, they really mean it!

Friendly staff,great food, good portion sizes would recommend.

Lovely food 😋 staff very nice & fast service

Lovely service, delicious crab in shell and chilli nachos were also very good. Well priced, light cool inside or outside tables.

Absolutely delicious scones. I would recommend. Only have one between two of you if you have a normal appetite. The portions are very generous.

Fastest service we've ever experienced. Waitress was friendly, informative and efficient. We had two people who both needed gluten free, lactose free and onion free food. All possible and waitress knew exactly what they had. Our plentiful lunches were served quickly, were very nice and reasonably priced. We ate al fresco by the taw enjoying the sun. Lovely.

1st class for breakfast, lunch, and a cream tea to die for (cream first being in Devon) a vast selection of cakes, to be eaten indoors or alfresco, right next to an easy to access cycle route NCN27 .

An absolute gem of a place in Barnstable, had coffee and lunch there where the food was outstanding but the friendly and attentive staff were what made the whole experience a real pleasure. Thank you.

What a delightful place! We only stopped for coffees but were made to feel so welcome and the staff were lovely and nothing was too much trouble. Although we didn't eat, the food looked very tempting! Next time we're in the area we'll definitely be trying it out!!

prices have risen enormously... £3 a can of coke. but the food remains excellent

One of the best places for a cream tea, plus a great choice of home made cakes if you would rather something different. The staff are friendly and efficient and keep the area very clean. When ever we visit the area it is one place we always must visit.

Popped in for a cream tea. Wow! It was perfect! Great scones, jam and a generous helping of cream. Oh! And not to forget the a really great pot of tea served in bone chine cups.😀 and wonderful friendly service. Didn't have any of the cakes displayed but they looked amazing and very generous servings.

The best eating place in Barnstaple, lovely staff.

Brilliant "high tea" - fantastic sandwiches, cakes, scones - amazing!

Great service, very friendly staff, had pods to protect from the weather. We had amazing food, looking forward to coming back

This restaurant is wonderful. The cream tea we had was superb. Well recommended. Food and service was excellent

Really relaxing atmosphere fantastic food and coffee

Came here for my partners birthday, we booked with short notice but they squeezed us in, I’m glad they did! The afternoon tea was absolutely delicious. The decor and atmosphere was perfect to relax and enjoy the food. Everything is home made and we had so much we even had a few bits left over which they boxed up for us to take home.

Whether it's the classic cream tea or the savoury version it's the very best at reasonable prices. So impressed after our first visit we went back on a Saturday lunchtime ...it was very busy but the welcoming staff took the trouble to create a new table space. Despite being very busy the delicious food arrived very promptly. Great ambience and much enjoyed. Thank you. Highly recommended.

Absolutely superb cafe. We'd had a long day climbing castle hill estates with a 3 year old and 11 month old. They were able to accommodate us in the afternoon and couldn't have been more welcoming, which was lovely. My wife and I had a hot drink each and we split 3 cakes amongst all of us. It was all fantastic. So tasty and exactly what we needed. My 3 year old then proceeded to sing the team Christmas songs which I think were appreciated 🤣 If we lived locally we'd 100% be returning for more cake. Thank you to the team.

The food's okay, the drinks are okay - there's something odd about the ambience though when you're forced to listen to fifties music blasting...maybe the owner is a fifties fan or maybe nobody notices but it meant that my party were anxious to leave from the moment we sat down. Everyone's trying hard. Lots of smiles. But I can see why places/chains like Costa do such good business - there was something a bit cracked about this place.

Came today for lunch for my daughters birthday along with my mum and my sister. Super friendly staff and the food was just delicious! 😋Thank you. We'll definitely be coming more often!

It was absolutely lovely. The food was great, the service was first rate and there was a really welcoming atmosphere. I wouldn't change a thing as they already have everything spot on.

Absolutely amazing food and service, had the Christmas afternoon tea. Can't wait to go again.

We came to tea by the taw today for their festive high tea and I cannot recommend it enough! The food was delicious and great value for money. We left full and had treats left to take home. Possibly the best high tea we have ever had. Thank you

I have used Tea by the Taw to cater for several business lunch meetings and they never disappoint. They offer an excellent array of delicious savoury food and cakes, catering for any specific dietary requirements that we had. There are always plenty of complements, especially for their lovely cakes and never any leftovers!

Nice food and tea, but awful service the whole time, couldn’t get us out of there quick enough despite it only being mid afternoon and still open for a good few hours yet, wait staff walked away in the middle of us answering the questions they asked and sweeping around us right up to the table and under our feet while we were still in the middle of eating, then brought the bill even though we didn’t ask for it and no asking if we would like any cake or anything else today just wanting us gone

Wonderful. Large helpings of quality food served by lovely staff.

The was the most wonderful quaint little place I have visited in a long time! The food all appeared to be home cooked and fresh that day! The staff were attentive and caring! The had excellent vegan options snd the staff were happy to check...

Lovely lunch and great homemade cake

Been here a few times before and it is still a really lovely place to go for lunch, they do recommend that you book a table in advance as it is a very popular place, we didn't book but were lucky as it was midday mid week in November so there were spaces for 2 available. 5 stars all round as usual can't fault them!.

Brilliant food. Tasty, very good portions, well presented with a very good menu selection for a cafe.

Lovely place great food great service reasonably priced worth a visit

Great lunch, good taste but I don't like these enormous slices off bread.

The Food is gorgeous, the Cakes are Amazing , The staff friendly and very cheery And a cracking cup of tea 💕